Arabian Construction Company (ACC) is celebrating its role in garnering a major award for Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid, which has been voted the sixth best new skyscraper in the world. The UAE-based construction firm was the main contractor for the Abu Dhabi tower, which collected its prestigious accolade in the Emporis Skyscraper Awards 2014.
At 382 metres in height and comprising 92 storeys, Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid is the tallest building in Abu Dhabi and the 27th tallest building in the world. Designed by Foster and Partners and developed by Aldar Properties PJSC, ACC was awarded the main contractor for the prestigious tower, which was completed last year. The company says that the development was both one of the largest construction projects in the world and one of the most technically challenging it has been involved in.
“Everyone at ACC who worked on the Burj Mohammed is proud to see it internationally recognised as the world-class structure that it is. Design elements such as the world’s tallest scenic lift, the world’s highest swimming pool and the slanted roof all contributed to the complexity of the build and required innovative construction methods to ensure we could deliver the architect’s vision safely and to the highest standards,” said Mohamad A Sadik, Project Director, ACC.
Among the other specific challenges faced by the Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid, which forms part of the 700,000 m2 mixed-use Abu Dhabi World Trade Centre complex, were the logistics of transporting over 3,000 workers and materials to the buildings’ top level floors. The tower’s 474 apartments and penthouses are serviced by a structural scenic lift from the basement to level 85, the technicalities of its installation meaning that ACC had to find innovative structural and concrete works methods. The BMU (building maintenance unit) which is used to clean the outside of the roof from levels 88+ had to be specially designed and tested to ensure absolute safety for the people who will work in it to clean the roof. The system was specifically developed for the tower and is the first of its kind in the world.
“The roof alone on the Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid was one of the most complicated ever attempted. A big challenge was to ensure the BMU, which is used by workers to clean the 1700 m2 of glass on the outside of the roof, as well as replace glass safely – was safe and functional. This was no easy task considering the BMU has to traverse the roof at a 50 degree angle and weighs more than 15 tons. The result was a fully functioning prototype system which is a groundbreaking piece of equipment,” added Sadik.
The Emporis Skyscraper Award is the world’s most renowned prize for high-rise architecture and has been issued on an international basis annually since 2000. The primary judging criteria are excellence in aesthetic and functional design. Buildings must have a minimum height of 100 metres and have been completed during the previous calendar year. The award decisions are made by a jury of architecture experts who select a winner each year. Towers constructed by ACC have won Emporis awards three times in the past seven years; 2011 – Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi (3rd ), 2009 – Almas Tower, Dubai (8th) and 2007 – Rose Tower, Dubai (7th).
