CSCEC’s construction in Egypt sets new records

Pouring of the concrete foundation mat of the main tower in the Central Business District (CBD) of Egypt's new capital was completed after 38 hours' continuous work on Feb 26 local time, marking the fastest concrete pour for a very large foundation mat in the Middle East and Africa.

Pouring of the concrete foundation mat of the main tower in the Central Business District (CBD) of Egypt's new capital  completes after 38 hours' continuous work on Feb 26 local time. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

The construction was undertaken by China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (CSCEC), a Chinese central SOE.

Eighteen and a half thousand cubic meters of concrete were required to create a five-meter-thick foundation mat 70 meters in diameter, a record for concrete pours in Africa.

The tower, a symbol of Egypt's new capital and the tallest building in Africa, will cover a total construction area of 262,000 sq m with two floors underground and 78 aboveground. The height of the tower will reach 385.8 meters.

"The whole process only took 38 hours and we also set a record by pouring 785 cu m each hour during rush hours," said Wei Jianxun, executive general manager of the project.

The careful planning in construction supervision, technical quality management and logistics involved a total of eight concrete batching plants, 12 concrete production lines and 128 cement trucks.

CSCEC devotes eight concrete batching plants, 12 concrete production lines and 128 cement trucks to produce the materials. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

Wang Guiling, a Chinese expert in concrete building, said that it was first time that China applied the efficient chute technique in Egypt and combined it with a pumping technique to increase construction efficiency.

Having constructed over 50 percent of the super high-rise buildings in the world, CSCEC has advantages in advanced techniques and rich experience in construction.

Considering the weather conditions in Egypt, CSCEC independently researched and developed a control system featuring hydration heat that adapts to a desert climate. CSCEC also conducted simulation tests and adjusted their actual practice to optimize the construction process.

Currently, the pile foundations of other projects in the CBD are under construction and the daily maximum concrete pour volume has reached 14,000 cu m, an all-time high.

A package of framework agreements worth $3 billion was signed by CSCEC and Egypt's Ministry of Housing in January 2016 for construction of the CBD, the largest contract in terms of its amount that Chinese companies had ever signed in the country at that time.

The first phase of the CBD, located at the core area of the new capital, covers an area of 505,000 sq m. It includes 20 high-rise buildings and supporting facilities with a total construction area of 1.7 million sq m.

The second phase, worth $3.5 billion, was signed in 2018 and has a total construction area of 1.8 million sq m covering over 20 high-rise buildings and several multistory buildings.

The CBD is expected to become the core of the new capital with the largest commercial value and most comprehensive functions.

An artist's image of the CBD in Egypt's new capital [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

An aerial view of the construction site [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Hao Wen)