Shard London Bridge
New method puts towers up faster
Renzo Piano’s 72-story glass tower in London, expected to be the tallest building in Western Europe when it opens in 2012, employs a bold new method that could speed construction of tomorrow’s skyscrapers: Build the tower and dig the basement at the same time. A custom deep-diving rig put the tower’s structural columns into the ground before excavation took place, so one construction crew can dig the basement—which otherwise puts everything else on hold—while another installs elevators, staircases and mechanical fixtures on top of the columns. Engineer Bob Gordon of the Mace Group estimates that the technique will save seven months of construction time.
shardlondonbridge.com
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Befitting of the fact that London is now rising to become the financial capitol of the world, since any finances rooted in the USA 'of late', are now subject to intense political and even international tracking. No wonder the worlds wealth is rapidly being transferred and entrusted to a less invasive political structure. Great job London, now show the world how real freedom is enjoyed.
This isn't the first building to employ such a technique, the EVO south building Los Angeles, used a the same method or a very similar one. It had a slab of concrete poured that would later be torn out, a rat slab. They started construction upwards and then later excavated underneath the rat slab to create a basement. It is also a LEED silver certified building, which is something that the Shard probably won't be able to claim.
This method has been used countless times before.. nothing new..
And no, it probably wont be getting a Leed certificate, since it isnt in the US... UK has BREEAM afaik