Conference Session C10

Paper 2169

THE BUTTRESSED CORE

Chase Smethurst (cas233@pitt.edu), Billy Green (weg22@pitt.edu)

Abstract - This paper will describe and demonstrate the use of the buttressed core, the newest and most cutting edge design being used in the infrastructures of some of the tallest and the tallest building in the world, these otherwise known as skyscrapers. The infrastructures and designs of these buildings will be explained thoroughly as well as the direction that these skyscrapers and modern buildings are heading for. Further discussion will show the values of the known and proven advantages of this innovation of the buttressed core. Its three wing design which extend out of the central core and firmly anchor the skyscrapers will be described and told as well its use in the future building of our cities most iconic landmarks. This conference paper will both describe some of the techniques and designs currently used in some the earths most famous buildings. The buttressed core will be examined in detail, describing the different components and parts which make up the buttressed core and the materials which go into making it like the use of fly ash in the cement of the core (Sheath), describing in part how it operates as a whole, making the worlds tallest skyscrapers more structurally sound even at their ridiculous heights. The assessment of how and why this is an invaluable design and why it is of importance to our future will be described and discussed as the most advantageous reason for civil engineers and those building skyscrapers into the future to use it. This paper will also present examples that the design was used in the most famous and tallest buildings such as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai known as the worlds tallest building, doubling the size of the Empire State Building (Baker). The buttressed core allows for these skyscrapers to go up tall and fast with enough usable floor space to maximize clients chances of making a profit (Blum). The buttressed cores design is most prevalent and well recognized in the beautiful and extravagant building in Dubai the Burj Khalifa (WebBuildingsDirectory). The Burj Khalifa offers a social impact as well bringing in extra profit and much publicity to Dubai (Dowdey) Overall civil engineering in the future is set to explode and people and cities want more beautiful and taller buildings, the buttressed core allows for us to create these buildings of the future and show engineers that next step in innovation. Our paper belongs in the Civil Engineering Conference because it describes and explains important innovations in the world of civil engineering that are present in the Burj Khalifa. Even though we only talk about one building, we describe how it utilizes many new design schemes and techniques that allow it to become the tallest building in the world. University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering 1

Key Words Burj Khalifa, Buttressed Core, civil engineers, concrete, Fly Ash, structure, Y-design

THE BURJ KHALIFA

The Burj Khalifa (formerly known as the Burj Dubai) gained the title of the worlds tallest building when it was completed in 2010. It rises to a maximum height of 828 meters (2716.5 feet), taller than any other man made structure [1]. It is the crowning achievement in the massive construction projects in Dubai, UAE, and has become a symbol for the nation. Dubai has seen a huge amount of construction in the past few decades. It has built the worlds tallest hotel, the Burj al Arab, which sits on a man made island in the Persian Gulf. And speaking of man made islands, more than 300 have been built in the Persian Gulf. This is a paradise for architects and engineers who want to make their wildest dreams come true. This is a place where you would expect the worlds tallest building to be built. It is the centerpiece of a $20 billion construction project in Dubai, UAE. It has been made to bring more business into the city. The tower is mainly residential, an oddity for skyscrapers, who are usually used as office space. This is in an attempt to make urban areas more livable. The building being connected with transit in the area makes getting from the tower to the rest of the city easy. But, even being an excellent place to live, it has remained with a good portion of its residential space empty [2]. Bill Baker, the designer of the Burj Khalifa, is an expert in super-tall skyscrapers. He has built many, but in his latest projects, "He's posing new structural approaches rather than reworking old ones, as stated by Carol Willis, director of the Skyscraper Museum in New York City [1]. Dubai may be growing into a modern city, but it is also holding on to its heritage and culture. The Burj Khalifa not only draws its design from its engineering, but it also pulls from the culture of Dubai [2]. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. And it is the tallest by an impressive amount. The previous tallest building is Taipei 101. The Burj Khalifa is Taipei 101 with the Chrysler Building on top of it. This is a jump in height of 300 meters. The gap between Taipei 101 and its predecessor, the Petronas Towers, is about 50 meters, and the gap between the Petronas Towers and its predecessor, the Willis Tower, is about 10 meters. How could there be such an unprecedented jump in height? It is all placed within the secrets of the buttressed core [3]. April 14, 2012

Chase Smthurst Billy Green outside. The shape also makes wind forces much less than that of a flat edged building, creating less surface area facing the wind at any one time. The length of the buttresses also have uses elsewhere [4]. The buttresses take a step pack every few floors, tapering to a point at the top. This pointed design emphasizes the height of the building making it seem taller than it really is, adding to the hugeness of the building. These set backs also help to reduce the force of the wind [2]. Because the cross section facing the wind changes, as the building gets taller, the wind cannot form powerful vortexes on the opposite side as seen in Figure 1. On a flat edge building, these vortexes cause shaking. This design reduces the amount of shaking that the Burj Khalifa will be impacted with [4]. FIGURE 1
AFFECTS OF THE STRUCTURE ON THE WIND [4]

THE BUTTRESSED CORE

In the design and construction of Tower Palace III in Seoul, South Korea, the Burj Khalifas designer, Bill Baker, noticed that the design was a Y shape and he named it the Buttressed Core. He recognized the strengths of his design and used it for the construction of the next worlds tallest building [2]. The design consists of a hexagonal core with three projecting arms. It is built primarily of reinforced concrete, odd among skyscrapers, which are usually steel. These buttresses have walls that go down their length, ending with thicker, hammerhead walls. All interior walls are stacked on top of each other for the height of the building, giving the building high vertical strength. Columns along the perimeter of the building connect to outrigger walls on mechanical floors that connect to the interior walls of the building. This along with flat plate floors makes all the vertical concrete work for vertical as well as lateral strength [4]. It is the innovation that is beginning to be seen all over the world and in taller and taller buildings. The innovator of the buttressed core William Baker is becoming more and more popular in the world of structural and civil engineering, later in the article more we will see more in depth to the world of William Baker, but the main part is that the buttressed core is growing and its efficient way of helping construct buildings taller, faster, and cheaper, is really catching on around the world. This is especially relevant in the world of Dubai, the place where the buttressed core has made such an impression with its crowning achievement of the Burj Khalifa. The buttressed core has the unique and amazing quality of being strong and sturdy, yet also light and more efficient to create. Yet it is not only the strength that the buttressed core provides for these amazingly tall structures but it is also the appearance that it can give the structure that it designed to build. The design of the buttressed core allows the structures to have more window space and can really give those who are staying at one of William Bakers amazing structures that amazing scenery from incredible heights that may be harder come by in the skyscrapers that do not have such a favorable design. So not only does the buttressed core allow a building to built both taller and faster than any other structure but also allows that structure to have that appeal of the amazing birds eye view it gives to its residents or visitors. Effect on the Structure The buttressed core is not only used for its strength, but it has also added to the rest of the structure. The Y-shape allows for the most unobstructed windows possible, without leaving much of the interior space closed off from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering 2

The buttressed core allows the building to grow to amazing heights, but not use too much of the building for strength. If the Willis Tower was as tall as the Burj Khalifa so much of its floor space would be used for structural purposes that the building would no be feasible [1]. The height of the Burj Khalifa is really what has made many marvel at it, and really is what turned the city of Dubai into what many believe is the first of many super tall structures. Dubai in its pursuit to create a super tall city is on the cusp of several new structures because of the Burj Khalifas effect on both the economic and social popularity of a city that otherwise considered in debt until one of there local super rich leaders bailed the city out of billions of dollars of debt. This man was who the amazing structure was named after and many consider him to be the first to lead Dubai into this new age where newer and taller buildings will be built in the hope to attract more and more attention to the intriguing part of real estate they already have.

April 14, 2012

Chase Smthurst Billy Green The Khalifa itself has a very unique structure to it and that is also accredited to the ingenious design from the engineer Bill Baker. The extremely broad base of the building is necessary for the extreme height that it reaches. It is said that the taller which you make the building the more broad of a base you will need to support it. Its shrinking width as it gets taller and taller also helps, as there is less surface area for the wind to grab onto and thus gust into. Essentially each floor plan as you go further is the Y-shape of the buttressed core rotated to an exact position different to that of the floor before it. This adds to both structure an appearance as the Y design adds the amount of windows that can be placed on a single floor. structure itself to sway and this can be very dangerous if engineers do not use the correct type of structures wen building these huge buildings. For instance the Burj Khalifa that is known to all as the tallest building in the world, as stated earlier uses the buttressed core for its amazing structural strength. This tri-axial design consists of three tiers that are staggered throughout construction of each floor as the building gets taller and taller [6]. This design is the key to the building itself staying in that safe zone where the building can sway with the wind but not to the point where it becomes a dangerous risk. This three-tier design allows the wind to not hit one side directly or head on, diverting the wind from the hitting the building straight on at any point [6]. In the Burj Khalifa specifically each of the wings of the buttressed core buttresses the others via a six-sided central core [6]. The corridor walls extend from the central core to near the end of each wing, terminating in thickened hammer head walls [4]. The outrigger of these walls is prohibited to link outlying columns to the inner walls system., which allows these columns to help with the lateral load resistance of the structure [6]. What this means is that the concrete itself in the vertical direction is utilized to support both gravity and the lateral loads. This amazingly designed part of the core allows the Burj Khalifa to be very stiff laterally and torsionally [6]. What this means is that at such extreme heights the things experience on the surface have to be magnified. The Burj Khalifa is immense in size and what this means is that gravity affects it greatly pushing down on all parts of the incredible building, meaning that to withstand such a large force of gravity the strength of the building in the upward direction must be incredibly powerful. The upward force must be large enough to withstand gravity so that the structure itself does not collapse in on itself. The buttressed core allows for structures to become very rigid and give them the strength vertically to resist the forces that cause it to collapse [4]. This is directly accredited to the design of the buttressed core where the three wings are attached to a very strong central core. The central core is the key factor in giving the structure the strength to withstand intense weight of gravity [4]. To be strong vertically as well as torsionally or otherwise the ability to resist twisting as a result of winds. The Burj Khalifa was constructed in Dubai where the average wind speed over fifty years has been just over twenty-two miles per hour. For the Burj Khalifa to stand at a height where no other structure has ever been built it would need to have a design where the resistance of the natural act to twist in the high winds is fought against. The buttressed core is what allows the structure to stand at the height of over 800 meters in the air [7]. The three wings use each other to build that strength. If one wing is feeing the force of the winds, the other two wings act as supports to help keep it from twisting.

CONSTRUCTING THE CORE

The buttressed core may seem to many to have a more simple design to its structure. To engineers, the buttressed core is a thing of incredible ingenuity and there is much more to what meets the eye when it comes to the recognizable, Y design. As engineers, to us it is not what a piece of machinery or what a structure may look like as a whole but more as to how the whole is made up of from the many different parts. The buttressed core is something which is an incredible innovation as a whole but is also something that is made up of many parts and without each and every part accounted for the structure will fail, this is why we found it so important to mention in our conference paper the actual construction of a buttressed core and what goes into giving it such amazing structural quality. One of the major components when it comes to constructing the buttressed core is the actual cement used to make it. One of the interesting things about this structural innovation is that it actually is not pure cement or concrete. What is used to make the buttressed core is a newer and more cost effective way to make cement-like substances known as fly ash [5]. The development and use of mineral admixtures like fly ash are becoming more common in the construction industry mainly due to the consideration of a more cost-effective, energy saving, and the environmental production and conservation of resources [5]. There is even currently a study that is looking at replacing cement in concrete more and more with the more flexural fly ash, testing its behaviors in certain support beams and other structural uses [5]. In the buttressed core the fly ash is a key component and is even growing more popular in the entire world of construction. Another key component in the construction of the buttressed core is its intriguing design. The buttressed core is designed in such a way that it makes it perfect for constructing such amazingly tall heights. One of the major issues when it comes to constructing buildings that challenge the heights of the tallest in the world is the wind. At very tall altitudes the wind can be so strong at times that it causes the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering 3

April 14, 2012

Chase Smthurst Billy Green This design is perfect to have the Burj Khalifa stand at such a mind-boggling height without twisting on itself. All these components of the buttressed core gives structures like the Burj Khalifa a very efficient structure for the fact that the gravity load resistant system is utilized so it can maximize its use in resisting the lateral forces like that of the incredible wind gusts. On the top of the Burj Khalifa there is about a 230-meter tall spire and the complete structure of the tower founded on a 3700-meter thick reinforced concrete pile supported raft foundation [6]. Constructing the buttressed core involves very precise and exact measurements, like every other part of a well bit structure it takes much time and effort to be able to construct such an integral part of a skyscraper [7]. Every step in the process of constructing the buttressed core is a key to its success and holds all the answers to how it allows such amazing structural power for these super skyscrapers that are reaching new heights every day. Giving structures the amazing ability to both resist the vertical force of gravity as well as having the lateral strength to resist the force of the wind. Khalifa that have countries all over the world building taller and more impressive buildings. What the buttressed core provides that no other structural innovation can provide is such and effective way to reach these incredible heights as well giving the building such incredible rigidity and the lateral strength that allows these skyscrapers to stand at such tall heights for these long periods of time [4]. As stated earlier in this article Dubai is one of the leaders in the world of designing theses structural super giants. Dubai is located in the Middle East and is one of the richest places on earth. Dubai is beginning to be mentioned with the major cities of the world as it grows and will continue to grow. They do not shy away from the possibility of designing new super structures and do not see a reason to not continue to build these amazing feats of structural engineering. Though the United States is not quite as rich per capita as the likes of the United Arab Emirates but it still has its fair share of skyscrapers. The United States continues to have the most popular cities in the world with there own signature buildings, though they may not be as tall as the newest skyscrapers, they still hold significance. Dubai is still far off from being known as the New York City of the Middle East but it is making good process building larger and more extravagant buildings by the day. The amazing thing is what it is doing for the economy. What skyscrapers of this magnitude do, especially when they are the tallest building in the world, is draw attention to your area no matter where it is. People go to Dubai from all over the world to visit the amazing Burj Khalifa as well as their other attractions. In the base of the hotel alone are more than a few hotels, which are some of the most extravagant in the world. There was even a recent movie shot, which had scenes shot in and around the Burj Khalifa and Dubai. The structure itself has done so much for the area that it is hard to dispute the fact that Dubai would be anywhere near as popular had it not been for the tallest building in the world. Skyscrapers not only give the city that amazing scenery and a view no one can ever forget but it also gives the people and the economy around the area and amazing boost too.

SKYSCRAPERS OF T HE FUTURE
The need for the buttressed core and innovations like it will continue to grow as our society moves further into the future. It seems as if every few years there is a newer and taller skyscraper being built. These skyscrapers are something that every country wants, every year making our cities larger and more attractive to draw business whether it be a tourist attraction or a skyscraper used for offices. What the buttressed core allows is the construction of the building in the quickest and most effective way possible. With the use of the buttressed core the current tallest building in the world known as the Burj Khalifa was able to go up much higher than its predecessor the Taipei 101 [8]. The Burj Khalifa is over 300 meters taller than the previous number one [3]. That amazing statistic gives you a look at how much the buttressed core adds to the heights of these buildings. Not only do these new skyscrapers get put up faster, they are constructed in a much quicker time. The design of the buttressed core allows to be put up in a much faster time period because of how it can be oriented. For buildings to reach those heights that have never been thought possible, engineers and those who help construct and pay for the construction of the skyscrapers need the most cost effective and structurally sound innovations, both of which the buttressed core can provide. In Dubai the construction of the Burj Khalifa itself has helped the economy boom. Within the amazing skyscraper there are many different attraction ranging from many hotels to the worlds highest nightclub as well as some residential apartments. It is economic advantages like those of the Burj University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering 4

CIVIL ENGINEERING INNOVATION

There are so many ways that the buttressed core has helped all civil engineers look at structures differently. It gives engineers the opportunity to expand and push the boundaries of what we have come to believe are the limits of our structural ability. As engineers we continue to look for ways which we can help improve the way which we construct our buildings and begin to build the structures of the future which reach new heights every day. The key to help building our future is to have future engineers who push themselves to discover these new techniques that give us the opportunity to both achieve new April 14, 2012

Chase Smthurst Billy Green things and help our society grow in such a way that is prosperous for the future. These days every year it seems like a new technology rises up that is the next big thing, and for the civil engineering world right now that big thing is the buttressed core. The designer of the buttressed core and the one who receives most of the credit for its introduction into the structural world is William Baker [1]. William Baker is known as one of the premier engineers in the world and many give him the title as the King of Super Stable Structures. He has designed many large famous buildings that include the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Time Warner Center in New York, and many other amazing skyscrapers all over the world [1]. As an engineer, many consider him as one of the premier engineers in the world. He is currently working on his next big product in Las Vegas, Nevada. This project is known as the Crown Las Vegas Resort and Casino, it will be constructed to an amazing 1,888 feet and could include what could be the worlds highest gaming room. Being one of the most important structural engineers in the world, his main contribution has been the buttressed core. Baker currently has more towers constructed over 1000 ft than that of any engineer in history [1]. For a society that is racing to win the battle over the skyline of the planet, and ultimately the bragging rights of having the tallest buildings in the world, countries all over the world are getting in contact with William Baker to construct more and more buildings. Before Baker became the famous engineer he is today, as an up and coming engineer he sat in his office, like many engineers looking for that new cost effective way to build super tall buildings. He looked at three main ideas and problems and looked for ways to solve them. Calculating and talking about as you increase the height of a building, its incredible size becomes a bigger target for winds, and these incredible wind speeds become a large reason for a building to topple over. William Baker looked closely at the problem of costs and he said that the amount of money that is lost during additional and unnecessary construction time adds up to a very large amount at the end of the project [6]. The third problem being how hard it is to actually fill up these super tall structures and how no matter how good the economy or real estate value is, it is very hard to fill up the incredible amount of floor space like those of the Sears Tower or even the Empire State Building when it was first constructed. The breakthrough for the actual buttressed core came when Baker and his team at his engineering firm known as Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, simply known as SOM, were designing a new Y-like design which would increase the amount of windows per apartment. After the plans of that first building never reached potential Baker was still able to see how amazingly strong the design was and yet very light at the same time. He saw that each of the wings acted as support for the other two wings. He realized just how University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering 5 effective this would be against the winds at super tall heights [1]. In the amazing Ydesign Baker so the solution to all of his previous problems see that if you were to orient the buttressed core in such a way that it would be vertically strong, and by connecting each of the different wings of the Y-shape to a very strong central core the twisting and swaying of the building would be significantly reduced [1]. Baker himself said back then that If somebody really wanted to do the worlds tallest building, this would be the way to go. After the story goes on and William Baker completed the Burj Khalifa and it became the worlds tallest building back in 2009. The buttressed core has given so much already to the field of civil engineering. Giving structural engineers all over the world the opportunity to have a hand in building these super structures. The buttressed cores combination of unmatched strength and lightness gives it an amazing quality that no other structural design has. Today Baker still works on taller and taller buildings and continues to use his famous design. For all civil engineers this structural design of the buttressed core gives us the opportunity to literally reach for the skies.

REFERENCES
[1] - Andrew Blum (2007, November 27) Engineer Bill Baker Is the King of Superstable 150-Story Structures Wired [Online] Available: http://www.wired.com/culture/design/magazine/1512/mf_baker?currentPage=all# [2] - William F. Baker (2010, March 1) Reaching for the Heavens The Burj Khalifa Triumphs [Online]. Available: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3002c401-521e4121-a6ee-9eb3b639782c%40sessionmgr111&vid=2&hid=111 [3] - Hasan. (2008 October) Ten Tallest Buildings in the World Info Blog [Online] Available: http://www.dirjournal.com/info/ten-tallestbuildings-in-the-world/ [4] - Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (2010) Buttressed Core Central System for Burj Khalifa World Buildings Directory [Online] Available: http://www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com/project.cfm?id=2618 [5] - Sunilla George (2011) Flexural Behavior of Activated Fly Ash Concrete International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology [Online] Available: http://www.doaj.org/doaj?func=abstract&id=859078&recNo=44&toc=1&ui Language=en [6] - J. Sheath. (2010, August). "Fly ash used in the construction of the world's tallest building." Civil Engineering. [Online: Article]. Available: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=19779358-c453-48b1-b0eb b0817ae10345%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=127&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZW hvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=60640952 [7] - Peter A. Irwin, William F. Baker, Stan Korista, Peter A. Weismantle, and Lawrence C. Novak. The Burj Dubai Tower. Structure Magazine. [Online Magazine] Available: http://www.structuremag.org/Archives/200611/F-Burj-Dubai-Tower-Irwin-etal-Nov_06.pdf

April 14, 2012

Chase Smthurst Billy Green

[8] - Sarah Dowdey (N/A) Whats the New Tallest Building in the World How Stuff Works [Online] Available: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/burj-dubai.htm

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to thank all the workers at the library who helped us find and acquire this information. Wed also like to thank our friend and families who have helped give us the tools to study and work hard to become engineering majors. This paper would not have happened without them.

University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering 6

April 14, 2012