Located at the center of the exhibition zone, the UAE Pavilion is set on an area of 17,940 sq. yds. The 28 movable wings of the falcon represent the flow of movement.

Dubai Expo 2020, currently hosted in the United Arab Emirates, is a six-month event showcasing architecture, global culture and innovation that will bring together participants from 192 countries and six continents. The theme of the Dubai Expo is "Connecting Minds and Creating the Future" through sustainability, mobility and opportunity.

The Expo includes some of the most innovative ideas in architecture and design today — among them UAE Pavilion, one of the Expo's greatest icons; having both national and global significance.

Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and inspired by his observation of a falcon in flight, the UAE pavilion tells the history of the nation as a connected global hub, and the vision of its leaders to create a peaceful and progressive society with ambitious plans for the future.

Located at the center of the exhibition zone, the UAE Pavilion is set on an area of 17,940 sq. yds. The 28 movable wings of the falcon represent the flow of movement. The "wings" can spread open within three minutes, covering a range of 110 and 125 degrees.

Installing the ‘Wing' Panels

Mammoet deployed one of its 827 ton crawler cranes — a Liebherr LR 1750 — to lift and install the "wing" panels of the UAE Pavilion roof. The weight of the panels ranged from 6.6 to 17.6 tons, with lengths varying between 78 and 200 ft.

Due to the size of the panels and a large surface area to weight ratio, the permissible lifting wind speed was reduced to11 ft. per second to ensure safe operations. All panels were installed at night to accommodate the continuity of other construction activities at the UAE Pavilion during daylight hours.

Each panel was lifted at an outreach of 115 ft. with the counterweight disconnected to accommodate the congested site requirements. After slewing the panel above the roof in line with the installation position, the counterweight was connected so the crane could boom out to 385 ft. with sufficient capacity. Each panel was then safely lowered down to enable easy alignment for further securing.

Additionally, six mobile cranes — ranging in capacity from 55 to 386 tons — were deployed for installation of various structures at the Expo site, including bridge portals and the public spaces in concourses and arrival plazas.

The Dubai Expo 2020 has recorded more than 10 million visits since its opening on Oct. 1, 2021.

For more information, visit www.mammoet.com.

This story also appears on Crane Equipment Guide.

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