Burj Dubai: World's Tallest Manmade Structure

Surely, you’ve heard of the Burj Dubai Skyscraper many a times, but you have to see it to realise how gigantic & beautiful it is. The Burj Khalifa skyscraper (that’s what it’s been renamed to!) reminds one of the power and vision of Dubai’s Ruler, Sheikh Mohammed. It is the tallest building, Dubai or the world has ever built.

My wife and I observed it’s towering growth ever since construction began. In fact, we’ve even seen the ground digging start. Over a period of almost 6 years that it took to build, we visited Dubai several times and on each occasion, we went to the site to observe the Burj Dubai Tower, and to see the changes that had taken place, since our last visit there.

There came a time when, we could not view the top with naked eyes. And finally, the day came when this engineering and architectural marvel, the king of all skyscrapers, has been officially opened.

Turner was chosen to manage construction of this Dubai tower which is the tallest building in the world. Named Burj Dubai, the tower incorporates residential and commercial areas, including a designer Giorgio Armani hotel, entertainment complexes and the world’s largest shopping mall. Parks, water fountains and lakes and walking-only streets are some of the project’s highlights.

Some important points of the Dubai Towers are:

Architect: Adrian Smith.

Design company: Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM).

Construction: 2004 – 09.12.2009

Construction Company: Samsung E&C.

Cost: USD 8 billion.

Gross Floor Space: 314,000 m? (3,378,137.6 sqft).

Height: 705 m (2,313 ft)*.

Observation deck: Indoor and outdoor at the 124th floor.

Project size: 190 hectares including artificial lake and downtown Dubai.

Here are some important highlights of the Burj Khalifa Skyscraper:

 

• The tip of the spire can be seen by a person 95 kms (60 miles) away.
• The building service fireman’s elevator has a capacity of 5,500 kg and is the world’s tallest service elevator.
• Burj Dubai contains the world’s highest elevator installation.
• Parts of the Burj Dubai Tower reach upwards in a helical shape with terraces, there are 26 in total.
• The Burj Dubai’s Observatory Elevators (double deck cabs) have a capacity for 21 persons on each deck and will have the world’s longest travel distance from lowest to highest stop.
• There are 66 double decker elevators moving at the speed of 18 m/s (40mph), making them the worlds fastest.
• The amount of rebar used for the tower is 31,400 metric tons – laid end to end this would extend over a quarter of the way around the world.
• The curtain wall of the Burj Dubai Tower will be equivalent to 17 football (soccer) fields or 25 American football fields.

The Tower’s peak electricity demand is estimated to roughly 360,000 100- watt light bulbs all operating at the same time.

There will be 200 meters of spectacular dancing fountains at the foot of the Burj Dubai Tower.

When completed, the Dubai Tower wil be the tallest building in the world in all 4 categories recognized by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which compiles and ranks the world’s tallest buildings.

The Tower will house one of the first Armani Hotels.

At 110 levels and 380 meters high, Burj Dubai Tower shared the honour of having the largest number of floors in any building in the world alongside Sears Tower in Chicago.

Ten cranes and the world’s fastest high-capacity construction hoists – with a speed of up to 2m / sec (120m / min) are used to move men and material.

Burj Dubai Tower will be the first mega-high rise in which certain elevators will be programmed to permit controlled evacuation for certain fire or security events.

The Burj Dubai Tower aka Burj Khalifa Tower Photo Gallery: I’ve posted some fabulous Pictures of the Tower’s design, and those from the observation deck on the 124th floor.

Check out the fabulous photos from the TOP and of the opening ceremony etc. Login to http://www.dubai-forever.com/burj-dubai-tower.html