Glenium SKY concrete plasticisers, from BASF - The Chemical Company , have been used in the recently opened Burj Dubai, now the talkest building in the world.
Rising more than 800m to 160 stories, the Burj Dubai appears to touch the Dubai skies, and BASF Glenium SKY concrete plasticisers have helped to achieve this new world record altitude.
Taking five years to construct, the Burj Dubai presented a special challenge to BASF. With their high-performance Glenium SKY concrete plasticiser it was possible to pump the 180,000m3 of concrete with Glenium plasticizer required for the project up to an altitude of 600m without interruption.
“The construction of Burj Dubai is an engineering master piece. We are proud that we could contribute to the success of this project,” said Dr. Tilman Krauch, Head of the Construction Chemicals division of BASF.
The concrete additives, which are based on polycarboxylate ether polymers, ensure optimal flow and the prevention of segrecation during the pumping process, despite the high pressure used.
On site, it was easy to process the BASF concrete without quality loss due to the Glenium SKY concrete plasticiser.
In addition, Glenium SKY super-plasticisers improve the early strength of the concrete. The concrete cast to build a new story quickly reaches sufficient stability so that construction work can be continued shortly afterwards, thus allowing two stories to be built per week.
The climate was another challenge faced when constructing the tallest building in the world. In Dubai, the temperatures not only fluctuate between 10°C in winter and 50°C in summer, but the temperature difference between day and night can easily reach 20°C.
Glenium SKY concrete plasticiser and the expertise of the BASF team on site, however, made sure that the concrete was consistently of a high quality.
Additionally, the height of the Burj Dubai causes extreme pressure in the concrete structure. To prevent the skyscraper from collapsing, Glenium SKY concrete plasticiser lends the concrete a compressive strength of up to 80 N/mm2. This equals the entire weight of a small car resting on a space as small as the big toe. This strength gives the concrete structure a long lifespan and ensures the sustainable use of the tower.
