Burj Khalifa Description - Essay Example

5 March, Burj Khalifa: Burj Khalifa, also referred to as Burj Dubai is a modern skyscraper. As the name implies, it is located in Dubai, UAE. The building was inaugurated in the start of 2010. Burj Khalifa is more than 828 metres high and there are above 160 stories in it (“Burj Khalifa”). Burj Khalifa is known as the tallest free-standing building in the contemporary age. With over 160 stories in it, Burj Khalifa has the maximum number of stories among all known structures today. It occupies maximum floor area.

The travel distance elevator in the Burj Khalifa offers the longest distance in comparison to elevators in all other structures in the contemporary world. Thus, it offers the tallest elevator service in skyscrapers. The building was completed in six years in total. Total amount of concrete consumed in the construction of just the foundations of Burj Khalifa was more than 45000 m3 that weighs above 110000 tonnes. The foundation is made of piles protruded over 50 m into the ground. Total number of piles used in the making of foundation is 192.

According to an estimate, the total volume of concrete used in the construction of the whole structure would be about 330000 m3 along with over 39000 tonnes steel and the whole structures has consumed some 22 million man-hours of construction (“Burj Khalifa”). The speed of construction grew with the passage of time. In the start, number of panels produced each day fell between 20 and 30. As the construction gained speed, rate of production of panels increased up to 175 per day. (“Burj Khalifa”) According to the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), there are three fundamental criteria to judge a structure’s eligibility to be called as a skyscraper, namely the height to architectural top ratio, floor area occupied, and the height to tip ratio (“Burj Khalifa”).

Burj Khalifa’s performance on each of the three makes it the world’s tallest structure. Burj Khalifa also comprises a nice park that is triple-lobed in shape. The park is spread over an area of 11 hectares. Elegant fountains in the park welcome the visitors to Burj Khalifa. There is considerable living space outside the building as well. The design of landscape has been formulated in such a way that divides the total space into three areas, meant for a hotel, offices and flats. These areas are located at the entry to the hotel, the grand terrace and the residence.

These areas are linked with one another through pedestrian pathways. There are wonderful patterns of stone paving at the places of entry to the three areas. Water features on the design of landscape can be classified into six types, namely, grand water terrace, hotel entry fountain, children’s fountain pool, main entry fountain, sculptural fountain and the residential entry fountain (“Burj Khalifa”). Burj Khalifa is a multi purpose structure and has become the fundamental symbol of contemporary Dubai.

Dubai has always been coming up with remarkable construction and development. Burj Khalifa is to date, the tallest skyscraper in the whole world. Works cited: “Burj Khalifa.” n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2011. .