Abu Dhabi Trade centre - VINCI Construction Grands Projets

BACKGROUND

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has not only seen strong economic development over the past few years, but also significant urbanisation.
To respond to increasing needs, Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan commissioned us to develop a giant shopping centre that could compete with those in Dubai. This project was a test of our technical prowess because we had to build a monumental building within a very short time. Just the construction of the shell would require no less than 12 months at a steady pace of work.

TECHNICAL OVERVIEW

The mall was built on a 270 x 130 m patch of land and surrounded with a peripheral secant pile wall. The great variety of elements in the project (posts, beams and precast alveolar slabs) did not allow for the formwork and steel reinforcement to be standardized and as a result, it proved impossible to carry out the project in cycles.
In addition, installing large post-tensioned beams (17 and 25 m) called for the use of public works techniques. Finally, there was a major constraint in the installation of the main equipment for the building’s air-conditioning, which could not be started until the structural work was finished.

At the peak of the project, 3,000 workers were on site led by a team of 50 expatriates responsible for the structural work, coordination of the technical building services and the interior architecture.

IMPACT

The building was designed to house a supermarket under the COOP Abu Dhabi banner, 180 boutiques and several cafés.
The topmost floor has a recreation centre, nine cinemas and a food court.
This project came at the right time because Abu Dhabi’s retail market was saturated and lacked shopping centres. So, the building responded to growing demands in a fast developing nation.