Project: The Petronas Twin Towers - (Kuala Lumpur)
International co-operation on a grand scale

The main focus of the project was to provide 2 hour fire rated shafts capable of handling pressure loadings created by high speed lifts in a fast track building 484 metres high. The speed of the construction programme required the shafts to be constructed from one side.

The challenge was to provide construction and design support from the UK for the contractor based on site in Malaysia and to supply the metal framework components to a schedule commensurate to a fast track project.

The solution was to utilise the assistance of British Gypsum's International Projects Team and provide a rapid technical response service through fax links with site. During the construction phase only one face-to-face meeting with construction personnel took place in the UK .
 
ShaftWall metal components were supplied from the UK and the plasterboard supplied under licence in Malaysia by Boral Wembley Gypsum. Extensive use was made, in the initial stages, of British Gypsum's NAMAS approved fire testing facilities based at East Leake in Leicestershire.

Main Contractor: API Contracts - Kuala Lumpur
Sub-Contractor: Mayjaus - Kuala Lumpur
Architect: Assocs, Toronto
ShaftWall Key Performance Details

Fire rating 2 hours .
Deflection Head Requirement 20mm.

British Gypsum's world-leading Gyproc ShaftWall system
2-hour fire protection
300,000 metres of metal studs
75,000 metres of joint tape
1,000 buckets of Gyproc Joint Cement
more than 20 million Gyproc Drywall screws

At 1483 feet, the Petronas Twin Towers , corporate headquarters of the Malaysian state owned Petronas petroleum company, is the tallest building in the world, dominating the skyline of the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur .

At the heart of this impressive structure, lifts, housed in sophisticated service cores, carry passengers at high speed between the 88 floors.

It was to a BPB company in the UK that architects, Adamson Associates of Toronto, traveled to find the expertise needed to support the construction of the shafts for the building's 58 double deck lifts.

British Gypsum Limited, based at East Leake in Leicestershire is a specialist in drywall construction and structural fire protection for buildings. The company has immense experience and knowledge of the technical and service issues involved in the design and construction of high rise shafts, and of the logistical support necessary for fast track projects such as this.

The key demands of this project were for 2-hour fire protection, coupled with an ability to withstand the pressure loading associated with the high speed lifts. In view of the tight time scale and speed of the construction programme, the liftshafts also had to be capable of being built from one side only. The solution lay in British Gypsum's world-leading Gyproc ShaftWall system.

In addition to the supply of products, systems and metal framework components, British Gypsum supplied construction and design support from the UK for the contractor based on site in Malaysia .

The British Gypsum International Project Team provided a rapid technical response service for any issues that arose on site. In addition they managed the supply of metal components from the UK and ensured that the lining plasterboards, produced under license in Malaysia , met the strict quality standards demanded for this project. In the early stages of the project, extensive support was provided through the company's world-class fire testing laboratories at East Leake , to ensure that the Malaysian manufactured boards met the necessary fire protection standards.

To add to the buildings already impressive statistics British Gypsum supplied in excess of 300,000 metres of metal studs, 75,000 metres of joint tape, 1,000 buckets of Gyproc Joint Cement and more than 20 million Gyproc Drywall screws!

Designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates, the twin towers, which made their movie debut in the recent Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones film 'Entrapment', are home to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, and were designed to symbolise strength and grace using geometric principles typified in Islamic culture. Costing US$1.2bn to build, the towers have some stunning and staggering features: They are made of glass and steel and the floor plans are based on an eight-pointed star. The towers are joined at the 41st and 42nd floors by a 192ft-long double decker skybridge which links two lobbies and facilitates movement between the two towers. There is also a six-storey tower podium where music lovers have access to an 864-seat concert hall, an interactive petroleum discovery centre and an art gallery.