The Saudi Binladin Group is using Schwing Stetter equipment to provide the concrete for the record-breaking Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, as it rises towards its eventual height of more than 1,000m.
The contractor is employing two dedicated on-site Stetter HN 3.0 batching plants to produce the concrete necessary for the mega-project while avoiding potential delays in the concrete supply.
Meanwhile, four Schwing SP 8800 D stationary pumps with 450kW in engine power each and a maximum feed pressure of up to 243 bar to pump the concrete up the high-rise – an endeavour that will ultimately see some 3,750m of pipeline deployed.
As the project’s height tests the limits of current pumping technology, a further concrete pump will be installed at a height of 400m to continue the transport of concrete up to the higher floors.
For placing the concrete, the Saudi Binladin Group is using five Schwing concrete placing booms (SPB), with three SPB 35 and two SPB 30 booms, for placing the mix up to a height of over 950m.
A high-performance, self-compacting concrete (SCC) C85 is being used for the first and second construction phases up to a height of approximately 400m, while for the third phase, continuing on to 674m, a similar high-performance concrete will be used but with a lower compressive strength.
A comprehensive pumping trial was required on site prior to the start of the project was needed to optimise the concrete mixture, because the existing models were not reliable for the project’s scale.
Above the 674m mark on the project, or floor 167, the conventional concrete structure gives way to the ‘spire’ section of the tower, spiralling up to a height of 962m from floors 168 to 240.
From then on, the final apex of the structure constructed from steel elements, continuing up to the planned height of over 1,000m.
The Kingdom Tower will become the world’s tallest building after its scheduled completion in 2020.