How the world’s tallest skyscraper was built - Alex Gendler

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

By the end of the 20th century,

到 20 世紀末時，

the race to build the world's tallest skyscraper grinded to a halt.

打造世界最高摩天大樓的競賽 漸漸慢下來了。

Each new contender was only slightly taller than the one before,

每一個新競爭者， 都只比上一個高出一點點，

and architects were running out of ways to top their previous efforts.

建築師也想不出新方法 來超越他們先前的努力成果。

But in 2004 construction began on a new building in Dubai,

但在杜拜，有一棟大樓的建造 於 2004 年 開始，

promising a revolutionary design that would dwarf the competition.

它保證會用革命性的設計 把其他角逐者比下去。

In 2009, the 828-meter Burj Khalifa was complete,

2009 年，828 公尺的 哈里發塔完工了，

surpassing the previous record-holder by over 60%.

比先前的記錄保持者 還要高出至少 60%。

So what innovations allowed for such a huge leap in height?

是什麼樣的創新，讓這麼 驚人的高度突破得以成真？

For most of architectural history, heavy building materials

在建築史上大部分的時期，

沉重的建材使得高樓 很難支撐它們自身的重量。

made it difficult for tall buildings to support their own weight.

To compensate, taller structures had wider, thicker masonry at the base,

為了補償，較高的建築會

在基底使用更寬廣、 更厚實的磚石結構，

making them substantially more expensive.

也讓造價大大增加。

The arrival of industrial steel in the early 20th century

20 世紀初，工業用鋼的出現

helped buildings shed weight, and stretch to new heights.

讓大樓能夠減輕重量， 並突破以往的高度。

But steel frames required intensive labor to produce,

但製造鋼骨需要密集的勞力，

often under poor working conditions.

通常工作條件也很差。

And when they were finished,

且於完工後，

these three dimensional grids took up huge amounts of space inside buildings.

這些三維的骨架格子佔去了 大樓內部大量的空間。

Tall steel skyscrapers also had larger, less dense surfaces,

很高的鋼製摩天大樓通常 表面較大且密度較低，

making them vulnerable to strong winds.

讓它們很怕強風。

Architects designed various countermeasures

建築師設計了各式各樣的對策，

to prevent swaying and structural damage,

以預防大樓搖動以及結構受損，

but to increase height further,

但若要進一步增加高度，

engineers would have to completely rethink how tall buildings were designed.

工程師必須要完全重新 想出新的高樓設計方式。

Enter the father of modern skyscrapers: Fazlur Rahman Khan.

此時就該現代摩天大樓之父 法茲勒拉合曼汗出場了。

This Bangladeshi-American engineer believed tall structures

這位孟加拉裔的美國工程師 相信，高的建築物

should bear their weight where they were widest and most stable— on the outside.

應該要用它們最寬且最穩定的部分 來承受它們的重量——

也就是外部。

He proposed swapping an internal grid of steel beams

他提議將一個內部的鋼樑格子換成

for a steel and concrete exoskeleton

鋼筋混凝土的外骨骼，

that would make buildings more resilient to wind

能讓大樓更能承受強風，

while using far less heavy materials.

且需使用的重建材也大大減少。

Khan developed this idea into what he called tubular designs.

汗把這個想法發展成 他所謂的管狀設計。

These buildings had exterior steel frames that were braced with concrete

這些大樓的外部鋼架用混凝土支撐，

and connected to horizontal floor beams.

並接到水平的樓板樑。

Tubular frames proved superior at absorbing and transferring

管狀構架已被證明具有出色的特性，

可以吸收風力，並將之轉移 至大樓的地基。

the force of wind to a building's foundation.

And since the exterior walls could bear the bulk of the load,

因為外牆承受大量負荷，

internal supporting columns could be removed to maximize space.

可以把內部的支柱移除， 將空間最大化。

Following the 1960s, tubular design became the industry standard.

1960 年代之後，管狀設計 便成為建築業的標準。

This new philosophy allowed for the construction

有了這項新原理，

便能蓋起更高、更穩固的摩天大樓，

of taller, sturdier skyscrapers,

including many of the record holders for world’s tallest building.

包括許多世界上 最高建築的記錄保持者。

But planning the Burj Khalifa would take one more innovation.

但哈里發塔的計畫 還需要另一項創新。

In 2004, the late Fazlur Khan’s longtime employers,

2004 年，曾為已故的法茲勒汗 工作很長一段時間的

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, completed the Tower Palace III in South Korea.

斯基德莫爾、歐文斯、 梅瑞爾（SOM）完成了

南韓的三星大廈廣場三期 G 座。

This building took Khan's exoskeleton design one step further,

這棟大樓把汗的外骨骼設計 再進一步發揚光大，

with a central column supported by three protruding wings.

中央柱的三邊有翼狀延伸設計。

Each wing’s weight carries the other two,

每一側翼的重量都能 承載另外兩翼的重量，

while the heavy concrete core acts as a support beam,

沉重的混凝土核心則扮演支柱，

that also houses the building’s elevators and mechanical infrastructure.

大樓的電梯及機械設備也在裡面。

This design, called the buttressed core,

這種設計稱為「扶壁核心」，

allowed the entire structure to work as a single load-bearing unit,

讓整個建築物能夠整合成 單一個承重單位，

supporting the building’s 73 stories.

支撐該大樓的 73 層樓層。

SOM was confident the buttressed core could support a much taller building,

SOM 相信這種扶壁核心 還能支撐更高許多的大樓，

and they were determined to see how high they could go with their next project.

且他們下定決心要試試 在下個建案中能挑戰多高的高度。

As only the second building to use this design,

哈里發塔是第二棟 使用這種設計的大樓，

the Burj Khalifa spans an unprecedented 163 floors.

高達 163 層，創下前所未有的記錄。

To battle the monumental vertical and lateral forces,

為了對抗極大的直向力與橫向力，

the design strategically places the strongest, load-bearing areas

這次設計把最堅固最能承重的區域 做了策略性的安排，

where the wind is also most powerful.

安排在風力最強的地方。

Additionally, the Y-shaped layout was specifically calibrated

此外，Y 字型的設計也特別做了校準，

to minimize local wind forces.

可以將局部的風力減到最小。

Every several floors, one of the wings recedes slightly,

每幾層樓，就有其中一翼 稍微縮進來一點，

forming a series of setbacks in a clockwise pattern.

讓這一連串的外牆退縮 形成順時鐘狀。

This spiral shape disperses air currents,

這種螺旋形狀能夠分散氣流，

transforming 240 kilometer per hour winds into harmless gusts.

將時速 240 公里的風轉變成

一陣陣無害的強風。

Considering its height and unique design,

以這樣的高度和獨特設計而言，

the Burj Khalifa was completed in a staggeringly short five year period.

哈里發塔能以五年的時間 建造完成，十分驚人。

However, this pace came at a great human cost.

然而，這麼快的步調， 背後是很龐大的人力成本。

The workforce consisted mostly of South Asian migrants,

背後勞動力的組成， 主要是南亞移工，

who regularly endured shifts over 12 hours long

他們常得忍受超過 12 小時的班，

for a daily wage of roughly $10.

且一天的工資才約 $10 美金。

Those who tried to quit or return home had their paychecks and passports withheld

若有勞工想要辭職或者返鄉，

該建案的建設公司就會扣留 他們的支票及護照。

by the project’s construction company.

These abusive conditions led to multiple protests,

這些虐待的條件，引起多次抗議，

in addition to at least one suicide, and one fatal accident reported on site.

另外還有至少一起自殺案件

及一起發生在工地的致命意外。

In the years following the tower’s completion,

該塔完成後的幾年間，

the United Arab Emirates fell under harsh scrutiny

阿拉伯聯合大公國因為沒能確實執行

for failing to enforce worker protection laws.

勞工保護法而受到嚴厲的監督。

Hopefully, future projects will prioritize the individuals

希望將來的建案能夠

把工程奇蹟背後的人 放在建築物本身之前。

behind these engineering marvels over the buildings themselves.