The Burj Al-Arab: Re-Inventing the City of Dubai

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 7star 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
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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.
The
Palm
Palm
Palm
World
Jumeirah
Jebel
Deira
Islands
Ali
Emirates
Burj Khalifa
Towers
17
Questions?
Matt Sims
[email protected]
18
Content Sources
http://www.shapeshift.net/2009/03/burj-alarab-construction/
http://worldstallestskyscrapers.wordpress.com/
2008/02/23/burj-al-arab-construction/
http://www.atkinsdesign.com/html/projects_ho
tels_burj_al.htm
19
Picture Sources (in order of
appearance)
http://www.jmorganmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/dubaimap.jpg
http://www.clker.com/cliparts/1/u/d/Z/I/c/speech-bubble-md.png
http://precisetechusa.com/images/three_engineers_in_hard_hats_with_map
.jpg
http://www.tomwrightdesign.com/PageLibraryAssets/BurjAlArabSketch.jpg?3
3
http://www.dubaihotel.ws/construction/Construction-of-burj-al-arab.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/01/25/article-0-052C7D840000044D99_468x502.jpg
http://www.internetstones.com/image-files/arab-pearl-divers-persian-gulfkuwait-baharain.jpg
http://topnews.ae/images/Dubai-crude.jpg
http://www.destination360.com/middle-east/united-arab-emirates/dubaibeach-hotels
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Picture Sources (in order of
appearance)
http://jobblogr.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/atkins-logo.jpg
http://halmapr.com/news/apollo/2007/
http://www.bestbuildings.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2009/11/Atkins_Chatelherault_3.jpg
http://www.jobsbump.com/wp-content/gallery/default/burj-al-arabhotel-dubai-jobs.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/O9hyQp5rpWs/TYWu2CN9T3I/AAAAAAAAAaM/xvhRsUA77ic/s320/
Worlds+Tallest+Hotel+Burj+Al-Arab.avi_000422800.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_r4TzZPyyD-c/SmCCnHflqJI//Ie1CIo8naA/s400/architect.jpg
http://www.thecwcgroup.com/CWCFiles/Event_Content/Rob%20Ruse.
jpg
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/images/magazines/commercial_inte
rior_design/2007_05_01/Khuan_thumb.jpg
21
Picture Sources (in order of
appearance)
http://www.ci.portwashington.wi.us/Photos/Sailboats/SailboatMainStreetByDanLaure
nce.jpg
http://www.dubai-architecture.info/burj_al_arab-full.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/231/523157633_dd2d83368c.jpg
http://www.lbkarp.com/baybridge/inside_cofferdam_c.jpg
http://www.getintravel.com/wallpaper/wpcontent/uploads/2011/01/burj-al-arab-wallpaper-1920x1200.jpg
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_218/1197751729csnRtF.j
pg
http://sumerasblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/burj-al-arab-6.jpg
http://www.esacademic.com/pictures/eswiki/66/Burj_Al_Arab_on_7_
September_2007_Pict_6.jpg
22
Picture Sources (in order of
appearance)
http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Technology/i
mages/stacks-of-money.jpg
http://www.arabiahorizons.com/cms/imagebank/image/
4861e432910ea.jpg
http://sdangit.com/wp_sd/wpcontent/uploads/2008/06/al-muntaha.jpg
http://imbibemedia.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/01/02-burj-al-arab-helipad.jpg
http://www.greenroofs.com/projects/burjalarab/burjalar
ab1.gif
http://wwwscf.usc.edu/~jhorowit/Pictures/Tiger%20Woods.jpg
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Picture Sources (in order of
appearance)
http://www.thatsdubai.com/dubai-images/palm-tree-island-Dubai.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dxI6nMM9xo/SXSjiMpznVI/AAAAAAAABvk/zZ_mJpgJPzs/s320/dubai+palm+island.jpg
http://www.nela.in/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/the-palm-islandsdubai.jpg
http://blog.luxuryproperty.com/wp-content/uploads/image/dubai/TheWorld-islands-Dubai.jpg
http://completewellbeing.com/static/img/articles/2008/03/dubai-darshanemirates-tower.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_162jLa8kOgs/TQW1xBDpWnI/AAAAAAAAA80/fGa
zvOWlC9U/s1600/BurjKhalifa1.jpg
http://static2.bigstockphoto.com/thumbs/3/6/1/large2/163925.jpg
http://www.gulfadventures.ae/gulfatd/images/stories/sigplus/tours/burj_al_
arab_dinner_or_lunch/Burj_Al_Arab_Interior_on_25_December_2007_Pi
ct_12.jpg
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