Construction Project Analysis: Burj Khalifa - Case Study Example

Construction Project Analysis: Burj Khalifa Name Course Name and Code Instructor’s Name Date Introduction The tallest manmade building in the world is Burj Khalifa, it is found in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The main objective constructing Burj Khalifa was not only to be the world’s tallest building but also it embodies word’s highest aspirations. The construction project was tremendously successful; the building height is 2,717 feet (828 meters) to the top of its spire (Sam, 2010). The building boasts of its fastest elevator in the world travelling at 64km/h to service its 160 floors. The creation and development of this façade structure commenced on September 21, 2004 and exteriors of the building were completed on October 1, 2009. The Tower was formally launched on 4th January 2010 being part of the newly 2 km2 flagship constructions of Downtown Dubai along Sheikh Zayed Road near Dubai’s main business district. Burj Khalifa location map Skidmore, Owings and Merill of Chicago were the main engineers of the whole project, Adrian Smith was the chief architect, and Bill Baker as the head structural engineer. Samsung C&T of South Korea was the main contractor of Burj Khalifa. The total cost of the building was was given at US$1.5 billion while the Downtown Dubai development was projected at US$20 billion (Sam, 2010). This paper seeks to describe and analyze Burj Khalifa construction project. For instance, management and organization of the project from inception to completion, and incidences of cost and time escalation and the approach to cost control that was employed. In addition, the paper analyses the degree to which project will interact with the local economy; the impact of economic, social and political factors on the project; and the degree to which construction technology and innovation impacted on the project. Conception This massive construction project was planned to be the focal point of the a multi-skill, mixed-use development that comprises of 30,000 residential homes, hotels including The Address Downtown Dubai, 3 hectares of parkland, 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the Burj Khalifa Lake, a 12 hectare man-made lake (Frederic, et al., 2010). The idea and resolution to construct Burj Khalifa is founded on the government’s choice to diversify from an economy that oil based to that that is service and tourism oriented. Consequently, it was essential for Burj Khalifa to be constructed within the city for it to gain global respect thus attracting more foreign investment. The height of Burj Khalifa was continually integrated since its inception; for instance, it was initially proposed as a virtual clone of 560 m high. Later the structure was integrated by SOM engineers to be 808 m (2,651 ft) tall. Additionally, Adrian Smith; the Chief design architect, observed that the topmost portion of Burj Khalifa was not in line with the elegance of the whole structure thus he increased the height of the building to its current height. Architecture and Design Burj Khalifa floor plan compared with those of other super skyscrapers; from top to bottom Burj Khalifa, Taipei 101, Willis Tower, and WTC Towers (Frederic, et al., 2010). As aforementioned, Burj Khalifa building was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill who are renowned for their exclusive designs of famous high manmade structures including the Willis Tower in Chicago, and the One World Trade Center in New York City. The entire structure resembles bundled tube form however it is not a bundle tube structure. Following to the initial design by SOM, Emaar Properties hired Hyder Consulting as the supervising engineer while NOOR Group Consultants International Limited was employed to oversee and manage the architecture of the structure. Consequently, NORR managed the architectural aspects that comprised of on site management throughout the construction and design of the tower. Emaar Properties, who were the sole project manager, engaged GHD, which is an international multidisciplinary consulting firm to independently verify and test the authenticity of the concrete and steelwork (Saberi, 2008). The entire plan of Burj Khalifa was derived from sampling systems that are ingrained in Islamic architecture; for instance, it incorporate cultural and historical aspects that are specific the religion. The triple lobbed footprint of the Burj Khalifa was inspired by Hymenocallis flower; in essence the tower is composed of three elements that are arranged a round a central core. As the building rises from the ground, setbacks occur at each element in an upward spiralling manner while decreasing the cross section of the building as it proceeds towards the sky. The building has 27 terraces, at the top; the central core is revealed and sculpted to form a finishing spire (Laura, et al., 2011). To anchor the extraordinary height of the tower, the buttressed core system was constructed consisting of a hexagonal core supported by three buttresses forming the Y shape at the base. The buttressed system allowed the building to anchor itself laterally while making sure that it doesn’t twist. Burj Khalifa was designed accommodate approximately 35,000 individuals at any single moment. The building has 57 elevators together with 8 escalators installed. The graphic design identity work for the Tower was done by Brash Brands based in Dubai (Saberi, 2008). Construction Burj Khalifa was developed by Samsung Engineering & Construction a South Korean company together with Besix from Belgium and Arabtec from UAE. The construction started by excavation of the ground in January 2004; piling commenced in February 2004 Illustration of the slab foundation piling configuration (Wells, 2005) By September 21, 2004, Emaar contractors began the erection work. By March 2005, the structure of Burj Khalifa started rising and by June the structure had reached level 50. Burj Khalifa on 1st February 2006 Burj Khalifa on 29th August 2006 (Sam, 2010). February 2007, the building had surpassed the Sears Tower as the building with highest number of floors. On 13th May 2007, the project becomes the first building for vertical concrete pumping to 452 m high. By July 21, 2007, the building surpassed Taipei 101 height and thus becoming the world’s highest building with141floors. On 12th August 2007, the building was far beyond Sears Tower antenna, which is at 527.3 m tall. On September 12th, 2007 Burj Khalifa had reached 555.3 m tall thus becoming the World’s tallest free standing structure far beyond the Toronto’s CN Tower, and with 150 floors (Laura, et al., 2011). Burj Khalifa on 10th December 2007 (MobileReference, 2010) On 7th April 2008, Burj Khalifa was at 629 m tall and surpassing the KVL-TV Mast and becoming the tallest structure ever built by man. By 1st September 2008, the Burj Khalifa height was at 688 m making it the highest man-made structure ever built. On January 2009, Burj Khalifa topped out at 829.84 m its current height. The exteriors of the building were finished in late December 2008. The building was officially launched on 4th January 2010 (MobileReference, 2010). The complete Burj Khalifa Tower (Simiu, 2011) Burj Khalifa’s main structural system is reinforced concrete; for instance, more than 45,000 m3 of concrete was used weighing approximately 110,000 tones, this was specifically used to develop the concrete and steel foundation that has 192 piles; each pile is 1.5 m diameter and 43 m long buried 50 m deep. In its entirety, the Tower’s construction consumed 330,000 m3 of concrete and 55,000 tones of steel rebar and took 22 million man-hour (Orikaye, 2008). The foundation was built using high density, and low permeability concrete; accordingly, a cathodic protection system was used to ensure rather minimize any damaging effects from the corrosive chemical in ground water. Further, three massive tower cranes were used in the construction particularly at the topmost levels; each crane had the ability of carrying a 25-tonne load. Burj Khalifa building is also highly compartmentalized; for instance, pressurized, air-conditioned refuge floors are found after every 35 floor and people can safeguard in case of any emergency like fire (Orikaye, 2008). Precautions were taken during the entire construction; for instance, exceptional mixes of concrete were used to make the building withstand extreme pressures of the entire building weight. Like any other supported concrete construction, every consignment of concrete was evaluated to ensure that it can resist the pressure. The CTLGroup working under SOM, frequently conducted creep and shrinkage tests that are relevant and essential for structural analysis of the building (Simiu, 2011). The consistence and authenticity of the concrete mix used for the construction was vital; however, creating concrete that could withstand both massive weights of the building and the Persian Gulf temperatures that at times reached 50 0C was a strenuous and difficult task (Viktor, 2011). To combat this hurdle, concrete was prepared and poured at night. Consequently, ice was mixed with the concrete mixture and poured at night when the air was cooler and with high humidity particularly during summer months. This allowed even curing throughout and thus making it less likely for the building to crack. Any cracks could have significantly compromised the building (Frederic, et al., 2010). Like any other construction project in the Middle East, technical experts of the project were confronted with testing and specifying construction materials and designs that could resist the rigors of extreme high temperatures, ultra-violet light, seismic activity, and rough weather conditions. Further, massive sections of curtain wall that is equivalent in size to 17 soccer pitches, are located at extreme height, thus bringing new set of technical problems (Siace, 2010). In order to alleviate this challenge, unitized boards were interlocked on site approximately two storeys tall. While situated at high elevations the problem of pressure concentration in the insulating glass units was solved by specifying Dow Corning 3362 Silicone Insulating Glass Sealant as a secondary perimeter seal. The application Silicone was done by White Aluminium Enterprise. Additionally, they are tasked with technical training and support with an aim, of achieving quality control excellence, quality assurance and standards of workmanship (Orikaye, 2008). Burj Khalifa Tower’s shape together with its height were varied to minimize the effect of wind forces on the building; for instance Dow Corning 993 Silicone Structural Glazing Sealant provided significant tough adhesive bond, ultra-violet light resistance and fast cure particularly in joints linking the insulating glass units with the curtain wall frame (Viktor, 2011). The Burj Khalifa construction project was delayed by upgraded finishes; the luxury finishes that were proposed during the inception of the project in 2004 were replaced by upgraded ones. Consequently, the designs for apartments were also enhanced making them aesthetically elegant and functionally superior. The initial completion date was projected to be in September 2009, however due to the unprecedented delays the completion date was revised to 2nd December 2009. Burj Khalifa was originally built by South Koreans. Various investigations have revealed that skilled workers were paid UK£4.34 a day while unskilled employees earned UK£2.84 (MobileReference, 2010). Consequently, accommodation and housing conditions for these employees poor and abysmal; in fact their pay was sometimes withheld, passports confiscated by; and they worked in perilous environment that culminated into on site deaths and injuries. Additionally, on March 21, 2006, workers were upset due to bus delays after their working shifts; they protested rioted causing serious damages and destructions. The damage that was caused by rioting was estimated at UK£500,000; employees involved in the demonstration returned the next day but refused to work. Economic impact of Burj Khalifa Tower The structure has direct economic benefits to the Emirates of Dubai; for instance, the building is an iconic structure complementing the Burj-al-Arab in global recognition while also playing a significant role in anchoring the $20 billion Downtown Burj Dubai scheme. Despite the recent global downturn, Burj Khalifa has restored confidence for the economic recovery in the country. In addition, the importance of the launch of the Tower was the overall master developments that surround Burj Khalifa; this was a major stride towards the master development of Downtown Dubai. Consequently, the completion of the project increased the agglomeration economies hence moving the market to create one Central Business District (CBD) thus moving a way from the previous numerous CBD’s under the free zone structure. Further, combination of markets especially commercial markets, Dubai will conform to urban real estate models with a single CBD and premiums associated with the proximity to the CBD. The agglomeration of economies will stabilize Dubai and its environs economically. Economic, social and political factors impacts on the project As aforementioned, the resolution by Dubai government to expand it economy from oil-reliant to that that is service and tourism oriented meant that Burj Khalifa construction project enjoyed a good political will (American Concrete Institute, 2008). For instance, the decision propelled more valuable developments to be undertaken thus turning Dubai to become one of the fastest developing cities around the globe. The country’s economy was stable and favourable for undertaking any large scale construction project during the inception of the project (Viktor, 2011). Prices of raw materials, labour and expertise was affordable. However, the financial crisis of 2007-2010 impacted heavily on the proceeds of the construction; for instance, it resulted into redundancies where construction workers were the worst affected. Additionally, UAE states offer wide range of social services including subsidized healthcare and education, with regard to these; the project never experienced any social resistance. Impacts of Construction Technology and Innovation Burj Khalifa is a state of the art Tower; the designing and construction of the entire building was technologically sound and highly innovative. Expert minds were at work to come up with the world ever built tall building. The use of materials that withstand both massive weights and extreme desert temperatures was highly innovative; the use of fly ash in the concrete mix and Dow Silicone in bonding shows how innovative the contractors were (Siace, 2010). The designing and construction of the water supply system, air conditioning system and window cleaning system are the exhibits of the use of current technology. These things were well budgeted for thus they never inflated the original budget. Conclusion Burj Khalifa is highest manmade structure in the world, it is found in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The main goal of constructing Burj Khalifa was not only to be the world’s highest building but also it embodies word’s highest aspirations. The construction project was tremendously successful; the building height is 2,717 feet (828 meters) to the top of its spire. The building boasts of its fastest elevator in the world travelling at 64km/h to service its 160 floors. This massive construction project was designed to be the focal point of the a multi-skill, mixed-use development that includes 30,000 residential homes, nine hotels including The Address Downtown Dubai, 3 hectares of parkland, 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the Burj Khalifa Lake, a 12 hectare man-made lake. Burj Khalifa building was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill who are renowned for their exclusive designs of famous high manmade structures. The construction activities commenced in January 2004 and completed in December 2009 while the official launching and opening was References American Concrete Institute. (2008). Concrete international: design & construction. California: The Institute Frederic P. M., Agnes F. V., & McBrewster, J. ( 2010). Burj Khalifa. Saudi Arabia: VDM Publishing House Ltd. Laura B, Don L, and Tammy R. (2011). The Broadview Anthology of Expository Prose Canadian cataloguing in Publication. New York: Broadview Press MobileReference. (2010). Travel Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Illustrated Guide, Phrasebook and Maps. MobileReference Orikaye BW. (2008). From Dream to Reality: Scaling the Construction Planning Hurdles of Mega Project. London: Routledge Saberi, M. (2008). "Burj Dubai is the height of success". Gulf News Sam K. (2010). Green Construction Project Management and Cost Oversight. New York: Elsevier Inc Siace. (2010). Civil engineering. Retrieved on 15/12/2011, from http://www.civils.org.za/Portals/0/pdf/magazine/2010/2010-Civil-Engineering-aug.pdf Simiu E. (2011). Design of Buildings for Wind: A Guide for ASCE 7-10 Standard Users and designers of special structure. New York: Wiley & Sons, p. 256 Viktor G. (2011) A Strategic Analysis of the Construction Industry in the United Arab Emirates: Opportunities and Threats in the Construction business. London: Diplomica Verlag GmbH p. 233 Wells, M. (2005). Skyscrapers: structure and design. London: Laurence King publishing, p. 187 Read More