A $163-million tower under construction in the UAE has set a new world record in concrete pouring operations

Geepas Tower has entered the Guinness World Records for completing the largest continuous concrete pour in the world.

The Dh600-million ($163 million) mid-rise residential tower, which is rising up at Al Barsha in Dubai, UAE, is owned by Western International Group. It is being built by Gulf Asia Contracting (GAC), the construction arm of the RP Group, a multi-billion-dollar business conglomerate. Chawla Architectural and Consulting Engineers is the project’s consultant. 

The milestone, in which 19,793 cu m of concrete was poured continuously over 42 hours, was accomplished in September with the help of over 600 skilled workers undertaking the job in multiple shifts.

The concrete for the project was delivered by Unibeton Ready Mix, which engaged more than 300 transit mixers making more than 2,500 trips from more than three plants to deliver the concrete required for the pour.

The concrete pour was carried out by massive installations of 14 concrete pumps on site with an additional five pumps on stand-by. More than 3,000 tonnes of steel were used and 150,000 manhours have been put into constructing the raft of the building.

Officials pose with the Guinness certificate.

The mammoth concreting task was efficiently co-ordinated by the Western International Group and GAC along with Ajit Xavier, senior projects manager of Geepas, Suprabhas Balabhadran, the director of projects at Chawla Architectural and Consulting Engineers and Unibeton Ready Mix.

Dr Ravi Pillai, the chairman of RP Group, says: “This is an impressive feat by GAC which highlights our proven strengths in undertaking complex projects, which demand seamless operational efficiency and top-notch construction expertise.”

“We are thankful to Western International Group for awarding us the contract, and by setting the record for the largest continuous concrete pour in the world, we are highlighting our commitment to deliver the contract as per schedule. We also thank all our partners who associated with us on the project and our professional team members, whose dedication and experience made this possible.”

KP Basheer, the chairman of Western International Group, says: “We are extremely proud of this historic accomplishment that adds to the pride of Geepas Tower, the first mega project in our real estate venture. This successful milestone and achieving a Guinness title has set the brand on an international landscape and it is an overwhelming feeling of victory.”

“We are confident of delivering a truly high-quality residential development that will add to the quality of life of our residents in the country. I would like to congratulate the entire team that has toiled day and night for this project to make it possible,” he states.

Sreekanth Ramachandran, the manager (projects) at GAC, says: “With a built-up area of 1.5 million sq ft, the tower is another of the major undertakings by the company in the UAE.

Close to 20,000 cu m of concrete was poured continuously over a period of 42 hours.

“By accomplishing the record to the highest standards of health, safety and environment best practices, we have proved our expertise in undertaking large-scale projects that call for meticulous planning and seamless on-ground execution strategies.”

Ayman Salah Bustami, the senior vice president of Unibeton Ready Mix, says: “Since the early 1990s, Unibeton has been at the forefront of readymix concrete innovation in the Gulf. We are honoured to have participated in such a monumental achievement.

“A Guinness title is not something which comes along every day. On behalf of the management of the Al Fara’a Group, I would like to congratulate Geepas for the vision to embark on such an attempt and wish them every success in completing the project.”

With a built-up area of 1.5 million sq ft, Geepas Tower has 684 residential units, a fully-equipped gymnasium, health club, swimming pool and 730 space car park.

With two levels of basement parking, a ground floor with a welcome lobby, 40,000 sq ft of retail space, and 19 floors of residences, the tower has been designed to the highest standards of aesthetics and is scheduled for completion in March 2018.