A 52-storey tornado-shaped skyscraper in the fashionable West Bay district of Doha, Qatar, is due for completion this month.

Developed by Qatar Investments and  Projects Development Holding Company (Qipco), the Tornado Tower has been built using Corus steel structural and deck systems.
The tower uses 60,000 sq m of ComFlor 80 flooring and 2,724 tonnes of structural steel beams, which was supplied through Corus International Middle East’s Jebel Ali office and warehouse.
On completion, the 200-m-high tower will rise above Doha’s premier business district offering spectacular views of the city and Arabian Gulf. The final structure will provide 58,029 sq m of leasable office space plus 1,700 car parking spaces on three levels – and feature 16 high-speed passenger lifts plus a helipad located on the 51st floor.
A key feature of the design will be a spectacular lighting system designed by Thomas Emde, which will illuminate the steel façade using a combination of 35,000 different lighting configurations to further enhance the hyperboloid structure of the tower.
Haydar Ibrahim, Corus Middle East, comments: “The  high-rise development package was won after Corus worked together with specialist steel consultant Meinhardt – based in Singapore – who undertook the value engineering on the steel design. Demonstrating the weight-saving performance benefits of our composite floor panel system – ComFlor 80 – over and above the concrete alternatives, Dubai-based contractor Six Construct needed little further convincing that it was the solution to this design.”
ComFlor 80, developed by Corus Panels and Profiles, is manufactured from high grade 450 steel and tested for both composite action and fire resistance for full slab assembly to ensure it meets all international standards. The ultimate in lightweight steel decking, its strength and durability provide exceptional long-span capabilities, meaning column-free office space can be realised offering no obstruction to the view. It also facilitates speed of construction to generate significant savings in the overall construction costs.
Ibrahim adds: “As Corus International, we could offer the client a complete solution package – the products, floor decking and structural steel, as well as our technical expertise on steel construction.
“Our efficient supply chain saw the 60,000 sq m of ComFlor 80 manufactured on site at Jebel Ali, from where it was supplied complete with all accessories, screws, straps and edge trims by truck one floor at a time to the subcontractors fabrication factory in Doha – where JIT delivery helped further realise a more cost-effective build programme. All the structural steel was sourced through Corus International.”
The Tornado Tower is situated in West Bay – an almost entirely man-made peninsular where, within the next five to 10 years, a whole development of high-rise buildings is planned.
The tower was designed by Siat of Germany and the local Cico, while a joint venture of Qatar’s Midmac and Six Construct, executed the main contract.
The structural engineers on the project included Cico, Siat and Meinhardt.
Corus is Europe’s second largest steel producer with revenues of £9.7 billion and crude steel production of 18.3 million tonnes in 2006, primarily in the UK and the Netherlands. Corus’ three principal divisions comprise Strip Products, Long Products, and Distribution and Building Systems.