3/18/2018 Capital Gate - Wikipedia

Coordinates: 24.418637°N 54.434692°E

Capital Gate
Capital Gate is a skyscraper in Abu Dhabi adjacent to the Abu Dhabi
Capital Gate
National Exhibition Centre designed with a striking lean. At 160 m (520 ft)
and 35 stories, it is one of the tallest buildings in the city and inclines 18° to
the west.[3] The owner and developer of Capital Gate is Abu Dhabi National
Exhibitions Company. The tower (also known as the Leaning Tower of
Abu Dhabi) is the focal point of the Capital Center/Abu Dhabi National
Exhibition Centre master development.

Contents
Construction
Foundation
Core of the structure
Superstructure
World records
Architecture and design
Project time line
See also
Capital Gate in 2013
References
General information
External links
Type Commercial
offices; Hotel

Construction Location Abu Dhabi,

United Arab
Emirates
Foundation Coordinates 24.418637°N
The structure sits above an extensive distribution of 490 piles that have been 54.434692°E
drilled 100 feet underground to accommodate the gravitational, wind and Construction started September
seismic pressures caused by the lean of the building.Of the total 490 piles, 2007
287 were 1 m (40 in) in diameter, and 20-30 meters (65-100 feet)deep, the Topped-out 2010
remaining 193 piles had a diameter of 600 mm (24 in) with a depth of 20 m
Completed 2011
(65 feet). All 490 piles were capped together using a densely reinforced
concrete mat footing of nearly 2 meters deep (7 feet).The piles which were Owner Abu Dhabi
initially in compression during construction to support the lower floors of National
the building, are now in tension as the stresses caused by the overhang have Exhibitions
been applied.[1] (https://www.constructingworld.com/single-post/2018/0 Company
2/21/Capital-Gate) Height
Roof 160 m (520 ft)

Core of the structure Technical details

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Core of the capital gate is built using jumping form work. The center Floor count 35
concrete core had to be specially designed to account for the immense forces Floor area 53,100 m2
created by the building’s lean. The core, which contains 15,000 m of (572,000 sq ft)
concrete reinforced with 10,000 tons of steel, uses vertical post-tensioning
Design and construction
and was constructed with a vertical pre-camber.[4][5] This pre-camber means
that the core was constructed with a slight opposite lean, as each floor is Architect RMJM
installed, the weight of the floors and diagrid system pull the core and slowly Main contractor Al Habtoor
straightening it out. it is constructed in the opposite direction.146 steel Engineering
tendons are vertically placed in the concrete core each 20 mts long which is Enterprises
used for post tensioning.[5] References
[1][2]

Superstructure
The capital gate employs a fine grid that fits this 160 m tower, Diagrid made construction of this tower possible given its
lean of 18 degree. There are two diagrid systems, an external diagrid defining the tower’s shape and an internal diagrid
linked to the central core by eight unique pin-jointed structural members[5]. The external diagrid consists of 720 sections
each of different shape as it is based on the direction in which it leans. The external grid carries the weight of the floor
while the internal digrid connects with the external and transfers the load to the core[2] (https://www.constructingworld.
com/single-post/2018/02/21/Capital-Gate) .There by creating no columns in the floor[4] .

World records
In June 2010, Guinness World Records certified Capital Gate as the "World’s furthest leaning man-made tower."[6][7] The
new record shows that the Capital Gate tower has been built to lean 18° westwards; more than four times that of the
Leaning Tower of Suurhusen. Investigation and evaluation, which was made by a Guinness appointed awards committee,
started in January 2010, when the exterior was completed.

The gravitational pressure caused by the 18° incline is countered by a technique called pre-cambered core, using a core of
concrete reinforced with steel, with the core deliberately built slightly off-centre. It is also anchored to the ground by 490
piles which are drilled 20–30 metres underground.[8]

Architecture and design

The building has a diagrid especially designed to absorb and channel the forces created by wind and seismic loading, as
well as the gradient of Capital Gate. Capital Gate is thought to be the Middle East's first building to use a diagrid; others
around the world include London's 30 St Mary Axe (Gherkin), New York's Hearst Tower and Beijing's National Stadium.[9]

The Capital Gate project was able to achieve its inclination through an engineering technique, known as pre-cambering,
that allows floor plates to be stacked vertically up to the 12th storey, and staggered, one over another by between 300 mm
to 1400 mm.

Capital Gate was designed by architectural firm RMJM and was completed in 2011. Capital Gate now houses the 5-star
Hyatt Capital Gate hotel and additional office space.

Project time line

September 2007 – Enabling works commence
November 2007 – Pile driving starts
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April 2008 – Core wall construction starts

February 2009 – Façade commences
May 2009 – Reaches 100 m in height
June 2009 – Incline starts to take shape
October 2009 – Attains final height of 160 m
December 2009 – Completion of exterior core structure
January 2010 – First phase of splash completed
February 2010 – Interior fit-out commences
March 2010 – Commencement of link bridge to Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
April 2010 – Commencement of atrium roof
2011 – Completed construction
Opening date 21 Dec 2011

See also
List of leaning towers
List of tallest buildings in Abu Dhabi
Diagrid
List of twisted buildings

References
1. Capital Gate (https://www.emporis.com/buildings/322929) at Emporis
2. "Capital Gate" (https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=73163). SkyscraperPage.
3. "Capital Gate" (http://www.adnec.ae/group/capital-gate.php). Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC).
2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
4. "Know about" (https://www.constructingworld.com/single-post/2018/02/21/Capital-Gate). Constructing world.
5. "Know about | ConstructingWorld" (https://www.constructingworld.com/single-post/2018/02/21/Capital-Gate). Main
page | ConstructingWorld. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
6. "Capital Gate Tower in Abu Dhabi certified world's furthest leaning manmade tower" (https://web.archive.org/web/201
00611072956/http://www.worldinteriordesignnetwork.com/news/capital_gate_tower_in_abu_dhabi_certified_worlds_fu
rthest_leaning_manmade_tower_100607/). World Interior Design Network. 7 Jun 2010. Archived from the original (htt
p://www.worldinteriordesignnetwork.com/news/capital_gate_tower_in_abu_dhabi_certified_worlds_furthest_leaning_
manmade_tower_100607/) on 11 June 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
7. Mail Foreign Service (2010-06-10). "Abu Dhabi's Capital Gate 'leans nearly five times more' than Tower of Suurhusen
to claim world record" (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1285590/Abu-Dhabis-Capital-Gate-leans-ne
arly-times-Tower-Suurhusen-claim-world-record.html). Mail Online. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
8. Laura Salmi (28 October 2008). "Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates" (http://www.worldarchitecturenews.c
om/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=10567). World Architecture News. Retrieved 7 June
2010.
9. Mace Group, http://www.macegroup.com/media-centre/advanced-diagrid-technology-gives-shape-to-capital-gate |
retrieved=July 29, 2015

External links
Capital Gate official Website (http://www.capitalgate.ae/)
Capital Gate – World's Furthest Leaning Man-made Tower (http://www.worldsbiggests.com/2010/06/world-furthest-lea
ning-man-made-tower.html)
Capital Gate Tower at CTBUH website (http://www.ctbuh.org/TallBuildings/FeaturedTallBuildings/CapitalGateTowerAb
uDhabi/tabid/3380/language/en-GB/Default.aspx)
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