His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, had a vision. He wanted to transform Dubai into a world-class destination by building a modern city with everything life has to offer, and at the center of it all: Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
More than the prestige and world record-breaking feats, he wanted this vision to translate into a source of inspiration and aim for new heights, a symbol of the Emirate’s emerging role in the global scene. The task at that time, however, was unimaginable—a design and engineering enigma.
Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Architects, Burj Khalifa stands 828m tall. Its height alone was already a source of many structural complexities in the realm of Dubai engineering. Combined with the fact that about 35,000 workers and residents would be accommodated across a great number of residential, commercial, and office spaces inside the tower once completed, safety and structural integrity quickly became a priority.
Due to the unusual and technically advanced nature of the project, Emaar Properties appointed Arcadis to conduct an independent peer review of the tower’s structural design. Later, Arcadis was chosen as the architect and engineer of record. In carrying out these reviews, we used our in-depth knowledge of high-strength concrete behavior and introduced the need for a full fatigue design of the steel spire structure in collaboration with a supervision team of the highest caliber.
Burj Khalifa holds many world records, from being recognized as the tallest building and free-standing structure in the world to having the most number of floors and one of the world’s tallest service elevators. It’s incredible to be part of a project that breaks world records, but it feels much better to see the project we helped build standing proud and tall in the middle of a desert environment, serving as a reminder of the global collaboration that was needed to bring it to life, and the great projects that can be accomplished even if they seem impossible at first.
Burj Khalifa is not simply the world’s highest tower; it is an embodiment of the world’s highest aspirations, too. The major highlights of the project, for me, were the association with the best engineers and architects in the world, the use of the best quality construction materials, and the 100 percent attention of all those involved, including the site workforce.
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