The Burj Dubai tower will be the world’s tallest building when completed in 2008. Here’s how the building of this mega-structure is being done.
The bragging rights for the world’s mightiest mega-structure (currently Taiwan’s Taipei 101 building) will soon belong to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where the 800 m. (2624 ft.) Burj Dubai is expected to be completed in November, 2008. Designed by U.S. architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it will house 39 floors of hotel space, 64 floors of apartment units, and 37 floors of office space. Here’s how this tower is going up, built by a consortium led by Samsung Corp.
The bragging rights for the world’s mightiest mega-structure (currently Taiwan’s Taipei 101 building) will soon belong to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where the 800 m. (2624 ft.) Burj Dubai is expected to be completed in November, 2008. Designed by U.S. architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it will house 39 floors of hotel space, 64 floors of apartment units, and 37 floors of office space. Here’s how this tower is going up, built by a consortium led by Samsung Corp.
Foundation
The 800-meter (1,827 feet) Burj Dubai will need the mother of all foundations to support a super-structure that is expected to weigh 500,000 tons. The tower will rest on a 3.7m-thick triangular frame foundation supported by 192 rounded steel piles or support cylinders measuring 1.5m in diameter and extending 50m (164 ft.) below the ground.
Earth Quake Proof
High-strength concrete is used to help achieve stability in this ultra-high structure. The Burj Dubai is designed to withstand an earthquake (unlikely in this seismically quiet part of the world) measuring up to six on the Richter scale. It will also hold steady during severe winds of up to 55m per second, which the office workers won’t sense at all.
Satellite Tracking
To ensure the structural stability of the Burj Dubai during construction, the tower’s vertical and lateral movements are tracked with the help of a satellite-based global positioning system. During construction, any change in load distribution of the building is closely monitored in real time through the use of more than 700 sensors embedded in its structure.
Steel Segments
The bulk of the 47-month construction timetable for the Burj Tower is basically a repetition of a three-day production schedule involving installation of steel reinforcements, pouring concrete, and so on. Here, steel segments have been assembled at a staging area on the ground before being lifted to the fixing area up in the sky as construction progresses.
Concrete
On the second day of the three-day construction cycle, the forms that create the interior structure on a particular floor are set into position while door openings and steel support beams are installed as well. The next day concrete will be poured into the forms -- and then, on to the next floor.
Lifting
Even before a particular floor is finished, construction engineers are positioning forms and construction materials on the next one up with 2,300-ton-capacity hydraulic jacks.
Super Cranes
On the uppermost finished floor on the Burj Dubai, three giant tower cranes have been installed to lift vast amounts of construction materials quickly where they are needed.
Concrete booms
Four concrete placing booms, or distributors, have been set up at the Burj Tower construction site so that concrete can be mixed and cast quickly and transported efficiently.
High Pressure Pumps
Three high-pressure pumps are on hand at the Burj Tower site to transport concrete up to construction crews working at unprecedented heights. The challenge is to send high-strength concrete up to a height of 570m without losing its basic durability or consistency.
High Speed Hoists
Another workhorse is the titanic hoist, a contraption that lifts heavy materials and construction workers. A total of 14 high-speed temporary hoists constantly travel up and down the tower.
Sinking Prevention
A building of this size (this structure weighs 500,000 tons) has a tendency to sink, if ever so slightly. So each floor is constructed an average of 4mm higher than the designated floor height.
Spiral Structure
To make sure the Burj Dubai is the highest on the planet, the tower is topped with a spiral structure that extends from the 700 meter mark. To get it up there, blocks for the base of the spiral are actually assembled within the building. Then, the spire pipe is lifted up by hydraulic jacks with the help of steel cables.
Refuge Shelters & Emergency Elevators
The Burj Dubai is designed with four refuge shelters every 30 floors in case of emergencies such as a fire or terrorist attack. Also, in addition to 54 high-speed elevators, separate emergency elevators are being installed to quickly and safely evacuate occupants located on higher levels.
The 800-meter (1,827 feet) Burj Dubai will need the mother of all foundations to support a super-structure that is expected to weigh 500,000 tons. The tower will rest on a 3.7m-thick triangular frame foundation supported by 192 rounded steel piles or support cylinders measuring 1.5m in diameter and extending 50m (164 ft.) below the ground.
Earth Quake Proof
High-strength concrete is used to help achieve stability in this ultra-high structure. The Burj Dubai is designed to withstand an earthquake (unlikely in this seismically quiet part of the world) measuring up to six on the Richter scale. It will also hold steady during severe winds of up to 55m per second, which the office workers won’t sense at all.
Satellite Tracking
To ensure the structural stability of the Burj Dubai during construction, the tower’s vertical and lateral movements are tracked with the help of a satellite-based global positioning system. During construction, any change in load distribution of the building is closely monitored in real time through the use of more than 700 sensors embedded in its structure.
Steel Segments
The bulk of the 47-month construction timetable for the Burj Tower is basically a repetition of a three-day production schedule involving installation of steel reinforcements, pouring concrete, and so on. Here, steel segments have been assembled at a staging area on the ground before being lifted to the fixing area up in the sky as construction progresses.
Concrete
On the second day of the three-day construction cycle, the forms that create the interior structure on a particular floor are set into position while door openings and steel support beams are installed as well. The next day concrete will be poured into the forms -- and then, on to the next floor.
Lifting
Even before a particular floor is finished, construction engineers are positioning forms and construction materials on the next one up with 2,300-ton-capacity hydraulic jacks.
Super Cranes
On the uppermost finished floor on the Burj Dubai, three giant tower cranes have been installed to lift vast amounts of construction materials quickly where they are needed.
Concrete booms
Four concrete placing booms, or distributors, have been set up at the Burj Tower construction site so that concrete can be mixed and cast quickly and transported efficiently.
High Pressure Pumps
Three high-pressure pumps are on hand at the Burj Tower site to transport concrete up to construction crews working at unprecedented heights. The challenge is to send high-strength concrete up to a height of 570m without losing its basic durability or consistency.
High Speed Hoists
Another workhorse is the titanic hoist, a contraption that lifts heavy materials and construction workers. A total of 14 high-speed temporary hoists constantly travel up and down the tower.
Sinking Prevention
A building of this size (this structure weighs 500,000 tons) has a tendency to sink, if ever so slightly. So each floor is constructed an average of 4mm higher than the designated floor height.
Spiral Structure
To make sure the Burj Dubai is the highest on the planet, the tower is topped with a spiral structure that extends from the 700 meter mark. To get it up there, blocks for the base of the spiral are actually assembled within the building. Then, the spire pipe is lifted up by hydraulic jacks with the help of steel cables.
Refuge Shelters & Emergency Elevators
The Burj Dubai is designed with four refuge shelters every 30 floors in case of emergencies such as a fire or terrorist attack. Also, in addition to 54 high-speed elevators, separate emergency elevators are being installed to quickly and safely evacuate occupants located on higher levels.
