Design and construction of the

worlds tallest building: The Burj

Dubai
December 2009 Cover Story
Pushing technology to new
heights
By William F. Baker, P.E., S.E.,
James J. Pawlikowski, S.E., LEED
AP
Burj Dubai, designed by and copyright to Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP

The Burj Dubai Tower will open in January of 2010. The final height of the more-than-160
story tower is yet to be revealed.
The Burj Dubai Tower is the worlds tallest structure, passing all previous height records. Such a project by
necessity requires pushing current analysis, material, construction technologies, and building systems to
literally new heights. However, as such a building height has never before been attempted, it is also
necessary to ensure all technologies and methods used are of sound development and practice. As such,
the designers sought to be able to use conventional systems, materials, and construction methods
modified and utilized in new capacities to achieve such a lofty goal.
The 160-plus-story Burj Dubai Tower is the centerpiece of a $20 billion multi-tower development located just
outside of downtown Dubai. The Burj Dubai project consists of the tower itself, as well as an adjacent
podium structure, and separate six-story office annex and two-story pool annex. The 280,000-square-meter
(m2) (or 3 million-square-foot, ft2) reinforced concrete multi-use tower is predominantly residential and office
space, but it also contains retail space and a Giorgio Armani hotel. The tower and podium structures
combined 465,000 m2 (5 million ft2) are currently under construction, and the project is scheduled for
completion in late 2009.
Architectural design
The primary design concept of the tower is an organic form with tri-axial geometry and spiraling growth that
can be easily seen in the final design. Additionally, traditional Islamic forms were utilized to enrich the
towers design, and to incorporate visual references to the culture and history of the surrounding region. As
such, the floor plan of the tower consists of a tri-axial, Y shaped plan, formed by having three separate
wings connected to a central core. As the tower rises, one wing at each tier sets back in a spiraling pattern,
further emphasizing its height. The Y-shape plan is ideal for residential and hotel use in that it allows the
maximum views outward without overlooking a neighboring unit. The wings contain the residential units and
hotel guest rooms, with the central core housing all of the elevators and mechanical closets. The tower is
serviced by five separate mechanical zones, located approximately 30 floors apart over the height of the
building. Located above the occupied reinforced concrete portion of the building is the structural steel spire,
housing communication and mechanical floors, and completing the architectural form of the tower. The result
is an efficient building in terms of its functionality, structural system, and response to wind, while still
maintaining the integrity of the initial design concept.

The towers Y-shaped floor plan not only has aesthetic and functional advantages, but is
also ideal for providing a high performance, efficient structure.
Structural system description
The towers Y-shaped floor plan not only has aesthetic and functional advantages, but also is ideal for
providing a high-performance, efficient structure. The structural system for the Burj Dubai can be described
as a buttressed-core and consists of high-performance concrete wall construction. Each of the wings
buttresses the others via a six-sided central core, or hexagonal hub. This central core provides the torsional
resistance of the structure, similar to a closed pipe or axle. Corridor walls extend from the central core to
near the end of each wing, terminating in thickened hammer head walls. These corridor walls and
hammerhead walls behave similar to the webs and flanges of a beam to resist the wind shears and
moments. Perimeter columns and flat plate floor construction complete the system. At mechanical floors,
outrigger walls are provided to link the perimeter columns to the interior wall system, allowing the perimeter
columns to participate in the lateral load resistance of the structure; hence, all of the vertical concrete is
utilized to support both gravity and lateral loads. The result is a tower that is extremely stiff laterally and
torsionally. It is also a very efficient structure because the gravity load-resisting system has been used to
maximize its use in resisting lateral loads also.
Burj Dubai, designed by and copyright to Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP

A high performance exterior cladding system will be employed to withstand the extreme
temperatures during the summer months in Dubai. Primary materials include reflective
glazing, aluminum and textured stainless steel spandrel panels and vertical polished
stainless steel tubular fins accentuating the height and slenderness of the tower.
As the building spirals in height, the wings set back to provide many different floor plates. The setbacks are
organized with the towers grid, such that the building stepping is accomplished by aligning columns above
with walls below to provide a smooth load path. As such, the tower does not contain any structural transfers.
These setbacks also have the advantage of providing a different width to the tower for each differing floor
plate. This stepping and shaping of the tower has the effect of confusing the wind. The upshot is that wind
vortices never get organized over the height of the building because at each new tier the wind encounters a
different building shape.
Most of the tower is a reinforced concrete structure, except for the top, which consists of a structural steel
spire with a diagonally braced lateral system. High-performance concrete is utilized throughout. The
concrete mix was designed to provide a low-permeability yet high-durability concrete. Wall and column
concrete strengths range from C80 to C60 cube strength (11.6 kips per square inch (ksi) to 8.7 ksi cube
strength), and contain portland cement, fly ash, and local aggregates. The C80 concrete has a specified
Youngs Elastic Modulus of 43,800 N/mm2 (6,350 ksi) at 90 days.
Structural analysis
The entire building structure was analyzed for gravity (including P-Delta analysis), wind, and seismic
loadings utilizing ETABS version 8.4, from Computers and Structures, Inc. The 3D analysis model consisted
of the reinforced concrete walls, link beams, slabs, raft, piles, and the spire structural steel system. Under
lateral wind loading, the building deflections are well below commonly used criteria. The dynamic analysis
indicated the first mode is lateral sidesway with a period of 11.3 seconds. The second mode is a
perpendicular lateral sidesway with a period of 10.2 seconds. Torsion is the fifth mode with a period of 4.3
seconds.
Burj Dubai, designed by and copyright to Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP

The Burj Dubai Tower pushes the limits on construction techniques and material
technology, including self-climbing formwork system, prefabricated wall

reinforcement, specially modified cranes, high-speed high-capacity construction

hoists, and GPS monitoring systems.
Tower foundations
The tower foundations consist of a solid, 3.7-meter (12.1-foot) thick pile supported raft poured utilizing
12,500 cubic meters (m3) (16,350 cubic yards, yd3) of C50 cube strength (7.25-ksi) self-consolidating
concrete (SCC). The raft was constructed in four separate pours (three wings and the center core). Each raft
pour occurred during at least a 24-hour period. Reinforcement was typically spaced at 300 mm (12 inches)
on center in the raft, and arranged such that every tenth bar in each direction was omitted, resulting in a
series of pour enhancement strips throughout the raft; the intersections of these strips created 600-mm by
600-mm (24-inch by 24-inch) openings at regular intervals, facilitating access and concrete placement. The
tower raft is supported by 194 bored cast-in-place piles. The piles are 1.5 m (5 feet) in diameter and
approximately 43 m (141 feet) long, with a capacity of 3,000 metric tonnes (3,300 tons) each. Each was pile
load tested to 6,000 metric tonnes (6,600 tons). The diameter and length of the piles represent the largest
and longest piles conventionally available in the region. Additionally, the 6,000-metric-tonne pile load test
represented the largest magnitude pile load test performed to date within the region. The piles utilized C60
cube strength (8.7-ksi) SCC concrete, placed by the tremie method utilizing polymer slurry. The friction piles
are supported in the naturally cemented calcisiltite/conglomeritic calcisiltite formations, developing an
ultimate pile skin friction of 250 to 350 kPa (5.2 to 7.3 ksf).
Wind engineering
For a building of this height and slenderness, wind forces and the resulting motions in the upper levels
become dominant factors in the structural design. An extensive program of wind tunnel tests and other
studies were undertaken by the wind tunnel consultant, RWDI, in its boundary layer wind tunnels in Guelph,
Ontario, to evaluate the effects of wind on building loading, behavior, and occupant comfort. Additionally, the
wind tunnel testing program was utilized as part of a process to shape the building to minimize wind effects.
As mentioned above, this process resulted in a substantial reduction in wind forces on the tower by
confusing the wind by encouraging disorganized vortex shedding over the height of the tower. The wind
tunnel testing program included rigid-model force balance tests, a full aeroelastic model study,
measurements of localized pressures, and pedestrian wind environment studies. Wind statistics played an
important role in relating the predicted levels of response to return period. Extensive use was made of
ground-based wind data, balloon data, and computer simulations employing Regional Atmospheric Modeling
techniques to establish the wind regime at the upper levels. Based on the results of the wind tunnel testing
program, the predicted building motions are within the ISO standard recommended values without the need
for auxiliary damping.
Burj Dubai, designed by and copyright to Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP

On a clear day the tip of the spire can be seen by a person 95 km (60 miles) away. A
person in the Observation Deck can see as far away as 80 km (50 miles), which is more
than twice the distance from Dubai to Al Ain.
Burj Dubai, designed by and copyright to Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP

An extensive program of wind tunnel tests and other studies resulted in a substantial
reduction in wind forces on the tower by confusing the wind.
Construction methods and technology
The Burj Dubai Tower utilizes the latest advancements in construction techniques and material technology.
The walls are formed using Dokas SKE 100 automatic self-climbing formwork system. The circular nose
columns are formed with circular steel forms, and the floor slabs are poured on MevaDec panel formwork.
Wall reinforcement is prefabricated on the ground to allow for fast placement. Three primary self-climbing
Favco tower cranes are located adjacent to the central core, with each continuing to various heights as
required. The cranes have been specially modified to be able to lift the extreme lengths of cable required, as
well as 25-metric-tonne (27.5-ton) payloads, at high speeds. High-speed (120-m/minute, 393-foot/minute),
high-capacity (3,200-kg, 7,050-pound) construction hoists were used to transport workers and materials to
the required heights. Because of limitations of conventional surveying techniques, a specialized GPS
monitoring system has been developed to monitor the verticality of the structure.
The construction sequence for the structure has the central core and slabs being cast first, in three sections;
the wing walls and slabs follow behind; and the wing nose columns and slabs follow behind these. Concrete
is distributed to each wing utilizing concrete booms that are attached to the jump form system. Two of the
largest concrete pumps in the world were used to deliver concrete to heights over 600 m (1,968 feet) in a
single stage. A horizontal pumping trial was conducted prior to the start of the superstructure construction to
ensure pumpability of the concrete mixes.
Conclusion
Burj Dubai Tower has eclipsed all previous height records, and is the tallest structure ever built. It represents
an enormous collaboration and coordination effort of many individuals across all sectors of the building
profession. Conventional and cutting-edge technologies and building systems were utilized, developed, and
further advanced to create this unprecedented structure, taking this building and the profession to literally
new heights.
The Burj Dubai

Owner
Emaar Properties PJSC, Dubai
Project manager
Turner Construction International
Architect/Structural engineers/ MEP engineers
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Adopting architect and engineer/Field supervision
Hyder Consulting Ltd.
General contractor
Samsung/BeSix/Arabtec
Foundation contractor
NASA Multiplex
By the Numbers:
Size, shape, and type
Number of square feet:
Number of stories:
Structural system types:
Foundation type:
Construction quantities
Concrete:
This is equivalent to:

Rebar:

Curtain wall:

Burj Dubai
3 million ft2 (280,000 m2)
160+
concrete with structural steel spire
concrete raft on piles
327,000 yds3 (250,000 m3)
A solid cube of concrete 63 meters (207 feet) on a side,
A sidewalk 2,065 kilometers long (1,283 miles),
More than five times the volume of concrete used for the CN Tower in
Canada, or
The weight of 110,000 elephants
35,700 metric tonnes
Laid end to end this would extend over a quarter of the way around the
world
83,600 m2 (20.7 acres) of glass and
27,900 m2 (6.8 acres) of metal; 111,500 m2 (27.5 acres) total
Equivalent to 17 soccer fields or 25 American football fields

www.vitopalmisano.com
Spotlight: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLC
Q&A with the SE
Skidmore, Owings & Merrills Structural Engineering Partner William F. Baker,
P.E., S.E. (WB) discussed the Burj Dubai with Structural Engineer Editor
Jennifer Goupil, P.E. (JG).
JG: You have alluded to the fact that the tower originally was conceived a
few hundred feet taller than the current record holders, at what point did
the design evolve to be 1,000 feet taller than todays tallest buildings?

WB: Not even that much taller. The first design we tested was a few meters taller than the current record
holders. Now, actually the final design is several hundred meters taller than current towers. But, there
wasnt really one event, no single epiphany or breakthrough. It was a series of processes. We started with an
idea, then did some testing and analyzed data. At the same time the client kept changing what they were
trying to achieve. Our results from the first round of testing were not very good, so we went back to the
boards. At about the third round of testing the data coming back was quite good. We probably kept remassing the building for more than a year. Stretching and fine tuning the shape, we tested multiple building
shapes and structural properties along the way. In fact, our testing went on from May 2003 (the first test)
through September 2005, which was the final aeroelastic test.
JG: How did you select the final concrete structural system?
WB: We did not have a contractor on board early in the design process. We communicated with our client
and discussed options among our team. In fact, for a while we were carrying a composite option concrete
corewalls with composite steel floor framing, etc. We carried two schemes along for a while, but ultimately we
needed to choose one system to finalize the design our internal team decided to go with the all concrete
scheme.
Later, as we interviewed contractors, we asked them if they wanted to change systems to the composite one
and no one wanted to change; so we guessed right.
JG: From your perspective, what was the most challenging aspect of the structural design? How was
it solved?
WB: The main difficulty was the shaping of the building. As I said earlier, the very first wind tunnel data
revealed large forces, large movements. So we didnt panicwe went back to the massing. I remember
sitting in my office with the architects: we would look at the data, then wed look at the model, then wed look
at the data again, and look at the model again. Then wed change the model and retest.
So the most challenging, yet most interesting, was engineering the shape of the building and understanding
the wind to minimize the forces on the building. This was also the most rewarding part of the design work.
JG: When will the record-breaking height of the tower be revealed?
WB: It is not quite decided (laugh). The client has yet to commit to when he will reveal the height.
JG: When will the construction be complete?
WB: The owners will open the building in January of 2010; the building structure has been completed for
some time.
JG: Aside from the structural challenges of a tower that is well over 160 stories tall, what were some
of the building system challenges that you were involved with solving, such as elevators, stairs,
egress, water distribution?
WB: One of the things I realized early on was that we had to tie the building together periodically with
outriggers. Because the story heights were smaller, we needed three stories for outriggers. When we said
that in one of the first coordination meetings, one of the architects actually said great then I can stack my
elevator shafts with machine rooms below the elevator pits. We spent a long time working with the architects
to compact the core. We went back and forth multiple times with the architects finally getting all the elevators
and services inside a compact core. Ahmad Abdelrazaq was particularly tenacious in getting that core
coordination to work.
JG: What did you learn from leading the structural engineering on the worlds tallest tower that was
the most fascinating to you?

WB: (Laugh) The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy says dont panic. As you come up with challenges and
problemsdont panic, just work the problem. There were many challenges on this project, but the part that
was so fascinating to me was just the fact that we were so successful. We worked hard to get the wind loads
reduced. Wed reshaped the tower and retune the tower to change the periods and mode shapes. It was
fascinating to me that the wind forces would drop a lot. The process was more successful than we ever
imagined it would be.
JG: Had you done much of that with other tall towers? Reshaping?
WB: Yes, we did with a previous project, so we knew the shape was important. But on this project we really
developed that method. We discovered that we could not only design the building, but we could design the
wind.
Firm Facts
Established in 1936, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP employs 869 design professionals in Chicago, New
York, San Francisco, London, Washington D.C., Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Dubai. The firms diverse
practice includes architecture, structural and civil engineering, interior design, urban design and planning,
interior design, building services/MEP, digital design, graphics, and industrial design. Markets served by the
firm include residential, commercial and development, convention and exhibition, cultural, education, health
and science, hospitality, infrastructure, sports, transportation, and civic and government.
The firm has been recognized with many industry awards including The American Institute of Architects
Architectural Firm Award 1962 and 1996; the American Concrete Institute Charles S. Whitney Award 2009;
Fast Company magazine recognized SOM as The Most Innovative Company in Architecture, and No. 32 on
The Worlds 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2009.
William F. Baker, P.E., S.E., is structural and civil engineering partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP in
Chicago. James J. Pawlikowski, S.E., LEED AP, is an associate director at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP.