The

Burj al Arab

Unit 17: Projects in construction.

Task 2 presentation.
Construction and design
• The building is notable for a number of complex engineering and construction feats. The artificial island that was constructed
needed to be built low enough to give the impression that the building was floating on water. To avoid the risk of flooding,
perforated concrete blocks were mounted on the bedrock in a honeycomb pattern designed to act as a giant artificial ‘sponge’
and reduce the wave impact.

• To secure the building to the artificial island, 230 concrete piles measuring 40 m (130 ft) had to be driven into the sand. In
total, the building contains more than 70,000 m3 of concrete and 9,000 tons of steel. 2,000 construction workers were involved
in the project.

• The building’s layout is in the form of two wings spread in a V-shape, creating a ‘mast’ and enclosing a massive atrium. The
façade is covered with two layers of architectural fabric, separated by 60 cm, in order to filter out excessive heat and sunlight.

• Each of the 202 hotel suites consists of two levels, with a curved façade and balcony on the upper floor. These were
prefabricated and installed on site into the concrete structure. To achieve adequate stiffness, giant metal trusses with a
triangular section, each measuring 85 m long, were used on the exterior side walls. These have the effect of diagonally bracing
the two side trusses and the large concrete ‘mast’. These trusses can expand and contract by up to 5 cm in a day, and to
accommodate this a special steering linkage rod had to be designed.

• The building also features an inverted steel cone suspended near the roof at a height of 210 m (689 ft). This is primarily used
as a helipad but has also been used for several PR events, most famously an exhibition tennis match between Roger Federer and
Andre Agassi in 2005.
Options for construction and methods used.
The first option for construction of the tower was to build it on the beach but this idea was abandoned as it would fail to look a
dhows sail, as well as it would block the sun on the beach. The architect wanted the tower to arise out from the water like a
massive yacht so the second option was to build an island just off the shore and then build the tower on top which was the final
idea despite more challenging.

After the idea of the island was chosen, the engineers indicated to build the island from rocks as they were available locally and
the technology worked, but the architect Wright rejected this idea as a rock island would be too high and wide to repel the sea
safely.

The main concern was protection of island, waves breaking over island and impacting the structure. Nicholas experimented with
pioneering concrete blocks- specially designed to reduce impact of waves. Testing were done to ensure island was safe-3 weeks
of testing produced positive results. The good work terminated in concrete blocks being used which worked as sponges as the
waves hit the block, water passes inside and turns around in itself. After the artificial island has been reclaimed and completed
the construction team can start phase 2 of the project.

The foundations, the support for any skyscraper is vast. The biggest challenge was the location. The drilling team had a hard time
searching for bedrock for the foundations. The team drilled deep into the seabed but even after a full 180m down there was no
solid rock. The plan then was to use steel reinforced concrete foundation piles drilled deep into the sand that depended on
friction to secure the Burj.
Island construction
• Foundation- The building is built on sand which is unusual as a building this big is expected to be built on rock. What supports the building is
the 250, 1.5m diameter columns that go 45m under the sea and as there is only sand to hold the building up the columns rely on friction.
• It only took 3 years to reclaim the land from sea and 3 years to build the building. The island is only 7.5m above sea level which will allow the
towel to still look like a sail. More to this the island was ready in 1995 November.

• The first step is to drive Temporary tube piles into the sea bed. Then temporary sheet piles and tie rods are driven into sea
bed to support boundary rocks.
• The second step is to deposit permanent boundary rock buns on either side of the sheet piles. Hydraulic fill layers are then
deposited between bunds to displace sea water and from the island.
• The third step is to place permanent concrete armor units around island to protect it from the waves. After this 2m
diameter 43m deep piles driven through island and sea below to stabilize the structure.
• The fourth step is to excavate island interior and insert temporary sheet pile coffer dam.
• The fifth and final step is to lay 2m thick concrete plug slab at base of island. After, reinforced concrete retaining wall will be
built then basement floors will be created.
materials
Orientation and circulation
• The orientation of the building minimizes the
heat gain during the summer seasons.
• The south elevation has the most exposed
surface area. As a result, it has the maximum
capacity for heat absorption.
• For people, there is access to the hotel through
the roof via a helicopter. At the main entrance
there is a grand stairway, an escalator and
elevators.
• For air, the revolving door located at the main
entrance acts as a locking mechanism to prevent
a phenomenon known as the stack effect, which
occurs when the hot air rises and the cool air
falls in a tall building.

Environmental approach
Because of the location they had o think about the
wind
● Analysis were done with respect to Building
response under wind loads
● Wind tunnel could threaten the entire
skeleton. Wind blowing away sharp edges can
cause destruction.
● Vibration may cause due to vortex shedding
RESPONSE
● First option was to change the shape but
Architect was against and forced the engineer
to re-think.
● Ingenious hanging weight were installed at
variable places - when wind blows, 5 ton
weight will swing and damp down the
vibrations to safety limits (refer image for
locations highlighted in red)
Wind Effects Dubai’s
• Geographic location subjects the hotel to severe weather
conditions including strong winds and
occasional violent thunderstorms.
• wind speed of 45 meters per second, under the
recommendations of Dubai Municipality, was adopted
for the design.
Seismic Impact Dubai
• Itself is not located in an earthquake intensive zone.
• To reinforce the structure from any potential swaying, two
tuned mass dampers, weighing about 2
tonnes each, limit vibrations in the tubular steel mast that
projects 60 m above the building.
● It was very challenging to design foundations
to Support the mega structure-270 miles off
coast, 320 mtr in height on man-made island
(6mts from Arabian Sea) resistant to
earthquake (falling under range of major fault
line) and wind that blows 90 miles per hour.
 Floor plan
● Building is a hybrid “V” shape structure constructed in
concrete and blended with structural steel.
● The “V” shape steel frame wraps around the
reinforced concrete tower inhabiting hotel rooms and
lobbies.
● The two wings enclose space in center to form largest
atrium in the world standing about 180m height.
● Burj al Arab is made up of 28 storeys of split levels (56
storeys) with 10,000 Sqmt floor area, 60,000 Sqmt of
concrete and 9,000 ton of reinforced steel.
● The roofs and walls of the building are made of
prefabricated concrete
● There is a concrete core at the back of the building
which forms the base of the V-shape and the trusses
are connected to it.
 frame
Exoskeleton is made of two legs on each side of
the structure.These Legs are built up HSections connected by
lattice braced members.

Diagonal are huge tubular triangular trusses

tied to two legs to the central core.The
diagonal trusses can contract and expand up to
5 cm in 24 hours.

Horizontals-connects rear leg to core wall

-The exoskeleton bows are provided with

tuned mass damper at 11 critical points with 5
ton weight which swings to damp down the
vibrations caused by vortex shedding,
https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Burj_al_Arab,_Dub
ai

https://faculty.arch.tamu.edu/media/cms_page_media/4433/B
urjAlArab.pdf

https://www.slideshare.net/SushilKumarGupta4/burj-al-arab-
112277117

https://www.thinktankconsulting.ca/project-management-in-
history-burj-al-arab