Towers around the world are in the news this week and at their core is concrete, the material we all know and love.
A new type of carbon-neutral concrete, C-Crete, has been commercially used for the first time in a New York skyscraper. A 9.2 m³ topping slab poured in the upper lobby of of the 423 metre-tall 270 Park Avenue in Manhattan, reported in New Atlas.
The binder used for the concrete is made of raw granite ground up and followed by proprietary steps that don’t include heat and cause the powdered granite to react with water. This alternative to traditional limestone cement does not release any CO₂.
After a seven-year hiatus, construction has resumed on Saudi Arabia’s kilometre-high Jeddah Tower. Designed with a three-petal footprint, the tower will have a tapered aerodynamic shape to overcome technical challenges of a structure 1000 metres-high.
Commenced in 2013, work came to a standstill in 2018 (pictured) due to corruption investigations that involved the main contractor and financier of the project, followed by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to CNN. It was initially due for completion in 2020, but the new date is set for 2028.
The Pan Pacific Orchard in Singapore has been named the Best Tall Building Worldwide for 2024 by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). Australia’s Windtech Consultants worked on the project whose recognition follows in the wake of Sydney’s Quay Quarter Tower, the winner for 2023.
This year’s winner was recognised for its “groundbreaking approach to high-density urbanism, combining nature, community and sustainability” with its non-traditional structure features four individual terraced atria featuring the themes of forest, beach, garden and clouds. The building is designed to minimise energy consumption, water usage and waste. Solar panels power common areas, rainwater is harvested for irrigation, and food waste is processed by a an on-site biodigester.
Image source: via Engineering News-Record.
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia and at the helm of our magazine for 8 years. She was behind the Institute's weekly news bulletins from 2016-2021 and is now writing our focused news items. Desi has been an engineering news and features journalist/editor across all disciplines since 2013 - part of a 30-year career writing for a wide range of industries.