Burj Khalifa: The Tallest Tower in the World

by Stuart A. Kallen

"Describes how the Burj Khalifa became the tallest tower in the world and the work that went into building it. Includes glossary, websites, and bibliography for further reading"--Provided by publisher.

48 pages, Library Binding

First published July 1, 2013

About the author

Kallen has written more than 350 nonfiction books for children and young adults. His books have covered a wide arc of human history, culture, and science. Kallen is also an accomplished singer-songwriter and guitarist in San Diego, California

Reviews

[Suzanne]

This is a nonfiction book that will appeal to several types of readers - those who are interested in architecture, engineering, and world records will all be interested in the facts and figures inside. I enjoyed the way those facts were made more understandable by using comparisons. For instance, saying that all the rebar used when pouring the concrete would stretch a quarter of the way around the earth or comparing the horsepower of the concrete pumps to that of racecars makes the details easier to visualize. Adding the stories of BASE jumpers sneaking in to use the tower for a jump or how scenes from the movie "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" were filmed there gives the narrative some entertainment glamour.

For those who are interested in nonfiction text features, this would be a great book to use in class to introduce captions, sidebars, graphs, etc. The full color photos and diagrams show the construction process from beginning to end and include details about testing the design in wind tunnels and how the air conditioning system works. Parts of the process that did not go as smoothly are not left out. Instead, the problems and their solutions are explained. Whether it is how they corrected bowing floors, or the economic problems caused by the Great Recession, it is noteworthy that the author addressed these issues rather than leaving them out.

There are several science standards in our state curriculum (and probably other states have them, too), that deal with engineering and technology. The standards specifically talk about how problems may lead to the invention of new technologies or techniques. This would be a good book to pull examples from, since new techniques were developed for pumping the concrete to the upper floors and to make the air conditioning work efficiently in such a large building and such a hot climate, to name just a couple of the engineering advances from the project.

I would highly recommend this book to be included in any elementary school library. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[Paula]

This title in the “Great Idea” series, describes the construction of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world. Determined to return the title of "tallest building" to the Middle East, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai began planning the construction of the tower in 2000; his dream was realized in January, 2010 at the official opening ceremony. This monumental undertaking is a testament to planning, engineering and modern technology. Numerous obstacles, like the windy desert climate and oppressive heat, had to be taken into consideration in designing the structure. Conversational text discusses the massive amounts of materials needed to complete the design and the many phases of construction. It describes the resources required to keep the tower running on a daily basis, its many safety features and the different commercial entities it houses. Color photographs and drawings add to readers’ understanding of the text. Fact boxes are scattered throughout. Glossary words are bolded on the pages. Back matter includes a glossary, bibliography, websites, and index. It is an ideal browsing book. Even though it is brief, the book provides enough data to make it a good starting point for research on the topic.

[Lin Lin]

Building the tallest building in the world deep in the desert of Dubai requires remarkable problem-solving skills besides rich knowledge in architecture design and engineering, not to mention the 18 billion dollars thrown into the construction.