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Architecture

Work on world's tallest building grinds to a halt

By James Holloway
July 25, 2013
Work on world's tallest building grinds to a halt
Workers on site have downed tools, local media reports
Workers on site have downed tools, local media reports
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Workers on site have downed tools, local media reports
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Workers on site have downed tools, local media reports

Within mere days of the announcement that ground had been broken on China's super-tall Sky City skyscraper, local media is reporting that workers have downed tools.

According to Phys Org, the Xiaoxiang Morning Post reports that authorities have ordered work to cease because approval for work to commence is yet to be granted. However, air conditioning-turned-rapid construction specialists Broad Group told AFP that it had obtained all the necessary permits.

With ground works complete, construction of the tower was originally slated to take 90 days, though Broad Group appears to have revised this figure down to 4 months.

The short construction window has raised health and safety concerns, and is reportedly the cause of previous delays to the commencement of the project. Work was originally due to commence in November 2012.

Such rapid construction is made possible by Broad Group's pioneering prefab techniques which have seen a 15-story hotel built in a week and a six-story pavilion built in a day.

Source: Phys Org

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ArchitectureSkyscrapersConstructionTallest BuildingWorld's Tallest
9 comments
James Holloway
James writes about science and technology from his home in rural East Anglia. Whether it's the internet, nature, video games or AI, he pays particular heed to the flash points with culture, society and the planet.

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9 comments
Chizzy
Going from 90 days to 4 months is revising the construction schedule up not down. The amount of criticism the building has received has probably made the Chinese bureaucracy nervous. Building collapse leads to executions in China. With a proposed permanent population of 35k+ a lot of heads would roll if there were a tragedy.
Slowburn
No worries a few bank balances will shift and everything will be good.
Derek Howe
It won't be "built in 4 months", it will be "assembled in 4 months". BIG difference.
Nairda
I don't know Slowburn. The Chinese are very conscious about how they are perceived. Public opinion within China may not count for much, but they do care what other countries say.
While they can cover up some rural disaster with misinformation and bank transfers, this would not be possible in a major city.
Looking bad or worse incompetent to them is the biggest crime. Probably because there is still a world stigma around poor Chinese quality of products and designs. They are trying desperately to break this thinking.
flylowguy
The modular nature of this project means that a whole lot of the work is actually done in factories before anything is erected on site. But aside from that, what's the rush, anyway? They want the glorification that comes with setting records, but of course people are going to needlessly die trying.
Slowburn
re; Nairda
I was talking about getting permission to build. So long as the foundation was laid and cured in the vicinity right and they take the poor quality control in Chinese steel production into account in the design there is no reason to think the building will prematurely collapse.
Russ Jata
Sounds like this is the result of some power struggle between rival factions within the Party, rather than a logistical problem.
Ilya Katsnelson
Aside from very rushed schedule, this building is just plain ugly. Couldn't the architects come up with something a bit more interesting? The art deco style was good in 30s, not today.
Slowburn
re; Ilya Katsnelson
Granted it reminds me of the Empire State Building but i wouldn't call it art deco. It looks to me that the shape was chosen for its structural advantages.