There is at least one superlative associated with the world’s tallest structure that few know about: The 828-meter Burj Dubai, renamed Burj Khalifa on its opening day, Jan. 4, is likely the most monitored skyscraper in the world, from its foundation to the top of its pinnacle. Data collected from the building’s permanent sensors will be used to refine design and construction methods for future supertall towers, say sources.
The burj’s lead contractor, Samsung C&T Corp., already used data collected during construction to validate design assumptions. “I was able to actually recalibrate the structural analysis model to reflect what we measured,” says Ahmad Abdelrazaq, executive vice president of Samsung, Seoul, and a former structural engineer in the Chicago office of the burj’s architect-engineer, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. “Through the model, I was able to predict lateral drift, including long-term effects, precisely and accurately,” he adds.