(Youtube.com version if you are outside China)
This is a time-lapse of a 15-story Ark Hotel in 长沙 (Changsa) being built; 48 hours for the basic structure and another 90 hours for the walls and windows. It can withstand a Richter scale 9 earth quake. It was built using 6x less materials than a similar building. More details here.
Chinese leaders often talk about a new “growth pattern” for China. For me, this is an example of what they are talking about. China must develop and raise the population’s standards of living and at the same time use dramatically less energy and materials. They want to do this fast. For a country and population of her size, it is hard to imagine the scale for which this is taking place. And here we are, a 15-story building quietly goes up in all but few days. (Thanks rolf for the pointer to this development.)
HermitCrab says
“China must develop and raise the population’s standards of living and at the same time use dramatically less energy and materials. They want to do this fast. For a country and population of her size, it is hard to imagine the scale for which this is taking place. And here we are, a 15-story building quietly goes up in all but few days. (Thanks rolf for the pointer to this development.)”
But this video is about a hotel. If an apartment was built the same way, how much would THESE cost? (So far to me) These new buildings usually are not affordable to those who lived in the torn down old apartments or older other types of buildings replaced. Not a new issue either (from urban restoration projects in USA and effects on Blacks with the “ghetto” the new buildings replaced).
YinYang says
I wondered too how much these materials cost. I guess I am always hopeful – when something gets figured out, it may cost a lot initially, but over time, they will figure how to mass produce cheaply.
HermitCrab says
I was referring not (just) to the material cost but the cost of living in an apartment build by these “greener” methods and with “6x less materals”. Does all the measure at the end also reduce rental cost of say an apartment build like this hotel?
colin says
I’m sure this is well staged, but the feat is still impressive. This is an economic, technical, and logistic shot across the bow of of american and western leadership in these areas.
America had this type of inspired drive and perseverance when it built the Empire State Building nearly a century ago. Alas, the torch has passed to another.
Chops says
The recent fire at a Shanghai apartment building and that in the New York World Trade Center, highlights that fire engines can only spray water up to a limited height.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/15/AR2010111507231.html
Any fires above that height would be very difficult to put out.
TonyP4 says
It is more important to keep the building in good shape and safe like the fire that burned down a 25 or so floors high rise in SH.
US used to have a disaster before they set up some laws/regulations to prevent another one. Hope China will do the same, and better will establish/enforce them before disasters. Hong Kong, with the most skyscrapers in the world, has not suffered a total loss to my memory.
Maintaining a builder (a highway, hyrdo dam…) will not get awards/promotions compared to building them. Sad but true.