Burj Khalifa – The most tallest tower in the world

Note: Burj Khalifa: World’s Tallest Tower formally known as Burj Dubai renamed after UAE President Khalifa Bin Zayed.

Burj Khalifa Tower World's tallest building: Dubai's Burj Khalifa tower.

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Burj Khalifa In Arabic: برج خليفة‎ – Khalifa Tower, formally known as Burj Dubai
is a supertall skyscraper situated in dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is the tallest man-made structure ever built, at 828 m (2,717 ft). The construction of Burj khalifa tower began on 21 September 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009 and the tower building officially opened on 4 January 2010.
We can watch the tower from 95 to 100 KM far away
The total budget for the Burj Khalifa construction project is about US $1.5 billion; and for the entire new “Downtown Dubai”, US $20 billion. Mohamed Ali Alabbar, the CEO of Emaar Properties, speaking at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat 8th World Congress, said that the price of office space at Burj Khalifa had reached US $4,000 per sq ft (over US $43,000 per m2) and that the Armani Residences, also in Burj Khalifa, were selling for US $3,500 per sq ft (over US $37,500 per m2).

This is taken from world’s tallest building ‘Burj Dubai’- Now Burj Khalifa – 828m!!!

Photo taken from burj khalifa

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Burj khalifa – Current records

* Tallest skyscraper to top of spire: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously Taipei 101 – 509.2 m (1,671 ft))
* Tallest structure ever built: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously Warsaw radio mast – 646.38 m (2,121 ft))
* Tallest structure: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously KVLY-TV mast – 628.8 m (2,063 ft))
* Tallest freestanding structure: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously CN Tower – 553.3 m (1,815 ft))
* Building with most floors: 160 (previously both 1 & 2 World Trade Center – 110)[25]
* World’s highest elevator installation.
* World’s fastest elevators at speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) or 18 m/s (59 ft/s) (previously Taipei 101 – 16.83 m/s)
* Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 606 m (1,988 ft) (previously Taipei 101 – 449.2 m (1,474 ft))
* Highest vertical concrete pumping (for any construction): 606 m (1,988 ft) (previously Riva del Garda Hydroelectric Power Plant – 532 m (1,745 ft)
* The first world’s tallest structure in history to include residential space.
* Highest outdoor observation deck in the world.
* Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world.
* Tallest service elevator in the world.
* World’s highest installation of an aluminum and glass facade, at a height of 512 m (1,680 ft)

Construction

The tower named burj khalifa is being constructed by a South Korean company, Samsung Engineering & Construction, which also did work on the Petronas Twin Towers and Taipei 101. Samsung Engineering & Construction is building the tower in a joint venture with Besix from Belgium and Arabtec from UAE. Turner is the Project Manager on the main construction contract.
The primary structural system of Burj Khalifa is reinforced concrete. Over 45,000 m3 (58,900 cu yd) of concrete, weighing more than 110,000 tonnes (120,000 ST; 110,000 LT) were used to construct the concrete and steel foundation, which features 192 piles,with each pile is 1.5 meter diameter x 43 meter long buried more than 50 m (164 ft) deep. Burj Khalifa’s construction used 330,000 m3 (431,600 cu yd) of concrete and 55,000 tonnes of steel rebar, and construction took 22 million man-hours. A high density, low permeability concrete was used in the foundations of Burj Khalifa. A cathodic protection system under the mat is used to minimize any detrimental effects from corrosive chemicals in local ground water.

Why Burj Khalifa? – Purpose

Burj Khalifa has been designed to be the centerpiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that will include 30,000 homes, nine hotels such as the Burj Khalifa Lake Hotel & Serviced Apartments, 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 12-hectare (30-acre) man-made Burj Khalifa Lake.
The building has returned the title of Earth’s tallest free-standing structure to the Middle East — a title not held by the larger region since 1311 when Lincoln Cathedral in England, UK surpassed the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which had held the title for almost four millennia.
The decision to build Burj Khalifa is reportedly based on the government’s decision to diversify from an oil-based economy to one that is service- and tourism-oriented. According to officials, it is necessary for projects like Burj Khalifa to be built in the city to garner more international recognition, and hence investment. “He [Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum] wanted to put Dubai on the map with something really sensational,” said Jacqui Josephson, a tourism and VIP delegations executive at Nakheel Properties.
Really amazing
Look at the edge (uppermost right corner) of the picture, you can almost see the turn of the earth

The persons who are working on the upper most Girders can see the ‘ROTATION OF EARTH’ So terrifying..

Architecture and Burj kahlifa tower design work

The tower is designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, which also designed the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois and 1 World Trade Center in New York City, among numerous other famous high-rises. The building resembles the bundled tube form of the Willis Tower, but is not a tube structure. Its design is reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision for The Illinois, a mile-high skyscraper designed for Chicago.
According to Marshall Strabala, an SOM architect who worked on the building’s design team, Burj Khalifa was designed based on the 73-floor Tower Palace Three, an all-residential building in Seoul, South Korea. In its early planning, Burj Dubai was intended to be entirely residential.
Subsequent to the original design by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Emaar Properties chose Hyder Consulting to be the Supervision Consultant, Engineer and Architect of Record, for its structural, facade and MEP engineering capability (MEP – mechanical, electrical and plumbing, and encompasses all fire and life safety systems within the building). In this role Hyder Consulting reengineered structural, facades and MEP systems to suit the contractor’s and local authority requirements. Hyder Consulting was also responsible for the geotechinical design of Burj Khalifa’s foundations with Hyder’s own geotechnical specialist, Grahame Bunce heading up a design team that included the world-renowned soil mechanics expert Harry Poulos in a peer-review role. Emaar Properties has also engaged GHD, an international multidisciplinary consulting firm, act as an independent verification and testing authority for concrete and steelwork.
The design of Burj Khalifa is derived from patterning systems[clarification needed] embodied in Islamic architecture. The design architect Adrian Smith has said the triple-lobed footprint of the building was inspired by the flower Hymenocallis. The tower is composed of three elements arranged around a central core. As the tower rises from the flat desert base, setbacks occur at each element in an upward spiralling pattern, decreasing the cross section of the tower as it reaches toward the sky. There are 27 terraces in Burj Khalifa. At the top, the central core emerges and is sculpted to form a finishing spire. A Y-shaped floor plan maximizes views of the Persian Gulf. Viewed from above or from the base, the form also evokes the onion domes of Islamic architecture. During the design process, engineers rotated the building 120 degrees from its original layout to reduce stress from prevailing winds. At its tallest point, the tower sways a total of 1.5 m (4.9 ft).
To wash the windows of the 160 floors of habitable space, a horizontal track has been installed on the exterior of Burj Khalifa at three levels 40, 73 and 109. Each track holds a 1.5 tonne bucket machine which moves horizontally and then vertically using heavy cables. Above level 109, up to tier 27 traditional cradles from davits are used. The top of the spire, however, is reserved for specialist window cleaners, who brave the heights and high winds dangling by ropes to clean and inspect the top of the pinnacle. Under normal conditions, when all building maintenance units will be operational, it will take three to four months to clean the entire exterior facade.
The spire of Burj Khalifa is composed of more than 4,000 tonnes of structural steel. The central pinnacle pipe weighing 350 tonnes was constructed from inside the building and jacked to its full height of 143 metres using a strand jack system. The spire houses plant and facilitates for communications equipments.
More than 1,000 pieces of art will adorn the interiors of Burj Khalifa, while the residential lobby of Burj Khalifa will have the artwork of 196 bronze and brass alloy cymbals representing the 196 countries of the world. The visitors in this lobby will be able to hear a distinct timbre as the cymbals, plated with 18-carat gold, are struck by dripping water, intended to mimic the sound of water falling on leaves.
The exterior cladding of Burj Khalifa consists of 142,000 m2 (1,528,000 sq ft) of reflective glazing, and aluminium and textured stainless steel spandrel panels with vertical tubular fins. The cladding system is designed to withstand Dubai’s extreme summer temperatures. Additionally, at its projected height the exterior temperature at the top of the building will be 6 °C (11 °F) cooler than at its base.
Over 26,000 glass panels, were used in the exterior cladding of Burj Khalifa. Over 300 cladding specialists from China were brought in for the cladding work on the tower.
The hotel interior will be decorated by Giorgio Armani. An Armani Hotel, the first of four by Armani, will occupy 15 of the lower 39 floors. Floors through to 108 will have 900 private residential apartments (which, according to the developer, sold out within eight hours of being on the market). An outdoor zero-entry swimming pool will be located on the 76th floor of the tower. Corporate offices and suites will fill most of the remaining floors, except for a 123rd floor lobby and 124th floor (about 440 m (1,444 ft)) indoor/outdoor observation deck. Burj Khalifa is expected to hold up to 25,000 people at any one time. A total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators are installed, the fastest rising and descending at up to 10 m/s (33 ft/s). Engineers had considered installing the world’s first triple-deck elevators, but the final design calls for double-deck elevators.
The graphic design identity work for the Burj Khalifa is the responsibility of Brash Brands, who are based in Dubai. Design of the global launch events, communications, and visitors centers for the Burj Khalifa have also been created by Brash Brands as well as the roadshow exhibition for the Armani Residences, which are part of the Armani Hotel within the Burj Khalifa, which toured Milan, London, Jeddah, Moscow and Delhi.

Just check Inside the Burj Khalifa tower

160 upwards
This is the technical bit, or the spike. The bit that actually makes our Dubai tower the biggest in the world – so there.
156-159
This is the bit that houses the communication and broadcast centre of the tower – the floors where the magic happens, so to speak.
155
This is kind of the mechanical epicentre of the tower. It’s also the highest mechanical point of the tower.
139-154
These floors comprise the posh bits, or the ‘Corporate Suites’, as they’re officially known. You might even be lucky enough to work here in the future.
136-138
These floors are full of more mechanical bits and pieces.
125-135
More of those posh ‘Corporate Suites’ we were on about earlier. Nice.
124
This is the official top bit. It’s called ‘At The Top’ even though it’s not. We’re not exactly sure why.
123
This floor is the tallest Sky Lobby. Prepare for the best views of Dubai you will ever see.
122
This floor is home to Atmosphere. Another place you’re going to want to know about in the coming months.
111-121
More Corporate Suites
109-110
More mechanical stuff
77-108
These floors are where a few lucky, lucky people will be able to live. We’re not jealous, much.
76
This floor houses another Sky Lobby to look out of. Perfect if you’re not brave enough to go further up.
73-75
More mechanical stuff
44-72
More residential suites for the lucky few
43
Another Sky Lobby
40-42
More mechanical stuff
38-39
These floors belong to the Armani Hotel suites
19-37
More residential suites for the lucky few
17-18
More mechanical stuff
9-16
The Armani Residences
1-8
The Armani Hotel
Ground
The Armani Hotel
Concourse
The Armani Hotel

B1-B2
Parking, Mechanical
The world’s most tallest tower, ‘Burj Khalifa’ is 828 metres (2,716.5 ft) high

Dubai, UAE; January 4, 2010: The world’s tallest tower, developed by Emaar Properties, was unveiled tonight to a crowd of thousands and the world in a crescendo of fireworks, lasers and fountain displays.
The official height of the tower, unveiled as ‘Burj Khalifa’, was announced as 828 metres (2,716.5 ft).
A closely guarded secret, the official height of Burj Khalifa was flashed onto a giant screen before an estimated crowd of more than 400,000, as lasers and fireworks lit up the night sky.
Fireworks cascaded from the tower’s spire to the base and lasers blazed out from all levels leaving the crowds awestruck.
The height was disclosed in arithmetic progression, with the numbers being flashed onto the screen, one after another. The tower’s height breaks all existing world records for tall buildings.
Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world according to the three main criteria of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). The CTBUH ranks the world’s tallest buildings based on ‘Height to Architectural Top,’ ‘Height to Highest Occupied Floor’ and ‘Height to Tip.’
At 828 metres (2,716.5ft), Burj Khalifa is 320 metres taller than Taipei 101, which at 508 metres (1,667 ft) had held the record for the world’s tallest building measured to the architectural top since 2004, the year the project was announced.
Burj Khalifa achieved the distinction of being the world’s tallest structure – surpassing the KVLY-TV mast (628.8 metres; 2,063 ft) in North Dakota, USA – 1,325 days after excavation work started in January 2004.
The tower also beats the 31-year-old record of CN Tower, which at 553.33 metres (1,815.5 ft) had been the world’s tallest free-standing structure on land since 1976.
Burj Khalifa employs a record-breaking 330,000 cubic metres of concrete, 39,000 metric tonnes of steel rebar and 142,000 square metres of glass; and it took 22 million man hours to build.
Other world records for Burj Khalifa include the highest occupied floor in the world, at over 550 metres (1,800 ft); the highest outdoor observation deck in the world – At the Top on Level 124; and the tallest service elevator, which travels to a height of 504 metres (1,654 ft).
Mr. Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties, said that with the unveiling of the final height of Burj Khalifa, the world now had a new reference point for high-rise developments.
“Burj Khalifa is an example of collaboration on a global scale, and the tremendous positive energy that can be generated when people from all over the world come together to work towards a common goal. Thousands of professionals and skilled workers from around the world worked on this once-in-a-lifetime project.”
“More than 60 of the world’s leading consultants including South Korea’s Samsung Corporation and New York-based Turner Construction International realised the design for Burj Khalifa of Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM),” he said.
Burj Khalifa employed the latest advances in wind engineering, structural engineering, structural systems, construction materials and methods. All design considerations took into account the 12,000 people who will live and work in the tower. The handover to residents of the various components of Burj Khalifa will begin in February.
With a total built-up area of about 6 million sq ft, Burj Khalifa features nearly 2 million sq ft of residential space and over 300,000 sq ft of prime office space, in addition to the area occupied by the keenly awaited Armani Hotel Dubai and the Armani Residences. The tower also features modern lifestyle amenities including clubs, health and fitness facilities, gourmet restaurants and the 124th floor observation deck, ‘At the Top.’
Burj Khalifa is the focal point of the 500-acre ‘mega-project’ by Emaar Properties, described as the new heart of Dubai.
BURJ DUBAI DETAILS – NOW BURJ KHALIFA

INAUGURATION PHOTOS

FIRE WORKS PHOTOS
Fireworks to mark Burj Dubai inauguration
The inauguration of Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building, developed by Emaar Properties, will feature a spectacular display of sound, light, water and fireworks on the evening of Jan 4.
A combination of dazzling fireworks, light beams, choreographed water displays, and sound & music effects will describe the evolution of the world’s most iconic new building in a breathtaking sensory journey.
In all, 868 high-powered ‘stroboscope’ lights will be integrated into the facade of Burj Dubai and the tower’s spire – and each stroboscope will be fired individually to create a series of hypnotic lighting sequences.
The entire display is controlled by a sophisticated arrangement of ultra high-tech IT systems, which choreograph at least 50 different sequences of lighting, fireworks, water and sound effects.
Event experts from France, Britain and the United States collaborated on the project, demonstrating the global spirit of teamwork which defines Burj Dubai itself.
Powerful strobe lights will be fixed near the pinnacle of the tower, and six ‘narrow beam’ search lights will be positioned 700 metres up the tower.
The entire inauguration show consists of a pre-show and three themed acts – From the Desert Flower to Burj Dubai, Heart Beat, and From Dubai & the UAE to the World – and a firework finale.
A giant screen on Burj Park Island, as well as several television screens placed across Downtown Burj Dubai including the Waterfront Promenade, will broadcast the inauguration in real-time. Hundreds of international media, including Dubai TV, will report live from the scene.
The public can watch at the inauguration ceremony from the Waterfront Promenade adjacent to The Dubai Mall.
The inauguration performance begins with a short film which depicts the story of Dubai and the evolution of Burj Dubai as the world’s tallest building. A precisely choreographed sound, light, water and fireworks display then follows.
The first act in the light & sound show, themed ‘From the Desert Flower to Burj Dubai,’ is a co-ordinated water, light and firework display. Guests can watch the unfolding of the desert lily, Hymenocallis, the design inspiration of Burj Dubai. The segment ends with a rhythmic water and fireworks show.
The second act, ‘Heart Beat,’ captures the construction of the tower in a dynamic light show. An astonishing example of technological innovation, the display recreates the effect of a beating heart and uses no fewer than 300 ‘space canon projectors’ to generate a shadow-like image of the tower.
In the third act, ‘From Dubai and the UAE to the World,’ sky tracers and space canons envelop the tower in a strong halo of white light before reproducing the sun beams of the Emaar corporate logo. These then expand in all directions as the lighting rig on the tower’s spire activates.
In its spectacular finale, the show will feature an impressive show of 10,000 firework effects on and from the tower, envisaged as the highest in the world. The sparkling display will illuminate the entire Downtown Burj Dubai area.
Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director, UAE, Emaar Properties, said that the performance would be unprecedented and symbolic of Burj Dubai’s pioneering status.
“Just as Burj Dubai leaves an indelible impression on the mind’s eye, so the performance dedicated to the tower’s inauguration on January 4 will be a memory to cherish.”
Standing at more than 800 metres (2,625 ft) high and with over 160 storeys, Burj Dubai is the world’s tallest building developed by Emaar Properties. The tower anchors the 500-acre Downtown Burj Dubai community, described as the new heart of the city.