SUB CODE- 06CV 86

VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

BELGAUM-590010

A Seminar Report on

Case study on Burj-Al-Arab

Submitted by

Bhargav N. Jadav
(1NC07CV061)

Coordinator
Mr. Vijay

Civil Engineering Department

2010-2011

Nagarjuna College of Engineering and Technology

Mudugurki Village, Venkatagiri Kote Post
Devanahalli Taluk, Bangalore-562110
 NAGARJUNA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND
TECHNOLOGY
VENKATAGIRIKOTE, DEVANAHALLI, BENGALURU-562110

Department of Civil Engineering

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this seminar entitled Case study on Burj-Al-Arab is

a bonafide work carried out by Bhargav N. Jadav (1NC07CV061) in
partial fulfillment of the requirement for the seminar work in Computer
Science and Engineering 8th semester of Visvesvaraya Technological
University, Belgaum during the academic year 2010-2011.

Name & Signature of the Name & Signature of the HOD

Seminar coordinator PROF. RAMAKRISHNA GOWDA
Mr. Vijay

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I take a great privilege to express my deep gratitude to Dr. H S Nanda, Principal,

Nagarjuna College of Engineering and Technology, Bangalore for giving me an
opportunity to be a part of this esteemed institution.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to Prof. Ramakrishna Gowda HOD,
Department of Civil engineering, NCET, Bangalore for helping me in this seminar work.
I am deeply indebted to our beloved Coordinator, Mr. Vijay, Department of Civil
Engineering, NCET, Bangalore for assisting & helping me in this seminar work.
Last but not the least, my sincere thanks to my parents, teaching and non-teaching
staff of my college and also my friends.

Bhargav N. Jadav
(1NC07CV061)

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

i. ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................2

ii. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS........................................................................................7

iii. GLOSSARY................................................................................................................`8

1.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................10

2.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION............................................................................11

2.1 Project Information..................................................................................................11
2.2 Site Loction
2.3 Architect View
2.4 Environment............................................................................................................12

3.0 STRUCTURAL ATTRIBUTES..................................................................................13

3.1 Artificial Island........................................................................................................13
3.2 Load Consideration
3.2.1 Gravity Load
3.2.2 Lateral Load
3.3 Foundation
3.4 Steel Exoskeleton.....................................................................................................15
3.5 Fiberglass Fabric Wall and Screen..........................................................................17
3.6 Structural Protection
3.7 Wind Effects............................................................................................................19
3.8 Seismic Impact.........................................................................................................20

4.0 CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES...........................................................................21

4.1 Timeline...................................................................................................................21
4.2 Architect’s View
4.3 Climate
4.4 Electrical Requirement

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 4.5 Construction Phase..................................................................................................21

5.0 FACTS ABOUT BURJ-AL-ARAB

5.1 Interior
5.2 Rooms and Suites
5.3 Restaurant
5.4 Helipad
5.5 Rating
5.6 Reviews by Architectural Critics

6.0 CONCLUSION............................................................................................................23

7.0 LIST OF REFERENCES.......................................................................................24

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 ABSTRACT

This report analyzes the structure Burj-Al-Arab Hotel, the world’s tallest hotel and
presents the information in the following order: background information of the project, its
structural attributes, and construction challenges faced. The information presented in this
report is based on library and internet research. Burj al-Arab, the world’s tallest luxury
hotel of height 321m, is located in the Dubai, United Arab Emirates’ second largest city.
The hotel is constructed on an artificial island 300m offshore and its unique sail profile is
incorporated to the design to reflect the city’s seafaring heritage. However, Dubai’s
geographic location exposes Burj al Arab to an environment which is hostile towards
steel structures. Throughout the year, the temperature in this region fluctuates from 10
degree to 50 degrees in a relative short amount of time and significant measures are taken
to protect the structure as a result. For the hotel to feature the largest atrium of 200m high,
the largest Teflon glassfiber fabric available is used. The designers of W.S.Atkins has
thoroughly revised the building so that it is fully equipped to resist Dubai’s violent winds,
earthquake if it were to occur in Iran, and to provide maximum comfort and safety to its
guests. Through the construction of Burj Al Arab hotel, it develops new solutions to
various engineering applications and signifies the advancement in the civil engineering
field.

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1: Burj Al Arab Interior Featuring Atrium of 200m................................................4

Figure 2: Burj Al Arab , Location in Dubai.......................................................................12
Figure 3: Idea behind exterior of Burj-Al-Arab, sailing yacht …………………………..14
Figure 4: Artificial Island During Construction Phase l....................................................16
Figure 5: Burj-Al-Arab, sailing yacht................................................................................18
Figure 6: Honey- comb pattern used in artificial island....................................................18
Figure 7: Concrete hollow block…………………………………………………………
Figure 8: Transportation exosketon structure……………………………………………
Figure 9: An Overview of Burj Al Arab Hotel………………………………………….
Figure 10 Three cranes lifting exoskeleton………………………………………………
Figure 11: Solution for fitting of exoskeleton……………………………………………..
Figure 12: Interior View of Fabric Fiberglass Wall (left)…………………………………
Figure 13: Burj Al Arab During the Day (right)……………………………………………
Figure 14: Wind test on model (Burj-Al-Arab)……………………………………………
Fiure 14: Direction of flowing wind subjected to model………………………………….
Figure 15: Damper for protection from wind …………………………………………….
Figure 16: Location of dampers ………………………………………………………….
Fiure 17 Line of earth quake zone near Dubai…………………………………………….
Figure 18: Tunned Dampers for seismic protection ……………………………………..
Figure 19: Burj Al Arab Under Construction………………………………………….
Figure 20: Burj Al Arab , interior showing atrium…………………………………….
Figure 21: Burj Al Arab , Al Muntaha Restaurant……………………………………
Figure 22: Burj Al Arab , Al Mahara Restaurant……………………………………..
Figure 23: Burj Al Arab, helipad used as tennis court…………………………………
Figure 23: Burj Al Arab, Rising above sea …………………………………………….

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1.1 Dubai, Emirate of Dubai Temperature & Precipitation Monthly Averages

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 ii. GLOSSARY

Artificial Island An island that has been man-made, rather than formed by
natural means (Wikipedia.org)

Bogies A chassis or framework carrying wheels which attached to

a vehicle (Wikipedia.org).

Burj-Al-Arab The term translates into ‘Tower of Arab’.

Concrete A hard compact building material formed when a mixture

of cement, sand, gravel, and water undergoes hydration.
(Brewer, n.d)

Deterioration A gradual decline in quality, serviceability, or vigor.

Epoxy An organic compound that is commonly used in adhesives,

electrical insulation, coatings, and castings.

Exoskeleton A term to describe the cross-braced frame; a building

technique used to provide a structure support and prevent
sliding.

Geotextile “A product used as a soil reinforcement agent and as a filter

medium. It is made of synthetic fibers manufactured in a
woven or loose non-woven manner to form a blanket-like
product.

Girder A large horizontal structure member, made of multiple

metal plates welded together, supports vertical loads by
resisting bending.

Gloss The shininess or reflectiveness of a coating.

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Hydraulically Operated by the pressure created by forcing water, oil, or
another liquid through a narrow pipe.

Joint Venture An entity formed between two or more companies under a

contract in which the involved companies agree to share
the revenues, expenses, and control of the newly formed
enterprise (Wikipedia.org).

MAC 500 A model of automated moving head profile spotlight.

(Martin, n.d)

Mass Damper A device mounted in structures to prevent discomfort,

damage and structural failure caused by vibration.
(Wikipedia.org)

Micaceous Iron Oxide A type of ferrous oxide used in paint coatings to protect
structural steelwork from corrosion. It forms overlapping
plates like mail armor to reflect utltraviolet light, and is
chemically resistant.

Microns A unit of length equal to one millionth (10-6) of a meter.

MM VII A very strong Modified Mercalli (MM) intensity scale, but

damage caused is evident regardless of buildings of good
design and construction.

Polytetrafluoroethylene A type of fluorinated thermoplastic with high chemical

resistance, low leachability, and excellent lubricity.

Rock Bunds Common physical barriers which are often constructed for
soil conservation purposes.

Span A section of beam between two intermediate supports.

(Wikipedia.com, 2006)
Teflon A DuPont's brand name of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE);
Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1
 it is highly transparent and resistant to sunlight.
(Wikipedia.com, 2006)

Trusses A static structure consisting of straight slender members

inter-connected at joints into triangular units.
(Wikipedia.com, 2006)

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

The report investigates the Burj-Al-Arab hotel, a 5-star hotel located on an

artificial island 300 metres away from the Dubai Coastline’s Jumeirah beach, and is
connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure whose
shape mimics the sail of a ship.

The hotel, with a height of 321m, is a unique stand-alone structure because of

the complexity of its design and construction phase. In addition, because of the distinctive
sail-shape appearance and unique architecture of this hotel, it is recognized as well as one
of the most prominent skyscrapers of the century. To date, the Arabian gulf is known as
one of the most hostile regions for construction due to the presence of high chloride
concentration, intense heat and humidity level. A team of 150 engineers and architects
from the design firm W.S Atkins overcame these design challenges to construct this
magnificent skyscraper. Careful considerations were taken into account to ensure a safe
design and to accentuate the structure’s esthetic appeal. The report is based on library and
internet research. Due to the scarcity of the topic sources, this technical report is written
to collect vital information of this newly constructed hotel and present the readers about
its advanced structural applications. The report is divided into the following sections: the
background information of the project, structural attributes of the hotel, and construction
challenges faced.

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2.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The following section outlines the project information and Dubai’s environment.

2.1 Project Information

Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and

commissioner of the hotel, appointed W.S Atkins to design the outstanding Burj-Al-Arab
hotel and oversee the construction process (“Burj al Arab”). Thomas Wills Wright of W.S
Atkins, the concept architect for this project, work hand in hand with Ms.Kuan Chew of
KCA International and her crew of designers to lay out the hotel’s interior and to win
tourists across the globe with its esthetic appeal. Combination of innovative yet efficient
structural design with appealing architecture has produced a skyscraper which is topping
as the world’s tallest hotel with a height of 321m.

Figure 1: Burj Al Arab Interior Featuring Atrium of 200m

Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://www.evadesigns.com/hospitality/burj-al-arab-hotel.html

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2.2 Site Location
The beachfront area where the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are
located was previously called Chicago Beach. The hotel is located on an island
of reclaimed land 280 meters offshore of the beach of the former Chicago Beach
Hotel. The locale's name had its origins in the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company which at
one time welded giant floating oil storage tankers on the site.

The old name persisted after the old Hotel was demolished in 1997.  Dubai
Chicago Beach Hotel remained as the Public Project Name for the construction phase of
the Burj Al Arab Hotel until Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the
new name.

Figure 2: Burj Al Arab , Location in Dubai

Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://www.alaboola.com/lists/burj_al_arab/Burj_Al_Arab_Location.php

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

2.3 Architect View

Architect  Tom Wright From W. S. Atkins says "If you can draw a building with
a few sweeps of the pen and everyone recognizes not only the structure but also
associates it with a place on earth, you have gone a long way towards creating something
iconic” "

There are few buildings that do become the symbol of a city and even of a
country. The Pyramids of Giza, the Tower of Pisa, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Parliament
(Big Ben) in London, the Taj Mahal in Agra, the Colosseum in Rome, the Opera House in
Sydney and more recently the Beijing stadium, belong to this select group of buildings
whose very image evokes the country where they are standing

Figure 3: Idea behind exterior of Burj-Al-Arab, sailing yacht

Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://www.sailing-yacht-online.com
The Sheikh was impressed by architect Tom Wright’s sketch of a building
inspired by a yacht. Wright was aiming for an “iconic” design comparable to the Eiffel
Tower or the Sydney Opera House, which could be drawn in a few simple lines. “We had
many sleepless nights worrying that the building we’d designed wouldn’t turn out to be
iconic,” he says. More used to building schools and offices than luxury hotels, Wright and
his team faced the greatest challenge of their careers

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 2.4 Environment

Climate in Dubai is a typical tropical coastal region of the Arabian Gulf which is
extremely hostile towards steel and concrete Dubai has a very hot arid climate. Summers
in Dubai are extremely hot, windy and dry, with an average high around 40 °C (104 °F)
and overnight lows around 30 °C (86 °F). Most days are sunny throughout the year.
Winters are cool and short with an average high of 23 °C (73 °F) and overnight lows of
14 °C (57 °F). Throughout the year, the Dubai's temperature varies from 10 to 50 Degree
Celcius. As a result, deterioration of steel and concrete in this region is common and is
often caused by industrial airborne pollutants in conjunction with the high concentration
of air chlorides .The primary source of these chlorides originated from the marine salt in
the Gulf Sea. Therefore, a protective coating is necessary to keep the structure intact. ).
Precipitation, however, has been increasing in the last few decades with accumulated rain
reaching 150 mm (5.91 in) per year.

Table 1.1 Dubai, Emirate of Dubai Temperature & Precipitation Monthly Averages

Source:Wikipedia Retrieved April 01, 2011 from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai

Climate data for Dubai

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

31 31 41 41 45 45 47 48 43 40 41 31 48
Record high °C (°F)
(88) (88) (106) (106) (113) (113) (117) (118) (109) (104) (106) (88) (118)

24.0 25.4 28.2 32.9 37.6 39.5 40.8 41.3 38.9 35.4 30.5 26.2 33.4
Average high °C (°F)
(75.2) (77.7) (82.8) (91.2) (99.7) (103.1) (105.4) (106.3) (102) (95.7) (86.9) (79.2) (92.1)

19 20 22.5 26 30.5 33 34.5 35.5 32.5 29 24.5 21 27.5

Daily mean °C (°F)
(66) (68) (72.5) (79) (86.9) (91) (94.1) (95.9) (90.5) (84) (76.1) (70) (81.5)

14.3 15.4 17.6 20.8 24.6 27.2 29.9 30.2 27.5 23.9 19.9 16.3 22.3
Average low °C (°F)
(57.7) (59.7) (63.7) (69.4) (76.3) (81) (85.8) (86.4) (81.5) (75) (67.8) (61.3) (72.1)

8 7 11 8 17 22 25 25 22 16 13 10 7
Record low °C (°F)
(46) (45) (52) (46) (63) (72) (77) (77) (72) (61) (55) (50) (45)

15.6 25.0 21.0 7.0 0.4 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.0 1.2 2.7 14.9 88.6
Precipitation mm (inches)
(0.614) (0.984) (0.827) (0.276) (0.016) (0) (0.031) (0) (0) (0.047) (0.106) (0.587) (3.488)

Avg. precipitation days 5 7 6 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 28

Source #1: Dubai Meteorological Office

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3.0 STRUCTURAL ATTRIBUTES

The following section outlines the structural attributes of Burj-Al-Arab hotel in

order: artificial island, steel exoskeleton, and fiberglass fabric. Structural protection was
necessary for this structure as it is subjected to extreme weather conditions. Factors such
as wind effects and seismic impact are taken into account into the design phase.

3.1 Artificial Island

Originally, W.S Atkins was planning to build this hotel inside the city of
Dubai. However, due to two reasons it is placed offshore
i. Because of the size of the structure, it was placed offshore instead
(see Figure 4). Erecting this tower on an artificial island has its major significances:
minimizing the tower’s shadow on the adjacent beach resort and freeing the inland space
for future development. Due to the high temperature and humidity in this region, the
engineers and architects revised the structure’s layout and its sail profile to harness strong
winds of the Gulf Sea in maintaining the hotel’s internal temperature at a desirable level.

Figure 1: Artificial Island During Construction Phase

Source: Burj al-Arab Hotel. Retrieved October 18, 2006 from
http://dubaihotel.ws/construction/Construction-of-burj-al-arab-2.jpg

ii. Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and commissioner
of the hotel, wanted a landmark as arresting as the Eiffel Tower or Sydney

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 Opera House to serve as a symbol of his city. The result, promotional
pamphlets insist, recalls "the type of sail that would be found on a yacht in
Saint Tropez"—just twenty-five times taller. For those who have neglected
yacht-spotting on the Riviera, the image of a gargantuan Windsurfer leaps to
mind. The triangular building’s two wings spread in a V from a vast "mast",
while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium by a curving
"sail" of teflon-coated fiberglass. All this maritime imagery aims, according to
architect Tom Wright, a design principal at the U.K.-based firm W.S. Atkins,
to evoke "a sense of luxury, excitement, sophistication and adventure."

Figure 5: Burj-Al-Arab, sailing yacht

Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://www.sailing-yacht-online.com
The building itself stands on a foundation of 250 tubular piles amounting to
230.40 metre with a diameter of 1500mm driven into the seabed . Since the hotel rests on
an artificial island, it needs to have a secure foundation . It can be achieved by providing
rocks around island area which act as water break. But this island had to be low, to give
the impression that the building was floating, a decision that on the other hand had to face
the risk from storms that occur in the Persian Gulf. This problem was solved by mounting
perforated concrete blocks on a bed of rock, designed to reduce the impact of the waves,
acting as a giant artificial sponge.

“The foundation’s exterior comprises of conventional rock bunds d coated with

a layer of the armor system of white cement concrete, lined internally with a geotextile
membrane and hydraulically filled with sand .. The engineers were able to create a
surface layer composed of large rocks following a honeycomb pattern that will serve to
protect the foundation from erosion.

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 The surface of this armor system is covered by many shed units of white
cement concrete to reduce tide impact and to facilitate water drainage . The construction
of the concrete island was completed in March, 1996 and the time needed to complete this
phase allowed the engineers to plan ahead.

Figure 6: Honey- comb pattern used in artificial island

Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://natgeotv.com/asia/megastructures

Figure 7: Concrete hollow block

Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://natgeotv.com/asia/megastructures
The hotel rests on an artificial island constructed 280 metres off the Dubai
shore and 450m to its furthest point. honey-comb′ pattern armour which serves to protect
the foundations from erosion. Of the hotel’s total five year construction period, it took 3
years to complete the island.
The following stages were involved in the island construction process:
 Temporary tube piles driven into sea bed
 Temporary sheet piles and tie rods driven into sea bed to support boundary rocks
 Permanent boundary rock bunds deposited either side of sheet piles
 Hydraulic fill layers deposited between bunds to displace sea water and form
island
 Permanent concrete armour units placed around island to protect it from the waves
 2m diameter 43m deep piles driven through island and sea bed below to stabilize
structure
 Island interior excavated and temporary sheet pile coffer dam inserted
 2m thick concrete plug slab laid at base of island

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  Reinforced concrete retaining wall built
 Basement floors created (see figure 4).

3.2 load consideration

It can be divided as

3.2.1 Gravity load

While taking gravity load in consideration , the major component

contributing to it were

i. Core Connection

ii. Central Core Service Transmits Gravity Loads

Since the Burj Al Arab is built on a man-made island into the sea, certain
geotechnical considerations had to be considered. Mainly, the ground beneath the
Burj Al Arab is sand and silt. To take this into account, the foundation was made
with cement piles that reach a depth of 130 feet. The foundation of this superstructure
does not reach bedrock; therefore the stability comes from the shear forces along each
deep pile.

  The Burj Al Arab withstands gravity loads through the stability of the two
intertwined V’s of steel and concrete. The concrete walls and slabs come out from the
point of the V which is a special service core. At the end of each floor level are
wings. Gravity loads are transferred down from the core and wings to the foundation.
The use of a core and wings was suitable for this structure to allow for the world’s
largest atrium to be enclosed between the two sides of hotel suites.

3.2.2. Lateral load

i. 3 Tube Steel Trusses

ii. Cross-bracing and Curved Truss Arch

iii. Teflon Coated Fiberglass Fabric

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 As a tall building, the lateral loads of the Burj Al Arab are of most
importance. Due to the geographic location in the Persian Gulf, winds and
seismic activity had to be considered. The building was built to withstand a fifty
year wind of 100 miles per hour and a seismic ground acceleration of 0.2 times
gravity (Reina).

The structure transfers lateral loads in a number of ways. First, the Burj Al Arab
has three tubular steel trusses on the outside of the two sides of the V. These trusses act
as cross bracing to wind and earthquake forces. The translucent fabric wall of the atrium
is not only a stunning architectural feature but also helps transfer lateral load. The fabric
covers a series of steel cross bracing and is comprised of two layers of fiberglass material
which is Teflon-coated. The fabric goes over the trussed arches mentioned before. Due
to the rigidity, lateral loads are transferred to the fabric wall which acts similar to a
diaphragm. The shape of Burj Al Arab lowers wind forces more effectively then a
square building because of the streamlined V and curved fabric atrium wall.

3.3 Foundation

It is not even a good place to build: The Burj al Arab rests, poetically enough,
on sand. The hundreds of cement piles that reach 130 feet under the seabed to anchor the
foundations are held in place not by bedrock, but by friction. In other words, the load is
not focused at the base of each piling, says structural engineer Martin Halford, but
absorbed along its length by the loosely cemented sand and silt around it.

The hotel rests on an artificial island constructed 280 meters offshore. To

secure a foundation, the builders drove 230 40-meter long concrete piles into the sand.

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

3.4 Steel Exoskeleton

“The exoskeleton which encases the hotel’s interior is a pair of diagonal steel
trusses rising 273 m above ground (see Figure 4 in the following page). Each aluminum-
clad truss stands upright, like an archer's bow. Together the reinforced concrete and the
exoskeleton act as a composite and provide the structure horizontal stability in all
directions Because each steel truss weighs 165 ton each and spans across 85 meters, these
elements were specially fabricated in Jebel Ali which is 25 km away from the
construction site Due to their gigantic size and irregularity, they were transported from
the worksite to the construction zone across the highway using special multi-axled
wheeled bogies pulled by heavy tractor units.

Figure 8: Transportation exosketon structure

Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from

http://natgeotv.com/asia/megastructures

To place the truss members into position, a specially made hoist under expert
supervision is used Extreme care and accuracy was required and precise calculations were
made to ensure that these trusses interlock one another at the tip of the structure without
any error .

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West elevation Longitudinal section
   
Figure 9: An Overview of Burj Al Arab Hotel
Source: Burj Al Arab. Retrieved april 1, 2011 from
http://egypteng.com/projectm/images/ba6.gif
http://egypteng.com/projectm/images/ba7.gif
http://egypteng.com/projectm/images/ba8.gif

“The front and rear legs of the exoskeleton consists of pairs of 3 m deep by 1m
wide plate girders, laced together in I sections, to form a rectangular member
approximately 3 m by 6.5 m in plan.” Temporarily bolted in place, after final surveys and
adjustments are made, they were erected in 12m lengths and then welded together to the
plate girder joints. The exoskeleton rear bracings which prevent side-to-side movements
are connected to the steel truss by welding them in place.

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 Figure 10 Three cranes lifting exoskeleton
Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://natgeotv.com/asia/megastructures

Using three Favelle Favco 760 cranes, which have the ability to lift 12 tones
at 60m, shipped all the way from Australia, precast concretes floor were raised
accordingly to form the hotel’s mezzanines . An approximate of 9000 tones of structure’s
external steelwork was assembled without much difficulty with the aid of these special
cranes. Because of the size of these cranes, careful planning and coordination were
required to prevent congestion in the small construction site.

Due to the variation in temperature in Dubai there is wide range of contraction and
Expansion in the steel skeleton (that can reach 5 cm in a day) . This problem was solved
by introducing wiser (steering linkage rod ) in fixing bracket and inserting 30 cm pin
inside the hole . Thus movement of wiser results in stability of skeleton in spite of
variable temperature ranging up to 14 degrees during a day.

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 Figure 11: Solution for fitting of exoskeleton

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 Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://natgeotv.com/asia/megastructures

3.5 Fiberglass Fabric Wall and Screen

Abric in architecture captures the imagination. It conjures romantic images:

tent canvas staked out in a forest or luxuriously draped curtains making shade for desert
nomads. The sculptural shapes an architect can achieve with fabric-from taut, firm roof
peaks to pillowy curves-cannot be accomplished with any other material. And the
atmosphere inside a fabric structure is unlike that of a conventional building: The diffuse
daylight, the acoustics, the shape of the walls or ceilings, even the way the air moves
through the space are all different.

This is the kind of project architects dream of: a luxurious, spare-no-expense

hotel and conference center on a man-made island in Dubai. Opened less than a year ago,
the hotel features a brilliant white fiberglass and PTFE-coated vertical cloth membrane
that's meant to resemble the billowing sail of a traditional Arabic sailing ship.

The 161,000-square-foot, two-layer screen covers the open side of the V-

shaped steel-and-glass building, creating an atrium lobby. A more standard choice for this
area would have been glass, but in the extreme desert conditions, this would have
introduced heat and glare. The fabric provides a soft, milky light and lessens heat gain. At
night, it is used as a gigantic projection screen onto which the faces of high-ranking
guests are shown .

The vertical installation may mark the first time that tensile fabric was used as
part of the facade, says Michael Wolf, project manager for Sky span. The application was
more difficult to engineer than a typical horizontally applied tensile membrane. The
fabricators, who also did the engineering, created a fabric model and used it for structural
analysis and for cutting patterns

Resembling a huge sail, a white translucent Teflon coated fibreglass fabric is

innovatively incorporated to the Burj-Al-Arab hotel (see Figure 12 in the following
page). “It is composed of two layers of PTFE coated fibreglass fabric, tensioned between
the steel trusses which span 50m between the accommodation wings stair cores at the
Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1
double story height interval.” During the day, the fibreglass fabric acts by filtering intense
sunlight and diffusing it into the atrium space to allow natural lighting within the
building. Because of the curtain’s lightweight and structural properties, it is optimized to
transfer forces to the structure’s column and floor slabs in event of any seismic events or
wind load applications. During the evening, the fabric wall equipped with a MAC 500
lighting system, functions as a projection screen for light performances of high quality
patterns to impress the in-house guests. In addition, “the fabric screen is carefully design
such that damage to any of the fabric panel or both will not cause a failure of the entire
screen. ”

Figure 12: Interior View of Fabric Fiberglass Wall (left)

Source: Burj Al Arab Dubai. Retrieved October 18, 2006 from
http://www.andycarvin.com/photos/burj-atrium.jpg

Figure 13: Burj Al Arab During the Day (right)

Source: Place-Burj Al Arab. Retrieved October 20, 2006 from
http://www.architypes.net/files/image/cache/burj-al-arab-exterior.jpg

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

3.6 Structural Protection

Burj-Al-Arab’s external structural steelwork is protected by a high grade

protection system to overcome the corrosion problem due to the weather. “The exposed
steel was then coated with a system comprises of aluminum metal spray, a build coat of
two pack epoxy micaceous iron oxide and a white gloss finish coat of two pack
polyurethane to give a total dry film of 340 microns. Steelwork beneath the cladding was
protected with a high building glass flake epoxy system with a dry film of 600 microns.”
Furthermore, to impart high strength and durability to the structure, designers specified
high quality dense concrete by adding silica fume to cement mixture.

3.7 Wind Effects

Dubai’s geographic location subjects the hotel to severe weather conditions

including strong winds and occasional violent thunderstorms. Due to the structure’s
proximity to its adjacent hotel resort, wind tunnel testing was considered to ensure a safe
design. “Based on the guidance issued by the UK’s Building Research Establishment
(BRE) and an analysis of 18 years of wind data from nearby Dubai International Airport,
a 50 year return period windspeed of 45 meters per second, under the recommendations
of Dubai Municipality, was adopted for the design.”

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 Figure 14: Wind test on model (Burj-Al-Arab)
Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://natgeotv.com/asia/megastructures
Various tests were performed to model Burj Al Arab’s interaction with
Jumeirah Beach Hotel so that local wind regime could be determined. Due to the
structure’s proximity to the beach resort, accuracy of these tests is important as these tests
dictate the values to be used in the design. A hotel model with 1:300 ratio is fitted with
200 pressure tapping points to measure local wind velocities. Data collected is then
interpreted by using force coefficient UK wind loading code to determine pressures
values for the design. In addition, the same series of tests also allow engineers to project
the structure’s displacements as well its acceleration due to the applied wind load.

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 Fiure 14: Direction of flowing wind subjected to model
Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://natgeotv.com/asia/megastructures

In test it was found that due to the unique design of structure and flow of wind
in particular direction in maximum days of years , passage of wind results in formation of
tornados at the edge of steel column supports .but on demand of architect there was need
of alternate solution without change in exterior design . At last this problem was solved
by Aerodynamicist Volker Buttgereit by introducing tuned mass dampers.11 tuned mass
dampers weighing 5 tons each were installed in steel bows, which swings to damp down
the threat due to wind(as shown in figure).

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 Figure 15: Damper for protection from wind
Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://natgeotv.com/asia/megastructures

Figure 16: Location of dampers

Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://natgeotv.com/asia/megastructures

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

3.8 Seismic Impact

Dubai itself is not located in an earthquake intensive zone. However, southern

Iran which is only 100 miles away to the north is subjected to moderate earthquake risk
and in turn which could create tremors in Dubai if a seismic event were to occur in Iran .
According to Building Research Establishment (BRE) specifications, it is strongly
recommended that buildings constructed in this region are to be designed to resist
earthquake of MM VII intensity. Therefore, a seismic zone factor of 0.20g was considered
for the detailed design phase. To further reinforce the structure from any potential
swaying, “two tuned mass dampers, weighing about 2 tonnes each, limit vibrations in the
tubular steel mast that projects 60 m above the building.”

Fiure 17 Line of earth quake zone near Dubai

Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://natgeotv.com/asia/megastructures

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 Figure 18: Tunned Dampers for seismic protection
Source:Google Retrieved April 01, 2011 from
http://natgeotv.com/asia/megastructures

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

4.0 CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES

The following section outlines the construction challenges faced by the

engineering team of the Burj Al Arab project.

4.1 Timeline

To effectively speed up the construction phase, W.S Atkins, the overall project
manager, decided to tender the contracts in the respective order and packages: first was
the island and the ground floor slab: second was the structure’s exterior steelwork and
fabrication: third was mechanical, electrical and plumbing works :fourth was the interior
design and layout.

4.2 Architect’s requirements

i. Thomas Wills Wright’s vision was to provide exterior shape of burj-al-arab like sailing
yacht . So it required to

a. decrease the height of artificial island(jumeirah island ) without effecting stability in

case of high tides.

b. damp the vibration due to flow of wind .

ii. Thomas Wills Wright wanted to provide filling of sitting in sky to visitors by providing
restaurant at a height of 200m and spaning 27m on both side from centre of core structure
without any visible support . Structural engineer Anthony Mccarter solved this problem
by providing series of steel brackets (embedment) in concrete core at back of building
and 10 steel beam 1.6m high were connected to it which supports the entire restaurant.
Though the restaurant was made up steel covered with aluminum sheets and fiber glasses,
it is capable of withstand winds flowing more than 100 miles per hour.

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

4.3 Climate

Dubai climate is very different . Humidity reaches to 100 %, where as

temperature reaches nearly 49˚ cal . Which does not allow exterior designer to use
material like silk , gold leaf and craft wood . This type of material pulls out if placed in
such climate, so it was required to cool the atrium.

This problem was solved by covering the atrium by fibers and cooling the
atrium but again there arises two problem

1. Sudden cooling will lead to condensation process and formation of rain cloud.
Thus cooling was done slowly. Cooling started in june 1998 and required
temperature was obtained by dec 1998. ." This task was accomplished by several
cold air nozzles, which point down from the top of the ceiling, and blast a 1 meter
cold air pocket down the inside of the sail. This creates a buffer zone, which
controls the interior temperature without massive energy costs.
2. There was required provision of entry for allowing material supplies without letting
outside climate effect the inside environment. This was done by providing two
sealed doors with common hall, one door subjected to inside and another to outside
environment. Materials were allowed to enter in hall and after closing one door
another was opened. Both doors were never kept open at same time.

4.4 Electrical Requirements

After finishing the electrical wiring, new requirement of Sheikh Muhammad bin
Rashid al Maktoum to provide fully electronized suits to visitors lead difficulty to
electrical engineer Rob buse . Providing 52000 lights, electronized curtains etc meant to
increase in 50% in electrical load. For each suits nearly 14 kw electricity is required
which is equal to eight times electrical requirement of average British house. That is for
202 suits it is equal to electricity required for town with population of 6000.arround 3000
miles of wire laid for new requirement. Harmonic distortion may occur in electric circuit
due to electronic appliances leading melt down of wire coating and fire. So harmonic
filter system are installed at every third floor and at entrance of electrical current. Filters
first detects the distortion and creates mirror image of it, thus on super imposition of two

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

wave sinusoidal wave free from distortion emerges. This process is called anti-phase
which is also used in noise clearance in speakers.

At 14,000 channels it is the largest architectural lighting control system ever

made (Futronix). Each suite has one or more PeFX-32 dimming control systems, which
operate the lighting in every room. The largest suites have five systems giving a total of
160 channels of lighting. As if the interior lighting schemes were not enough, each suite
is also equipped with digital surround sound, multimedia enhanced 42” plasma television,
internet access, touch-screen video and teleconferencing, fax machine, photocopier, data
port and to top it all off, automated curtains.

4.5 Construction Phase

Because of Burj Al Arab’s size (see Figure.7 in the following page), the
construction required enormous resources: “A total of 3,500 designers, engineers and
construction staff worked to fashion the ground-breaking structure out of 360,000 cubic
metres of concrete and more than 9,000 tonnes of steel, while 250 foundation piles have
been driven 40 metres deep to secure it to the seabed.” Two years of the project is
devoted to reclaim the land from the sea, and an approximately three years to construct
the hotel. For the irregular the steel truss members which forms Burj-Al-Arab’s
exoskeleton, they were specially hoisted in place and then welded together under constant
supervision. In addition, due to economical reasons, these extremely heavy elements of
185 tonnes each had to be transported via the highway instead of by sea from Jebel Ali
port which is 25km from the site. Nevertheless, under strict timeline, W.S Atkins and its
subcontractors: Balfour Beatty, and Al Habtoor Engineering, Murray & Roberts Joint
Venture, manage to complete this massive project which commenced on 1994 in just
under six years.

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 Figure 19: Burj Al Arab Under Construction
Source: Burj Al Arab Dubai. Retrieved april 1st, 2011 from
http://www.muhibbah.com/favco/images/thumbnails/cbeach4.jpg

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

5.0 Facts about Burj-al-arab

 .The building contains over 70,000 m3 (92,000 cu yd) of concrete and 9,000 tons of
steel
 Inside the building, the atrium is 180 m (590 ft) tall.
 Burj Al Arab is the world's second tallest hotel (not including buildings with
mixed use).
 The structure of the Ryugyong Hotel in PyongyangNorth Korea, is 9 m (30 ft)
taller than the Burj Al Arab

Firms, offices, etc. involved with this structure

Legend: Phase of works
Role Name Part of structure 
Owner Jumeirah Beach Resort
Design WS Atkins & Partners Overseas
Co-contractor Al Habtoor Engineering
  Fletcher Construction
  Murray & Roberts
Steel construction Eversendai Engineering
Subcontractor Trenzas y Cables de Acero PSC, S.L.
Formwork Deutsche Doka Schalungstechnik GmbH
Lifting VSL International

5.1 Interior

The interior design, too, reeks of reckless expenditure. "Anything that looks
like gold is gold," says a member of the public relations team, waving vaguely at some of
the hotel’s 21,000 square feet of 22-carat leaf. In the lobby, a parade of leather-backed
sofas with checked velvet cushions and striped silk bolsters marches across the
multicolored curlicues of the carpet towards fish tanks bigger than the guest rooms of a
lesser hotel. Gilt vases hold impenetrable forests of fleshy tropical flowers above which
hover whole flocks of birds of paradise. Even the cocktails come with succulent slices of
fruit cantilevered out over the rim of the glass on an elaborate gantry of straws and
toothpicks.

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

Hallways, (above left), lead into the duplex suites (above right). The translucent wall is two layers of Teflon-
coated, fiberglass fabric, which is supported on a series of pre-tensioned, trussed arches that tie in to girders at
the 18th and 26th floors. While the 200-foot mast in both drawings (above) isn’t a part of the structural
exoskeleton, it is stilled by a pair of tuned mass dampers in its upper section.

Figure 20: Burj Al Arab , interior showing atrium

Source: Burj Al Arab Dubai. Retrieved april 1st, 2011 from
http://www.muhibbah.com/favco/images/thumbnails/cbeach4.jpg

Furthermore, the building does not just sit there—it also performs. In the main
atrium, the impossibly disciplined jets of the central fountain weave and whirl in a watery
game of cat’s cradle. Every half hour, a 100-foot geyser shoots up into the yawning space
above. By day, the translucent fiberglass wall filters the intense desert light into an
otherworldly glow. After dark, it serves as a projection screen for a nightly light
show. With red and blue lights pulsating across the undulating surface, water gurgling in
the background, and the bulbous, modular façades of the guest rooms receding upward
for 600 feet, the space takes on the look of some half-remembered organ from grade
school biology.

One floor below, the "undersea" restaurant boasts a simulated submarine ride.
The bed in the royal suite rotates shudderingly at the touch of a button. Even the
workaday logistics of staying at a hotel have been turned on their head in an effort to
accentuate the Burj al Arab’s distinctiveness. There are no check-in desks or cashiers—
the staff comes to you. All the suites contain butler’s rooms with separate entrances, so
that food can be warmed up, champagne chilled and shirts pressed without the guest even
knowing. Money, although plastered all over the walls and spent in enormous quantities
between them, must never be seen, for fear that grubby bank notes might remind guests
of the drab realities of everyday life.

The irony of all this is that Dubai—the Burj al Arab aside—is a very drab

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

place. The endless vista from the panoramic bar consists of flat desert scrub punctuated
by unfinished highways. The climate is so inhospitable that a special new protective
coating had to be found to stop the desert grit from literally eating the windows away.
Although the city is billed as a beach resort, summer temperatures rise as high as 130
degrees—enough to send even the most devoted sun-worshipers scurrying indoors.
Perhaps this ritzy haven from Arabia’s sandstorms does serve as a civic symbol of sorts,
although not in the sense Sheikh Rashid imagined. Both the hotel and the city, after all,
are monuments to the triumph of money over practicality. Both elevate style over
substance. Above all, both were designed from the top down, working backwards from a
desired image to its physical incarnation.
.

5.2 Rooms and suites

The hotel is managed by the Jumeirah Group. Despite its size, the Burj Al Arab
holds only 28 double-story floors which accommodate 202 bedroom suites. The smallest
suite occupies an area of 169 m2 (1,820 sq ft), the largest covers 780 m2 (8,400 sq ft).

Suites feature design details that juxtapose east and west. White columns show great
influence. Bathrooms are accented by mosaic tile patterns

5.3 Restaurants

Figure 21: Burj Al Arab , Al Muntaha Restaurant

Source: Burj Al Arab Dubai. Retrieved april 1st, 2011 from

http://www.muhibbah.com/favco/images/thumbnails/cbeach4.jpg

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 Figure 22: Burj Al Arab , Al Mahara Restaurant
Source: Burj Al Arab Dubai. Retrieved april 1st, 2011 from

http://www.muhibbah.com/favco/images/thumbnails/cbeach4.jpg

Al Muntaha (Arabic for "Highest" or "Ultimate"), is located 200 m (660 ft)

above the Persian Gulf, offering a view of Dubai. It is supported by a full cantilever that
extends 27 m (89 ft) from either side of the mast, and is accessed to a panoramic elevator.
The main chef there, Edah Semaj Leachim, was awarded Chef of the Year 2006 and also
owns the restaurant, in accordance with the Burj Al Arab hotel.

Al Mahara ("Oyster"), which is accessed via a simulated submarine voyage,

features a large seawater aquarium, holding roughly 990,000 litres (35,000 cu ft) of water.
The tank, made of acrylic glass in order to withstand the water pressure, is about 18 cm
(7.1 in) thick.

5.4 Helipad

Figure 23: Burj Al Arab, helipad used as tennis court

Source: Burj Al Arab Dubai. Retrieved april 1st, 2011 from

http://www.muhibbah.com/favco/images/thumbnails/cbeach4.jpg

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

 Near the top of the building is a suspended helipad supported by a
cantilever. The helipad has featured some of the hotel's notable publicity events. Irish
singer Ronan Keating shot his music video Iris on the helipad. In March 2004,
professional golfer Tiger Woods hit several golf balls from the helipad into the Persian
Gulf, while in February 2005, professional tennis players Roger Federer and Andre
Agassi played an unranked game on the helipad, which was temporarily converted into a
grass tennis court, at a height of 211 meters. The helipad has no borders or fences on the
edges and if a player hit a winner the tennis balls would plunge down to the ground

5.5 Rating

The hotel is officially rated Five-Star Deluxe. However, it is frequently

described as "the world's only Seven-Star hotel", although the hotel management claims
to never have done that themselves. In the words of a Jumeirah Group spokesperson:
"There's not a lot we can do to stop it. We're not encouraging the use of the term. We've
never used it in our advertising." According to the group, the "Seven-Star" notion was
brought to being by a British journalist who visited the hotel on a pre-opening press trip.
The journalist "described the Burj al Arab in her article as above and beyond anything she
had ever seen and called it a seven-star hotel."

5.6 Reviews by architecture critics

Figure 23: Burj Al Arab, Rising above sea

Source: Burj Al Arab Dubai. Retrieved april 1st, 2011 from

http://www.muhibbah.com/favco/images/thumbnails/cbeach4.jpg
The Burj Al Arab has attracted criticism as well as praise, described as "a
contradiction of sorts, considering how well-designed and impressive the construction

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

ultimately proves to be." The contradiction here seems to be related to the hotel’s decor.
"This extraordinary investment in state-of-the-art construction technology stretches the
limits of the ambitious urban imagination in an exercise that is largely due to the power of
excessive wealth." Another critic includes negative critiques for the city of Dubai as well:
"both the hotel and the city, after all, are monuments to the triumph of money over
practicality. Both elevate style over substance." Yet another: "Emulating the quality of
palatial interiors, in an expression of wealth for the mainstream, a theater of opulence is
created in Burj Al Arab … The result is a baroque effect".

6.0 CONCLUSION

Burj Al Arab, is currently recognized as one of spectacular structure in the history

of structural engineering. To date, it is the world’s tallest hotel with a height of 321m.
Situated in the Arabian Gulf, it is exposed to one of the most hostile environments across
the globe. Because of space limitations in Dubai, Burj Al Arab is erected on an artificial
island offshore to minimize its shadow on the surroundings as well as to accentuate its
sail shape profile. Problems like high concentration of chloride in the air and extreme
temperature, wind effect and potential seismic events have to be taken into account in the
detailed design phase. For instance, the exoskeleton in conjunction with its two massive
90 meters long 15 meters wide concrete wings are used to provide the structure horizontal
stability against the seismic loads and strong wind blowing from Gulf Sea. By installing a
Fiberglass wall between the two wings, intensive sunlight is diverted while wind loads
and seismic loads are transferred directly to the hotel column and floor slabs. During the
night, it serves as a projection screen for various entertainment purposes. The Burj Al
Arab hotel project, which is uniquely complex yet rewarding, marks the advancement in
structural engineering technology.

Dept. of Civil, N.C.E.T Page 1

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