Posted on 02/08/2010 8:44:24 AM PST by Free ThinkerNY
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The world's tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.
Electrical problems are at least partly to blame for the closure of the Burj Khalifa's viewing platform—the only part of the half-mile high tower open yet. But a lack of information from the spire's owner left it unclear whether the rest of the largely empty building—including dozens of elevators meant to whisk visitors to the tower's more than 160 floors—was affected by the shutdown.
The indefinite closure, which began Sunday, comes as Dubai struggles to revive its international image as a cutting-edge Arab metropolis amid nagging questions about its financial health.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
I aint going up in that thing? No way no how.
It was designed by a firm out of Chicago as I recall.
I'm thinking Old Testament, something about competition to erect tall buildings...
I'll email a buddy in Tulsa.
what is that picture of?
Every persian rug ever made has a deliberate flaw, because only that pig-dog-god allah can create perfection.
To even try to create perfection is blasphemous.
This was deep in the backs of the minds of every muslim worker who drove a rivet, pulled a wire, caulked a window, poured a gram of concrete or polished a door knob.
that policy must make it hard to meet QC requirements. heck it would make it hard to HAVE a quality department.
what is that picture of?
a cracked foundation
The Tower of Babel all the way.
Dubai wanted to make a name for themselves by building a mighty city and a tower “with its top in the heavens.” God disrupted the work by so confusing the telephone and electric circuits of the building that they could no longer understand one another. The city was never completed, and the people were dispersed over the face of the earth. “Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth.”
It's hard enough to do electronics assembly with that atitude.
The only saving grace (if that's the right word) is that a well tempered QC department's goal is not perfection.
It is merely conformance to specifications.
He's quite right about the slaves. That building, and most others in Dubai, were built by what only could be described as slave labor.
To your question, Burj Khalifa was built almost exclusively with Chinese steel, leading many in the business to question its long-term (or even short-term) stability. To say that Chinese steel has been plagued with quality issues, is somewhat of an understatement.
There has been some scuttlebutt indicating that there are some significant structural issues and that they are looking into using carbon fiber to reinforce parts of the building that have had greater than expected lateral forces.
Don’t know how accurate these rumors are. It may be internet engineering commando BS.
So many good, funny comments here. Hard to top them (no pun intended).
A house of cards, the world’s largest 3 card Monty game.
I’m reminded of that Science or Discovery channel program “When People Are Gone” or something like that and all the buildings eventually decompose and fall down.
I’ll bet this place will never be occupied or make a profit. Same as the rest of the Dubai palm tree islands etc. All abandoned desert slums or ghost town someday.
Gravity is a bitch.
“To your question, Burj Khalifa was built almost exclusively with Chinese steel, leading many in the business to question its long-term (or even short-term) stability. To say that Chinese steel has been plagued with quality issues, is somewhat of an understatement.”
Just as a piece of anecdotal evidence. I have purchased over four thousand stainless steel screws made in Taiwan for a construction project. I would say that my failure rate is about 5%. Mostly screws that have the heads break off while screwing them or the head stripping around the bit. It’s a bit irritating.
Remember the “Great Leap Forward” when the Chinese were making “steel” in their backyards?
That worked out didn’t it? LOL.
And the stuff made in Taiwan is probably much better than the stuff made on the mainland.
LOL!
“It is merely conformance to specifications.”
So the guy designing the gizmo doesn’t try for perfection.
The guy writing the specs doesn’t try for perfection.
The guy building the gizmo doesn’t try for perfection.
The guy testing the gizmo doesn’t try for perfection.
And the guy checking for compliance with all the above doesn’t try for perfection.
mmmmm that is kinda scary
I’ve read elsewhere that even as it was being built, the walls and floors started cracking, electrical service was on and off, and water pipes were bursting. Astonishing.
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