Practical Application of CAE in the Design Process of the Floating Stages of the Lakeside Festival in Bregenz - Austria

The design of modern and architecturally complex constructions in civil engineering can only be effectively achieved through the application of Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE). This requires, on the one hand the use of fully 3D CAD Systems during the architectural design process and on the other hand the use of fully 3D numerical calculation methods like the Finite Element Method (FEM) during the engineering construction process. The combination of the aforementioned CAE methods allows for the development of highly sophisticated structures. The practical application of these methods will be revealed by examining the floating stages of the lake festival in Bregenz/Austria, these stages are designed and built anew every second year. The aim is to show the development process from the initial designs up to the finished stage; a process made possible thanks to a close collaboration between designers and engineers.