TDIC announces successful lifting of Louvre Abu Dhabi dome
Dome has been lifted off temporary towers and lowered onto permanent piers
Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) has announced that the dome of the Louvre Abu Dhabi has been successfully lifted and placed into its final position atop the museum’s four main permanent piers.
The process involved lifting the dome off the temporary towers and lowering it 38 cm down to the permanent piers, the Abu Dhabi developer said. Preparations prior to the lifting included testing of the bearings that will hold the dome, with testing conducted in California, USA.
32 hydraulic jacks, specially manufactured for the project, were used to lift the iconic 180 m-wide dome weighing 7,000 tonnes.
“We are proud of the successes and milestones being achieved on the site of Louvre Abu Dhabi,” said TDIC Chairman Ali Majed Al Mansoori.
“We can only look forward with high anticipation to what Louvre Abu Dhabi is going to bring to the world of art and culture regionally and worldwide,” he added.
The dome at the Louvre Abu Dhbai was built over the span of 10 months, originally constructed on top of 120 temporary towers in order to support its weight during the process. The lift is the “first of its kind” for a permanent structure of this scale and size, TDIC said.
“The construction and sophistication of the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s dome is among the more unique projects we have undertaken. It is remarkable in its design and size, and given that it must be placed in precise spots on its four piers, there was no room for error,” said Johann Sischka, board member of Waagner-Biro Stahlbau AG, an Austrian steel engineering company appointed to construct the dome.
Construction is underway at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, with over 21 million man hours completed on site. Concrete work has almost been completed on the museum.
The permanent gallery structures are complete, along with concrete work for the museum’s basement levels and the security screening facility – a seven-metre deep basement through which authorized vehicles will transport museum artworks.
Work is also progressing on the 1.2 km Saadiyat Tunnel, which will be the main entryway for the artworks as they are transported to the museum.
