CTBUH 2011 World Conference - architects24.com

CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat)
There has been a continuous expansion in the tall building market as tall buildings allow efficient
use of land and serve as landmarks. Against this backdrop, officials in the tall building
construction market are focusing their attention on Korea. This is because 10 buildings
between 500 meters and 1 kilometer in height will likely be built in Seoul, Incheon, and
Busan by 2015. These tall buildings will be developed into a symbolic model of finance, culture,
and business of the respective local government. Korea's tall building construction market is
forecast to witness fiercer competition every year.
Korean construction companies are steadily improving their construction technologies for tall
buildings. This is proven by the tall buildings that were built by Korean construction companies in
the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Tall buildings constructed by Korean construction
companies include the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, Petronas Tower, and Taipei
101. Korean construction companies have recently been working on the construction of business
centers and high-class apartment buildings in Southeast Asia, Australia, and Russia. The
number of tall buildings constructed by Korean construction companies is expected to continually
rise.
However, it is true that Korean companies' construction technologies for tall buildings are
not as advanced as those of overseas companies. Their technologies are limited to the
field of construction. They remain dependent on technologies from the US, the UK, Japan,
and other countries in the field of key design techniques. What is encouraging is the
implementation of a large research project, "Tall, Multi-functional Building Project", sponsored by
the Korean Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. This project is expected to perform a
pivotal role in expediting the localization of construction technologies for tall buildings. The
project was launched in 2009 and will be carried out for 5 years and 6 months. It will cover key
technologies of tall building construction including engineering technologies, high performance
materials, cutting-edge construction technologies, and intelligent green and disaster prevention
technologies. In the near future, Korea will witness the construction of tall buildings based
on domestic technologies alone.
4