Emaar Development says that 90 per cent of the pile cap work has been completed for The Tower at Dubai Creek Harbour, which is planned as the world tallest man-made structure.

The local/Belgian Belhasa Six Construct is working on the raft foundations for the tower. France’s Soletanche Bachy completed the piling.

Spanish/Swiss architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava Valls is the main consultant on the project, with the local office of Aurecon, supported by UK’s RMJM and Dubai-based DEC, acting as local engineer and architect of record.

The project manager for the tower is US-based Parsons.

The tower is the centrepiece of the 6-square-kilometre Dubai Creek Harbour development. Located in the Ras al-Khor area on the banks of Dubai Creek, it is being developed by a joint venture of Emaar and Dubai Holding.

An award has yet to be made for the estimated AED5.5bn ($1.5bn) superstructure contract. Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation emerged as the frontrunner after submitting the lowest-price bid earlier this year.

Emaar received bids from two groups for the contract in mid-January. The other bidder is a joint venture of the local/Belgium Belhasa Six Construct and US company Tishman.

The superstructure comprises three key elements: a concrete core, a steel frame structure on top of the concrete core, and cables descending down from the tower to the ground.