Final cladding to be on Burj in weeks
Construction work on Burj Dubai is almost nearing completion as the
final cladding slab is about to be placed within weeks. The tower
consists of 24,348 glass, aluminium and steel panels.
Arabian
Aluminium Company- a member of Al Ghurair Construction Industries,
started work on the exterior cladding of Burj Dubai in April 2007 and
is now entering the final phase with the manufacture of the six-metre
long last panel for the tower. The panel will be transported to the
Burj Dubai work site for installation in the coming weeks.
The
main materials used in the cladding are reflective glazing, aluminium
mullions and textured steel spandrels with vertical stainless steel
tubular fins.
The cladding accentuates Burj Dubai's height
while lending it a shimmering slenderness. Panels of more than 18
different strength specifications and more than 200 sizes are being
used for Burj Dubai, all of them double-glazed and factory-sealed.
This
is the first time that Arabian Aluminium Company has worked on a
project of this scale and took great care to ensure that each
manufactured panel that left their factory met the highest standards
and strictest specifications.
Currently standing at more than
800 metres, the opening of the tower originally scheduled for September
has been delayed. Developer Emaar Properties recently confirmed that
the Burj Dubai has been delayed until December.
Speculation have
been rife about the final height of the 160-floor Burj Dubai, which
reportedly stands at 818 metres. The project is part of the $20 billion
(Dh73.4bn) Burj Dubai development - a 500-acre mega project, which
includes a shopping mall, hotels and residential buildings.
When
completed, the building will meet all four criteria listed by the
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which classifies
the world's tallest structures. CTBUH measures the height of buildings
to the structural top, the highest occupied floor, the top of the roof
and the tip of the spire, pinnacle, antenna, mast or flagpole.
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