Construction work is progressing on one Abu Dhabi's most high-tech structures - the Adia Tower.

Being built for Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia), the tower is situated on a 116,000 sq m site on Corniche Road. The tower accounts for 85,000 sq m of this area.

The Adia office tower will eventually top out at a height of 185 m, and contain 38 above-ground levels and two underground floors containing an auditorium and a car-park.

It will be the first building in the city to feature an innovative double-glazing, curtained with automatic blinds and air-conditioning inside the two glass panels.

According to the main contractor Samsung Engineering & Construction, this innovative approach was necessary once the Adia decided on a complete glass-fronted tower. The automatic blinds and air-conditioning are controlled by the direction of the sun and the heat on the inside and outside of the windows. It keeps the glass cool as well as shielding the tower's interior.

Four Potain tower cranes are currently being utilised on the project. These include Abu Dhabi's first Potain MD238 J12 tower crane which is equipped with the new Vision Cab.

The MD238 J12 and a K40/27C maxi topkit crane, both operating on the main tower, have been rented by Samsung from the local Potain representative Nouman Fouad Trading (NFT) which provides a full service back-up.

Another two Potain cranes have been supplied to the project by locally-based sub-contractor Arabtec. An MD175 with a 35-m-long boom is also working on the main tower, while an MC120 with a 50-m-long boom is operating on the project's adjacent seven-storey car-park.

Operated by Samsung, the Potain MD238 J12 had by last month (July) reached a height of 100 m. It is expected to reach its maximum height of 200 m within a few months, working with a jib length of 35 m and equipped with the LVF hoist winch. The crane has a maximum lifting capacity of 12 tonnes and is being used to lift formwork elements, rebar and steelwork.

Elaborating on these cranes, a spokesman for Potain says: ''The Potain MD238, launched at Intermat 2000, is the first model in Potain's Geo range. This crane is equipped with the new Vision Cab, which offers 40 per cent increased visibility, exceptional downward visibility and ergonomically-designed controls for improved operator comfort.

''The MD238 also features a simplified patented erection operation which has been proven to be fast and safe, as well as having reduced maintenance requirements.

''By suppressing certain maintenance operations and automating them or making them simpler and safer, running costs have been reduced.

''The Geo range of cranes have direct access to slewing motors, automatic constant slew ring lubrication and a new hoisting system using a new hoist rope reeving, combined with a maintenance free fleeting pulley.

''The Potain K40/27C maxi topkit tower crane will eventually reach a working height of 200 m and is currently operating with a jib length of 55 m. The crane has a maximum lifting capacity of 16 tonnes and as well as lifting formwork, rebar and steelwork, it has been used to occasionally lift a concrete pouring bucket.''

The tower is being constructed with poured in-situ concrete for all cores and columns, and post-tensioned precast slabs.

Samsung estimates that 82,000 cu m of concrete will be poured on-site while 9,000 tonnes of steel reinforcement will be used. Approximately 12,000 cu m of concrete was initially poured for the tower's 3-m-thick foundations.

The tower contains three cores which are being constructed with poured in-situ concrete, these will eventually house the building's 13 elevators.

As well as concrete columns, the tower has 16 steel columns erected on-site from 10-tonne segments. The Potain MD238 and K40/27C cranes are being used to assemble the steel columns, and will eventually be utilised to lift the tower's final section into place - a sloping steel feature containing 60 segments.

The project began in March 2001 and completion has been scheduled for mid-2003.