Al-Burj Tower: Secret Behind World Tallest Building Revealed

It is reported that architects behind the design of the Nakheel’s one kilometer high Dubai tower have revealed the secrets of how it will cope with high winds.

Mr Mark Mitcheson Low director in charge of the project & MD of Woods Bagot Middle East said that the cylindrical tower which will be 95 meters in diameter is in fact four towers encircling an internal void, linked at intervals by sky bridges.

He said that the design would mitigate the effects of the wind load, allowing the air to pass freely through the building. The individual quadrants of the building allow for structural rigidity against the strong winds usually experienced at the higher building levels.

Often limiting engineering possibilities beyond 500 meters, the wind will pass through vertical gills, which have been proven in wind tunnel testing to reduce the wind load by three fold.

At about every 25 levels, sky bridges will bind the building together to provide a structural integrity which, unlike any building before it, affords the tower greatly increased stability and the opportunity to build higher. They will also house mechanical, electrical and plumbing services and would provide safe crossing points if one of the towers were disabled due to an emergency.

Mr Low further said that “The design is an example of the human ability to overcome the forces of nature and harness them to create a monument dedicated to past, present and future generations of the Gulf.”