How Was the Burj Khalifa Stabilized?

Across the world, the Burj Khalifa has been recognized as a feat of engineering. Not only is it the tallest building in the world, but it was built in the middle of the desert. This made stabilization very difficult, as sand is historically difficult to build upon. So how did civil engineers achieve such a feat?

Engineers begun with the shape of the base. Beneath the building, a Y shape was constructed around the whole building. This allows for an even distribution of wind forces, which is vital for supporting the higher elevations of a building (where the structures are thinner than the base). Then, around the wings of this Y shape, the structure is buttressed. In this process, concrete was placed across each wind, further stabilizing this shape.

Inside the building, there are a series of outrigger systems. In these systems, the core of the structure is tied to the perimeter of the structure. This distributes the forces evenly throughout a level. Also, this puts less stress on the levels below a certain floor. As a result, engineers were able to place more levels without compromising structural safety. If gravitational forces were not distributed effectively, lower levels would have an immense amount of force that would possibly cause collapse.

In the ground, even more measures were taken. Building in the middle of the desert meant that the ground had to be reinforced. And because of this, engineers planned a concrete mat at the bottom of the structure. As a whole, the concrete base was 164 feet deep, and was built with self-consolidating concrete. This concrete was specifically chosen as it is dense and has a low permeability. The low permeability is vital to the stability of this building, as it prevents water from eroding the foundation.

The Burj Khalifa is a case study for aspiring geotechnical engineers and structural engineers alike. The feat of establishing such a tall building in a tough environmental challenge can provide inspiration for any engineer who is facing similar challenges. In a world of constant evolution, civil engineers must look for ways to stretch the bounds of construction while still maintaining safety.