RICHARD HAMMOND’S ENGINEERING CONNECTIONS

Series 3 episode 1 - Burj Al Arab Hotel

What does “Burj Al Arab” mean in English?

How tall is the atrium?
What special connections does the presenter mention as having a hand in the hotel’s construction?
01:26 minutes
Vocabulary
What is it normal to do for guests at the hotel?
What was the hotel designed to be? Jacks = A children’s game.
When was oil discovered in Dubai? Par for the course = Normal, usual
What inspired the architects who built the hotel? and expected or the thing to be
How far out to the sea is the hotel? done.
How heavy is the tower? To blend in = To be like everybody
What did the engineers have to protect the artificial island from? else, to be unnoticeable.
04:40 minutes Pearl = A precious gem produced by
a sea mollusc or oyster.
What is the presenter going to reproduce in his experiment? A drop in the ocean = An idiomatic
How thick is the glass used in the experiment? expression that means
How much water is he going to use? “insignificant.”
How will he get the water to drop in one big mass? To topple over = To suddenly fall
How far did the water drop? over.
How do children’s jacks hold the answer to reducing the power of waves? Atrium = A central room in a
Which country first used jack-shaped wave-breakers? - building, usually located close to the
How does the presenter recreate the wave-breakers in his experiment? entrance and used as a reception
How far above the sea is the surface of the artificial island for the hotel? area.
12:29 minutes Dowdy = Unfashionable and plain.
Completely unnoticeable.
What material is the base of the artificial island composed of? Rapper = A musician who sings to
How tall is the Burj Al Arab? rap music.
What happens when the presenter interleaves the two books? Bling = Jewellery or decoration that
What did the builders place in the ground under the hotel to stabilise it? attracts attention because it is very
How many kilometres of concrete piles are there in the foundation? noticeable and looks expensive.
How many metres down do they extend to? To swirl = To flow around something.
17:00 minutes To keel over = To suddenly fall over.
Skin friction = Energy produced by
How hot can it get in Dubai? two objects rubbing or touching.
Why is that a problem for the construction of the hotel? To interleaf = To put pages one on
How many trusses support the building’s weight? top of the other.
How long is the external exoskeleton of the building? Trusses = Interconnected supporting
By how much can the metal on the trusses expand? structures.
How is the principle of a cam used to solve the heat distortion problem on the trusses? Cam = A rotating or sliding piece in a
22:43 minutes mechanical linkage used especially in
transforming rotary motion into
Why is the wall of the atrium made of glass fibre? linear motion.
Why is it so difficult to manage the external and internal temperatures of the hotel? Glare = Too much brightness.
Why could it be difficult to open a door to go into the hotel? Balmy = Pleasant, warm, but not too
Where was the world’s first airlock created? hot, weather.
When was the first revolving door put into use? Stack effect = The effect of
31:15 minutes accumulation.
Gizmo = Another word for device or
What is great for the guests but a big headache for electrical engineers? apparatus.
How much energy does the lighting in a typical suite use in the hotel? Dimmer switch = A switch for
What could potentially happen when dimming the lights in a room? lowering the level of brightness of
What has the presenter recreated? the lights.
How does a water tap compare to a dimmer switch? To dim = To lower the brightness of
What makes dimmer switches safe? the lighting.
Where does the idea for capacitors come from? Harsh = Too bright (in this context).
How do they work? Cosy = Comfortable and pleasant.
40:04 minutes Pampered = Treated extremely well.
To earn one’s keep = To earn money
What is so special about the fountains in the hotel? and pay the bills. To make a profit.
What needs to happen to create laminar flow in the water? Eddy and swirl = twisting and
Why was laminar flow needed for the American fire fighting teams? turning, especially in liquid or gas.
What does a thick, viscous liquid allow you to do? To unstir = reverse the effects of
How is laminar flow created? stirring something.
How many laminar flow nozzles are used on the fountains in the hotel? Nozzle = The end of a tap or hose,
49:45 minutes designed for the release of water or
liquids.
Watch the episode on YouTube by clicking the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jFMroHSi0Y&t=192s
Building and transporting the Burj Al Arab Terrace
from Construction Week Online by Neha Bhatia/ 2016
Insert the correct words into the text from the options below.

Dubai’s latest floating landmark was (1) ____________ on 25 May of this year by the Ruler of Dubai, HH
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Burj Al Arab Terrace is an (2) ____________ luxury leisure
facility that was developed using off-site construction techniques.

The structure’s design incorporates a 612m2 (3) _____________ pool and an 828m2 saltwater infinity
pool. Up to 10 million mosaic tiles line the pools, while 1,000 tonnes of white sand was used to create the
beach. The Terrace is linked to the Burj Al Arab building with a central (4) _____________. Its swimming
pools and 1,120m2 beach area are supported by a heavy-duty steel structure.

The project was developed by a Finnish marine construction firm, named Admares. The 5,000-tonne
artificial island was constructed at a (5) _____________ site in Finland and transported by ship to Dubai in
eight pieces, ensuring minimal disruption to guests, as well as the seabed and marine life. The luxury
leisure facility (6) ____________ 10,000m2 and stretches 100m out into the sea. The project also includes
a restaurant and cabanas, according to Dubai Media Office.

During his tour of the facility, HH Sheikh Mohammed was (7) ____________ on the project’s construction
and design phases, and the building technologies used to transport the artificial island from Finland to
Dubai. Remarking on the Burj Al Arab Terrace, Mikael Hedberg, CEO of Admares, said: “We’re immensely
proud of this project. It gave us the opportunity to create a unique structure that could be installed in its
final location with very little disruption to hotel guests and marine life, and in a remarkably short time
frame. It is an impressive (8) ____________ of engineering: the off-site fabrication in Finland and
subsequent installation in Dubai makes it the biggest-ever undertaking of its kind in the world,” Hedberg
added.

According to Admares, the resort’s architectural form reflects the shapes and forms of the Burj Al Arab,
with the (9) ____________ theme of a stylised tropical canopy pervading the structure throughout, offering
contrasting areas of dappled light and shade. Glass was used extensively throughout the project to form
components such as tropic-inspired glass panels, counters, and specially commissioned light installations
for the interiors – not to (10) ____________ a curved glass-sided bridge to allow uninterrupted views of
the Burj Al Arab.

Admares collaborated with architect Sigge, and interior design studio Kudos, on the development.
Commenting at its (11) ____________, Pekka Mäki, CEO of Sigge Architects, said: “We’ve worked before
on ground-breaking architectural projects around the world, but this has been a special collaboration for
us. The opportunity to work on the iconic Burj Al Arab is interesting in its (12) ___________ right, but what
marks out the project is the level of innovation and technical ambition. It brought the best out of our team
and we’re very proud of the result.”

(1) (a) unlocked (b) released (c) unveiled (d) uncovered

(2) (a) outdoor (b) outside (c) outer (d) outage

(3) (a) sweetwater (b) freshwater (c) coolwater (d) bluewater

(4) (a) walkthrough (b) walkabout (c) walkout (d) walkway

(5) (a) portland (b) shipyard (c) jetty (d) mooring

(6) (a) closes (b) bends (c) crosses (d) spans

(7) (a) informed (b) addressed (c) scolded (d) briefed

(8) (a) feat (b) feet (c) footing (d) fete

(9) (a) customary (b) existing (c) prevailing (d) protruding

(10) (a) tell (b) mention (c) say (d) speak

(11) (a) lunch (b) embarkation (c) kick-off (d) launch

(12) (a) own (b) proper (c) major (d) work

Documentary ANSWERS

What does “Burj Al Arab” mean in English? - Arabian tower

How tall is the atrium? = 182 metres high
What special connections does the presenter mention as having a hand in the hotel’s construction?
(children’s game, an engine cam, the pages of a phone book, fire hose design, camera flash,
01:26

What is it normal to do for guests at the hotel? - arrive by helicopter

What was the hotel designed to be? - an icon
When was oil discovered in Dubai? - the early 60s
What inspired the architects who built the hotel? – Dubai’s past, pearl fishing boat sail
How far out to the sea is the hotel? - 300 metres
How heavy is the tower? Quarter of a million tons
What did the engineers have to protect the artificial island from? - sea and waves
04:40

What is the presenter going to reproduce in his experiment? - wave damage

How thick is the glass used in the experiment? 10mm
How much water is he going to use? - 1 ton
How will he get the water to drop in one big mass? - explosives
How far did the water drop? A couple of metres
How do children’s jacks hold the answer to reducing the power of waves? - break them up
Which country first used jack-shaped wave-breakers? - South Africa in East London
How does the presenter recreate the wave-breakers in his experiment? – tyres
How far above the sea is the surface of the artificial island for the hotel? 7 ½ metres
12:29

What material is the base of the artificial island composed of? - sand
How tall is the Burj Al Arab? - 321 metres
What happens when the presenter interleaves the two books? - they stick together
What did the builders place in the ground under the hotel to stabilise it? - concrete piles
How many kilometres of concrete piles are there in the foundation? - 9 ½
How many metres down do they extend to? - 43 metres
17:00

How hot can it get in Dubai? 49 degrees Celsius

Why is that a problem for the construction of the hotel? - Expanding metal and precision problems
How many trusses support the building’s weight? - 6
How long is the external exoskeleton of the building? - 85 metres
By how much can the metal on the trusses expand? - 5 centimetres
How is the principle of a cam used to solve the heat distortion problem on the trusses? - circular, rotating holes moving into place
22:43

Why is the wall of the atrium made of glass fibre? - not too dark and not too hot
Why is it so difficult to manage the external and internal temperatures of the hotel? - pressure
Why could it be difficult to open a door to go into the hotel? - internal pressure and heat is very strong making the door heavy
Where was the world’s first airlock created? - French coal mine in 1839
When was the first revolving door put into use? - 1899
31:15

What is great for the guests but a big headache for electrical engineers? - the quantity of appliances and the energy used
How much energy does the lighting in a typical suite use in the hotel? - enough to power a British home in a whole day
What could potentially happen when dimming the lights in a room? - a fire could start
What has the presenter recreated? - the electrical system (and dimmers) for the hotel
How does a water tap compare to a dimmer switch? - it’s like turning the lights on and then off
What makes dimmer switches safe? - capacitors
Where does the idea for capacitors come from? - camera flashes
How do they work? - store and release energy slowly
40:04 minutes

What is so special about the fountains in the hotel? - high tech design, no turbulence
What needs to happen to create laminar flow in the water? - remove the turbulence
Why was laminar flow needed for the American fire fighting teams? - water would reach further
What does a thick, viscous liquid allow you to do? - unstir something
How is laminar flow created? - special filters and nozzles
How many laminar flow nozzles are used on the fountains in the hotel? - 66
49:45 minutes
 Text answers

Dubai’s latest floating landmark was (1) unveiled on 25 May of this year by the Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Burj Al Arab Terrace is an (2) outdoor luxury leisure facility that was
developed using off-site construction techniques.

The structure’s design incorporates a 612m2 (3) freshwater pool and an 828m2 saltwater infinity pool. Up
to 10 million mosaic tiles line the pools, while 1,000 tonnes of white sand was used to create the beach.
The Terrace is linked to the Burj Al Arab building with a central (4) walkway. Its swimming pools and
1,120m2 beach area are supported by a heavy-duty steel structure.

The project was developed by a Finnish marine construction firm, named Admares. The 5,000-tonne
artificial island was constructed at a (5) shipyard site in Finland and transported by ship to Dubai in eight
pieces, ensuring minimal disruption to guests, as well as the seabed and marine life. The luxury leisure
facility (6) spans 10,000m2 and stretches 100m out into the sea. The project also includes a restaurant
and cabanas, according to Dubai Media Office.

During his tour of the facility, HH Sheikh Mohammed was (7) briefed on the project’s construction and
design phases, and the building technologies used to transport the artificial island from Finland to Dubai.
Remarking on the Burj Al Arab Terrace, Mikael Hedberg, CEO of Admares, said: “We’re immensely proud
of this project. It gave us the opportunity to create a unique structure that could be installed in its final
location with very little disruption to hotel guests and marine life, and in a remarkably short time frame. It is
an impressive (8) feat of engineering: the off-site fabrication in Finland and subsequent installation in
Dubai makes it the biggest-ever undertaking of its kind in the world,” Hedberg added.

According to Admares, the resort’s architectural form reflects the shapes and forms of the Burj Al Arab,
with the (9) prevailing theme of a stylised tropical canopy pervading the structure throughout, offering
contrasting areas of dappled light and shade. Glass was used extensively throughout the project to form
components such as tropic-inspired glass panels, counters, and specially commissioned light installations
for the interiors – not to (10) mention a curved glass-sided bridge to allow uninterrupted views of the Burj
Al Arab.

Admares collaborated with architect Sigge, and interior design studio Kudos, on the development.
Commenting at its (11) launch, Pekka Mäki, CEO of Sigge Architects, said: “We’ve worked before on
ground-breaking architectural projects around the world, but this has been a special collaboration for us.
The opportunity to work on the iconic Burj Al Arab is interesting in its (12) own right, but what marks out
the project is the level of innovation and technical ambition. It brought the best out of our team and we’re
very proud of the result.”

(1) (a) unlocked (b) released (c) unveiled (d) uncovered

(2) (a) outdoor (b) outside (c) outer (d) outage

(3) (a) sweetwater (b) freshwater (c) coolwater (d) bluewater

(4) (a) walkthrough (b) walkabout (c) walkout (d) walkway

(5) (a) portland (b) shipyard (c) jetty (d) mooring

(6) (a) closes (b) bends (c) crosses (d) spans

(7) (a) informed (b) addressed (c) scolded (d) briefed

(8) (a) feat (b) feet (c) footing (d) fete

(9) (a) customary (b) existing (c) prevailing (d) protruding

(10) (a) tell (b) mention (c) say (d) speak

(11) (a) lunch (b) embarkation (c) kick-off (d) launch

(12) (a) own (b) proper (c) major (d) work