Work is in full swing at the Dubai Creek Tower, a global icon being built by leading developer Emaar in the heart of the 6-sq-km Dubai Creek Harbour. Work on pile capping for the tower is now at the halfway mark with completion scheduled for mid-2018, said a report

The progress of Dubai Creek Tower was today reviewed by Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, reported state news agency Wam.

He was accompanied by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; and chairman of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Chairman of Emaar Properties Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Dubai Holding Abdullah Al Habbai and other high-ranking government officials were also present.

The visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed coincides with Emaar setting a new milestone in the construction of Dubai Creek Tower.

With the placement of concrete for the pile cap commencing in September last year, the core of the pile cap has now reached its highest point. Over 50 per cent of the pile cap has now been finished with completion scheduled for mid-2018, stated the report.

Dubai Creek Tower’s pile cap is an approximately 20-m-thick multi-layered, tiered reinforced concrete top that covers and transfers the load to the 145 foundation barrette piles.

Designed by Spanish/Swiss architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava Valls, Dubai Creek Tower will feature several observation decks such as the Pinnacle Room and VIP Observation Garden Decks.

To date, about 25,000 cu m of concrete has been poured, weighing about 60,000 tonnes or half the weight of the CN Tower in Canada. About 12,000 tonnes of steel reinforcement has also been placed, nearly twice the weight of the Eiffel Tower, said the report.

In October 2016, Sheikh Mohammed marked the ground-breaking of the tower, with the foundation work accomplished in a record time. The tower’s 145 barrette piles were tested to a world record load of 36,000 tonnes and laid 72 m deep to firmly secure the superstructure. In all, about 50,000 cu m of concrete will be used to fully cap the foundation piles, stated the Wam report.

On completion, the tower will add incredible economic value to Dubai Creek Harbour, a mixed-use development located near the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary that is home to over 67 species of water birds and is protected by the Unesco Ramsar Convention.