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Burj Khalifa Spire |top| (2024)

It was pushed up from the inside in a series of highly calculated stages. Extreme Altitude Challenges

Technicians access the spire through narrow internal ladders.

No. It is the most extreme part of an extreme building. Without the spire, the Burj Khalifa would just be a very nice, very tall office block. With the spire, it is a needle threading the jet stream. burj khalifa spire

Functions as a primary navigational marker for Dubai International Airport. Communication Hub Houses powerful telecommunications antennae.

While the Burj Khalifa is known globally as the tallest building in the world, its crowning glory is often misunderstood. The sleek, silver needle that pierces the Dubai skyline isn't just for show—it is a marvel of engineering known as the . It was pushed up from the inside in

Raising the spire to the top of the world was one of the most complex phases of construction.

One of the primary functions of the spire is structural. In super-tall buildings, wind is a greater enemy than gravity. As wind hits a tall, flat structure, it creates alternating swirls of low pressure known as "vortex shedding," which can cause a building to sway dangerously. It is the most extreme part of an extreme building

Engineers used a hydraulic jacking system hidden inside the building’s core. They built the spire in sections, and like a periscope rising from a submarine, they pushed the spire up piece by piece from within the building. For the final 80 meters, they had to fabricate the steel on site and weld it manually—standing on a platform 750 meters above the ground.