The Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai is shaped like a sailboat to resemble shipping history. Built on an artificial island, it was the tallest hotel in the world at completion in 1999. The architecture firm designed the hotel to have an exoskeleton frame with bracing and a central spine to transfer lateral loads and resist forces. An atrium is enclosed by a teflon-coated fiberglass membrane on arched trusses.

1. BURJ AL ARAB
Omar Cantu
Silvia Carroll
Dong Ho Kim
Kevin Kim

2. The Design
• Resembles a sail
• Shipping history
• Dubai monument
• Built on private island
• Tallest hotel in the world
• Underwater restaurant only
accessible by submarine
• Architecture Firm: W.S. Atkins
• Based in Surrey, England
• Project Lead Architect Tom Wright
• Engineering Firm: Al Habtoor
• Construction began 1994 with
planning and was completed in 1999

3. The Structure
• Exoskeleton Frame

4. The Structure
• Trusses

5. The Structure
• Central Spine

6. The Structure
• Membrane

7. In Construction
• Concrete Superstructure

8. In Construction
• Bracing

9. Analysis-Trusses
• Braces steel frame diagonally
• Resists Lateral Loads
• Reduce Moment and Deflection

10. Multistructure
Analysis-Bracing
Bracing
In Tension
• Braces the exterior steel frame
• Resists Lateral Loads
• Resists Overturning

11. Analysis-Spine
• Lateral loads are transferred
from steel frame to central spine
• Spine unifies the steel and
concrete structures

12. Analysis-Frame
Whole loads are first passed
from reinforced concrete in
multistory frame to main
steel exoskeleton, and then
to the foundation.

13. Lateral Loads

14. Lateral Loads
Without Bracing With Bracing

15. Moment Diagram
Without Bracing With Bracing

16. Atrium Membrane
• Façade for worlds tallest atrium
• Material – Teflon coated
Fiberglass
• Supported on arched trusses
• Trusses supported by cross
braced steel rods
• Anchored at the bottom,
mezzanine at the top
• Reduces glare and allows
diffused lighting into atrium

17. The Foundation
• Foundation is a piled raft
• 250 bored piles using friction
• Each is 1.5m and 35m long
• Bored through sand
• Resists earthquakes

18. The References
http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=4407
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/545499.stm
http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/29264.html
http://www.anvari.org/cols/Burj_Alarab.html
http://www.burjalarab.hcareers.co.uk/
http://www.egypteng.com/projectm/burj.asp
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=107803
http://www.habtoor.com/engineering/
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001338.html
http://www.jumeirahinternational.com/?source=404
http://www.skypage.com
http://www.structurae.net/
http://www.thecityreview.com/skyterra.html
Author. “Shady Character” World architecture, Apr 2000
Halford, M. “Chicago Beach Resort Development, Dubai.”
Concrete, July/August 1997
McBride, R. “Burj al Arab.” Architecture, Aug 2000
Talarico, W. “Designing with structural fabrics.”Architectural
Record, Sept 2000.

19. Thank You