Saudis to build world's tallest skyscraper - double the size of the Burj Khalifa!
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Original post by Greg.
I bet people are already planning to BASE jump off it.
Don't know about you, but it was the first thing I thought of
Surely in the event of a fire you'd be better off with a wingsuit than a fire escape...
Looks a bit like a Pen.
Yes, I stopped at 'n'.
Yes, I stopped at 'n'.
Original post by Phobia27
Surely there's got to be a point where these are too tall and just topple over? 
On second thoughts, I shouldn't really have that attitude as a wannabe Engineer...
On second thoughts, I shouldn't really have that attitude as a wannabe Engineer...
You would think so
What would happen if you threw a rock off the top of this thing? It would make a 10ft deep crater upon hitting the ground 
12 mins to reach the top by lift? I can run a mile in under 10 minutes, and I'm not electric - those lifts are crap. Imagine how many people will basejump from that thing 
I'll be impressed if they build one so high I can see it from here. It'd have to be 3.4875 miles high if I've done my sums right.
I'll be impressed if they build one so high I can see it from here. It'd have to be 3.4875 miles high if I've done my sums right.
With any skyscraper that big it is a consideration. It is pretty standard to build stairwells and lift shafts so they can be resistant to fire for quite a while, you can also do things like keep a positive air pressure in the stairwells relative to the floors (to try and stop them becoming full of smoke) and program the lifts so that in the event of a fire they immediately report to the floor right above the fire in order to take people to the ground, and carry on evacuating each in turn until they reach the top of the building. I'd rather take the lift I think - the height of the building is significantly taller than the tallest mountain in the UK, and last time I descended that my knees were stuffed at the bottom!
As for firefighting - generally at least one lift is reserved for use by firefighters in the event of a fire, also in any tall building pipes are already installed with a big inlet at the bottom which a fire engine can be connected to, and outlets on each floor for hosepipes.
So theoretically in the case of a standard fire, it is pretty easy to design the building to remain safe - I would be much more worried about a combined blast + fire (e.g. September 11th) event where a lot of the extra capacity put in to the structure to cope with a fire may already have been blown away before the fire itself starts. Though this does all assume it is built to Western standards and the Saudis have the infrastructure to service it properly.
BTW - vertical transportation is an interesting issue for building designers, I suppose with a certain height of building you might get to the point where most of the space on a floor near the bottom is taken up by lift shafts to carry people to the upper floors meaning you get less and less return on those floors and they end up being sort of pointless... probably one of the reasons why a lot of skyscrapers are built to a pointy shape!
As for firefighting - generally at least one lift is reserved for use by firefighters in the event of a fire, also in any tall building pipes are already installed with a big inlet at the bottom which a fire engine can be connected to, and outlets on each floor for hosepipes.
So theoretically in the case of a standard fire, it is pretty easy to design the building to remain safe - I would be much more worried about a combined blast + fire (e.g. September 11th) event where a lot of the extra capacity put in to the structure to cope with a fire may already have been blown away before the fire itself starts. Though this does all assume it is built to Western standards and the Saudis have the infrastructure to service it properly.
BTW - vertical transportation is an interesting issue for building designers, I suppose with a certain height of building you might get to the point where most of the space on a floor near the bottom is taken up by lift shafts to carry people to the upper floors meaning you get less and less return on those floors and they end up being sort of pointless... probably one of the reasons why a lot of skyscrapers are built to a pointy shape!
(edited 13 years ago)
Original post by Democracy
I'm fairly certain the average Saudi would rather have a decent constitution and no corruption, or the godforsaken Pakistani slave labourers would rather have some basic human rights. Same goes for Bahrain, UAE, etc.
These Arab states literally revolt me, they're the most unclassy, uncultured places on the planet. They think by making endless skyscrapers that shows how "cultured" and "modern" they are...whilst most of their citizens live in poverty.
These Arab states literally revolt me, they're the most unclassy, uncultured places on the planet. They think by making endless skyscrapers that shows how "cultured" and "modern" they are...whilst most of their citizens live in poverty.
Absolutely true. They are ****holes.
But it sure is great to live in some of these places for a short while with tons of money to blow.
While their people starves and the Ummah is on its knees.
this monstrosity.
The prophet (pbuh) said, "The hour will not be established until you see barefoot, unclothed, beginning shepherds competing in the construction of tall buildings".
We await a new Umar Ibn Al Khattab (ra) or Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz (ra) to bring this great country out of these saudi animals.
this monstrosity.
The prophet (pbuh) said, "The hour will not be established until you see barefoot, unclothed, beginning shepherds competing in the construction of tall buildings".
We await a new Umar Ibn Al Khattab (ra) or Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz (ra) to bring this great country out of these saudi animals.
(edited 13 years ago)
It is not the best idea considering the country could use the money on better things but I suggest they build similar sized buildings next to it to make it look like a large city. One over-sized building just looks stupid amongst the dwarfling (lol) buildings around it.
If I was playing Sim City and there was just 1 huge building in my commercial district and the rest were just lightly populated I would be annoyed as hell and spend most of the night trying to increase the land value around the place to encourage similar buildings, but that's a different story.
If I was playing Sim City and there was just 1 huge building in my commercial district and the rest were just lightly populated I would be annoyed as hell and spend most of the night trying to increase the land value around the place to encourage similar buildings, but that's a different story.
Original post by Democracy
I'm fairly certain the average Saudi would rather have a decent constitution and no corruption, or the godforsaken Pakistani slave labourers would rather have some basic human rights. Same goes for Bahrain, UAE, etc.
These Arab states literally revolt me, they're the most unclassy, uncultured places on the planet. They think by making endless skyscrapers that shows how "cultured" and "modern" they are...whilst most of their citizens live in poverty.
These Arab states literally revolt me, they're the most unclassy, uncultured places on the planet. They think by making endless skyscrapers that shows how "cultured" and "modern" they are...whilst most of their citizens live in poverty.
Previously, 10 out of 10 of your posts I would disagree with.
Its not the case here. I couldn't agree more with you.
Original post by callum9999
You can't wait to see people suffering? What a great person you are!
All countries in the world spend vast amounts of money on things people don't agree with. Our nuclear weapons cost more to maintain than this, so at least they get something vaguely useful out of it.
(And not aimed at you, but I find it pretty revealing that people will go on rants about Arabs etc. then only clarify that they mean the governments after they have been challenged. There is a very big difference between a dictatorship and a group of civilians - if you have to clarify which one you were talking about then I struggle to believe you are genuinely concerned for their welfare, as opposed to just making a rant about Arabs in general).
All countries in the world spend vast amounts of money on things people don't agree with. Our nuclear weapons cost more to maintain than this, so at least they get something vaguely useful out of it.
(And not aimed at you, but I find it pretty revealing that people will go on rants about Arabs etc. then only clarify that they mean the governments after they have been challenged. There is a very big difference between a dictatorship and a group of civilians - if you have to clarify which one you were talking about then I struggle to believe you are genuinely concerned for their welfare, as opposed to just making a rant about Arabs in general).
Hats off Sir , Arab here.
People accept capitalism on themselves but hate to see it being applied by others, the motives behind this building aren't just a matter of showing off, its a property investment aiming to make profit in the long run.
Cheap/ free labour for a pointless building 
I live in Jeddah, and they've been talking about this building and many others since 3 years, and we haven't seen them starting on any of them yet!
Anyway, even if it's built, I hope I'll be out of here before it's completed. Imagine having a building like that collapse on it's side! It'll be horrific if it falls on other people's homes.
First let them build a system for rainwater drainage in Jeddah, then think of skyscrapers!
Anyway, even if it's built, I hope I'll be out of here before it's completed. Imagine having a building like that collapse on it's side! It'll be horrific if it falls on other people's homes.
First let them build a system for rainwater drainage in Jeddah, then think of skyscrapers!
by the sounds of things, there's no need to ever leave the building 
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