Time-lapse video shows how china erects 30-story hotel in 360 hrs

Chinese construction workers have once again awed the world, this time by erecting a 30-story hotel in 360 hours in Hunan Province.

The building is the latest achievement of Broad Sustainable Building (BSB), a Chinese construction company renowned for its eye-opening efficiency.

Named T30, the 17,000-square-meter hotel is due to open on January 18, and is expected to be a five-star establishment.

The hotel will feature 316 standard rooms, 32 suites, eight ambassador suites and two presidential suites.

Other facilities include a restaurant, bar, gym and swimming pool on the top floor, underground parking space for 73 vehicles and even a helicopter pad.

The entire hotel costs a total of US$17 million to build.

The building’s owner, BSB, is a subsidiary of Chinese technology enterprise Broad Group, whose portfolio includes assembling its own pavilion (the six-story Broad Pavilion) for the 2010 Shanghai Expo within 24 hours, and erecting a 15-story building in six days in June 2010.

The key to achieving such stunning speed is an innovative construction technique developed by Broad. Ninety-three percent of the tower was pieced together with pre-made components, explained Broad Group’s senior vice president Juliet Jiang (江燕).

Jiang said that the company might be able to construct similar buildings in 200 hours once workers become more skilful.

Jiang also said that the reason for the emphasis on speedy construction was "to avoid rain."

"It’s because people don’t understand [the technologies used for the building]," she said. "Let time prove everything."

According to a press release by China Academy of Building Research (CABR), T30 was constructed with a new structural system designed and developed by BSB. A simulation model of the building withstood a series of earthquake resistance tests — from 7.0 to 9.0 in magnitude — conducted by CABR last May.

The Changsha-based company says it developed the new construction technology in 2009 — it’s referred to as "sustainable buildings" — after the 8.0 magnitude quake in Wenchuan that killed nearly 70,000 in 2008.

All rooms are said to be equipped with quadruple-paned windows, external solar shading, LED lighting and water-saving toilets.

Zhang Yue (张跃), Broad’s chief executive officer, told The Economic Times that "speed with which his buildings go up reduces waste of materials and energy."

"China is 20-40 times more polluted than Europe and that’s hurting our health and will offset the economic benefits of our growth," said Zhang.

The Chinese billionaire was the recipient of the "Champions of the Earth" award by UN Environment Programme in 2011. He pointed out that "sustainable buildings" will be his biggest business in 2013.