The Exchange 106

The Exchange 106 was recognised by The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) upon completion in September 2019 at 14th Tallest Building in the World, 2019. The Exchange 106 is located within the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s new upcoming financial district, Tun Razak Exchange (TRX). This skyscraper structure is designed to cater for office and retail spaces with an overall height of 453.6m, towering over Kuala Lumpur’s “urbanscape”. The Exchange 106 comprises of 92-storey from ground level, 6 basement level, lower ground floor, and topped up with an approximated 50m worth of crown height. The skyscraper structure was constructed on a 3.42-acres of development land strategically located within TRX.

Technical Description

EDP Consulting Group Sdn. Bhd. acted as the developer’s engineering consultant providing civil infrastructure and structural detailed design for the iconic skyscraper. Besides that, EDP also provided site supervision and engineering solutions during the construction to ensure that the construction of The Exchange 106 is completed to the highest engineering standards while meeting a tight construction schedule.

The tower’s floor system consists of concrete slabs on permanent metal deck formwork, steel beams and girders. The tower lateral load resisting system comprised of concrete core walls and steel outrigger system. The steel outrigger and belt trusses are located at designated mechanical floors at Level L47 and L86, at a full storey height of 5.0m. The building is subjected to dynamic behaviour due to its slenderness. Wind tunnel test was carried out to study the dynamic response of the building when subjected to wind forces. Both earthquake and wind effects were part of the main concern for this super skyscraper in the structural design and were rigorously examined.

The structural systems and material selections that were adopted for The Exchange 106 are predominantly due to considerations of construction methodology to expedite the construction speed. The composite truss/beams span from perimeter steel columns to the concrete core wall. Bolted pinned support condition are provided at perimeter column connections to the composite steel beam truss. The connection details considerably eased the erection and installation of structural steel beams/trusses. Structural steel columns and composite steel beams/girders permitted rapid erection and made the unachievable an achievable reality at a construction speed with an average of a 3-day cycle per floor. The usage of slip forms for the concrete core wall construction ensure that the core walls construction are always ahead of the column and composite steel beam truss construction.

The crown structure comprised of internal and external steel structural frames of fabricated steel box section with 100% UT testing for all the butt welds. The rigidity of the crown structure permits sub frames for glass cladding wall to be supported without excessive differential movement of the crown structure.

EDP was also engaged as the lead consultant tasked with conducting a comprehensive audit of the electrical and mechanical utility systems for the Exchange 106 building. This audit took place shortly after the building commenced operations, ensuring that all systems were functioning as intended and in full compliance with local regulations and safety standards. The evaluation encompassed a thorough review of the building’s power supply, HVAC systems, fire protection mechanisms, plumbing, vertical transportation systems, etc. with the goal of identifying any inefficiencies, potential risks, areas for improvement, etc. EDP’s team of expert engineers provided a detailed analysis, offering actionable recommendations for optimizing system performance, enhancing energy efficiency, ensuring long-term reliability and sustainability of the building’s infrastructure.

Project Highlights, Achievement and Recognition:

• Award of excellence for “Best Tall Building 400 meters and above” by The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)
• Tallest skyscraper in Malaysia and 14^th tallest building in the world on completion in September 2019 according The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
• 3^rd tallest skyscraper in Malaysia and 23^rd tallest building in the world according to The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), 2022.
• LEED and GBI certified for sustainability design
• 2^nd largest continuous concrete pour in the world for the tower’s foundation
• Construction of a single floor with an average of 3-day cycle per floor.