Design and Construction of The Burj Khalifa

1. INTRODUCTION
The Burj Khalifa Project is the tallest structure ever built by man, that rises 828 meters
into Dubai skyline tall and it consists of 162 floors above grade and 3 basement levels.
While integrating wind engineering principles and aerodynamic shaping into the
architectural design concept was an important consideration in mitigating and taming the
dynamic wind effects, managing the gravity load flow to the building extremities was
equally significant in overcoming the overturning moment due to extreme lateral loads.
Most of the tower overturning resistance is managed mostly by the tower’s own gravity
loads. In addition, all the vertical members are proportioned to resist gravity loads on
equal stress basis to overcome the differential column shortening issues that are generally
difficult to manage in super tall buildings.
New generation of tall and complex buildings systems are now introduced that are
reflective of the latest development in materials, design, sustainability, construction, and
IT technologies. The challenge of the Burj Khalifa was not only to create the world’s
tallest building, but it was to do so utilizing conventional systems, materials, and
construction methods, albeit modified and utilized in new capacities. A tower of this
height had never before been seen, which required much innovation, both in terms of new
ideas, and in developing new ways to use and advance current technologies. To achieve
this, the design required intensive and constant collaboration between architects,
engineers, and specialty consultants to develop a building form that addressed structural
efficiency, constructability, building aesthetics, and function simultaneously. At the
height of 828 m, Burj Khalifa eclipsed the previous record holder by over 300 m (Taipei
101 at 508 m).

Fig 1.1 Photo of the Completed Burj Khalifa

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2. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
The primary design concept of the Tower is the form of an indigenous desert flower,
named Hymenocallis, an organic form with tri-axial geometry and spiralling growth that
can be easily seen in the final design. Additionally, traditional Islamic forms were also
utilized to enrich the Tower’s 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 spiralling pattern, further
emphasizing its height. The Y-shape plan is ideal for residential and hotel usage, in that it
allows the maximum views outward, without overlooking a neighbouring unit.

The wings contain the residential units and hotel guest rooms, with the central core
housing all of the elevators and mechanical closets. Additionally, 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, completing the
architectural form of the Tower. The architects and engineers worked closely together
from the beginning of the project to determine the shape of the Tower, in order to provide
an efficient building in terms of its structural system and in its response to wind, while
still maintaining the integrity of the initial design concept.

Fig 2.1 Typical Floor Plan Fig 2.2 Hymenocallis

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3. STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AND

SUPERSTRUCTURE DESIGN
The reinforced concrete structure was designed in accordance with the requirements of
ACI 318-02 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete. Wall and column
concrete strengths range from C80 to C60 cube strength, and utilize Portland cement, fly
ash, and local aggregates. The C80 concrete has a maximum specified Young’s Elastic
Modulus of 43,800 N/mm2 at 90 days. Wall thickness and column sizes were also fine-
tuned to reduce the effects of creep and shrinkage on the structure. To reduce the effects
of differential column shortening due to creep between the perimeter columns and interior
walls, the perimeter columns were sized such that the self-weight gravity stress on the
perimeter columns was equal to the stress on the interior corridor walls. With respect to
concrete shrinkage, the perimeter columns and corridor walls were given matching
thicknesses of 600mm, which provided them with similar volume to surface ratios.
The majority of the Tower is a reinforced concrete structure. However, the top of the
Tower consists of a structural steel spire utilizing a diagonally braced lateral system. The
spire houses several mechanical and communication floors, open void space, and
culminates in a pinnacle element. The structural steel spire was designed for gravity,
wind, seismic and fatigue in accordance with the requirements of AISC Load and
Resistance Factor Design Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (1999).
The entire building structure was analysed for gravity (including P-Delta analysis), wind,
and seismic loadings utilizing ETABS version 8.4. The Dubai Municipality (DM)
specifies Dubai as a UBC97 Zone 2a seismic region (with aseismic zone factor Z = 0.15
and soil profile Sc).Seismic loading did govern the design of the reinforced concrete
Podium buildings and the Tower structural steel spire. Site specific seismic reports were
developed for the project including a seismic hazard analysis. The potential for
liquefaction was investigated based on several accepted methods; it was determined that
liquefaction is not considered to have any structural implications for the deep-seated
Tower foundations. A comprehensive construction sequence analysis incorporating the
effects of creep and shrinkage was performed to study the time-dependant behaviour of
the structure. The results of this analysis were utilized to determine the horizontal and
vertical compensation programs. For horizontal compensation, the building is being
“recentered” with each successive centre core jump, correcting for gravity induced

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sideway effects which occur up to the casting of each story. For vertical compensation,
additional height is added by increasing floor to-floor height, offsetting the predicted
vertical shortening of the column and wall elements.

Fig.3.1 Construction Sequence Analysis

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4. TOWER FOUNDATION AND SITE CONDITIONS

The Tower foundations consist of a pile supported raft (Figure 4.1).The solid reinforced
concrete raft is 3.7 meters thick and was poured utilizing 12,500 cubic meters of C50
(cube strength) self-consolidating concrete (SCC). Reinforcement was typically spaced at
300mm in the raft, and arranged such that every 10th bar in each direction was omitted,
resulting in a series of “pour enhancement strips” throughout the raft; the intersections of
these strips created 600mm x 600mm openings at regular intervals, facilitating access and
concrete placement. The 50 MPa raft mix incorporated 40% fly ash and a water cement
ratio of 0.34.The Tower raft is supported by 192 bored cast-in-place piles. The piles are
1.5 meter in diameter and approximately 43 meters long, with a capacity of 3,000 tonnes
each.

Fig.4.1 Tower Raft under construction

The soil stratum of Dubai is very week so they had to excavate up to 50m deep to get a
hard rock structure. But the rock that they found was fragile and saturated with
groundwater, so that any hole made will be cured immediately. The engineers filled this
with viscous polymer slurry. This pushes the rock and the ground water to the edges of
the boreholes to keep it open. This slurry is denser than water and lighter than concrete,
so that when concrete is pumped the concrete displaces the fluid and forms the
foundation. A unique situation for this scale of project arose from the existing site
conditions: the ground water, which is quite high at approximately 2m below the surface,
is extremely corrosive, containing approximately three times the sulfates and chlorides as
sea water. As such, a rigorous program of anti-corrosion measures was followed to ensure
the long-term integrity of the Tower’s foundation system.

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Measures instituted included implementation of specialized waterproofing systems,

increased concrete cover to reinforcement, addition of corrosion inhibitors to the concrete
mix, applying a stringent crack control raft design criteria, and the implementation of an
impressed current cathodic protection system utilizing titanium mesh.

Fig.4.2 Tower Raft foundation plan

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5. TOWER SUPERSTRUCTURE
The structural system for the Tower has been termed a “buttressed core” system. The
buttressed core represents a new type of system, a conceptual change in structural design
whose evolutionary development began with an earlier design for Tower Palace III in
Seoul. The system allows for a dramatic increase in height, using conventional materials
and construction techniques. Its essence is a three-winged structure in which a strong
hexagonal central core anchors three building wings. It is an inherently stable system in
that each wing is buttressed by the other two.

Within the wings, corridor walls extend from the central core to near the end of the wing,
terminating in thickened cross walls referred to as hammerhead walls. The central core
provides the torsional resistance for the building, while the wings provide the shear
resistance and increased moment of inertia. Perimeter columns and flat plate floor
construction complete the system. At the mechanical floors, outrigger walls are provided
to tie all the walls and columns together allowing the perimeter columns to participate in
the lateral load resisting system. In this manner, the Burj Khalifa acts as one giant
concrete beam cantilevering out of the ground with the system working together as a
single unit. Every piece of vertical concrete (and thereby every gravitational force) is part
of this giant beam, used to resist the wind. The gravitational load then helps stabilize the
structure by utilizing the weight of the building to resist the wind. The result is a very
efficient tower, which is also extremely stiff laterally and torsionally. In fact, because of
the shape of the building and the harmonics of the structure, the forces and motions were
greatly reduced, and the motion and acceleration criteria could be satisfied without the
use of supplemental damping devices.

The majority of the Tower is a reinforced concrete structure, with the buttressed core
system extending through occupied space to Level 156. Above Level 156, a structural
steel braced frame supports an approximately 230m tall spire. Concrete strengths for the
Tower’s columns and walls range from C80 to C60, and utilize Portland cement, fly ash,
and admixtures. The C80 concrete was specified as high modulus concrete in order to
provide increased stiffness to the system, with a minimum specified Young’s Elastic
Modulus of 43 800 N/mm2 at 90 days.

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Wall and column sizes were proportioned according to their desired contributions to the
lateral load resisting system, providing efficiency by placing material where it was the
most effective. The effects of creep and shrinkage on the concrete structure were also a
major consideration when sizing the wall and column elements. Perimeter columns were
sized to provide equal gravity stress to that seen in the interior walls, so as to minimize
the differential movement between these two elements because of creep. Further, similar
volume-to-surface ratios were established for the columns and walls by providing
matching thicknesses for these elements, which allowed the columns and walls to
generally shorten at the same rate because of shrinkage.

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6. 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 in RWDI’s 2.4m x 1.9m, and 4.9m x
2.4m boundary layer wind tunnels in Guelph, Ontario. 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 (Figure 6.1). These studies
used models mostly at 1:500 scale; however, the pedestrian wind studies utilized a larger
scale of 1:250 for the development of aerodynamic solutions aimed at reducing wind
speeds.

Fig.6.1 Aeroelastic wind tunnel model at RWDI

The building has essentially six important wind directions (Figure 6.2). Three of the
directions are when the wind blows directly into a wing - the wind is blowing into the
“nose” or cutwater effect of each wing (Nose A, Nose B and Nose C). The other three
directions are when the wind blows in between two wings, termed as the “tail” directions
(Tail A, Tail B and Tail C). It was noticed that the force spectra for different wind
directions showed less excitation in the important frequency range for winds impacting
the pointed or nose end of a wing than from the opposite direction (tail). This was kept in
mind when selecting the orientation of the tower relative to the most frequent strong wind
directions for Dubai: northwest, south and east.

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Fig.6.2 Wind direction in plan

Fig.6.3 Wind rose diagram for orientation of the building

After each round of wind tunnel testing, the data was analysed and the building was
reshaped to minimize wind effects and accommodate unrelated changes. In general, the
number and spacing of the setbacks changed as did the shape of wings. 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.

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Towards the end of design more accurate aero-elastic model tests were initiated. An aero-
elastic model is flexible in the same manner as the real building, with properly scaled
stiffness, mass and damping. Based on these results, the predicted building motions are
within the ISO standard recommended values without the need for auxiliary damping.

The wind tunnel test results were also used to “tune” the Tower’s dynamic properties, so
as to further minimize wind effects. This was accomplished by first using the tests to
determine the harmonic frequency of wind gusts and eddies under various wind
conditions, and then using this information to set targets for the building’s natural
frequencies and mode shapes. Even though the Tower grew in height by 60% from the
beginning of the wind tunnel testing to the final building, the wind forces for the final
building were 30% less than that for the original, significantly shorter Tower.

Fig.6.4 Tower wind behaviour

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7. MATERIALS USED
In total, the construction of the Burj Khalifa required 330,000 cubic meters of concrete,
the foundation alone using over 45,000. This foundation consists of 192 concrete piles,
which are each buried 50 meters beneath the surface. 31,400 metric tons of steel rebar
were used to reinforce the concrete. In addition to concrete and steel, other major
materials used are glass, silicone, and aluminium, which make up the outside façade of
the tower.

In massive structures like the Burj Khalifa, the concrete used in construction must be able
to withstand the thousands of tonnes bearing down on it. Consequently, a special mix of
reinforced concrete with high compressive strength was used on the Burj Khalifa.

Because of the extremely high temperatures in Dubai during the day, which can be as
high as 48°C, concrete was poured only at night when it is cooler and more humid. In
addition, ice was added to the concrete during mixing to cool it further. The reason
behind these procedures is that concrete dries more evenly when cool and is thus less
likely to form cracks.

The 132,000 square meter curtain wall façade of the Burj Khalifa is made of aluminium,
silicone, and glass. It consists of over 24,000 panels specially designed to save energy.
Their high-performance reflective glazing greatly reduces heat transmission, which is a
critical feature in the extreme heat of Dubai. Special exterior cladding specifically
designed to withstand the temperature changes and wind forces.

Fig.7.1 Exterior cladding

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8. CONSTRUCTION METHODS
The Burj Dubai Tower utilizes the latest advancements in construction techniques and
material technology. The walls are formed using Doka’s 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 in 8m sections to allow for fast placement. Three primary
tower cranes are located adjacent to the central core, with each continuing to various
heights as required. High-speed, high-capacity construction hoists are utilized to transport
workers and materials to the required heights. A specialized GPS monitoring system has
been developed to monitor the verticality of the structure, due to the limitations of
conventional surveying techniques.
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
which are attached to the jump form system.
The original construction program is very tight. To complete the project within 48
months, Samsung, Besix, Arabtech Joint Venture (SBAJV) established the following
strategic approach:
 Achieve a three (3) day-cycle for structural works.
 Develop optimum transportation systems with large capacity high speed
equipment.
 Utilize optimum formwork system to accommodate various building shapes along
the building height.
 Develop organized logistic plans throughout the construction period.
 Apply all high-rise construction technologies available at the time of construction.

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8.1 Planning for concrete work

Prior to the construction of the tower, extensive concrete testing and quality control
programs were put in place to ensure that all concrete works are done in agreement with
all parties involved, including the supervision consultant (Hyder), the owner independent
testing agency (IVTA), the concrete supplier (Unimix) top quality team, CTL, and
Samsung Engineering and Construction Task force team. The testing regimes included,
but were not limited to the following programs:

 Trial mix designs for all concrete types needed for the project.
 Mechanical properties, including compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and
split tensile strength.
 Durability tests which included initial surface absorption test and 30 minute
absorption test.
 Creep and shrinkage test program for all concrete mix design.
 Water penetration tests and rapid chloride permeability test.
 Shrinkage test program for all concrete mix designs.
 Pump simulation test for all concrete mix design grades up to at least 600 meters.

Fig.8.1 Tower Pile Load Test Fig.8.2 Concrete flow test

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8.2 Technologies used to achieve 3-day cycle

The tower consists of more than 160 floors and is expected to be completed within a very
tight schedule and 3-day cycle. Hence, the following key construction technologies were
incorporated to achieve the 3-day cycle set for the concrete works:
 Auto Climbing formwork system (ACS)
 Rebar pre-fabrication
 High performance concrete suitable for providing high strength, high durability
requirement, high modulus, and pumping
 Advanced concrete pumping technology
 Simple drop head formwork system that can be dismantled and assembled quickly
with minimum labor requirements
 Column/Wall proceeding method, part of ACS formwork system

Fig.8.3 Sequence of construction

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8.3 Sequence of Construction and ACS

Figures 8.3 and 8.4 depict the construction sequence of the tower and show the auto
climbing formwork system (ACS), designed by Doka. The ACS form work is divided
into four sections consisting of the center core wall that is followed by the wing wall
construction along each of the three tower wings. Figure 8.4 also demonstrates the
following construction sequence:
 the center core wall construction is followed by the center core slab construction;
 the wing wall construction is followed by the wing flat plat slab construction; and
 the nose columns are followed by flat plate and flat slab construction at the nose
area.

Fig.8.4 Sequence of construction

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9. TOWER CRANES
Three high capacity self-climbing luffing type tower cranes were optimally selected and
located at the centre core of the tower as shown in Figures 8.4 and 9.1. For erecting such
a structure in the sky, steel and glass panels have to be raised, so cranes were used.
Cranes could jump from one floor to the another. So they were called the kangaroo
cranes. A summary of the tower crane specifications utilized for the project is shown in
Figure 9.1.

Fig.9.1 Tower crane type and location

9.1 Tower main hoist

Figure 9.2 depicts the location of the main hoists and the hoist specifications. The hoists
were installed in three different phases following the construction sequence of the tower.
Additional Jump hoists were installed in accordance with the specifications shown in
figure9.2.

Fig.9.2 Tower main hoist system

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10. CONCRETE PUMPING

A horizontal pump simulation test, shown in Figure 10.1, was performed, using over
600m of pipe length to confirm the pump capacity and evaluate the overall pressure losses
in the pipes due to friction/connections/concrete type, etc. BSA-14000-SHP-D
Putzmeister was utilized for all concrete grades. See also figure10.1 for a summary of the
horizontal pump simulation system.

Fig.10.1 Summary of pumping simulation

While the horizontal concrete pump simulation test was very successful and indicative
that re-pumping was not required, pumping the concrete vertically and under different
environmental conditions could potentially present unexpected complications. Therefore,
a secondary pump at level 124 was in place in case of an emergency situation.

Three major pumps were placed at the ground level as shown in Figure 10.3 . Pumping
line 1 situated at the centre core, with pumping lines 2, 3 and 4 at the south, west, and east
wings of the core.

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Fig.10.2 Concrete pumping pipe lines

Fig.10.3Tower Pump Equipment and Pipe Lines

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11. EVACUATION
The world's tallest building, featuring more than 150 available floors and expecting to
hold up to 35,000 people at any one time, presents a certain risk hazard, when it comes to
emergency evacuation, structure and operations is everything.

The highest-risk part of the Burj Khalifa is its high speed elevators. To assist in the
evacuation of occupants, designated elevators feature a "lifeboat evacuation" mode,
allowing fire brigade personnel or trained staff to transport occupants from upper portions
of the tower to designated discharge levels. The elevators include full operating capability
on both primary and emergency power, water resistant equipment, means for visual
inspection of the elevator shaft and raised elevator door thresholds on each floor opening
to minimise the flow of sprinkler water into the shafts. There is also a 5,500kg capacity
elevator for fire-fighters and building service work. For those who choose to take the
stairs during evacuation, highly fire resistant concrete walls surround all stairs.

11.1 REFUSE ROOM

People cannot be expected to walk down 160 floors, so there are pressurised air-
conditioned refuge areas, approximately every 25 floors where they could wait safely or
rest on the way down. The areas of refuge are separated from the main structure of the
building by a two-hour fire resistant construction and are pressurised to minimise the
migration of smoke into the compartment. While the Burj's design is based on a defend-
in-place strategy, where the structure is geared towards isolating the problem and
protecting the residents within, there is a possibility that an escalated event may require a
full building evacuation. To ensure safety, the Burj Khalifa features a home automation
system which consists of LCD panels that display detailed emergency information to
specified groups of building occupants. These displays can be found dotted around in key
locations such as individual residential units and areas of refuge. Multi-alarm sensors that
include smoke, heat and optical sensors are located in all rooms throughout the building.
In emergency situations such as during a fire, the system will immediately notify
occupants in the area through an emergency voice/alarm communication system in both
Arabic and English.

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12. CONCLUSION
Burj Khalifa is an excellent example of a successful collaboration between the
requirements of structural systems, wind engineering, and architectural aesthetics and
function, which is essential for a super tall project. Additionally, the Tower represents a
significant achievement in terms of utilizing the latest design, material, and construction
technology and methods, in order to provide an efficient, rational structure, to rise to
heights never before seen.

The structural system and form of the Burj Khalifa are the result of close collaboration
among all members of the design team. The Tower is a model of structural efficiency,
wind behaviour, and construction. Its development, innovations, and success have
changed how tall buildings are designed and constructed, and will pave the way for the
next generation of super tall buildings.

As of today, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest man made structure in the world in all
categories, and it has become a catalyst for further development in highrise construction
in the Middle East and throughout the world. The Burj Khalifa project is another step
forward in meeting the technological challenges of future construction.

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13. REFERENCES

[1.] William F Baker, James J Pawlikowski & Bradely S Young “The Challenges in
Designing the World’s Tallest Structure:The Burj Dubai Tower”-Structures
2009:Don’t mess with structural engineers-ASCE,pp.1471-1480

[2.] Ahmad Abdelrazaq, S.E., Kyung Jun Kim and Jae Ho Kim “Brief on the
Construction Planning of the Burj Dubai Project, Dubai, UAE”-CTBUH 8th
world congress 2008
[3.] Bill Baker,Partner-James Pawlikowski, “The Design and Construction of the
World’s Tallest Building: The Burj Khalifa, Dubai”- Structural Engineering
International 4/2015,pp.389-394
[4.] Official website of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Chicago, IL
“https://www.som.com/projects/burj_khalifa”

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