China's Tallest Building “Shanghai Tower” Tops Out

　　The Shanghai Tower, the tallest building under construction in China, has topped out structurally; once completed, the Shanghai Tower will rewrite the skyline of the Lujiazui area. On the morning of August 3, as the last steel beam was hoisted into place, the Shanghai Tower achieved structural topping out, reaching a height of 580 meters across 125 floors. With this, after nearly five years of scientifically organized construction, the Shanghai Tower has successfully completed its phased construction goals. According to plan, by 2015, the Shanghai Tower will become the last supertall building to be completed in the Little Lujiazui area, setting a new height for Shanghai at 632 meters.

　　On the morning of the 3rd, as the last steel beam of the tower's main structure was hoisted into place, the Shanghai Tower, currently the tallest building under construction in China, achieved structural topping out, reaching the planned structural height of 580 meters across 125 floors.

　　The Shanghai Tower is located in the Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone in Pudong, Shanghai. With a total designed height of 632 meters, it integrates five major functions: international-standard 24-hour Grade A office space, a super-five-star hotel and supporting facilities, boutique retail, sightseeing and cultural leisure and entertainment, and distinctive conference facilities. It is expected to be completed in 2015.

　　The design and construction of the Shanghai Tower comprehensively adopted multiple green building technologies, making it China's first supertall building to receive both the "Three-Star Green Building Design Label Certificate" from China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and LEED Gold pre-certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

　　As a world-class innovative project, the Shanghai Tower completed a one-time concrete pour of 60,000 square meters for the main tower's large foundation slab, setting a world record in the field of civil engineering construction. It overcame the challenges of designing, processing, producing, and on-site installing the world's largest, highest, and most difficult flexible curtain wall, broke through the challenge of localizing sliding bearings, truly achieved Chinese "intelligent" manufacturing, and accumulated a large number of advanced technologies from independent innovation.

　　Continuously breaking through new heights (from left to right, photographed on May 27, 2012; November 28, 2012; March 13, 2013; and August 3, 2013). On the morning of August 3, as the last steel beam was hoisted into place, the Shanghai Tower achieved structural topping out, reaching a height of 580 meters across 125 floors. With this, after nearly five years of scientifically organized construction, the Shanghai Tower has successfully completed its phased construction goals. According to plan, by 2015, the Shanghai Tower will become the last supertall building to be completed in the Little Lujiazui area, setting a new height for Shanghai at 632 meters.