TEPPFA - Reference Project in Building

Modeled in the form of an Olympic torch, the Aspire Tower is the highest building in Doha , Qatar . Speed of construction was essential since its presence was intended to represent the symbol of the 15 th Asian Games in 2006. With desert summer temperatures as high as 50 ºC degrees and high humidity levels, it was important that equipment and systems within the building operated to meet stringent requirements.

Designed by the architect Hadi Simaan, the tower accommodates a 17 floor five star hotel, conference centre, revolving restaurant, sports museum, health club with a cantilevered swimming pool and an observation deck. Given a time horizon of 21 months as well as the scale and scope of the accommodation, the choice of pipe system to provide all the necessary plumbing, sanitary services, water, cooling and communications was critical.

Space and time

Thousands of plastic pipes were provided by TEPPFA members to satisfy the requirements of versatility, durability, speed of installation and performance. Space was limited within the central core of the building design and the flexibility of plastic pipes meant that deadlines and the amount of usable floor space could be maximized. Chilled water, electrical and water installations were connected via plastic pipes to all the technical plant levels.

Plastic hot & cold water systems were installed to deliver 18,000 and 45,000 liters respectively on a daily basis. Three distinct cold water services were thus piped to provide chilled and non-chilled potable water as well as non-potable water. All waste water was transported by low-noise plastic down pipes.

Given the time horizon, ease of installation of all these pipe systems meant that tight deadlines could be met.

Enhanced performance

At 300 meters, this unique landmark building with its spectacular flame cauldron was literally and figuratively a beacon of achievement. The building’s performance has clearly been enhanced through the extensive use of plastic pipes systems in every application. Even the many kilometers of cable used to create a unique external LED light show were protected by plastic.

Aspire Tower cost over EUR 133 million to build. Its plastic pipe systems will ensure a maintenance-free performance for many generations to come.

Back to Reference Project in Buildings