On Saturday, May 25 Professor Clemence and one of the program's TAs, Tom Maxner accompanied Mr. Abdallah to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Clemence and Tom visited DCC's current site in Riyadh and took a brief tour to see the progress. The project, Burj Rafal, is a 305 meter tall hotel and residential tower. The tower has two basements, a ground floor and 62 additional storeys. The two basement levels, which provide parking for over 1,000 vehicles, equal roughly 40% of the total built up area. Once completed, Burj Rafal will be the tallest tour in Saudi Arabia.
Like many of DCC's projects, Burj Rafal is a unique project. Saudi Arabia's geology and desert climate allowed for a simple raft foundation in an excavation that required no shoring. The water table is around 20 meters below the ground surface so tension piles and dewatering were unnecessary. Additionally, Riyadh sits on entremely hard rock allowing for vertical, 90-degree excavation walls without shoring. The tower itself is unique in that the core and water tanks are eliptical. This has posed problems for construction thus far because the water tanks are double height and require extensive reinforcement that has been difficult to construct.
The project is currently on the seventh floor of the core wall, second floor of the outter slabs, and the formwork stage of the first basement.
Outside the project, Dr. Clemence and Tom took in some cultural aspects. More conservative and traditional than Dubai, Riyadh lacks glamour and elaborate designs shown in the Dubai skyline. Riyadh is located in the middle of the Arabian Desert and so can continuously expand horizontally. Saudi taste, as described by some workers who live there, includes more sprawling villas and universities than skyscrapers. In fact, Princess Nora University is currently under construction, but when completed will educate around 50,000 female students. The campus is so large that a tram system was built for the students.
Like many of DCC's projects, Burj Rafal is a unique project. Saudi Arabia's geology and desert climate allowed for a simple raft foundation in an excavation that required no shoring. The water table is around 20 meters below the ground surface so tension piles and dewatering were unnecessary. Additionally, Riyadh sits on entremely hard rock allowing for vertical, 90-degree excavation walls without shoring. The tower itself is unique in that the core and water tanks are eliptical. This has posed problems for construction thus far because the water tanks are double height and require extensive reinforcement that has been difficult to construct.
The project is currently on the seventh floor of the core wall, second floor of the outter slabs, and the formwork stage of the first basement.
Outside the project, Dr. Clemence and Tom took in some cultural aspects. More conservative and traditional than Dubai, Riyadh lacks glamour and elaborate designs shown in the Dubai skyline. Riyadh is located in the middle of the Arabian Desert and so can continuously expand horizontally. Saudi taste, as described by some workers who live there, includes more sprawling villas and universities than skyscrapers. In fact, Princess Nora University is currently under construction, but when completed will educate around 50,000 female students. The campus is so large that a tram system was built for the students.
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