Capital Gate Tower

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi
About Capital Tower
Capital Gate is a mixed use skyscraper in Abu Dhabi adjacent to the Abu Dhabi
National Exhibition Centre designed with a striking lean. At 160 m (520 ft) and 35
storeys, it is one of the tallest buildings in the city and features a dramatic 18
degree incline to the west. The owner and developer of Capital Gate is Abu Dhabi
National Exhibitions Company. The tower is the focal point of the Capital Centre/
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre master development.
General information
Location
Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
Coordinates
Status
Ground-breaking
Estimated completion
Use
242507N 542605E
Completed
September 2007
Late 2010
Commercial offices and Hotel
Height
Roof
160 m (520 ft)
Technical details
Floor count
Floor area
35
53100 M2
Companies involved
Architect(s)
Contractor
Owner
RMJM Dubai
Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
World records
In June 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records certified Capital Gate as the
Worlds furthest leaning man-made tower.
The new record shows that the Capital Gate tower has been built to lean 18
degrees westwards; more than four times that of the world famous Leaning
Tower of Pisa. Investigation and evaluation, which was made by a Guinness
appointed awards committee, started in January 2010, when the exterior was
completed. The gravitational pressure caused by the 18 degree incline is
countered by the world's first "pre-cambered core"; a technique that utilizes

15,000 cubic metres of concrete reinforced with 10,000 tons of steel with the
core deliberately built slightly off centre. It has straightened as the building has
risen, compressing the concrete and giving it strength, and moving into (vertical)
position as the weight of the floors has been added. . Capital Gate is also
anchored to the Earth by 490 piles which are drilled over 30m deep.
Architecture and design
The building has an extraordinary exoskeleton or diagrid to absorb and channel

the forces created by wind and seismic pressure as well as the gradient of
Capital Gate. Each and every element of the grid is unique in geometry.
Capital Gate is thought to be the Middle East's first building to use a diagrid;
others around the world include London's 30 St Mary Axe (Gherkin), New York's
Hearst Tower and Beijing's National Stadium.
The Capital Gate project was able to achieve its record inclination through an
engineering breakthrough that allows floor plates to be stacked vertically up to
the 12th storey and staggered over each other by between 300mm to 1400mm,
this allows for the towers dramatic lean.

Capital Gate was designed by international architectural firm RMJM and was due
for completion by the end of 2010.
Upon completion, Capital Gate will house the 5-star Hyatt Capital Gate hotel as
well as approximately 20,000sqm of premium office space. Each room is different
as is each pane of faade glass and every interior angle. Its double-glazed faade
achieves greater energy efficiency with waste air being pre-cooled between the
inner and outer faades, before being expelled, and the glass faade is of low
emissivity and is the first time it has been used in the UAE. It keeps the
buildings interior cool and eliminates glare, while maintaining transparency.
The distinctive stainless steel splash that descends from the 19th floor, is a
design element and a shading device that eliminates over 30 percent of the
suns heat before it reaches the building. The splash also twists around the
building towards the south to shield the tower as much as possible from direct
sunlight. A cantilevered tea lounge overhangs the towers exterior, 80m above
the ground, with an internal diagrid used to create a tapered, 60m high atrium.
The towers foundation is a dense mesh of reinforced steel above 490 piles,
drilled 32 meters underground.
Project Time
Project Details
Cost of the project was
$233 million
Labour force from different countries
600 people
Subcontractor
400
Height to Architectural Top
165 meters
Total built up Area
Architect
53,100 square meters
RMJM
Project Developer
ADNEC Group
Structural Engineer
RMJM
MEP Engineer
RMJM
Main Contractor:
Al Habtoor Engineering
Faade Consultant:
Hyder Consulting
Faade Contractor
Waagner Biro
Landscape Consultant
Al Khatib Cracknell
Key data
"The Capital Gate is a 160m-tall leaning tower in Abu Dhabi,

UAE. The tower inclines at an angle of 18 westward. 14 more
than Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa."
The 35-storey building was designed by Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall &

Partners (RMJM) and is used for mixed commercial purposes, including offices
and retail spaces, the Hyatt Capital Gate hotel and a tea house.
It has 30 meeting rooms, conference facilities for 1,200 people, a business centre
on the ground floor, a helipad and an eight-outlet food court.
The $231m project was developed by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
(ADNEC). Construction work on the tower was started in September 2007 and
was completed in 2011. Commercial leasing of the tower began in April 2011.
In September 2011, the project won the Best Commercial / Mixed Use Project and
the Best Overall Project of the Year at the 2011 Cityscape Global Awards for
Architecture in Emerging Markets. Capital Gate Hyatt was ready to start
operations at the hotel in December 2011.
Capital Gate forms the centre of the $2.2bn Capital Centre, a 23-tower business
and residential micro city being developed by ADNEC next to the Abu Dhabi
National Exhibition Centre.
Structure of the Capital Gate tower

The tower is a two-layer design. The central core of the tower leans in the
opposite direction to the inclination of the building and straightens with the
height.
Advanced diagrid technology has been adopted for the building's twisted design.
It is the first tower in Abu Dhabi to use the technique. The building depends on
the diagrid lattice arrangement of the faade which supports the tilting external
load and provides structural integrity.

The technology used consumes less structural steel than conventional frames,
reducing costs and environmental impact. A triangular structure with a diagonal
support beam is used for the formation of the diagrid.
The technology has been used for structures such as the Swiss Re building in
London, Hearst Tower in New York and CCTV headquarters tower in Beijing.
Construction of the 160m-tall leaning tower

The building is constructed on a 2m-high concrete raft. The raft in turn is
positioned on 490 piles, drilled 30m underground to withstand wind, seismic and
gravitational forces caused because of its inclination. The basement for the tower
has been densely reinforced and required a concrete pour of more than 6,000m.
An 80m-long cone-shaped atrium is built through the upper floors of the building
to form open balconies for the hotel rooms. The central core is constructed with
pre-stressed concrete using automatic climbing formwork. The total built-up area
of 53,100m includes a basement of 5,500m.
About 21,500t of steel is estimated to have been used for the construction of the
tower. The diagrid of the entire building is approximately 8,500 structural steel
beams. Each diagrid weighs about 15t and is divided into 722 elements.
The east side has a decorative splash, designed in the form of a wave, connected
with the canopy of the adjoining Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
grandstand canopy. The splash provides sun shade for the Capital Gate tower
and a roof treatment for the centre's grandstand.
Faade of the United Arab Emirates-based tower

The faade of the building is made of glass and steel elements which spiral
skywards. The glazed panels give a striking effect to the 23,000m faade. It is
connected to the concrete core with steel structures.
"The $231m project was developed by Abu Dhabi

National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC)."
The 728 custom-made glass panels fit the considering curvature of the building
and form diamond shape. The glazing system, called Cardinal C240, is made of
two silver coatings which are transparent, increasing its light transmission.
The 16 lower floors with 15,000m2 is used for offices, while the upper 16 levels
house Abu Dhabi's first Hyatt International five-star hotel and occupy 25,000m2.
The 17th and 18th floors - the halfway point of the building - are constructed with
a gigantic internal atrium. It has a cantilevered tea lounge and a swimming pool
suspended 80m above the ground on the eastern side of the faade.
The top of the lounge is an open sun terrace which gives a clear view of Abu
Dhabi and the Gulf.
Contractors involved in Capital Gate

Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises was the main contractor involved in the
construction of the Capital Gate. Mace Group was the project manager.
Designers:
This project was a design-and-build project. The architect explains that it had to
be because of the types of problems that were encountered during the project.
The architect and engineer had to be extremely involved in the project in order
to solve problems. (RMJM, 2008)
Civil:
Mechanical and Civil Engineering Contractors Company Limited is based in the

United Arab Emirates with itsheadquarters for the region located in the city of
Abu Dhabi. MACE provides a vast range of services tomunicipalities and oil
companies encompassing all aspects of construction and maintenance. MACE
pridesitself for being a Center of Excellence in the construction, operation and
maintenance fields in the Middle East.MACE provided civil services for the Capital
Gate Project. (MACE)
Architectural & Engineering:
RMJM is an international architectural practice with offices throughout Europe,

the Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific and The Americas. Their work encompasses
architecture, sustainable design, urbanism, masterplanning, interior design and
research and development. Their culturally diverse studios are made up of
almost1000 architects, designers and creative thinkers - comprising 50
nationalities - working on projects in over 20countries worldwide. The Capital
Gate is their most recognizable project to date. (RMJM, 2008)
Builder:
The Al Habtoor Leighton Group, which is the General Contractor, is one of the
leading multi-disciplinedcontractors in the Middle East and North Africa. It
functions
through
its
two
core
operating
companiesAlHabtoor
EngineeringandLeightonand
through
its
diverse
range
of
complementaryAssociated Businesses. The Group operates through the
businesses in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain, andis
looking to expand further into the Middle East and North Africa. The Al Habtoor
Leighton Group offersclients a complete, one-stop solution to all construction,
development and asset management needs. The AlHabtoor Leighton Group

employs approximately 30,000 people, making it one of the
constructiongroups in the region. (Al Haqbtoor Leighton Group, 2010)
largest
Owner:
ADNEC Group is an international venue development and business management
company. ADNEC Group'sportfolio currently includes the Abu Dhabi National
Exhibition Centre, the Gulf's largest exhibition center;ExCeL London, the UK
capital's largest exhibition center; the Al Ain Convention Centre, a brand
newdevelopment in the historic city of Al Ain, Capital Gate, the UAE capital's
iconic, gravity defying tower and anumber of hotel projects. In addition ADNEC is
master developer of the Capital Centre project, the world's firstfully
interconnected exhibition lifestyle destination.ADNEC Group is developing its
network both through acquisition and construction; the company's objective isto
become the world's leading venue provider to the international exhibitions,
conferences and live eventsindustries by providing consistently high standards of
venue facilities, management and client relationships andcapitalizing on the
synergies which exist within a global venue network. (ADNEC, 2010
Civil:
Site Placement:
Capital Gate forms the focal point of Capital Centre, the business and residential
micro city being developed byAdnec around the thriving Abu Dhabi National
Exhibition Centre. When fully complete, Capital Gate will featurethe 5-star hotel -
Hyatt at Capital Centre besides playing host to some of the most exclusive
office space in
the UAE capital. (Trade Arabia, 2010)
Soil Type:
The construction of this building has been done on the seashore. As the sea
shore contains more of sandcontent, the strength for the foundation is gained by
30 meter (nearly 100feet) steel rods vertically drilled deepinto the ground. The 7
feet thick concrete laid from the ground level supports the building. (Hubpages)

Architecture:
Capital Gate was designed to be the most recognizable icon of the

ADNEC/Capital Centre development.Further, it was designed to blend seamlessly
with the National Day Grandstand, breathing new life into this
historic landmark for the UAE. The eye-catching splash commencing from level
18 and sweeping across the historic grandstand, connects the past with the new,
creating a wave-like effect over the exhibition centre.(UNP
Design Aspects:
Nothing is standard about Capital Gate. Each room is different. Each pane of
glass is different and every angleis different. It was designed to provide no
symmetry so it inspires those within and outside the tower. (UNP)The iconic
tower soars 160 meters above ground and has been built with a westward incline
of 18 degrees.
Capital Gate holds the Guinness Record for Worlds Furthest Leaning Manmade
Tower. Capital Gate contains35 stories with floors 2 - 16 comprising office space.
Floors 18 onwards will house the 189-room, exclusiveHyatt Capital Gate hotel.
Floors 1 & 17 compriseof plant rooms. (UNP)Some other important features
include:The outdoor swimming pool on the 19th floor with a fantastic panoramic
view overlooking the SheikhZayed mosque, the Arabian Gulf, the Mangroves,
Downtown Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat and Yas Island.(UNP)The cantilevered tea
lounge which overhangs the outside of the tower 80m above the ground.
(UNP)The tapered internal atrium, which itself is formed by a separate structural
steel diagrid over 60m inheight (from floor 19 to the roof) creates a stunning
internal space that is quite unprecedented, andwhich brings natural daylight
deep inside the building. (UNP)The design style type deconstructivism. (RMJM,
2008)
Occupancy:
It is a mixed use occupancy consisting of hotel and office space.
Construction Type:
It is concrete reinforced with steel.

Program:
The program consists of:Total Built-up Area: 53,100 sqm (UNP)Total Office Area:
20,900 sqm (UNP)Total Hotel Area: 25,050 sqm (UNP)
Height:
The building, from the ground to the top of the roof is 524.9 feet tall (160
meters). (UNP)
Building Envelope:
The tower is covered with 728 panels of glass cut to the size and shape of a
diamond that due to the curvatureof the structure will be embedded in a slightly
different angle. (UNP)
Water/Vapor:
he pressure
plate system that has been developed for the steel frame which holds each
pane in place
guarantees the water tightness of the faade and allows thinner panes of glass
to be used, thereby reducing

the weight of the glazing system, said Tony A
rchibold, associate director of RMJM, the internationalarchitectural firm that has

designed Capital Gate. (Trade Arabia, 2010
Air:
The lean and curve of the building added considerable complexity to the glazing
process; ther
e was littlemargin for error and we are pleased to have worked successfully to
practically complete the glazing on CapitalGate in ten months. A few glass panes
have deliberately been left out to ensure that adequate ventilationexists prior to
the installation
of the air conditioning, said Tony Archibold, associate director of RMJM, the
international architectural firm that has designed Capital Gate. (Trade Arabia,
2010)
Fire:
During December 2008, PFP Contracting secured one of the most prestigious
contracts in their history tosupply and install a passive fire protection system to
the Capital Gate Tower. Much of the building diagridstructure is a visual feature
and thus requires a high quality architectural finish to the fireproofing. Because
oftheir depth of experience and personnel expertise, PFP Contracting qualified to
install the steel fireproofing.(PFP Contracting)
Thermal:
The glass used on the towers facade is energy-efficient, lowe category glass
(Cardinal 240) containing 2

layers of silver inner coating allowing a high degree of natural light to permeate
the building never before used
in the UAE. Its designed to keep the inside of the building cool and eliminate
glare, while ma
intaining thetransparency of the facade - an important design consideration.
(Trade Arabia, 2010)
Foundation:
Due to the soil conditions and the building itself the foundation system used was
a deep foundation. Thebuilding sits atop a dense mesh of reinforcing steel and
concrete that connects a total of 490 piles (CapitalGate, 2010). To help
counteract the large overturning moment, which is caused by the buildings lean,
the pileswere two different sizes. Of the total 490 piles, 287 were 1m (40in) in
diameter, and 20-30 meters (65-100 feet)deep, the remaining 193 piles had a
diameter of 600mm (24 inches) with a depth of 20m (65 feet). Unlike
mostbuildings, whose piles are in compression, the piles for Capital Gate are in
tension. This was done to helpresist the upward forces that would tend to pull the
pile out of the ground. The building, however, cannot sitdirectly on top of the
piles. All 490 piles were capped together using a densely reinforced concrete mat
footingof nearly 2 meters (7 feet) thick (Roberts, Lean on Me, 2010).
Floor Systems:
The floors are constructed using a composite floor system, spanning from the
main core, to the internal diagrid,and between the internal and external diagrids.
The floor beams are connected to the concrete core viaembedment plates which
are cast directly into the core wall when the concrete is poured. All the floors
havethe same relative size as the floors rise. The first ten floors are stacked
vertically directly on top of one another.The floor plates, on level 10 through 27,
stagger over each other, between 800 (32inches) to 1400mm
(55inches) and then back to 900mm (35 inches) in line with the lean of the
buildings face. The remaining
floors, between levels 27 and 34, shift between 900mm (35inches) and 300mm
(12inches) (Roberts, Lean onMe, 2010).
Envelope:

The building envelope consisted of a combination of glass and steel. The system
consisted of a largeprefabricated 8m (26.25ft) tall diamond-shaped panel, which
are installed and connected to the diagrid. Over700 panels were used to enclose
the structure, each panel included 18 different panes of glass, coveringroughly
23000m2 (247570ft2). All the panels are shipped to the site assembled and
raised into it preciselocation, since each panel is slightly different. To add to the
uniqueness of the building each panel had to be
installed correctly to allow for some movement as the building corrects from the
cores pre
-camber (Reina,2009).
Load Carrying System:
The structural system consists of two diagrids, an internal and an external
diagrid, and a center concrete core.A diagrid is a new system used in the
construction of large buidlings which creates a skeleton composed of
Structural Systems II Capital Gate
Abu Dhabi 13 | Pagetriangular structures and diagonal support beams, using less
steel than a typical steel frame building.Additionally it eliminates the need for
large corner columns, allowing more flexibility in the shape of the
buildings form as in the case with Capital gate
(Diagrid, 2010). This diagrid system was chosen because of theunique

architectural form of the building, the constantly changing position of the core in
relation to the varyingfloor plates, and the desire to have large clear internal
floor spaces. The exterior diagrid carries the weight ofall the floors, while the
internal diagrid supports the weight of the floors and transfers it to the center
concretecore (Roberts, Lean on Me, 2010). The diagrid system used for the
building consists of 722 elements andapproximately 8,500 structural steel
beams, with each element weighing nearly 15 tons and has a paintedfinish (The
Mace Group, 2009).
Gravity:
Gravity, seismic and wind forces along with the dead load of the building play a
large role in the in the designand structure of the building. This building is
different because its signature lean, which sets the building apartfrom the other
buildings, adds a much larger load to the gravity and dead load of the building,
and creates alarge overturning moment. The center concrete core had to be
specially designed to account for the immense
forces created by the buildings lean. The core, which contains 1
5,000m3 (19,619yd2) of concrete reinforcedwith 10,000 tons of steel, uses

vertical post-tensioning and was constructed with a vertical pre-camber. Thispre-

camber means that the core was constructed with a slight opposite lean, as each
floor is installed, theweight of the floors and diagrid system pull the core and
slowly straightening it out. As the core is straightenedit is post tensioned, thus
making the core and structure incredibly strong (Crowcroft, 2010).
Mechanical:
The hotel space, in particular, will feature a double facade. This will create a
thermal cushion in the interveningspace which should significantly reduce
building energy demands. There are also energy recovery measures
integral within the buildings MEP systems.
(Roberts, Lean on me, 2010)
Energy Requirements:
The double-glazed facade is used to achieve greater energy efficiency. Waste air
is pre-cooled in between theinner and outer facade thereby reducing the energy
consumption of the building by recycling the used air.
The stainless steel splash is a shading device that eliminates over 30 percent
of the suns heat before it ever
reaches the building, thereby saving on the need for cooling within the building.
The splash twists around thebuilding towards the south to shield Capital Gate as
much as possible from direct sunlight (UNP)
Electrical:
As far as our research has found, there are no energy saving or special features
directly located on thebuilding. However, the Aloft building, another hotel located
in the compound, is tied into a total of 560 solarpanels installed on the roof of
ADNEC Car Park A, covering an area of 25,000sf (2,300sm), that provides 90%of
the hot water supply. This saves an estimated 870 mega watt hours of electricity

per year and supplies hotwater to the kitchens, hotel rooms and pool. (Wikipedia,
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, 2010
Construction:
Budget:
Whats more, the budget has escalated by 25% and sorely tested the
team responsible for delivering the building. It was meant to have been
finished in time for last Novembers Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but now
wont be ready until October 2010.This is all fine in theory but someone
had to realise it. This was the job of contractor Al Habtoor
Engineering,which also had to cope with the fast-track program typical
of the region. The original two-year build-time started in August 2007
with the design developed as work progressed. Luckily Al Habtoor
Engineering wasnt on a fixed-price deal. The FIDEC contract was used which
relies on bills of quantities with rates that are re-measured as the building is
constructed. If it had been design and build it would have bust the company,
observes site manager Craig Rooney. The project got off to an inauspicious start.
The design included an 84m-long basement extending in theopposite direction to
the lean. This had tension piles at the far end to stop the whole basement being
rippedout of the ground by the overturning forces generated by the tower.
Unfortunately the main sewer for AbuDhabi was discovered underneath the
proposed basement. As the sewer was pressurized, the ground couldnt be
dewatered near it because there was a risk the pipe could burst. The solution
was to shorten the basement by 6m and reduce the entrance canopy, but
agreeing and implementing it added six months to the project.
Schedule:
It was delayed by 5.5 months because of unexpected excavations and piling

restrictions due to two nearby main sewage lines. The project so far has used 6.5
million Man hours and at the peak of construction therewere more than 1,200
workers on site
Techniques:
Incredibly the pre-cambering and post-tensioning of the core were variations in

the contract; originally it wasgoing to be straight. The core was built so it leaned
from the vertical by a theoretical 350mm at the top. Inpractice the steel diagrid
and cladding were added as the core was constructed, progressively
straightening

out the building. Rooney likens it to shooting at a moving target. Every time you
added a section of structuralsteel, it had an effect; every time you added a
cladding panel, it had an effect, he says. People couldnt gettheir heads around
it.
The core was built in 4m high lifts with each section staggered 20mm to create
the pre-camber. Every four lifts,36 steel tendons were inserted into the ductwork
in the concrete and post-tensioned.In order to get the custom glazing panels to
the site, a custom fabricated truck bed had to be constructed.
BIM:
Complexity in modeling the diagrid members was well managed with the
features of Tekla Structures. TheTekla attributes helped in all fronts for a smooth
construction of the structure. Concerning design, memberswere oriented with
minimal offset by adopting the method of bisection of bisecting planes. These
offset valueswere taken from the 3D model and used in the design of cruciform
nodes. Available length of weld was takenfrom the model to do the weld design
of cruciform nodes. Beams connected to the nodes were moved in the3D model
to avoid member clashing which resulted in eccentric connections. The
eccentricity was measuredfrom the model and used in the connection design.
From the preliminary model developed at the initial stage ofthe project actual
cut-to-length of the members was taken to procure the material. This helped in
reducingmaterial wastage. Quantity of bolts, shear studs and paint was obtained
from the Tekla Structures reports.Assembly lists derived from the Tekla model
were converted into worksheets. Other departmental activities,like fabrication,
painting and erection, were planned and monitored using these worksheets. The
NC filesexported from the model facilitated faster and accurate fabrication.
Temporary jigs were made with the help ofthe coordinates of individual
assemblies that were taken from the model. Fit up of the individual parts of
thenodes was done with the 3D coordinates taken from the model. Location of
center of gravity and weight ofindividual assembly were taken from the reports.
These were used to work out the lifting method statement andin the design of
erection engineering. Bolt report based on the assembly mark helped the rigging
team to havecontrol over bolt usage. 3D global coordinates taken from the Tekla
model were utilized for erecting the diagridassemblies at their exact position.
The 3D model was also given to the cladding team to work out the design of
Abu Dhabi 17 | Pagethe cladding system. The model was used to coordinate with
the architectural profile model to nullify theinterface issues. Thus the model
generated in Tekla Structures had played a vital role in the successfulcompletion
of the works in a safe and faster way. (Tekla Project3, 2010
ADNEC Capital Centre development - Capital Gate Tower

Client: Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC)
Actual Value: 218m USD
Contractors: Main Contractor: Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises Co. L.L.C.
Consultants: Main Consultant: Mace Group (Project Manager)
Main Consultant: RMJM

Project Type: Commercial Building
Project Duration:
From: Q3 2007 Actual
To: Q4 2009 Actual
Status: Construction
Scope Capital Gate tower a 35 storey, 165 metres high is part of ADNEC Capital
Centre development located in Abu Dhabi city. The tower will house the
executive five-star hotel Hyatt at Capital Centre.
Schedule: Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises Co. L.L.C. was awarded the main
construction contract in June 2007. Construction is in progress as per the
schedule, and expected to be completed by the end of 2009. Mace Group is the
Project Manager, while RMJM is the main consultant.
Twist and shout: RMJMs Abu Dhabi Capital

Gate tower
RMJMs Capital Gate tower in Abu Dhabi leans at a stomachlurching 18, making it a project that largely consisted of
geometrical and structural problems not least of which was
finding out where the building had moved to each morning
Weve applied to go into the Guinness Book of Records for the
worlds most steeply inclined building, says Tony Archibold,
associate director of RMJM and the man responsible for the
design of what must rank as the most extraordinary creation
ever dreamed up by the architect. The average inclination
from the ground floor to the top is 18. To get that into
perspective the leaning Tower of Pisa inclines by just 3.9.
This 160m-high building feels as bizarre as RMJMs recent
decision to hire Fred Goodwin, the reviled former banker, as an
adviser. Called Capital Gate, the 160m high tower in Abu Dhabi
is shaped like a shallow S: it starts off fairly straight, kinks
about a quarter of the way up, then straightens out again
towards the top. The building also twists as it goes up and the
top overhangs the base by a gravity-defying 54m. As you would
expect, it was difficult to make such an irregular form stand up
physically and financially: inside, the building is stuffed with
13,200 tonnes of steel and the massive core necessary to hold
it up, which in turn means tiny floorplates and premium rents.

Whats more, the budget has escalated by 25% and sorely
tested the team responsible for delivering the building. It was
meant to have been finished in time for last Novembers Abu
Dhabi Grand Prix but now wont be ready until October 2010.
So why go for such an extravagant structure? Archibold says
the client, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company
(ADNEC), wanted a landmark building to indicate the presence
of its exhibition centre in the middle of medium-rise Abu Dhabi.
It also had to shout technical prowess to draw attention to
the cutting-edge exhibits showcased below. It was a very nice
brief, says Archibold, adding that RMJM was also the structural
engineer on the building. He adds that the buildings tilt is a
response to the wind. The prevailing winds come off the sea so
the idea was that the building should look as if it was sculpted
in some way by the wind.
The building is also a tribute to Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al
Nahyan, the late president of the UAE. It has a canopy
nicknamed the Splash that sweeps down the side of the
building and continues until it reaches a nearby grandstand,
one of the oldest buildings in Abu Dhabi and a favourite of the
sheikhs.
How the building stands up
How did RMJM go about ensuring the building wouldnt fall
over? The core, which is about the only vertical element in the
whole building, is hard up against the north-west perimeter at
the base and actually touches the south-eastern side at the top.
The overturning force generated by that 54m overhang meant
a standard concrete core wouldnt do: this one was posttensioned on the side opposite the lean. The core was also precambered, which means it was built leaning in the opposite
direction to the building; as the structure went up, it was
gradually pulled into a vertical position. It was necessary
because of the extreme eccentricity of the forces on the core,
says Archibold. We think its a world first.
The conventional columns couldnt be used to support the
floorplates at the buildings perimeter, so a steel diagrid was
used. This would be able to follow the complex shape of the
building, and form a shell that could help to support the floors.

However the top section of the building cantilevered out so far
that another way had to be found to support that part. The
answer was six huge trusses 8m high and 8m deep spanning
levels 17 and 18, which transferred the loads back to the core.
The building also has a 60m-high atrium beginning at level 19
and stretching to the floor 33 at the top. One of the reasons
for this is it takes the dead loads out of the overhang, says
Archibold.
This is all fine in theory but someone had to realise it. This was
the job of contractor Al Habtoor Engineering, which also had to
cope with the fast-track programme typical of the region. The
original two-year build-time started in August 2007 with the
design developed as work progressed. Luckily Al Habtoor
Engineering wasnt on a fixed-price deal. The FIDEC contract
was used which relies on bills of quantities with rates that are
re-measured as the building is constructed. If it had been
design and build it would have bust the company, observes
site manager Craig Rooney.
The project got off to an inauspicious start. The design included
an 84m-long basement extending in the opposite direction to
the lean. This had tension piles at the far end to stop the whole
basement being ripped out of the ground by the overturning
forces generated by the tower. Unfortunately the main sewer
for Abu Dhabi was discovered underneath the proposed
basement. As the sewer was pressurised, the ground couldnt
be dewatered near it because there was a risk the pipe could
burst. The solution was to shorten the basement by 6m and
reduce the entrance canopy, but agreeing and implementing it
added six months to the project.
The core
Incredibly the pre-cambering and post-tensioning of the core
were variations in the contract; originally it was going to be
straight. The core was built so it leaned from the vertical by a
theoretical 350mm at the top. In practice the steel diagrid and
cladding were added as the core was constructed, progressively
straightening out the building. Rooney likens it to shooting at a
moving target. Every time you added a section of structural
steel, it had an effect; every time you added a cladding panel,
it had an effect, he says. People couldnt get their heads
around it.

The core was built in 4m high lifts with each section staggered
20mm to create the pre-camber. Every four lifts, 36 steel
tendons were inserted into the ductwork in the concrete and
post-tensioned.
Les Fairchild, the construction manager responsible for the core
says the construction process was a nightmare.On the lower
levels we were using 250 tonnes of rebar for every lift, which is
two-and-a-half times more than a normal core, he says. There
were 250 men working on the core day and night which means
there was a steel fixer every square metre. The only way to
ensure there was enough space for everyone was to cast each
lift in three sections. There were constant detail design changes
including a requirement to add an extra 35,000 rebar links per
lift. The core took over a year to build and cost more than twice
its estimated price.
All the heavy steel in the core meant lots of lifting, but the
shape of the building meant only two tower cranes could be
used. Probably the biggest argument on the job was allocating
the tower cranes, says Rooney. We had a meeting every
morning with the suppliers to thrash out who was getting how
much crane time. The cranes had to be fixed inside the core
because the shape of the building meant freestanding ones
couldnt be used the ties needed to link it with the core would
need to be up to 32m long. Putting in cladding panels once the
ties were removed at the end of the job wasnt on either
because the cladding had to be fixed sequentially.
The answer was to put one crane on the core, the other on the
steel perimeter and have the cladding team work at night. As
the Grand Prix deadline approached, Rooney brought in a 192m
long crawler crane to help speed things up on the lower part of
the building.
The steel diagrid wasnt any easier to fabricate and erect than
the core. It is made up from 600 x 400mm box sections with a
wall thickness of 80mm at the base decreasing to 12mm at the
top. Each of the squares making up the diagrid is 8 x 8m with
18 ringing the perimeter at each level.
There are 702 of these and not one is the same, says Rooney.
This is because the building twists as it goes up, which means
the shape of each floorplate is different. The angle of incidence

where the steel members meet varies, and the box sections are
twisted at various angles too.
Steel specialist Eversendai was responsible for steel fabrication
and erection. The diagrid was brought to site as X-sections that
were welded together. Each section had to be held in position
by the crane while it was welded to its neighbour; but as a
complete weld would tie up a crane for 72 hours, each section
was tack-welded using brackets. Even this took up to four hours
per section.
The cladding
The cladding was done by Austrian firm Waagner Biro. Each
section divided up into smaller triangular panels. These were
brought to site and joined together to form one large panel
which was craned into position. Each large panel is fixed in just
two places at each side; a special sliding joint was developed to
locate the top and bottom of each panel and allow for vertical
building movement. The minimal number of fixings meant steel
was used for the cladding frame rather than the more usual
aluminium.
Great care was needed to ensure the diagrid was in exactly the
right place so the cladding panels would fit. Because the
building was constantly moving, this was done by measuring
the building position against a 3D model. Although the diagrid
ended up in exactly the right place, there was the issue of
thermal movement; and as temperature could reach 50 in the
summer, these were not negligible. At 10 in the morning, when
you were about to install a panel, you didnt know where the
building was, says Rooney. You could find a panel that didnt
fit one day would fit the next.
Despite these challenges the team managed to get the
structure and cladding completed for the November Grand Prix
so it at least looked finished from a distance. Now that the
structurally difficult phases are out of the way the fit-out is in
full swing. From levels 18 to 33 will be a Hyatt hotel with 189
rooms; below this will be offices. Whether the project gets into
the Guinness Book of Records remains to be seen but one thing
is sure, it will be a long time before anything else like this is
constructed again.
Bibliography
Al Haqbtoor Leighton Group
. (2010). Retrieved December 2, 2010,

Overview:http://www.hlg.ae/Menu/Index.aspx?
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Capital Gate Structure
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Dhabi: http://www.capitalgate.ae/structure.phpCrowcroft, O. (2010, June 2).
UPDATE: Progress on Abu Dhabi's Capital Gate
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http://innovativebuildings.net/?p=99Lane, T. (2010, February 5).
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http://www.building.co.uk/twist-and-shout-rmjm%e2%80%99s-abu-dhabi-capitalgate-tower/3157416.article#MACE. (n.d.). Retrieved 12 2, 2010, from MACE:
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cate=view&id=11Record, E. N. (n.d.).
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http://enr.construction.com/buildings/building_types/2009/extras/0715/slide1.aspReina, P. (2009, July 9).
Wrenches Put In Towers Works.
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fileticket=YA%2FLZX0x%2FOw%3D&tabid=53&language=en-GBRMJM, A. (2008,
October 27).
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%20OverviewRoberts, J. (2010, 01 05).
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Tekla:http://www.tekla.com/international/Tekla-global-BIM-awards2009/Pages/view-entries-2-steel.aspxThe Mace Group. (2009, November 02).
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http://www.macegroup.com/media/news/advanced-diagrid-technology-givesshape-capital-gateTrade Arabia. (2010, 01 04).
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Capital Gate is more inclined than the Tower of Pisa
. Retrieved 11 18, 2010, from UNP:http://www.unp.co.in/f143/capital-gate-ismore-inclined-than-the-tower-of-pisa-84083/ Wikipedia. (2010, 9 24).
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Wikipedia. (2010, 11 21).
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mate

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Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

About Capital Tower

Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates

160 m (520 ft)

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Architecture and design

The building has an extraordinary exoskeleton or diagrid to absorb and channel

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Cost of the project was

Labour force from different countries

Height to Architectural Top

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Total built up Area

53,100 square meters

"The Capital Gate is a 160m-tall leaning tower in Abu Dhabi,

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

The 35-storey building was designed by Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall &

Structure of the Capital Gate tower

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Construction of the 160m-tall leaning tower

Faade of the United Arab Emirates-based tower

"The $231m project was developed by Abu Dhabi

Contractors involved in Capital Gate

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Contractors Company Limited is based in the

Architectural & Engineering:

RMJM is an international architectural practice with offices throughout Europe,

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

the UAE capital. (Trade Arabia, 2010)

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Capital Gate was designed to be the most recognizable icon of the

It is a mixed use occupancy consisting of hotel and office space.

It is concrete reinforced with steel.

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

rchibold, associate director of RMJM, the internationalarchitectural firm that has

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Structural Systems II Capital Gate

buildings form as in the case with Capital gate

(Diagrid, 2010). This diagrid system was chosen because of theunique

forces created by the buildings lean. The core, which contains 1

5,000m3 (19,619yd2) of concrete reinforcedwith 10,000 tons of steel, uses

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

integral within the buildings MEP systems.

(Roberts, Lean on me, 2010)

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

It was delayed by 5.5 months because of unexpected excavations and piling

Incredibly the pre-cambering and post-tensioning of the core were variations in

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Structural Systems II Capital Gate

ADNEC Capital Centre development - Capital Gate Tower

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Twist and shout: RMJMs Abu Dhabi Capital

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi

Al Haqbtoor Leighton Group

. (2010). Retrieved December 2, 2010,

Project Management-Capital Tower Project-Abu Dhabi