UAE-based Al Habtoor Group has broken ground on its 82-storey ultra-luxurious development - Habtoor Tower - on Dubai's Shaikh Zayed Road. The landmark 1,701-key building is expected to be the world's largest residential building when completed in the next three years.

 

The “Habtoor Tower” will come up on the banks of the Dubai Water Canal, overlooking the Burj Khalifa in the Business Bay area and near the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

 

A ground-breaking ceremony was held on Thursday for the project. 

 

The magnificent new tower will be built at Al Habtoor City, home to Dubai’s most luxurious lifestyle destinations which was officially launched in 2016, with its three internationally branded hotels – The Habtoor Palace, LXR Hotels & Resorts, the V Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, and the Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City, La Perle – Dubai’s #1 show, a world-class theatrical experience in a specifically designed state-of-the-art aqua theatre, and three deluxe residential towers – Noora, Amna and Meera.

 

Building on decades of experience acquired from Burj Al Arab, Dubai International Airport Terminals 1 and 3, the Abu Dhabi’s Officers’ Club, and many projects that grace the Dubai Skyline, Al Habtoor Group will use innovative, creative, and selective construction techniques in building the tpwer, it said.

 

Al Habtoor Group is in the final stages of selecting the main contractor for the project based on qualifications and experience, with bids received from industry giants from the UAE, China, India and Europe.

 

Khalaf Al Habtoor, Founding Chairman of Al Habtoor Group, commented: “As a former builder/contractor, I am excited to be driving the first piles of the project into the ground and revealing some of the novel technical details of the construction techniques used in the Habtoor Tower, and very proud that it will be delivered at the highest quality in record time.”

 

A multi-billion dirhams development, the Habtoor Tower is the largest residential building in the world with ultra-luxurious living facilities, comprising 1,701 keys over a built-up area of 3,517,313 sq ft and 81 floors (G+7+73) above ground. It is due to be completed within 36 months, it said.

 

Revealing some of the pioneering construction methods used, Al Habtoor said: “This tower is unique in every aspect and can be considered a learning curve for all contractors in the region. We have challenged engineers and architects to deliver what we do best in Dubai and the UAE; an architectural masterpiece!”

The pioneering techniques include:

* Driving morning an 80-metre-deep barrette (deep piling foundation system) coupled with a plunge steel column 15 m high. This will allow the main contractor to start the super structure construction immediately while saving six months of construction time.

The above has led to a single column-single barrettes scenario with a carrying capacity of up to 220,000 KN (22,000 Ton). This structural system is being applied for the first time in Dubai and was developed by one of the local engineering firms associated with the Al Habtoor Group. The system was also validated by a detailed engineering peer review from world-renown experts; Structural San Francisco, Imperial College London and Terrasol Paris.

* It will use the highest steel grade in the construction industry 600 MPa, for the first time in the UAE, which leads to the lowest usage of steel reinforcement bars, hence the lowest carbon emission.

* Highest concrete grade 90 will be used for the first time in the UAE; for barrette use of concrete grade C90 for piles for the first time in the Emirates and the world, leading to the optimisation of usage of concrete for the project.

* Use of pre-painted metal decking for parking and commercial areas, saving construction time for the finishes.

* Use of top-down construction, leading to a saving of one year in construction time and the execution of 350,000 sq m of the built-up area in 1000 days.

 

Al Habtoor commented further: “As a direct effect of this innovative construction technique, a substantial saving in CO₂ emission has been achieved – less than 50 per cent of traditional buildings’ carbon emissions. Environmental experts are currently assessing our Habtoor Tower, aiming to achieve LEED Platinum Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the highest authority in green building rating systems worldwide.

 

“I am very proud of this new project, and there is nowhere else in the world I would want to develop it. In these uncertain times globally, my faith in our country’s economic strength and resilience is unwavering and greater by the day.

 

“This new project befits our country’s vision to always be at the forefront of innovation, responsible development and preserving our world for the next generations,” Al Habtoor concluded. - TradeArabia News Service