The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 and remain the tallest twin towers globally, featuring a unique design that reflects Islamic art and heritage. Constructed between 1993 and 1999, the towers used innovative materials and engineering techniques, including a deep foundation and a sky bridge for emergency access. The project faced significant challenges, including unsuitable bedrock and weather conditions, but was completed two years ahead of schedule.

1. The Petronas
Twin Towers
AMAN SHUKLA
101116005
B.ARCH 2016-21’
NIT TRICHY

2. INTRODUCTION
• The Petronas Towers, also
known as the Petronas Twin
Towers (Menara Petronas, or
Menar Berkembar Petronas), are
twin skyscrapers in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia. According to
the Council on Tall Buildings and
Urban Habitat (CTBUH)'s official
definition and ranking, they
were the tallest buildings in the
world from 1998 to 2004 and
remain the tallest twin towers in
the world.

3. Quick Information
• ARCHITECT : Cesar pelli
• STRUCTURAL ENGINEER : Thornton
• thormaseti
• CONTRACTORS : TOWER 1 : Hazama corporation
• TOWER 2 : Samsung engg.& Co.
• FLOOR AREA : 3,95,000 m sq
• MATERIAL : Concrete , steel
• HEIGHT OF EACH TOWERS : 452 M above street level
• LIFTS : 29 double-decker high-speed passenger lifts in each tower.

4. Construction Team
• - Two separate construction teams.
• - First to use GPS (Global Positioning Satellite)
• - Built by concrete instead of conventional steel
• - 1000 people worked on each tower (3 shifts)
• - Floors up to 73rd Identical & easiest
• - 4 days to built each floor (Normal – 10 days)
TOWER 1
• Led by Japan Hazama Corporation
• Started on March 1994 (25 months & 1 week)
TOWER 2
• Led by Korea Samsung Engineering Co.
• Started on April 1994 (24 months)
Highlights
• Two 88 story towers with, a connecting bridge
• The sky bridge connecting the two structures
was also
• designed to act as a emergency escape in the
case of terroristic attacks and fires
• Pinnacles on top of the towers – design to
represent Islamic culture
• The use of glass windows
• Strive for the tallest building and originality

5. Foundation
The geotechnical survey discovered that the actual construction
site was situated partially over decayed limestone deposition
and rest over soft rock. foundation was rested on 1To0 4 safe
bed rock the piles were extended to depth ranging from (200-
374) feet. To reach this depth, PETRONAS Tower became the
structure having the deepest seated foundation of the world.
The piles were embedded by thick raft. This raft was 15 feet in
depth and it requires enormous amount of concrete to cast it.
This is about 4470,000 cubic feet which was the largest
continuously poured concrete until 2007. This huge quantity of
concreting for each tower required 54 hours to pour.

6. Design Concept
The towers evoke traditional motifs of Islamic
art, honoring the Malaysian Muslim heritage,
combined with innovative technology. Represent
a change in the style of skyscrapers built in Kuala
Lumpur, closer to traditional international style.
Pelli used an Islamic geometric design in its
plant, by interlacing two squares of gradually
decreasing size at the top, which is based on a
traditional motif in Islamic culture, a star of 12
peaks including a circle at each intersection.

7. Structure
Structure is the most
important element to ensure
the strength and the stability
of a building. Without a strong
structure, the buildings is not
safe to be occupied.
These pictures show the
cross section of the tower.
The cross section shows TWO
squares interlocking to each
other to form an eightpoint
star shape, which is the most
common shape design in
Islamic design.

8. Structure
Geometry is used as the main concept
of the design of Petronas Twin Towers.
This design means:-
Unity (Perpaduan)
Harmony (Harmoni)
Stability (Stabil)
Rationality (Rasional)
The roof uses a lot of triangular shape
structure to give a better support to the
building.

9. Structural System(for gravity and lateral loads):
• Structural system consists with75-by-75 foot concrete cores and an
outer ring of widely-spaced super columns.
• The core structure of each tower is composed of a ring of sixteen
cylindrical columns of high strength reinforced concrete.
• The columns vary in size from2.4in diameter at the lower areas to
1.2meters in diameter at the top ,and are placed at the outside
corners.
• The columns arel inked with a series of concrete core walls and ring
beams. These movement-resistant and damper-free structures can be
described as a pair of “soft tubes”. There are actually two concentric
pressurized cores in The structures, and the two cores unite at the
38th floor of each tower.

13. Skybridge
• DOUBLE DECK BRIDGE SPANNING 58.4 m
• CONNECTS TWO TOWER AT SKYLOBBY ELEVATOR
• TRANSFER STATION ON FLOOR 41 AND 42
• EASY CIRCULATION B/W UPPER TOWER FLOORS
• MINIMIZE LIFT USAGE
• REDUCES FIRE EXIT REQUIREMENT
• GREAT HEIGHT AND SPAN
• REQUIRES STEEL FOR LIGHT WEIGHT AND EASY CONST.
• TWO HINGED ARCH SUPPORTS THE SPAN
• SELF CENTRING ACTION FROM RESTRAIN AT ARCH
• CROWN AND SPHERICAL PIN AT SUPPORTS

14. Skybridge
• The skybridge built between the two towers
uses the combination of rectangles and
triangles structure to add more strength and
stability to the bridge
• The top view from skybridge of petronas twin
tower. It shows the landscape of roof design of
near by buildings. It portrays an interesting
symmetrical design.

15. Pinnacle

16. Material Used
• High-strength concrete was used in the central
core, perimeter columns, perimeter ring
beams and outrigger beams.
• The towers and their base are clad with
stainless steel extrusions and custommade
20.38 millimetre laminated lightgreen glass.
• The sunscreens have cast aluminium end caps
and are fixed on brackets made of extruded
aluminium and finished with oven-cured PVF2
fluorocarbon paint.

17. Steel Type
• Type 316 stainless steel(Ferrous) was
employed to clad the exterior of the Petronas
Towers, Malaysia (and the Jin Mao Tower in
China).
• Type 316 stainless steel is often used in
marine applications like for boat fittings, and
also used in the food and beverage industry.
Silos, cheese vats, fruit tanks and wine tanks
are also made using this type of steel.

18. Time
• The construction was estimated to take 8
years, however there was an eight month
delay
• It was completed in 6 years, two years under
what was predicted
• It was vital that the building was constructed
to the management plan, as it would cost
$700,000 per day after the deadline

19. Execution
• During the execution stage, the scope and
schedule are identified and determined.
• The schedule allowed for 4 days of
construction per floor, it initially took 8 day,
they had to construct uninterrupted, 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week
• Construction began in early 1993.
• A site establishment is conducted during this
stage, however, the engineers discovered that
there had never been a proper analysis of the
site, the site came to a standstill.

20. Execution
• Geologist looked for bedrock, but found that
the sitewas on declayed limestone and on the
edge of cliff
• The site was proposed to be moved 60 meters
onto the softer ground, were they could build
their own bedrock consisting of concrete
• The sky bridge connecting the two towers was
design for emergency purposes, such as a
terrorist attack, fires, and other emergencies

21. Constrains
• The not suitable bedrock (foundation)
• A lack of steel
• The concrete was not suitable, too soft
• They had to create a new form od concrete
that acted the same as steel; strong with a
degree of flexibility
• Flooring was time consuming

22. Issues during construction
• Issue One – The foundation slab
If the concrete dried unevenly, the slab would crack, thus seriously weaken
the ability to support the building above. Therefore, they decided to pour
the concrete all at the once, scheduling concrete trucks to arrive every 2,5
minutes for 52 hours, without a break.
• Issue Two – The weather
The Malaysian weather is susceptible to torrential rain, this is also
problematic to the slab, as the concrete can get too wet, and become ruined.
They covered the entire slab with canvas, the equivalent to 56 circus tents