Project Description

Located in the historical district of Bur Dubai, The Burjuman Centre is one of the oldest malls in the city. The Burjuman Centre comprises over 260,000 square meters of mixed-use space including the shopping mall, business tower, hotel suites and duplex residences.

As the years progress, further development was inevitable. The owner decided to add more cinemas, a food court and a supermarket. Strengthening of the structure was essential to support the increased loadings. Furthermore, there was a need to upgrade the structure to the latest seismic requirements stipulated by the Dubai Municipality.

STRUCTURAL submitted its tender and produced outline engineering designs. With decades of proven experience in strengthening works and many successful local projects, STRUCTURAL was sub-contracted to undertake the works, supported by STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES.

Inspection Process

Initial inspection was undertaken by the main contractor. The designs and loading calculations were forwarded to the repair team. The STRUCTURAL team walked through the site with the main contractor to note familiarise the site and check on MEP services and other obstructions which might have to be removed at specific locations where strengthening activities were to be performed.

Strengthening works

The strengthening project consisted of columns, shear wall, and waffle slab strengthening by way of concrete enlargement, carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CRFP) sheet application, and the stitching of expansion joints. Required strengthening of walls (enlargement) was due to upgrading the present structure to the latest seismic requirements. Stitching of expansion joints was required to transfer the necessary diaphragm forces to lateral force-resisting shear walls. This was achieved through a combination of CFRP sheets, near-surface mounted carbon fiber rods embedded into the top of the slab and steel plates at the bottom.

Overcoming Challenges

Part of the challenge was the installation of the steel plates from below as it was a waffle slab. As the renovation project was undertaken in the context of a ‘live’ working mall, getting access to specific locations was sometimes difficult. Careful strategic planning was vital to overcome the challenges faced on the site.

With good management and with sharp attention to quality, the project was finished on time, on budget, and without any incidents – which resulted to a very satisfied client.