BURJ KHALIFA – CONSTRUCTION AND QUALITY CONTROL

D.S. Rajendra Prasad

Abstract: This paper presents a snapshot of Construction and Quality Control system adopted during the construction of World’s Tallest Tower, “The BurjKhalifa Tower”, Dubai, UAE. An effective, well-constructed and well-maintained building is essential for safety and durability of any structure. In order to achieve this, the safety and quality aspects should be built-in during the design and construction stage rather than at the inspection stage. The construction practices adopted at BurjKalifa Tower is simply “Do the right thing, right, first time, every time” by following established approved Project Quality Plan (PQP) and Inspection Test Plans (ITPs) with well narrated method statements and definite objective checklists/formats. Project Management Information System (PMIS) was effectively and efficiently used in day-to-day construction activities for ensuring: an advanced information on construction activity (what, when, where, who, how, with what), with well repository of documents, good track on resources, providing precise information to subcontractors and keep a tab on commercials. DOKA Auto-climbing formwork was used for the Tower cores and HunnebeckTable formwork for the Podium slabs and FRP shuttering for walls of circular Car parking ramps. Aluminum shuttering (MevaDec panel formwork) was adopted for tower slabs. C80 grade concrete was used in tower columns and shear walls and C50 grade concrete for beams and slabs. Podium rafts was casted with C50 grade concrete. Tower walls constructed adopting 3-day cycle for each level and reinforcement bars were fabricated for the height of 2 levels with couplers for the laps for beams and slabs and for nose columns. De-shuttering of tower walls after 10hours of pull-out tests complying with a minimum strength of 10MPa. Composite link beams were used to connect core walls and nose columns. This multi-purpose, ultrahigh, skyscraper was successfully completed in a record time by the joint venture of Samsung, BeSix and ArabTec sponsored by Emaar Properties.

Keywords: BurjKhalifa Tower, Quality, Construction, Formwork, Concrete.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2016.0532002