Burj Al Arab

Cofferdam & Rigging

Firas Al Shalabi & Sunny Mahajan

CE 505
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Project Presentation
Background
 Dubai, UAE
 1994 – 1999
 The first 7 stars hotel in the world
 The start of Dubai’s new vision of attracting new investments in
areas outside the oil industry.
 If you want to book a night there it will cost you around $2000
(according to Expedia tonight is $2039)
 1.2 million SF
 321 meters height from the sea.

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The construction
 Two main phases:
 The manmade Island (our focus)
 The building

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Building the island
 Temporary tube piles driven into sea bed

 Temporary sheet piles and tie rods

driven into sea bed to support
boundary rocks

Sheet pile wall

Tubular pile

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Building the island
 Permanent boundary rock bunds (rock armor) deposited on both sides of the sheet
piles

 Hydraulic fill layers deposited between

bunds to displace sea water and form
the island

 No solid ground under the building just weak sand

(up to 180 meters deep with no solid ground). So it
was decided to go with friction piles.

Sand fill

Rock armor
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 Building the island
 Permanent SHED units placed around the island to dissipate the action of waves and
protect it.
 2M (6.5 ft) diameter 43 M (141 ft)
deep piles were driven through the
island and sea bed

SHED units

Main building piles 6

Building the island
 Excavations began in the island to remove the hydraulic fill
 A coffer dam was being built while
excavating
 2M (6.5 ft) thick concrete plug slab laid on the base of
the island to prevent the base from popping out
because of the sea pressure
 Reinforced concrete retaining wall built
 The construction of the basement
started
Concrete slab

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Completed Island
 Completed in three years

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Diagonal truss rigging
 Huge tubular triangular truss geometry
 The Diagonal vary from 76m to 90m in length and weigh 160 to 180 ton.
 The Diagonal connects with a 300mm diameter pin connection to the core-wall
and the Rear-leg structure.
 There are six diagonals erected at different levels on both side of the building
 transported as a single fabricated piece from the fabrication shop 15 km away
by special self propelled long trailers.

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Diagonal truss rigging
 Strand jacks supported by Cat heads were connected to the building to
execute the lifting of the Diagonals and Horizontals.
 Dealing with the expansion about (2 inches)caused by the desert heat

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Summary
 Many forces can destroy your temporary structures. You have to count them all.
 The safety of the crew is essential for cofferdams construction.
 Rigging elements can’t always be easy and can be more complicated than what we learned
 Putting things in the air is a different story.
 Have to come up with practical innovative on site solutions for uncertain problems

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Thank you
References:

• Nathan. D., (2006) “Burj Al-Arab, UAE Structural Steel Construction For A Mega Project.”
master builder, 3rd quarter 77-80
http://www.mbam.org.my/mbam/images/MBJ3Q06(pdf)/@BurjAlArb.pdf
• Burj Al Arab, mega structures show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGzSNZudEHw
• Stonecypher. L., (2009). Building the tallest hotel: Burj Al Arab, Dubai.
http://www.brighthub.com/education/homework-tips/articles/57599.aspx#imgn_3
• Pourabedin. E., (2009). Burj Al Arab construction.
http://www.slideshare.net/shahrozalam210/burj-alarab1203786822334454
• Wright. T., (2000).Creating the Burj Al Arab Dubai
http://wkkarchitects.com/#/burj-al-arab/

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