Formwork expert Doka has made significant inroads into Abu Dhabi by successfully putting to use its automatic climbing technology to full effect on the emirate’s up-coming Capital Plaza Development.

A multifunctional complex of buildings comprising five high-rise towers, the project is the emirate’s first-ever construction project to be built using Doka’s automatic climbing technology (ACT), says a spokesman for the company.
“To carry out the works on the structure cores, main contractor Arabian Constru-ction Company (ACC) is relying on the high-performing Doka automatic climbing formwork SKE 50 and benefiting from fast, safe and efficient forming operations. The dedicated support given to the site crew by an experienced Doka field service technician is another crucial factor helping work on the project to run so smoothly,” says the spokesman.
With more than 250,000 sq m of useable floor-space and construction costs of over 170 million euros ($271.8 million), the Capital Plaza Development is one of the biggest construction projects presently under way in Abu Dhabi.
Upon completion next year, the complex will comprise a 260-room luxury hotel, 25,000 sq m of high-quality office space and 425 luxury apartments. In addition, the project will also offer 21 penthouses and six loft apartments.
Situated along the Corniche, the project entails the construction of five high-rise towers of between 146 m and 157 m in height.
The individual buildings are interconnected by a seven-storey podium structure beneath which are four underground parking floors with more than 1,200 parking spaces.
To carry out work on the five in-situ concrete cores, which range up to 157 m in height, the contractor has put to use 185 Doka automatic climbing formwork SKE 50 brackets, and more than 2,000 sq m of Top 50 large-area formwork elements.
ACC is raising the five structure cores in parallel with one another. Because the climbing scaffolds are firmly anchored in the concrete at all times, and are “climbed” independently of the crane by powerful hydraulic cylinders, the Doka automatic climbing formwork SKE 50 ensures maximum workplace safety, in every phase of the formwork operations, says the spokesman.
“The main working platforms and the follow-up platforms are also safeguarded by a 2-m-high enclosure made of sturdy trapezoidal sheet. This ensures that forming operations can continue smoothly even in very windy conditions,” he adds.
“The automatic climbers can be raised in large gangs by only one hydraulic unit, enabling work to progress swiftly and efficiently,” says the spokesman. “To permit optimum working cycles, a concrete placing boom on each structure core is raised from one casting section to the next by two automatic climbers, in tandem with the wall formwork. The generously-sized main working platforms, and the 75 cm roll-back distance for the timber-beam formwork, leave plenty of handling space for cleaning the form-ply and applying release-agent.”
“This is the first time we’ve worked with Doka automatic climbing formwork,” says project manager Mohammed Ahmed Nasser. “What convinced us was how quick and safe the lifting operation is with the hydraulic cylinders and climbing profiles. Using the automatic climbing formwork means that we don’t have to worry about craneage, and also that we can carry on working safely even in windy weather. This benefits us by giving us fast, uninterrupted forming operations, without any costly downtime.”
With the efficient, easy-to-handle automatic climbing formwork SKE 50, the site crew of ACC are pouring up to 3.9-m-high casting steps in a weekly cycle.
“The cramped site conditions have made some tough demands in terms of the site logistics. With the operations scheduling planned in detail for it by the Doka formwork experts, ACC also mastered this challenge with aplomb,” says the Doka spokesman.
The large-area formwork Top 50 and the platforms of the automatic climbing formwork were assembled under the professional guidance of an experienced Doka field service technician. This greatly shortened the time needed for assembling the climbing formwork. Also, a combination of just-in-time deliveries – for keeping commissioning quantities down to a minimum – and some sophisticated materials-scheduling work are helping to take a huge amount of pressure off the site logistics,” he adds.
“Thanks to the instruction given to the site crew by the Doka field service technician on how to use the automatic climbing formwork correctly, and to the technician’s active involvement at the beginning of the forming assignment, smooth, streamlined progress of work has been ensured right from the very first casting section,” says Nasser.
As well as the automatic climbing formwork for the in-situ concrete cores, Doka is also supplying all the wall and floor-slab formwork for the underground car-park and the seven-storey podium building.
ACC’s site crew are forming the typical storeys with a cost-efficient combination of sturdy Dokaflex tables and the easy-to-erect hand-set system Dokaflex 20. The large-sized columns are being formed using the adaptable large-area formwork Top 50.
“Last-minute changes of plan regarding the layout have been a big challenge for us, but one that we’ve dealt with to the client’s complete satisfaction every time, thanks to the great support given us by the Doka formwork experts.
“The great flexibility of the floor-slab formwork, and the speed with which it has been possible to adapt the plans, have been a big help in keeping work moving ahead smoothly, and this has really helped us meet the ambitious timetable,” Nasser concludes.