With piling work on the $108 million Kuwait Business Town (KBT) towers progressing at a fast pace, the contractors are confident of completing the work on schedule by 2010.

Work on the project commenced in February this year, when the contract for the KBT Zone I bid package 2 was awarded to First United General Trading and Contracting Company as the main contractor.
Designed by KEO International Consultants, Kuwait Business Town Towers is set to become one of the most recognisable landmarks on the Kuwait skyline.
The iconic project comprises two towers – one 40 storeys and the other 36 storeys – that dynamically interact with each other as they move upward into the sky.
KBT Zone I consists of two major towers – towers 5 and 6 – and the plaza area. Kuwait Bruckner Company, the piling contractor for the project, says that the piles for both the towers have been fully cast. For Tower 5, the contractor will drive a total of 67 piles of 500 mm diameter and 70 piles of 1,200 mm diameter. For Tower 6, the contractor is set to drive 98 piles of 500 mm diameter in addition to 80 piles of a diameter of 1,200 mm.
All concrete for the piling works was supplied by Bubiyan Readymix.
A total of two concrete mixes have been used on the project depending on the depth of the piles. For piles extending below -25 m, the contractor has used ordinary Portland cement type I, microsilica and flyash. For piles within the -25 m range, a mix of sulphate-resistant type V cement with flyash was used. The concrete strength for both types of concrete mixes used was 565 kg/sq cm, says a spokesman for the contractor.
“Each floor twists inward from the floor below as it moves up to create an ever-changing façade,” says Raj Patel, KEO’s principal designer for the project. “The curtain wall design combines an intriguing use of four elements – silver reflective glass, stainless steel panels, grey acrylic panels, and aluminium horizontal fins.”
The two towers will add about 40,000 sq m of office space and make up one of the three zones of the Kuwait Business Town Development.