JEDDAH TOWER (KINGDOM TOWER)

1. Introduction
 Jeddah Tower previously known as Kingdom Tower and Mile-
High Tower is a planned skyscraper on the north side
of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is planned to be the world's first 1 km
(3,281 ft) high building, and the centerpiece and first phase of a
development and tourist attraction known as Jeddah Economic
City.
 Initial plans called for a mile-high structure but the geology of the
area proved unsuitable. The current design, created by American
architect Adrian Smith, who also designed Burj Khalifa,
incorporates many unique structural and aesthetic features. The
 creator and leader of the project is Saudi Arabian prince Al-
Waleed bin Talal, a grandson of Ibn Saud, and nephew of
the Kings of Saudi Arabia before him. Al-Waleed is the chairman
of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), which is a partner in the
Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), which was formed in 2009 for
the development of Jeddah Tower and City.

2. Construction

Construction site as seen from a plane, April 2016

 While the official construction estimate is five years and three
months (63 months), others calculate that it will take significantly
longer, over seven years, based on the duration of Burj Khalifa's
construction which was over six years
 Geotechnical investigation (soil testing) took place in 2008. Work
on the foundation was scheduled to begin towards the end of
2012 Statements that construction would soon begin were made
starting in 2008. In August 2011, the start of construction was
slated as "no later than December,"with some saying
"immediately," and that construction was imminent.This meant the
tower was expected to be completed in 2017, though at that time it
was also possible that it could still have been completed by the
date the media continued to publish, which was the prior estimate
of late 2016. Only if construction had begun promptly and gone
smoothly could a late 2016 completion have been achieved.
Designs for the foundation were in place by early August 2011 and
the contract for the piling was tendered. On 16 August 2011,
 Langan International officially announced their involvement and
that the foundation and piling had to be uniquely designed to
overcome subsurface issues such as soft bedrock and porous coral
rock, which normally could not support a skyscraper without
settling.[109] The foundation is similar to that of the Burj Khalifa,
but larger; it is expected to average around 4.5 m (15 ft) deep with
a concrete pad of area around 7,500 m2 (81,000 sq ft). The concrete
must have low permeability to keep out corrosive salt water from
the Red Sea. Its depth and size are also considered to be an
indicator of what the tower's final height will be.[134] The piles will
be up to 200 m (660 ft) deep and the pad over 90 m (300 ft) across,
yet the building, which will weigh over 900,000 tonnes (890,000
long tons; 990,000 short tons), is expected to settle. The idea is that
it settles evenly enough so that the building doesn't tip or put
undue stress on the superstructure. Computer modelling
programmes performed tests at the site to confirm that the
foundation design would work.[135] A later design for the
foundation, to be constructed by Bauer in 2013, calls for 270 bored
piles up to 110 m (360 ft) deep which have to be installed into the
difficult ground conditions.[133] Some materials needed for the
structure are 500,000 m3 (18,000,000 cu ft) of concrete and
80,000 t (79,000 long tons; 88,000 short tons) of steel.[136]
Progress of construction[edit]
There was steady progress but in January 2018 building owner JEC
halted structural concrete work. JEC has said they plan to restart
construction in 2020.[137]

 12th floor (10 January 2015)
 


23rd floor (7 June 2015)

 


44th floor (7 July 2016) (42+2) at night

 


44th floor (13 July 2016) (42+2)

 
 

47th floor (2 December 2016) (45+2)

 


As of June 2017
 

As of August 2019