Name: Abdullah Mamode

Id: 0319562

Module: English 1

[Session] August, 2014

Question Number: 2

Burj Khalifa

Capital Gate

Pre-Writing: Scratch Outline

Thesis Statement:

1. Facts and Characteristics

2. Construction Details

3. Functions of the Buildings

Burj Khalifa, Dubai, U.A.E. Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Characteristics:

• Tallest skyscraper in the world• 828 metres height• 162 floors• Elevator moving 10 m/s• Floor area of 334,000 m2

• Total cost at 1.5 billion U.S. Dollars

Construction details:• Built up from 2004 to 2010• 45,000 m3 of concrete and steel

foundation of 192 piles in 50 metres underground

• 330,000 m3 of concrete and 39,000 tonnes of steel rebar used in structure

• 28,261 glass panels on the exterior

Functions of the building:• Dubai Mall• Armani hotel• Armani Residences• Ultra-Luxury residences• 49 office floors• 1044 residential apartments• A mosque on 158th floor• Valet Parking• Souvenirs Boutiques for tourists

Characteristics:• Tallest one in Abu Dhabi• Only 165 metres height• 36 floors• First building to use pre-cambered

core and leans 18*• 53,100 m2 floor area• Total cost at 231 million U.S.

Dollars

Construction details:• Built up from 2007 to 2011• Foundation of 490 piles in 20 to 30

metres underground with more than 6000 m3 of concrete for reinforcing

• Used 8,500 structural beams for diagrid each weighing 15 tonnes

• 12,500 triangular glass panes

Functions of the building:• Meeting rooms for business

purposes• Conference facilities for 1,200

people• Business centre on ground floor• A helipad• Eight-outlet food court• Five-star Hyatt Hotel• 15,000 m2 of office spaces• Cantilevered tea lounge• Suspended 80 metres swimming

pool

Two Exceptional Buildings

Having unique buildings around the world is very unusual. One won’t get to

see them every day, because they are found in specific places on earth. Like for

instance, the Burj Khalifa from Dubai in United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and the

Capital Gate from Abu Dhabi in U.A.E. as well. They become well known and

famous to people from other different countries because of their heights, structures,

designs, histories and also their appearance. Let’s study the facts and

characteristics, the construction details and the functions of the two buildings.

To begin with, both buildings must be having some facts or characteristics that

differentiate them. One of them is that the Burj Khalifa is the tallest skyscraper in the

world measuring around 828 metres height which contrasts the Capital Gate of being

only 165 metres height, but is still the tallest one in Abu Dhabi. In addition, Capital

Gate consists of thirty-six floors in all whereas Burj Khalifa got more than one

hundred and sixty-two floors. Moreover, it has an elevator with a travelling distance

of ten metres per second from the ground floor to its last level. Schofield (2012)

concludes that Capital Gate is the first building in the world that used a pre-cambered

core with a built-in lean 350mm that has been planned to straighten with the addition

of the upper floors. Furthermore, it features an eighteen degrees incline to the west.

However, Burj Khalifa does not lean but has a floor area of around 334,000 m2

compare to Capital Gate with only 53,000 m2. And its total cost is estimated at 1.5

billion U.S. Dollars in contrast to the Capital Gate at only 231 million U.S. Dollars.

Secondly, Burj Khalifa has dissimilarities in construction details with the Capital

Gate. The construction for Burj Khalifa began in 2004 and was completed in 2010.

Over 45,000 m3 of concretes weighting more than 110,000 tonnes were used to

make the concrete and steel foundation which features 192 piles buried more than 50

metre deep. Furthermore, 330,000 m3 of concrete and 39,000 tonnes of steel rebar

were used in the structure. On the contrary, construction of the Capital Gate started

in 2007 and was completed in 2011. It has a foundation of 490 piles in depth

underground of around twenty to thirty metres and used more than 6,000 m3 of

concrete to be densely reinforced. An estimation of 21,500 tonnes of steels has

been used for the construction of the tower. And approximately 8,500 of structural

steel beams have been used for the diagrid of the entire building and each of them

weights 15 tonnes. Last of all, Burj Khalifa has 28,261 glass panels on the exterior

of the tower while Capital Gate has simply 12,500 of triangular glass panes.

Last but not least, the functions of the two buildings may be different from each

other. The Capital Gate has thirty meeting rooms which may be for business

purposes, conference facilities for 1,200 people, a business centre on the ground

floor, a helipad and an eight-outlet food court. It houses Abu Dhabi’s first Hyatt

Hotel - the five-star Hyatt Capital Gate and 15,000 m2 of office space. It also has a

cantilevered tea lounge and a suspended 80 metres long swimming pool. On the

other hand, Burj Khalifa features The Dubai Mall, Armani Hotel Dubai, luxurious

Armani Residences, private ultra-luxury residences, corporate suites and the tower’s

public observatory at the top. It has around 49 office floors, 1044 residential

apartments. Also it features the highest mosque in the world at 158 th floor.

Residents and their guests have an incomparable lifestyle experience such as they

have state-of-the-art fitness facilities, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, jacuzzis

and a recreational room for gatherings and events; they have other facilities like

resident’s library, a cigar club, and Burj Khalifa Gourmet Market and have valet

parking for guests and visitors. And finally there are multiple activities and souvenirs

boutiques for tourists.

Therefore, both buildings’ specifications doesn’t match up together, whether it

comes to their characteristics, construction details or their utilities. One is the most

leaned building in the world while the other is the highest one. Definitely their

structures, construction method and functions will be dissimilar from each other. I

would prefer to visit the Burj Khalifa as one get to explore more what is in the building

and can get to the highest distance from ground floor in the world which is a real

amazing experience of life. Another reason that pushes me to visit it is that it

treasured over thousand piece of art work from prominent Middle Eastern and

international artists.

(767 Words)

References:

Schofield, J. (2012). Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi. Building Case Study / Architecture/Design. Retrieved on September, 25, 2014 from http://www.ctbuh.org/TallBuildings/FeaturedTallBuildings/CapitalGateTowerAbuDhabi/tabid/3380/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

Kaushik. (2013). Capital Gate Building: The Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi. Amusing Planet. Retrieved o Spetember, 26, 2014 from http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/03/capital-gate-building-leaning-tower-of.html

Yein, J. (January, 2010). Burj Khalifa facts and figures. YeinJee’s Asian Blog. Retrieved on September, 26, 2014 from http://yeinjee.com/burj-khalifa-dubai-facts-figures/

EMAAR WORLDWIDE. (2013). Visit the Burj Khalifa – The tallest building in the world. Retrieved on September, 26, 2014 from http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/