Once completed, the 200 metre high Tornado Tower will rise above Doha’s premier business district offering spectacular views of the city and Arabian Gulf. The final structure will provide 58,029 square metres of leasable office space plus 1,700 car parking spaces on three levels – and feature sixteen high-speed passenger lifts plus a helipad located on the 51st floor.

A key feature of the design will be a spectacular lighting system designed by Thomas Emde, which will illuminate the steel façade using a combination of 35,000 different lighting configurations to further enhance the hyperboloid structure of the tower.

Haydar Ibrahim, Corus Middle East, comments: “The Qipco Holding high-rise development package was won after Corus worked together with specialist steel consultants Meinhardt – based in Singapore – who undertook the value engineering on the steel design. Demonstrating the weight saving performance benefits of our composite floor panel system - ComFlor® 80 - over and above the concrete alternatives, Dubai based contractors Sixconstruct needed little further convincing that ComFlor® 80 was the solution to this design.”

ComFlor® 80, developed by Corus Panels and Profiles, is manufactured from high grade 450 steel and tested for both composite action and fire resistance for full slab assembly to ensure it meets all international standards. The ultimate in lightweight steel decking, its strength and durability provide exceptional long span capabilities, meaning column free office space can be realised offering no obstruction to the view. It also facilitates speed of construction to generate significant savings in the overall construction costs.

Haydar Ibrahim, Corus Middle East, adds: “As Corus International, we could offer the client a complete solution package - the products, floor decking and structural steel, as well as our technical expertise on steel construction.

“Our efficient supply chain saw the 60,000 square metres of ComFlor 80 manufactured on site at Jebel Ali, from where it was supplied complete with all accessories, screws, straps and edge trims by truck one floor at a time to the subcontractors fabrication factory in Doha – where JIT delivery helped further realise a more cost effective build programme. The structural steel was sourced through Corus International from Taiwan, Thailand and Japan.”

The Tornado Tower is situated in the district of West Bay - an almost entirely man-made peninsular where, within the next five to ten years, a whole development of high-rise buildings is planned for this area representing the rapid economic growth of Qatar.

Project team

Developer: QIPCO (Qatar Investments & Projects Development Holding Company)

Architect: CICO / SIAT

Main Contractor: MIDMAC and Six Construct

Structural Engineer: CICO / SIAT and Meinhardt Singapore

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Corus is Europe's second largest steel producer with revenues of £9.7 billion and crude steel production of 18.3 million tonnes in 2006, primarily in the UK and the Netherlands. Corus' three principal divisions comprising Strip Products, Long Products and Distribution & Building Systems provide innovative solutions to the most demanding markets around the world such as construction, automotive, aerospace, packaging, rail and general engineering worldwide. Corus is a subsidiary of Tata Steel, the world's sixth largest steel producer. With a combined presence in nearly 50 countries, Tata Steel including Corus has 84,000 employees across five continents and a pro forma crude steel production of 27 million tonnes in 2007.

Trademarks of Corus: ComFlor and ComFlor 80 are trademarks of Corus.