Jump to content

Burj Khalifa: Difference between revisions

Edit links
Coordinates: 25°11′49.7″N 55°16′26.8″E / 25.197139°N 55.274111°E / 25.197139; 55.274111
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
SmackBot (talk | contribs)
3,734,324 edits
m Date the maintenance tags or general fixes
supertall was established as being a made-up word in Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Supertall
Line 22: Line 22:
|contractor={{flagicon|South Korea}} [[Samsung Engineering & Construction|Samsung]]<br /> {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Besix]] <br /> {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Arabtec]] <br /> {{flagicon|United States}} [[Turner Construction Company|Turner]]
|contractor={{flagicon|South Korea}} [[Samsung Engineering & Construction|Samsung]]<br /> {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Besix]] <br /> {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Arabtec]] <br /> {{flagicon|United States}} [[Turner Construction Company|Turner]]
}}
}}
'''Burj Dubai''' ({{lang-ar|'''برج دبي'''}} "Dubai Tower") is a [[supertall]] [[skyscraper]] currently under construction in [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]], and is currently the tallest freestanding structure on Earth. It is expected to be completed and ready for occupation in September of 2009.<ref name="Emporis"/>
'''Burj Dubai''' ({{lang-ar|'''برج دبي'''}} "Dubai Tower") is a [[skyscraper]] currently under construction in [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]], and is currently the tallest freestanding structure on Earth. It is expected to be completed and ready for occupation in September of 2009.<ref name="Emporis"/>


The building is part of a {{km2 to mi2|2|abbr=yes |spell=0 |precision=1 |wiki=yes}} development called 'Downtown Dubai' and is located at the "First Interchange" (aka "Defence [[Roundabout]]") along [[Sheikh Zayed Road]] at Doha Street. The tower's architect is [[Adrian Smith (architect)|Adrian Smith]]<ref name="Record High">{{cite web |title=EMAAR Press Release - Burj Dubai reaches a record high, Dubai, UAE, July 21, 2007 |url=http://www.emaar.com/MediaCenter/PressReleases/2007July21.asp |accessdate=2008-01-02}}</ref> who worked with [[Skidmore, Owings and Merrill| Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM)]] until 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.architectmagazine.com/industry-news.asp?sectionID=1006&articleID=385534 |title=Architect Magazine: Adrian Smith Leaves SOM, Longtime Skidmore partner bucks retirement to start new firm}}</ref> SOM is the architecture and engineering firm in charge of the project.<ref name="Record High"/> The primary builder is [[Samsung Engineering & Construction]], along with [[Besix]] and Arabtec.<ref>[http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=7787 Burj Dubai - SkyscraperPage.com]</ref> [[Turner Construction Company]] was chosen as the construction manager.<ref>[http://www.turnerconstruction.com/international/content.asp?d=3457&p=2372 Turner Construction Company]</ref> Third party peer review has been performed by CBM Engineers.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}
The building is part of a {{km2 to mi2|2|abbr=yes |spell=0 |precision=1 |wiki=yes}} development called 'Downtown Dubai' and is located at the "First Interchange" (aka "Defence [[Roundabout]]") along [[Sheikh Zayed Road]] at Doha Street. The tower's architect is [[Adrian Smith (architect)|Adrian Smith]]<ref name="Record High">{{cite web |title=EMAAR Press Release - Burj Dubai reaches a record high, Dubai, UAE, July 21, 2007 |url=http://www.emaar.com/MediaCenter/PressReleases/2007July21.asp |accessdate=2008-01-02}}</ref> who worked with [[Skidmore, Owings and Merrill| Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM)]] until 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.architectmagazine.com/industry-news.asp?sectionID=1006&articleID=385534 |title=Architect Magazine: Adrian Smith Leaves SOM, Longtime Skidmore partner bucks retirement to start new firm}}</ref> SOM is the architecture and engineering firm in charge of the project.<ref name="Record High"/> The primary builder is [[Samsung Engineering & Construction]], along with [[Besix]] and Arabtec.<ref>[http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=7787 Burj Dubai - SkyscraperPage.com]</ref> [[Turner Construction Company]] was chosen as the construction manager.<ref>[http://www.turnerconstruction.com/international/content.asp?d=3457&p=2372 Turner Construction Company]</ref> Third party peer review has been performed by CBM Engineers.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}

Revision as of 08:57, 11 April 2008

Template:Building under construction

Burj Dubai
File:Burj Dubai.jpg
Map
General information
Estimated completion2009[1]
OpeningSeptember 2009 (est.)
Height
Antenna spire~Template:M to ft
Roof~Template:M to ft
Top floor~Template:M to ft
Technical details
Floor count162
Floor areaTemplate:M2 to ft2
Design and construction
Architect(s)United States Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
DeveloperUnited Arab Emirates Emaar
EngineerBill Baker at SOM[2]

Burj Dubai (Arabic: برج دبي "Dubai Tower") is a skyscraper currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is currently the tallest freestanding structure on Earth. It is expected to be completed and ready for occupation in September of 2009.[1]

The building is part of a Template:Km2 to mi2 development called 'Downtown Dubai' and is located at the "First Interchange" (aka "Defence Roundabout") along Sheikh Zayed Road at Doha Street. The tower's architect is Adrian Smith[3] who worked with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) until 2006.[4] SOM is the architecture and engineering firm in charge of the project.[3] The primary builder is Samsung Engineering & Construction, along with Besix and Arabtec.[5] Turner Construction Company was chosen as the construction manager.[6] Third party peer review has been performed by CBM Engineers.[citation needed]

The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is about US$ 4.1 billion and for the entire new 'Downtown Dubai', US$ 20 billion. Emaar Chairman Mohamed Ali Alabbar speaking at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) conference, said the sale of office space at Burj Dubai has received phenomenal response, with the rate going at $4,000 (Dh14,000) per square foot.[citation needed] He added that the Armani Residences, also in the world’s tallest tower, are selling for $3,500 per sq ft.[citation needed]

Height

Current height

As of 7 April 2008, Burj Dubai has reached a height of Template:M to ft, with 160 completed floors.[7][8]

Burj Dubai's last milestone will be to surpass the Warsaw radio mast in Konstantynów near Gąbin, Poland (Template:M to ft until it collapsed in 1991) to become the world's tallest structure of any type ever built.

Timeline of events

Current records

File:Burj dubai palms.jpg
Burj Dubai in March 2008

Note: As indicated above, the CTBUH does not recognise records for buildings still under construction, therefore some of those records are unofficial:


Projected height

Projected height of the completed Burj Dubai, compared to the height of some other well known tall buildings.

The projected final height of Burj Dubai is officially being kept a secret due to competition from other buildings under construction or proposed; however, figures released by a contractor on the project have suggested a height of around Template:M to ft.[14] Based on this height, the total number of habitable floors is expected to be around 162. However, the Burj Dubai's construction manager, Greg Sang, has said only that the final height would be greater than Template:M to ft, and that it would be the world's tallest free-standing structure when completed.[15]

History of height increases

Though unconfirmed, Burj Dubai has been rumoured to have undergone several height increases since its inception. Originally proposed as a virtual clone of the Template:M to ft Grollo Tower proposal for Melbourne, Australia's Docklands waterfront development, the tower was redesigned with an original design by Skidmore Owings and Merrill seen above and discussed below. This design should put it at approximately Template:M to ft. Contradictory information abounds regarding the official height of the building, which is to be expected, considering the building seeks to acquire the designation as the world's tallest structure upon completion in 2009. One website[16] mentions a rumoured final height of Template:M to ft in a September 28, 2006 posting, but this is contradicted by a September 20, 2006 article listing a height over Template:M to ft.[17]

The design architect, Adrian Smith, felt that the upper-most section of the building did not culminate elegantly with the rest of the structure, so he sought and received approval to increase it to the currently planned height. It has been explicitly stated that this change did not include any added floors,[18] which is fitting with Smith's attempts to make the crown more slender. However, the top of the tower will be a steel frame structure, unlike the lower portion's reinforced concrete. The developer, Emaar, has stated this steel section may be extended to beat any other tower to the title of tallest; however, once the tower is complete the height cannot be changed.

Competition with other projects

Several other major projects in the region may vie for the title of tallest structure. These other projects are in various states of planning and/or construction.

One of Burj Dubai's potential competitors is the proposed Murjan Tower, in Manama, Bahrain. Designed by the Danish architects Henning Larsens Tegnestue A/S, it is expected to be Template:M to ft in height with 200 floors.[19]

The Mile-High Tower, a recently announced skyscraper planned for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, would be almost twice as tall as the Burj Dubai if completed as planned by Riyadh-based Kingdom Holdings (controlled by Prince al-Walid bin Talal), with the London firms Hyder Consulting and Arup. Also potentially competing with Burj Dubai is the proposed Template:M to ft Burj Mubarak al-Kabir to be erected in Kuwait as part of a massive development project called Madinat al-Hareer (City of Silk). The project also includes an Olympic stadium, residences, hotels, and retail facilities. However, the project may take 25 years to complete.[20]

Another proposed tower which may surpass the height of Burj Dubai, is Al Burj, on a site near Dubai Marina. Speculation has suggested various heights between Template:M to ft and Template:M to ft, but the developer is keeping the final height tightly under wraps. If built, it will be only Template:Km to mi from the Burj Dubai site.

Architecture and design

The tower is being constructed by a South Korean company, Samsung Engineering & Construction [21] which also built the Petronas Twin Towers and the Taipei 101. The tower is designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, who also designed the Sears Tower in Chicago and the Freedom Tower in New York City, among numerous other famous high-rises. The building resembles the bundled tube form of the Sears Tower, but is not a tube structure. The design of Burj Dubai is reminiscent of the Frank Lloyd Wright vision for The Illinois, a mile high skyscraper designed for Chicago, Illinois. Burj Dubai is expected to rise to 150% of the height of the Sears Tower. Emaar has also engaged GHD[22], an international multidisciplinary consulting firm, to assist with the design, review and assessment involved in the construction process.

Supertall cross-section comparisons

The design of Burj Dubai is ostensibly derived from the patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture, with the triple-lobed footprint of the building based on an abstracted version of the desert flower hymenocallis native to the region. The tower is composed of three elements arranged around a central core. As the tower rises from the flat desert base, setbacks occur at each element in an upward spiralling pattern, decreasing the cross section of the tower as it reaches toward the sky. At the top, the central core emerges and is sculpted to form a finishing spire. A Y-shaped floor plan maximizes views of the Persian Gulf. Viewed from above or from the base, the form also evokes the onion domes of Islamic architecture. During the design process, engineers rotated the building 120 degrees from its original layout to reduce stress from prevailing winds.

The exterior cladding of Burj Dubai will consist of 142,000 m2 (1,528,000 sq ft) of reflective glazing, and aluminium and textured stainless steel spandrel panels with vertical tubular fins. The cladding system is designed to withstand Dubai's extreme summer temperatures.

The interior will be decorated by Giorgio Armani. An Armani Hotel (the first of its kind) will occupy the lower 37 floors. Floors 45 through 108 will have 700 private apartments on 64 floors (which, according to the developer, sold out within eight hours of going on sale). An outdoor zero-entry swimming pool will be located on the 78th floor of the tower. Corporate offices and suites will fill most of the remaining floors, except for a 123rd floor lobby and 124th floor (about 440 m (1,444 ft)) indoor/outdoor observation deck. The spire - itself over 200 m (700 ft) tall - will hold communications equipment.

It will also feature the world's fastest elevator, rising and descending at 18 m/s (59 ft/s).[23] The world's current fastest elevator (in the Taipei 101) travels at 16.83 m/s (55.2 ft/s). Engineers had considered installing the world's first triple-decker elevators, but the final design calls for double-deck elevators.[1] A total of 56 elevators will be installed that can each carry 42 people at a time.[3]

Over Template:M3 to yd3 of concrete, weighing more than 110,000 tonnes (120,000 short tons; 110,000 long tons) were used to construct the concrete and steel foundation, which features 192 piles buried more than Template:M to ft deep.[1] When completed, Burj Dubai's construction will have used Template:M3 to yd3 of concrete and 39,000 tonnes (43,000 short tons; 38,000 long tons) of steel rebar (enough to extend over a quarter of the way around the world if laid end-to-end); and construction will have taken 22 million man hours.[3]

The unique design and engineering challenges of building Burj Dubai, have been featured in a number of TV documentaries, including the "Big, Bigger, Biggest" series on the National Geographic Channel, and the "Mega Builders" series on the Discovery Channel.

Purpose

Burj Dubai has been designed to be the centerpiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that will include 30,000 homes, nine hotels such as the Burj Dubai Lake Hotel & Serviced Apartments, Template:Km2 to mi2 of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the Template:Km2 to mi2 man-made Burj Dubai Lake. Burj Dubai will cost US$ 800 million to build and the entire Template:Km2 to mi2 development will cost around US$ 20 billion.

The silvery glass-sheathed concrete building will give the title of Earth's tallest free-standing structure to the Middle East — a title not held by the region since 1311 AD when Lincoln Cathedral in England surpassed the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which had held the title for almost four millennia.

The decision to build Burj Dubai is reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from a trade-based economy to one that is service- and tourism-oriented. According to officials, it is necessary for projects like Burj Dubai to be built in the city to garner more international recognition, and hence investment. "He [Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum] wanted to put Dubai on the map with something really sensational," said Jacqui Josephson, a tourism and VIP delegations executive at Nakheel Properties.[24]

Construction

Burj Dubai in March 2008

The primary structural system of the Burj Dubai is reinforced concrete. As construction of the tower progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to vertically pump the thousands of cubic metres of concrete that are required. The previous record for pumping concrete on any project was set during the extension of the Riva del Garda Hydroelectric Power Plant in Italy in 1994, when concrete was pumped to a height of Template:M to ft. Burj Dubai now holds this record as of August 19, 2007, as it has a height of Template:M to ft, to hold the record for concrete pumping on any project; and as of November 8, 2007 concrete was pumped to a delivery height of Template:M to ft.[25].

Special mixes of concrete are made to withstand the extreme pressures of the massive weight of the tower; each batch of concrete is tested and checked to see whether it can withstand certain pressures. The head of Concrete Quality Checking on the Burj Dubai project is Alam Feroze, who is in charge of concrete on the whole project. The concrete pumps, pipelines and booms are provided by Putzmeister AG, of Aichtal, Germany.

As the consistency of the concrete on the project is essential, it was difficult to create a concrete that could withstand the thousands of tonnes bearing down on it, but also to withstand Gulf temperatures that can reach Template:C to F. To combat this problem, the concrete is not poured during the day. Instead, ice is added to the mixture and it is poured at night when it is cooler and the humidity is higher. A cooler concrete mixture cures evenly throughout and therefore is less likely to set too quickly and crack. Any significant cracks could put the whole project in jeopardy.

Labour controversy

Further information: [[:Human rights in the United Arab Emirates]]

Burj Dubai is being built primarily by immigrant engineers and workers from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, China and the Philippines.[26] Press reports indicate that skilled carpenters at the site earn US$7.60 (£4.34)/day, and laborers earn US$4.00 (£2.84).[26][27] Unions were forbidden in the United Arab Emirates up until recently, when the government announced steps to allow construction unions.[28] On March 21, 2006, workers upset over low wages and poor working conditions rioted, damaging cars, offices, computers, and construction equipment. A Dubai Interior Ministry official said the rioters caused approximately US$1m (£488k) in damage. Most workers returned the following day but refused to work. Workers building a new terminal at Dubai International Airport also joined that day's strike action.

The United Arab Emirates dirham's close connection with the low US Dollar, and the increased cost-of-living in the region, has made it increasingly difficult for immigrant construction workers to survive on their wages. An offer by the UAE government in June 2007 to fly home illegal immigrant workers free-of-charge, with no questions asked, was met with overwhelming demand, further threatening the supply of workers on the Burj Dubai and other Dubai construction projects.

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Burj Dubai, Dubai, at Emporis.com". Retrieved 2007-03-01.
  2. ^ "Engineer Bill Baker Is the King of Superstable 150-Story Structures". Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  3. ^ a b c d "EMAAR Press Release - Burj Dubai reaches a record high, Dubai, UAE, July 21, 2007". Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  4. ^ "Architect Magazine: Adrian Smith Leaves SOM, Longtime Skidmore partner bucks retirement to start new firm".
  5. ^ Burj Dubai - SkyscraperPage.com
  6. ^ Turner Construction Company
  7. ^ a b "Burj Dubai surpasses KVLY-TV mast to become the world's tallest man-made structure". Emaar. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  8. ^ "Burj Dubai is now world's tallest manmade structure". NDTV India. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  9. ^ Burj Dubai:Unimix sets record for concrete pumping
  10. ^ "Burj Dubai Official Website". Emaar. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  11. ^ "Burj Dubai Height Overtakes Taipei 101". skyscrapernews.com. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
  12. ^ "CN Tower dethroned by Dubai building". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2007-09-12. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
  13. ^ Putzmeister - History - 1994 - World record: 532 m
  14. ^ Project information, doka- The Formwork Experts, retrieved 2006-05-04
  15. ^ "On Top of the World". Time. 2007-07-18. Retrieved 2008-02-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ burjdubaiskyscraper.com
  17. ^ "Builder: Dubai High-Rise World's Tallest". AP News. Retrieved 2007-07-22. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  18. ^ Template:PDFlink Cityscape, 2005-09-18, retrieved 2006-05-05
  19. ^ Murjan Tower 1, Manama
  20. ^ "Architects plan kilometre-high skyscraper", by Will Knight, NewScientist.com, December 9, 2005, retrieved 2006-03-25
  21. ^ "Samsung E&C Projects".
  22. ^ "GHD Projects".
  23. ^ Burj Dubai will have world's highest elevator installation, by Moushumi Das Chaudhry, BurjDubaiSkyscraper, 2006-03-12, retrieved 2006-03-25
  24. ^ "In Dubai, the Sky's No Limit", by Megan K. Stack, Los Angeles Times, 2005-10-13, retrieved 2006-03-26
  25. ^ "Putzmeister AG - News - Burj Dubai".
  26. ^ a b "Workers Riot at Site of Dubai Skyscraper", Jim Krane, breitbart.com, 2006-03-22, retrieved March 24, 2006
  27. ^ Riot by migrant workers halts construction of Dubai skyscraper, by Brian Whitaker and agencies, The Guardian, 2006-03-23, retrieved 2006-03-25
  28. ^ "UAE to allow construction unions", BBC News, 2006-03-30, retrieved 2006-04-20

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Burj Dubai.
Preceded by World's tallest structure
(under construction)
2008- 		Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by World's tallest free-standing structure
(under construction)
2007- 		Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by World's tallest building
(under construction)
2007- 		Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by Building with the most floors
(under construction)
2007- 		Succeeded by
incumbent

25°11′49.7″N 55°16′26.8″E / 25.197139°N 55.274111°E / 25.197139; 55.274111

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Burj_Khalifa&oldid=204881774"