The complex engineering behind the making of the Burj Khalifa
There is no doubt that the Burj Khalifa is a marvel of engineering. The building stands strong, tall, and mighty on loose sandy soil and braves the strong Arabian winds. It can even confuse the wind and lightning.
What are its secrets? It starts with a strong hexagonal core. This core is the hero enabling the building to keep standing despite the devastating wind storm of Dubai and helps keep the weight of the building balanced. It also accommodates the elevator system of this super-tall building.
Normally, such a slender core would be highly unstable and prone to falling at any time. Its designers however came up with a highly innovative solution. Taking inspiration from the buttresses we normally see on dams, they used similar support around the Burj Khalifa's core.
Even better, the buttresses were designed so you can live next to them without even noticing that they are structures meant to stabilize the core. How did the engineers and architects achieve that? What other measures were put in place to stabilize this structure? What other innovations went into building such a powerful unit? This video answers all these questions and more revealing the complex engineering behind this famous building.