Burj Dubai – the supertall skyscraper

Burj Dubai (“Dubai Tower”) is a super tall skyscraper under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the tallest man-made structure ever built, despite being incomplete. Construction began on 21 September 2004, and the tower is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by September 2009.

The building is part of the 2 sq.km development called “Downtown Burj Dubai” . The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is about US$4.1 billion, and for the entire new “Downtown Dubai”, US$20 billion. The price of office space at Burj Dubai had reached $4,000 per sq ft (over $43,000 per m2) and that the Armani Residences, also in Burj Dubai, were selling for US$3,500 per sq ft (over $37,500 per m2).

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, 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 12-hectare (30-acre) man-made Burj Dubai Lake.

The building will return the title of Earth’s tallest free-standing structure to the Middle East—a title not held by the region since 1311 when Lincoln Cathedral in England surpassed the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which had held the title for almost four millennial.

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.

Current records

• Tallest structure: 818 m (2,684 ft) (previously KVLY-TV mast – 628.8 m (2,063 ft))
• Tallest freestanding structure: 818 m (2,684 ft) (previously CN Tower – 553.3 m (1,815 ft))
• Building with most floors: 160 (previously Sears Tower / World Trade Center – 110)
• Highest vertical concrete pumping 601 m (1,972 ft) (previously Taipei 101 – 449.2 m (1,474 ft))
• First world’s tallest structure in history that includes residential space.

Facts and Figures:

• At the peak of cooling times the tower will require approximately 10,000 tons of cooling water per hour, which is equivalent to the capacity provided by 10,000 tons of melting ice in one day. The tower’s water system will supply average of about 946000 liters per day.
• The tower’s peak electricity demand is estimated at 36 MVA equivalent to roughtly 3,60,000 100 watt bulbs all operating at the same time
• The building service/fireman’s elevator will have capacity of 5500 kg and will be the world’s tallest service elevator
• The tower’s structural system is designed for seismic conditions
• Concrete area of the tower is 2,30,000 cubic meters, which is equivalent to a sidewalk is equivalent to the distance from Dubai, UAE to Dubai Saudi Arabia and equivalent to the weight of 1,00,000 elephants
• The total area of the curtain walls of this building is 111500 sqm out of which 83,600 sqm is made up of Glass and 27,900 sqm is made up of metal. This total area is equivalent to 17 football fields.
• Rebar used in the building amounting to 31400 MT which includes tower podium and office annex excludes foundations. Laid end to end this would extend over quarter of the way around the world

Progression of the construction of Burj Dubai

The following slide show gives progression of the consturction of this huge building

Source : Burj Dubai official website