High praise for Doka

Austrian formwork manufacturer Doka has been awarded the "SOLID-Bautech Prize 2008" for formwork operations during construction of the Burj Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Burj Dubai project, which beat 30 other entries, was rated the best project in the "Concrete Construction" category. The judges singled out the "ingenious" materials scheduling, the self-climbing formwork solution and the record-breaking three-day cycle for the 180-plus casting operations as an "extraordinary and indeed exemplary accomplishment".

Commenting on the win a Doka spokesman said completion of the 601 m high in-situ concrete core of the Burj Dubai "has given Doka not just a formwork-technology world record but also some valuable experience of dealing with extreme construction-engineering situations".

Earlier this year, Doka won the "Bautechnik-Award 2008" from the construction trade journal BBB for its Table Lifting System, an innovative system for moving tableforms up to the next floor independently of the crane, which was ranked as the most significant formwork technology innovation of recent years.