Samsung E&C Rewrites
History of Skyscraper

The Burj Dubai, promises to be the tallest in the world

Signboards carrying such messages as "History Rising"and "We've Set Our Vision Higher,"that are seen in several parts of Dubai, indicates that the ongoing Burj Dubai will open a new chapter in history of global architecture when it is dedicated in 2008 as planned.
Samsung E&C, the construction arm of Samsung Corp., armed with advanced technology prowess and a pioneering spirit, has a good track record in skyscraper construction.
Samsung E&C began to gain global recognition when it completed Petronas Towers, twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the world's tallest twin towers, in 1997. The Korean contractor made headlines in global media outfits when it completed Taipei 101, a 509-meter-high skyscraper and the current record holder, in 2004.
The Samsung E&C led consortium, including Belgium's Besix and the UAE's Arabtec, was awarded with the $900 million project in December 2004.
The Burj Dubai will be over 700m high, more than 160-story skyscraper with the gross floor area of 15,000 pyeong. The new structure will be the latest one in Dubai, also home of the world's tallest hotel, the Burj al-Arab, the world's largest man-made marina, the Dubai Marina; the world's largest artificial island, the Palm Islands; the Dubai Waterfront; and the world largest mall, the Dubai Mall.
President Roh Moo-hyun, who toured the Burj Dubai construction site during his official visit to the United Arab Emirates, said in his meeting with Korean residents there on May 14 that "it came to me as a shock how this city could be built on the desert and I'm wondering how the city has attracted so many people and money."
Industry analysts say the reason why United Arab Emirate picked Samsung is not only because of such experiences of it, but also because it is fully qualified with core techniques required for ultra-multistory building construction.
CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY. Building a high-rise skyscraper that soars to a dizzying height of more than 400m above the city skyline demands the builder to be armed with several special and essential technologies.
In the latest feat of technological achievements, Samsung E&C recently succeeded in developing a technology of placing concrete with supreme intensity, enough to build a 1,000 meter-high 200-story skyscraper. The successful placement of concrete with 150MPa intensity translates into that of granite that could endure a 1.5 ton load per square meter, an equivalent of bearing the weight a bus on a 100-won coin. Samsung E&C will graft the technology to a construction site in Mok-dong, Northwest Seoul, this coming July.
In Korea, Korean contractors earlier succeeded in placement of concrete with 120 MPa intensity. The highest intensity of 80 MPa was practically applied to the third placement of concrete for building Tower Palace in Gangnam, south of Seoul. In 2003, a Japanese company succeeded in developing a technology of placing concrete with 150MPa intensity and applied the technology this year.
Park Byeong-keun, vice president of Samsung E&C Technology Institute, said, "The essence of the high-intensity concrete placement technology lies in the selection of aggregate and other raw materials and the proportion of each raw material, and given a 20 percent of safety rate, the company can be construed to have secured a technology of placing concrete with 180MPa intensity.
Samsung E&C, headed by President Lee Sang-dae, topped the construction industry becoming the top builder in terms of the construction project undertaking capacity in 2005 for the second straight year and strives to become a world-class first-rate builder in the world.
The contractor has declared its management key words for the year 2006: creativity & challenges, and transparency.
They indicate its willingness to not only reform all paradigms of systems, culture and staff's thinking, seizing fast-changing market changes as opportunities, but also maintain honor and pride as a member of Samsung Group and a leading corporation.
Samsung E&C has set its sight on realizing a world-class corporation.
To this end, the company strives to dramatically raise its competitive edge, secure world-class construction expertise, beef up competitiveness in software sector, ensuring solid management and advancing risk management, and realize the outcomes of the Six Sigma management reform program.
The company aims to receive 6.5 trillion won worth of orders and post 5.1 trillion won in sales during 2006. Samsung E&C, which built 12,307 units in the Seoul metropolitan area last year, plans to raise to some 14,000 the number of housing units it will construct during this year - 10,500 units in the Seoul metropolitan area and 3,500 units in provincial districts.
Samsung E&C makes efforts to solidify its position as a leading contractor in every area of construction ranging from architecture, civil engineering and plant to housing. The company strives to successfully complete the Burj Dubai project, which is sure to raise its international profile in the architectural area, thus helping it land more orders. The company aims to meet a target of $600 million worth of orders from abroad during 2006.
Samsung E&C, which ranked first in the value of orders landed from the civil works sector during 2005, plans to strengthen its presence in the area. Last year, the company was awarded with an order on Incheon Bridge that will connect Incheon International Airport and Songdo New City of Incheon.
The company has also been building its Remian brand apartments, which won the National Customer Satisfaction Index(NCSI) for eight years in a row since first building an apartment in Mapo, Seoul in 1994.
In the area of nuclear power plant construction, the company won the order for Shin wolsong nuclear power plant units Nos.1&2 in June, 2003, which will have the company undertake the construction of the entire process of building a nuclear plant unit, including its core facility, Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS). Capitalizing on experiences and expertise it has acquired from the sector, it plans to put more energy into acquiring additional orders on power generation and energy EPC projects. nw

Samsung E&C President Lee Sang-dae

Petronas Towers, twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, done by Samsung E&C.

The Burj Dubai. being built by Samsung E&C will be the tallest skyscraper in the world when completed.