The challenges of reaching for the sky

Thanh Huynh, USG Boral’s R&D, Engineering Services Director, has been involved in helping create Brisbane’s exciting Skytower at 222 Margaret Street.

At over 270 metres, the Brisbane Skytower will be the city’s tallest building. The 90-storey residential tower includes multiple recreational areas for residents of its 1,133 apartments – plus Australia’s highest infinity pool for those who dare use it! Due for completion in 2018/19, locals have already nicknamed it ‘Bon Bon’.

A big challenge for the plastering contractor was how to design economical systems for internal walls and ceilings. The high internal wind pressure of the building had to be factored into the equation. USG Boral’s Engineering Team was called in to help with the design specifications, building on past relationships with the contractor on other projects.

In fact, USG Boral has helped out with design solutions for some of the world’s most iconic skyscrapers – from Petronas Towers in KL to the One World Trade Centre in New York and the ‘megatall’ Burj Khalifa in Dubai. More recently, our work on the Shanghai Centre helped the architects achieve their vision of one of the world’s ‘greenest’ buildings.

For Brisbane Skytower, we supported the contractor by pushing the performance limits of our products and systems through rigorous testing and by providing our engineering expertise to specify fire/acoustic rated systems complying with the Building Code of Australia. Our design helped drive efficiencies in products and in the installation of plasterboard systems for the project.

It was an example of how the challenges presented by extremely tall buildings can be overcome by smart design, and the right systems and products.

To learn more about USG Boral's involvement with building skyscrapers view our brochure here. 

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