remaining safe and on-schedule. According to Kardous, the use of concrete is among the most important considerations for high rise projects in the Middle East. Projects must find ways to keep their ready-mix concrete below a certain temperature. One of the more cre- ative solutions includes using ice to cool the water that mixes with the concrete. To ensure that these solutions are practical, there is consider - able logistical planning that needs to take place. This means planning to ensure that there is sufficient time to transport the concrete from the production facility to the construction site as well as enough time to pour the concrete. This becomes critical when it comes to pouring concrete to the project’s upper stories. As such, Kardous notes that the efficient planning not only places the production facility as close to the construction site as possible, but also that the concrete’s transportation route avoids delays from cities and densely trafficked areas. Once the concrete reaches the construction site, these logistical considerations must also contend with the further challenge of pumping concrete higher and higher as the building extends vertically. The extra time af - forded by this planning is especially crucial for projects that reach 300 meters or higher, where Kardous notes that additives must be mixed in with the concrete to keep it malleable. Another challenge to tall construction projects is the vertical transpor - tation of both workers and materials, which can become one of the biggest time consumers on these construction projects. Again, this involves considerable logistical planning to ensure that construction activities such as inspections and maintenance are ordered in such a way that they do not require multiple trips up and down the structure. When it comes to the vertical transportation of materials, Kardous says there are never enough tower cranes and hoists for the project, but, by optimizing their usage, materials can be efficiently transported to their appropriate levels. This optimization usually comes by extend - ing the usage cycle of the lifting equipment from a standard 8-hour work window to a full 24 hours. While this results in longer hours for contractors and workers, it ensures that materials are moved efficiently and the project is completed on time. However, even with potential complications with these prestige- driven projects as well as challenges building in the hot climate, more and more tall buildings are being constructed throughout the Middle East. Led in part by firms such as Hill International, tall buildings
such as the Silhouette Tower in Doha, Qatar where they provided construction and project management services. Kadous believes that this trend will only continue. Currently, the UAE is leading the way in terms of vertical building with both Dubai and Abu Dhabi leading the way for the Gulf Region. Kardous believes that in order for this trend to continue, there needs to be an emphasis on both safety and fire protection. To place a stricter emphasis on safety, there are a few smaller categories into which the subject is divided. Life safety focuses on the means of egress for the occupants of any building or project. This means paying attention to the distance between occupants and their means of escaping in the event of fire or structural damage; it also means including design ele- ments such as refuge floors into buildings. According to Kardous, life safety is directly tied to both the building codes of each country as well as the capacity of the local authorities. Wherever a high-rise building is proposed, the local fire department must have the ability to help the people on the highest floors in the event of a fire. In some places, this greatly limits the available height of new building projects. Once a focus on life safety is established, then the next area of focus becomes protecting the building and its systems. Once all the occupants are safely evacuated, the emphasis becomes protecting the structure, sys - tems, and installations within the building. Although there is a focus on these safety elements during the occupation of the building, Kardous believes that there needs to be a greater emphasis on providing fire safety during the construction phase where there are additional dangers from things like welding and electrical work. There appears to be no slowing down when it comes to the pace of new vertical construction projects in the Middle East. As more projects are scheduled and completed, there will not only be challenges associated with construction and logistics, but also with the use of these build - ings. How this challenge is met will define the landscape of how these projects are handled in the coming years.
LUKE CAROTHERS is the Editor for Civil + Structural Engineer Media. If you want us to cover your project or want to feature your own article, he can be reached at lcarothers@zweiggroup.com.
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November 2021 csengineermag.com
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