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How was the Burj Khalifa in Dubai built?
Content
Construction of the Burj Khalifa.
How much time, materials, and labor did it take to build the Burj Khalifa?
Burj Khalifa elevator layout.
Pressurized rooms for emergencies.
Inner workings at the Burj Khalifa.
Burj Khalifa cleaning system.
There is a world record that many countries want to have, and that is for owning the tallest building in the world. After a long time, that title was held by France with the popular Eiffel Tower in the city of Paris.
However, currently the tallest tower is in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, as expected. The technological city established in the desert increased its population by 600% in the past three decades.
It boasts novel architectural works such as the Burj Al-arab and the Palm Jumeirah Island. But the most relevant jewel of this city is the Burj Khalifa, a giant of 828 meters and 163 floors that had a construction cost of 1.5 billion dollars.
But how was such a work built? How much time, material and labor was required for the process? Read on, and you will know the answers to these and other questions.
Construction of the Burj Khalifa
In January 2004 excavation began to build the Tower in what would become downtown Dubai. One of the most recognized areas of the city where there is also the largest shopping center in the world, the Dubai mall.
Its construction time was also outstanding. Construction began in 2006 and just three years later, the tallest tower on the planet was inaugurated.
For this work, it took 1,325 days, and the opening ceremony was held in January 2010. Due to its impact, the project was requested by several architects and international companies.
In the end, it was achieved by Skidmore Architect of Chicago and the project manager was Adrian Smith, who was also responsible for the Jin mao tower and the Trump Tower in Chicago.
To design it, he was inspired by the flower called Hymenocallis, which usually grows in the desert and with tropical climates. The base where the tower was built has three long elements around a nucleus, imitating the petals.
As you ascend, the structure tightens, this relates to a strategy for better natural stability. A key issue when building a high-rise tower like this one.
The design was tested many times using computers to ensure its safety. At the same time, its windows have an aerodynamic design prepared to withstand large storms and strong winds.
However, Dubai is known for its high temperatures in summer, which usually reach 42 °C. That is why it has 26,000 glass panels on the outside that are able to withstand all that heat.
It consists of a number of panels that could cover 15 football stadiums, something amazing, isn't it? All the impressive structure and design of the building are thought to give it an attractive aesthetic.
But more importantly, to increase security, resistance and stability, taking into account possible natural phenomena that are going to occur in Dubai.
The various forms that it acquires as it ascends are designed so that forces such as winds or storms impact in a multiform way, that is, with the same intensity in each part.
This precludes twisting and bending of the building, as well as the wave motion that could occur in more conventional forms. Without a doubt, building a building with such characteristics is not an easy task.
How much time, materials, and labor did it take to build the Burj Khalifa?
For its speedy construction, a good 22 million hours of work were required, which were distributed among some 12,000 employees. Of which there were more than 100 nationalities, who were working non-stop those years, organized in eight-hour shifts.
The entire tower is made up of a total of 39 thousand tons of steel bars and 330 thousand tons of concrete. This volume of cement represents the weight of approximately 100,000 elephants.
If all the Burj Khalifa's steel bars are arranged in front of each other horizontally, they could encircle a quarter of the perimeter of the entire planet.
Not only does it point to the heights, its underground structure is incredible. Because Dubai has sandy soils, which are not the most suitable for this class of towers.
A base was installed with 192 concrete bars reaching more than 50 meters below the ground. Above this building a large central concrete piece is placed that serves as the main foundation to support the structure.
Beyond the work carried out below the ground or above the surface, the most difficult is in the upper parts, for which three cranes were needed working day and night without stopping.
These machines were so thick and powerful as to raise materials up to the 156th floor, that is, more than 700 meters high. The work to raise and lower the cranes involved a complex task with very special care.
On the other hand, more than 300 engineers made up the construction team, who planned a concrete pumping of 200 bars of pressure for the core in the lift.
Something that represents another record of modernized architecture. The Khalifa is a building that boasts various historical marks, such as the amount of aluminum that was used, about 330 tons. Very similar to the one used for Jumbo Boeing aircraft, one of the largest models on the planet.
Burj Khalifa elevator layout
Something very particular is that there is no elevator that goes up 163 floors. To achieve this, different trips must be combined, the one with the longest route, goes up about 500 meters. Amount that makes it the elevator with the longest travel in existence.
In its entirety, the Burj Khalifa has 57 elevators and among them are the exclusive ones for firefighters in cases of emergency. Which have a load capacity of 5,500 Kg.
In addition, the Dubai Tower boasts one of the fastest elevators in the world, with a maximum speed of 33 kilometers per hour.
However, there are people who lean down the stairs. Although we are not sure that they will make that decision in the case of the Burj Khalifa. Well, to get from the bottom to the top, you have to climb 2,909 steps.
Now, what happens when there are emergencies, and how is it possible to descend so much distance?
Pressurized rooms for emergencies
The architects anticipated that question and designed pressurized rooms every 25 floors, which were protected from any event that happened in the rest of the tower.
In those rooms, they can stay to be more secure and request help, they even have air conditioning.
Higher still, we reach the iconic spire at the tip, a telescopic pinnacle built with more than 4,000 tons of structural steel. It is 90 meters high and was initially built inside the tower and then raised hydraulically and installed on top.
All this large volume of materials and structures make the Burj Khalifa have a total weight of half a million tons. An architectural monster with an inner working as complex as its structure.
Inner workings at the Burj Khalifa
Basically, the Burj Khalifa has many offices, hotels, business premises, public viewing platforms, and some private residences. Yes, there are people who reside there and enjoy exclusive gyms, swimming pools and many luxuries.
The famous Armani hotel in Dubai operates on the first 39 floors of the tower, staying in a room at this hotel has a minimum cost of $700 per night.
Although you can access the Khalifa as a visitor, contributing an amount of 100 dollars to enjoy the imposing view.
The tower exhibits other records by having the observation deck, the restaurant and the highest existing bar. The restaurant called AT.MOSPHERE is on the 122nd floor, while the bar called THE LOUNGE is located on three floors, from 152 to 154.
It has a terrace where you can contemplate the sunsets over the reflections of the skyscrapers and see how the city fades to give way to the desert dunes.
Another interesting aspect is the amount of resources they use for its constant operation. Internal rooms were built every 30 floors, which serve as operating plants or energy centers.
It provides the plumbing and electrical resources needed for 15 lower and 15 upper floors. The Burj Khalifa consumes the equivalent of 360,000 light bulbs lit at the same time every day.
Inside the operating centers, pumping tanks and water treatment units also operate. The purpose is to preserve the freshness of the huge structure in a very hot environment. Something that deserves approximately one million liters of water a day.
We also find the famous fountain that surrounds the base of the tower. Where shows and fireworks shows are commonly held.
The purpose of the fountain is not only aesthetic, it also serves to reuse the enormous amount of water that the structure requires. In this way, a sufficient quantity is recovered per year to fill 20 Olympic swimming pools.
Burj Khalifa cleaning system
Many people wonder what the cleaning system is like in such a tall building. The truth is that it is not very different from conventional forms.
To preserve the beautiful view of the facade, it takes human labor to clean the glass. Which certainly should not fear heights.
Its 24,000 windows are completely cleaned every three to four months, which requires about 36 workers.
The Burj Khalifa was initially to be known as the Burj Dubai. But during its construction, the investors discovered that the budget would be higher than the agreed one, so they ran out of resources and the continuity of the project was at risk.
But then Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed appeared on the scene, who came from Abu Dhabi and was also the President of the United Arab Emirates. The sheikh contributed the remaining money, but on the condition that the tower be named after him.
Because of this, the Burj Khalifa has held the record for being the tallest building in the world for more than 10 years. Being three times higher than the Eiffel Tower and twice as high as the Empire State Building.
Although there are currently several projects to overcome it in other countries such as South Korea, India and Saudi Arabia, the Dubai giant remains firm in its world record to date.
