Burj Khalifah or Khalifah Tower, also called Burj Dubai is currently the world’s tallest skyscraper. Located in the metropolis of Dubai, the Khalifah Tower is a mighty structure which stands 829.8m or 2,723 feet tall (Merrick). Not only is it the world’s tallest skyscraper but it is also regarded as the world’s tallest free-standing structure. The structural length of the tower makes it occupy the most number of stories in a building, and it also has the highest occupied floors in the world. It is a frequently visited tourist destination by people from all over the world due to the amazing height and the view that is offered by the tower. It is quite a spectacle to see because the tower stands the tallest amongst all the other low-lying structures and its immense height leaves the viewers awestruck. The Khalifah tower’s construction began on the 21st of September 2004, and the construction of the exterior of the tower was completed about five years later, in 2009. It is a concrete structure on the outside. The owners of the tower are Emaar Properties. Its structural design and engineering has been carried out by Skidmore, Ownings & Merill LLP. Hyder consulting has been its Engineer of Record (Merrick). According to the constructors and architects, the Khalifah tower has proved that there is virtually no structure that is impossible to be created and any structure can be delivered with the help of cutting-edge technology and combining cultural influences with technological advancements. The construction of the Burj Khalifah has taken into account the tourist viewpoint of the construction as well as the area’s overall development by keeping in mind the density of the area and the connection with the adjoining transit systems (Merrick).
The decision to make the Burj Khalifah was to employ the use of the oil-based economy and to construct the tower as a means of helping Dubai in gaining international recognition. The name of the building has been designated in honor of the ruler of Abu Dhabi who also happens to be the President of the United Arab Emirates, namely Khalifah bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The funds for the construction of the tower were given by the government of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. An official opening of the tower for the public took place on the 4th of January 2010, which also made it part of the development named as Downtown Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum wanted to establish Dubai as a phenomenal place in the world which would have international recognition.
The construction and architecture of Burj Khalifah has allusions and references from Islamic architectural designs, and it is also reminiscent of the modern architecture and design. The building has an apparent Y-shaped design which shows the maximum consideration for the windows and the inner space while at the same time it utilizes all internal area without wasting any space (Merrick). The upwards structure spirals higher meanwhile the mass of the tower decreases consequently. The increase in height also causes the mass to lessen, so there are no disturbances in the balance and structure. There are setbacks constructed in the structure which are meant to minimize the force of the wind and to create a wind tunnel. The tower was designed with respect to dealing with the strength of the wind with respect to the shape and the direction. There were many wind tunnel tests conducted before the design was finalized for the Khalifah tower (Merrick).
The exterior of the tower is constructed of aluminum and the use of stainless steel spandrel panels which were kept in consideration owing to Dubai’s intense temperatures especially during the summer months with the use of low-E glass. This was meant to provide improved thermal insulation. The height and slenderness of the tower were emphasized with the use of vertical polished steel fins (Merrick).
The structure of the Burj Khalifah is designed to make it a super-tall structure which has a strong central core design which is supported by three wings. The vertical structure of the building is supported by mechanical floors which are sustained by framework walls that are meant to increase the rigidity of the building (Burj Khalifah). The resultant of these crucial structural plans is the formation of a vertical system of the building which is supported by gravity as well as sideways load. There are also many safety measures which are taken by the construction management regarding the fire and life safety elements. They have made use of the lifeboat operation which has been made for the elevators in order to allow easy and safe evacuation in case of a danger situation. The elevators have decreased the evacuation time by over 45% as compared to the use of stairs (Burj Khalifah).
There are many interesting facts associated with the Khalifah tower such as the amount of aluminum used in the building which can be equated to the weight of five A380 aircrafts. Also, the entire weight of the concrete is equal to 100,000 elephants in totality. The building can sustain up to 15 million gallons of water per annum (Said). It also happens to be one building which is able to sustain one long elevator that covers 140 floors. The elevators are able to run 10 meters per second and happen to be the fastest elevators in the world. To reach the observation deck on the 124th floor, it takes about a minute for the whole journey. The tip of the Khalifah tower can be seen at the height of 95 km (Said). Moreover what is interesting to note is that at the crunch time of its construction, there were about 12,000 workers working on the construction site at one time (Said). The magnificent structure is a marvel to watch, and it attracts people from all over the world each year.
Works cited
Burj Khalifa - the skyscraper center. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, 2017,
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/burj-khalifa/3
Merrick, Nick. Burj Khalifa – structural engineering. SOM, 2010,
http://www.som.com/projects/burj_khalifa__structural_engineering
Said, Sammy. All about Burj Khalifa: The tallest building in the world. TheRichest, 26
Apr. 2013, http://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/location/all-about-burj-khalifa-the-tallest-building-in-the-world/
