Capital Gate

Challenge the rule of architecture..anything is possible

they look for inspiration in abu dhabi’s landscape – wind swept dunes on rolling waves of the Persian
gulf waters

a tower that spirals out of the ground inspired by a desert whirlwind and splash of wave rising over the
sand

no one attempted to make a structure like this

challenge day 1 – its top floors overhang its base by 33m, creating huge forces that want to rip the
building’s foundation out of the ground

foundation- solution requires almost 400 concrete piles that work in 2 different ways

leaning side, half of the piles push the overhang’s forces in to the ground

opposite side the remaining piles anchored deeper into the bedrock they resist the stretching forces
trying to wrench the building out of the ground

to evenly distribute the structure’s forces into the piles, a deep concrete slab reinforced with steel is
laid on top.

6000 cubic meter of sand to be excavated

Tight deadline

Defy gravity

Slim vertical core or conventional core bend dangerously

It is easy for the architects to draw something but not easy for us the structural engineers to satisfy their
needs

1.What inspired the owners/proponents and designers to conceive and design such kind of a
project?
- The architects wanted to challenge the rule of architecture so they look for inspiration in Abu
Dhabi’s landscape – wind swept dunes on rolling waves of the Persian gulf waters resulting to
design concept of a tower that spirals out of the ground  inspired by a desert whirlwind and
splash of wave rising over the sand.

 What were the challenges that they encountered during the :

a. Design stage - No one attempted to make a structure like this because of how they
conceptualized the design of structure therefore leading to different kinds of challenges

b. Construction and development stage - The very first challenge they encountered in the first
day was its top floors overhang its base by 33 meters, creating huge forces that want to rip the
building’s foundation out of  the ground., And another thing was the foundation and the core of
the building.

2. How did the planners,their design team, and the construction teams,etc. solved or attended to
the above situations and difficulties? Note: be specific on these.

- Therefore the solution for the foundation requires almost 400 concrete piles that work in 2
different ways:

leaning side - half of the piles push the overhang’s forces in to the ground

opposite side - the remaining piles anchored deeper into the bedrock they resist the stretching
forces trying to wrench the building out of the ground

And to evenly distribute the structure’s forces into the piles, a deep concrete  slab reinforced with
steel is laid on top.

3. What have you learned from this documentary? Give your reaction with more specifics.

- I honestly admired every people who was a part of that project, the architects who
conceptualized the design concept by looking for inspiration in Abu Dhabi’s landscape – wind
swept dunes on rolling waves of the Persian gulf waters, the structural engineers who had the
difficult job of finding solutions in order to build the structure safely and lastly the workers who
dedicated their bodies and time to do their job properly. Therefore without them all structures
will never cease to exist.