The Burj Al-Arab: Re-Inventing the City of Dubairichardson.eng.ua.edu/Former_Courses/CE_331_fa11/Project/Past... · The Burj Al-Arab: Re-Inventing the City of Dubai Matt Sims Introduction

The Burj Al-Arab: Re-Inventing the City of Dubai

Matt Sims

Introduction to Structural Engineering

Spring 2011

Overview of Presentation

2

Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid sought to use oil money to ensure a stable economy for the future.

3

Before 1960s 1960s to Present (2016?) Future

Shaikh Mohammed awards the design contract to Atkins.

4

The “team” of designers and builders was led by chief architect Tom Wright.

5

The shaikh’s iconic hotel would resemble a yacht rising out of the water.

6

The man-made island was constructed using large rocks with an armor layer of hollow concrete blocks.

Island Construction – Basement Excavation – Foundations – Hotel Construction 7

McNicholas had to ensure that pressure from the gulf would not blast away the basement of the hotel.

8

Island Construction – Basement Excavation – Foundations – Hotel Construction

Reinforced concrete piles relied on skin friction to support the foundation.

9


The hotel structure is composed of concrete walls, a steel “exoskeleton,” and a concrete core.

“It’s okay for the architect to draw pretty pictures, but we have to build it.”

- Malcolm Murphy

10


The diagonal trusses down each side of the building were 85 meters long and weighed 165 tons.

11


The trusses were connected to the exoskeleton using giant washers with offset holes and steel pins.

12


Vortex shedding around the exoskeleton could shake the building apart.

13



Tuned mass damper systems were chosen as a solution to the vortex shedding problem.

14

The Al Muntaha restaurant was suspended 200 m above the sea using an arrangement of 10 steel cantilever beams.

15


The Burj Al-Arab is referred to as the world’s premier 7-star hotel.

16

$650 Million

321 m

250,000 T

270 m off Coast

World’s Largest Atrium (180 m)

World’s Largest Fabric Wall

202 Palatial Suites

Shaikh Mohammed’s dream is becoming a reality.

The Burj Al-Arab was the first of several artificial islands and unique high-rise projects and is now the international symbol for Dubai.

17

Palm Jumeirah Palm Jebel Ali Palm Deira The World Islands

Emirates Towers Burj Khalifa

Questions?

Matt Sims [email protected]

18

Content Sources

http://www.shapeshift.net/2009/03/burj-al-arab-construction/

http://worldstallestskyscrapers.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/burj-al-arab-construction/

http://www.atkinsdesign.com/html/projects_hotels_burj_al.htm

19

Picture Sources (in order of appearance)

http://www.jmorganmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/dubai-map.jpg

http://www.clker.com/cliparts/1/u/d/Z/I/c/speech-bubble-md.png http://precisetechusa.com/images/three_engineers_in_hard_hats_with_map

.jpg http://www.tomwrightdesign.com/PageLibraryAssets/BurjAlArabSketch.jpg?3

3 http://www.dubaihotel.ws/construction/Construction-of-burj-al-arab.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/01/25/article-0-052C7D840000044D-

99_468x502.jpg http://www.internetstones.com/image-files/arab-pearl-divers-persian-gulf-

kuwait-baharain.jpg http://topnews.ae/images/Dubai-crude.jpg http://www.destination360.com/middle-east/united-arab-emirates/dubai-

beach-hotels

20


http://jobblogr.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/atkins-logo.jpg http://halmapr.com/news/apollo/2007/ http://www.bestbuildings.co.uk/wp-

content/uploads/2009/11/Atkins_Chatelherault_3.jpg http://www.jobsbump.com/wp-content/gallery/default/burj-al-arab-

hotel-dubai-jobs.jpg https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-

O9hyQp5rpWs/TYWu2CN9T3I/AAAAAAAAAaM/xvhRsUA77ic/s320/Worlds+Tallest+Hotel+Burj+Al-Arab.avi_000422800.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_r4TzZPyyD-c/SmCCnHflqJI//Ie1CI-o8naA/s400/architect.jpg

http://www.thecwcgroup.com/CWCFiles/Event_Content/Rob%20Ruse.jpg

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/images/magazines/commercial_interior_design/2007_05_01/Khuan_thumb.jpg

21


http://www.ci.port-washington.wi.us/Photos/Sailboats/SailboatMainStreetByDanLaurence.jpg

http://www.dubai-architecture.info/burj_al_arab-full.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/231/523157633_dd2d83368c.jpg http://www.lbkarp.com/baybridge/inside_cofferdam_c.jpg http://www.getintravel.com/wallpaper/wp-

content/uploads/2011/01/burj-al-arab-wallpaper-1920x1200.jpg http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_218/1197751729csnRtF.j

pg http://sumerasblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/burj-al-arab-6.jpg http://www.esacademic.com/pictures/eswiki/66/Burj_Al_Arab_on_7_

September_2007_Pict_6.jpg

22


http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Technology/images/stacks-of-money.jpg

http://www.arabiahorizons.com/cms/imagebank/image/4861e432910ea.jpg

http://sdangit.com/wp_sd/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/al-muntaha.jpg

http://imbibemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/02-burj-al-arab-helipad.jpg

http://www.greenroofs.com/projects/burjalarab/burjalarab1.gif

http://www-scf.usc.edu/~jhorowit/Pictures/Tiger%20Woods.jpg

23


http://www.thatsdubai.com/dubai-images/palm-tree-island-Dubai.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dxI6nMM9x-

o/SXSjiMpznVI/AAAAAAAABvk/zZ_mJpgJPzs/s320/dubai+palm+island.jpg http://www.nela.in/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/the-palm-islands-

dubai.jpg http://blog.luxuryproperty.com/wp-content/uploads/image/dubai/The-

World-islands-Dubai.jpg http://completewellbeing.com/static/img/articles/2008/03/dubai-darshan-

emirates-tower.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_162jLa8kOgs/TQW1xBDpWnI/AAAAAAAAA80/fGa

zvOWlC9U/s1600/BurjKhalifa1.jpg http://static2.bigstockphoto.com/thumbs/3/6/1/large2/163925.jpg http://www.gulfadventures.ae/gulfatd/images/stories/sigplus/tours/burj_al_

arab_dinner_or_lunch/Burj_Al_Arab_Interior_on_25_December_2007_Pict_12.jpg

24

Documents

The Burj Al-Arab: Re-Inventing the City of Dubairichardson.eng.ua.edu/Former_Courses/CE_331_fa11/Project/Past... · The Burj Al-Arab: Re-Inventing the City of Dubai Matt Sims Introduction