Record-breaking raft pour: The remarkable story of how The Exchange 106’s raft foundation was poured within two days

This article was first published in The Edge Malaysia on 2 September 2024.

Picture by Mulia Property Development

In the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s second-tallest building, The Exchange 106, reaches for the sky as an embodiment of the nation’s ambitions. Designed by Mulia Group Architects and led by its chief development officer Ali Moghaddasi, The Exchange 106 is essentially the centrepiece of the sprawling 70-acre Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) development. What is interesting is that the 454-metre-tall icon is known not just for its towering height and contemporary design, but also for its pioneering engineering feat.

Key players that came together in the groundbreaking project include owner and project manager Mulia Property Development, EDP Consultants, China State Construction and Engineering, IM Technik, and YTL Cement.

YTL Cement was tasked to spearhead the record-breaking largest continuous concrete pour in Malaysia, setting a new benchmark in construction excellence. This monumental achievement not only showcases the innovative spirit and relentless dedication of the team behind The Exchange 106 but also underscores the team’s engineering and construction excellence through the use of some of the most advanced and fast-track construction strategies.

Buildcon (YTL Cement’s concrete arm) Senior General Manager Lambert Liew and YTL Cement’s Construction Development Lab (CDL) General Manager Lim Tze Liang provide some insight into this extraordinary feat

The Edge: What is a raft pour and why is it important in the construction process?

Liew: A raft foundation is a thick concrete slab reinforced with steel, generally constructed as the foundation of a building. For a building of The Exchange 106’s calibre, we need to keep the integrity of the massive raft. The formation of the foundation slab required a continuous pouring of concrete to spread the weight of the building evenly. Achieving a continuous cement pour of this magnitude required meticulous planning and seamless coordination among various parties.