The Burj Al-Arab: Re-Inventing the City of Dubai
Matt Sims Introduction to Structural Engineering Spring 2011 Overview of Presentation
2 Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid sought to use oil money to ensure a stable economy for the future.
Before 1960s 1960s to Present (2016?) Future
3 Shaikh Mohammed awards the design contract to Atkins.
4 The “team” of designers and builders was led by chief architect Tom Wright.
5 The shaikh’s iconic hotel would resemble a yacht rising out of the water.
6 The man-made island was constructed using large rocks with an armor layer of hollow concrete blocks.
Island Construction – Basement Excavation – Foundations – Hotel Construction 7 McNicholas had to ensure that pressure from the gulf would not blast away the basement of the hotel.
Island Construction – Basement Excavation – Foundations – Hotel Construction 8 Reinforced concrete piles relied on skin friction to support the foundation.
Island Construction – Basement Excavation – Foundations – Hotel Construction 9 The hotel structure is composed of concrete walls, a steel “exoskeleton,” and a concrete core.
“It’s okay for the architect to draw pretty pictures, but we have to build it.” - Malcolm Murphy
Island Construction – Basement Excavation – Foundations – Hotel Construction 10 The diagonal trusses down each side of the building were 85 meters long and weighed 165 tons.
Island Construction – Basement Excavation – Foundations – Hotel Construction 11 The trusses were connected to the exoskeleton using giant washers with offset holes and steel pins.
Island Construction – Basement Excavation – Foundations – Hotel Construction 12 Vortex shedding around the exoskeleton could shake the building apart.
Island Construction – Basement Excavation – Foundations – Hotel Construction 13 Tuned mass damper systems were chosen as a solution to the vortex shedding problem.
Island Construction – Basement Excavation – Foundations – Hotel Construction 14 The Al Muntaha restaurant was suspended 200 m above the sea using an arrangement of 10 steel cantilever beams.
Island Construction – Basement Excavation – Foundations – Hotel Construction 15 The Burj Al-Arab is referred to as the world’s premier 7- star hotel.
321 m
World’s Largest Atrium (180 m) $650 Million World’s Largest Fabric Wall
202 Palatial Suites
270 m off Coast 250,000 T
16 Shaikh Mohammed’s dream is becoming a reality.
The Burj Al-Arab was the first of several artificial islands and unique high-rise projects and is now the international symbol for Dubai.
ThePalmPalmPalm World JumeirahJebel Deira Islands Ali
EmiratesBurj Khalifa Towers 17 Questions?
Matt Sims [email protected]
18 Content Sources http://www.shapeshift.net/2009/03/burj-al- arab-construction/ http://worldstallestskyscrapers.wordpress.com/ 2008/02/23/burj-al-arab-construction/ http://www.atkinsdesign.com/html/projects_ho tels_burj_al.htm
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