TITAN micropiles provide resistance to uplift in two tunnels in Dubai

Project information

Project: One Za’abeel
Location: Dubai, UAE
Contractor: APCC
Consulting engineer: WSP
Product: TITAN micropiles
Date completed: October 2018

Project Background

The One Za’abeel project consists of two commercial and residential towers located on the Sheik Zayed Road, Dubai, between the Dubai World Trade Centre and Za’abeel Park.

The two towers are 67 and 57 stories high, respectively, constructed on top of a retail podium and are linked by a suspended bridge. The project includes residential units, two hotels, office space and a 3-storey retail podium at ground level. One Za’abeel will also feature the world’s largest cantilever, The Linx, which will float 100m above ground and offer fine restaurants and lounges.

The challenge

Our scope was to provide permanent tension micropiles to resist uplift in two tunnels that linked the basements of the two towers. The purpose of the micropiles is to ensure the stability of the superstructure against uplift pressures due to the presence of the ground water table.

The solution

Each micropile is subjected to a maximum 795kN service load in tension and 250kN service load in compression. In total 110 no. x TITAN 103/51 micropiles were installed using a 220mm Cross Cut Drill Bit to a depth of 11.0m into the sandstone.