Khalifa Spire Work | Burj

To visualize that: The spire alone is taller than the Washington Monument (169m). It is taller than the entire Great Pyramid of Giza (138m). If you lifted the spire off the Burj and stood it on the ground in London, it would dwarf Big Ben. Here is the engineering nightmare: How do you install a 200-meter steel needle on top of a tower that is already swaying in the wind?

The Burj’s spire is technically a sitting on top of the concrete core. burj khalifa spire

The Burj gets struck by lightning roughly 10 to 15 times a year. The spire is clad in a specific alloy designed to act as a giant Faraday cage. It takes the millions of volts of electricity from a lightning strike and channels it safely down the core of the building to the ground, keeping the electronics and residents safe. To visualize that: The spire alone is taller