The Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur: beneficial use of high strength concrete

Abstract

The use of high strength concrete (HSC) in structures is increasing worldwide and has had a significant impact on construction in Malaysia. The most important breakthrough in the use of high strength concrete in Malaysia is the Petronas Twin Tower project. The project is part of a massive real estate development in Kuala Lumpur City Centre. The world's tallest building has been constructed with concrete columns, ring beams and a concrete core of 40 to 80 MPa (characteristic cube strength) with steel long span floor beams. The paper discusses the general foundation and structural system of the towers and related benefits of high strength concrete. In particular the pre-construction consultancy input, undertaken by way of trial column construction, to support the use of the high strength concrete, and the requirements for curing, insulation, striking time, strength development, concrete temperature and strain monitoring are outlined. The concreting logistics, construction approach and quality assurance of concrete supply are examined. The future prospects for the use of HSC in construction projects is also considered.