After posting our burj khalifa blog “10 mind blowing facts about the Burj Khalifa” we thought we check for more interesting facts about the burj khalifa which are maybe a bit more unknown but still mind blowing. So we searched the web, got on the phone and digged for more. And here you have it:
the burj khalifa facts (which are unknown)
The Name Burj khalifa
Here is our number one of our list. The original name was Burj Dubai. But there was a bit of a reason why the name changed on the inauguration day the 4 of January of the year 2010. The Sheikh and ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayad Al Nahyan helped Dubai out with $10bn to pay its debt. At inauguration day all guests and those watching TV were puzzled when Dubai’s Sheikh Muhammad called the building a different name as if it was named Burj Khalifa from the very beginning.
The Burj khalifa height
How high is the tall Burj khalifa skyscraper? It is precisely 829.8 meters. Compared to other buildings this number becomes more tangible: It is nearly 6 times higher than the Great Pyramid of Egypt. It is also more than twice as high as the Eiffel tower in Paris / France with 324 meters.
This clearly means that it is taller than Great Pyramid of Egypt by 8 times and the Burj Khalifa is twice the height of Eiffel tower in France.
Can you see the skyscraper from far away?
Due to its height of 829.8 meters it is a very high building which you can see from up to 95 kilometers of distance. That means all the people from nearby cities can see the Burj Khalifa on clear days when no sandstorm is hiding the tall skyscraper.
The tragic downside
As the tall skyscraper reaching new heights, it was hard to find worker ready to work in the soaring temperatures. Everyone hung onto their lives even when the developer doubled the salary. This went on when the tower was rising higher and higher. Fewer and fewer where working in this environment. Tragically many lost their lives and it it is said that the incidences have been suppressed by the government. Only a handful of people would know the exact number of death.
The aluminum for the facade of the Burj Khalifa
It is said that the amount of aluminum that was used to build the tall skyscraper is the equivalent of what would be used to build a number of five Airbus A380 planes. Which is currently the largest commercial passenger aircraft in use (in time of writing).
The Ground below the Burj Khalifa
The soil and rock conditions in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) are generally very loose to medium dense sand which is overlaying very weak sandstone and also siltstone with interbreeds of gypsiferous and carbonate cemented layers. Before building the Burj Khalifa Skyscraper several investigation took place to find out more about the stability of the Ground.
Records
The Burj Khalifa holds more than 18 Records, 17 Milestones and also 30+ worldwide records on its name! For Example it is the tallest freestanding structure in the world, it has also the highest number of stories in the world, the highest occupied floor in the world, the highest outdoor observation deck in the world, elevator with longest travel distance in the world, and also the tallest service elevator in the world.
Design
The shape of the Hymenocallis flower was the inspiring form to the design of the Burj Khalifa. The Hymenocallis flower is known for its very long petals extending out from its center. The name Hymenocallis is translated as Beautiful Membrane in Greek.
Weight
We spoke about the Height of the skyscraper and how its compared to other buildings. The weight of the concrete used in the tower weighs as much as 100,000 elephants.
Electricity
The usage of electricity of the Burj Khalifa is equal to the power generated by over 350,000 100 watt light bulbs burning simultaneously.
Fact of the height number 2
The plan was initially to beat the tallest building Taipei 101, by just 10meters. Luckily the Engineers found that the Burj Khalifa could be built way beyond the height of 800 meters, after it was half built. Thus making the Burj Khalifa a staggering height of 828 meters finally.
At the last point we would like to put the attention to a point no one thinks of: Sewage
Yes, we are really talking about sewage because in Dubai they are used to a system which is at least raising an eyebrow in other big developed cities of the world. So whats so special? The Burj Khalifa is not connected to the municipal sewage system ( if there is one — we don’t know). It looks like the rapid development of Dubai outpaced the sewage system. This means the officials needed to find a solution to this problem. A host of tall buildings use trucks to bring the sewage away from the skyscraper to the waste water treatment plant.
Photos are property of Many Wonderful Artists, HISHAM BINSUWAIF, Guilhem Vellut
