A suite of studies to facilitate the design and construction of the tallest buildings in the world at their time of completion
The Petronas Towers are interlinked twin towers that stand 88 storeys and 452 metres tall. They were officially designated as the tallest buildings in the world from their completion in 1998 until 2004, when they were surpassed by the completion of Taipei 101.
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The Challenge
As the Petronas Towers were unprecedented in terms of their height, rigorous studies and simulations of wind and structural loads on the design were critical to verify the safety and comfort of occupants and visitors to the buildings, as well as those using the skybridge interlinking them.
Our Approach
RWDI’s team of climate and performance engineering experts:
- Studied wind loading for refining the structural design of the building and its cladding components.
- Studied the wind environment around the development in terms of pedestrian comfort and safety.
- Conducted a detailed aeroelastic study on the skybridge between the towers, which resulted in our conceptual design, manufacture, and installation of a damping system within the skybridge legs.
The Outcome
After seven years of construction, the Petronas Towers were officially opened in 1999. To this day, they remain the world’s tallest twin skyscrapers.