We need to first understand the problems that are encountered while building such tall buildings. When such a tall building is built, it needs to support its weight. At those heights, the winds are quite strong, so it needs to be ensured that there’s no damage due to the winds. And the Burj Khalifa overcame these challenges, due to its innovative design. If you look at the design from the top, it’s in a Y shape. Similar to a tripod, this building has three wings. Supported by a hexagonal core at the centre of the building.
This structural system is known as the Buttressed Core. This was invented by Burj Khalifa’s structural engineer Bill Baker. This structural system was used for the first time in South Korea’s Tower Palace 3 with the height of 264m. After its success, the architects realised that using this system can help build taller buildings. And only with its help, Burj Khalifa could be so tall.
So tall that the second-tallest building was 300m shorter. And Burj Khalifa was only the second building in the world to use this Buttressed core system. With the help of this system, the impact of the strong winds that blow can be reduced. Compare this to the new residential building in New York that have been built very tall and fall under the category of Super Tall but without using the Buttressed Core system. What needs to be done in those buildings?
