construction

The most profitable action of the AI ​​revolution in Spain is not a software company. It is a construction company

by

We know Florentino Pérez ample by hire galactics and for his business successes, but a priori we would not easily relate him to the rise of AI. And by not doing so we would make a serious mistake, because the manager managed to see before anyone else that this was a huge opportunity… and he is taking advantage of it almost without us realizing it. what has happened. ACS is a construction company that doesn’t seem particularly fascinating. You lay bricks, asphalt and cement, but in 2025 the data tells a fascinating story. The company obtained a net profit of 950 million euros, 15% more than the previous year, and the engine of that growth was its American subsidiary, Turnerwhose contribution to the group’s results grew by 66.6% to 549 million euros. Turner doesn’t build flats or highways. Build data centers. And therein lies the crux of the matter. AI needs big construction companies. The transformation has not happened all at once. ACS has been betting on this niche for years with a simple but powerful thesis: AI requires enormous amounts of hardware, and that hardware needs equally huge buildings with cooling, energy and security. And ACS is dedicated to precisely that: to build large buildings. In Xataka Amazon is building an empire in Aragon: it has just paid 1.5 million to expand the electrical network to its fifth data center Florentino triumphs in the US. Turner arrived earlier and stronger. In 2025, ACS won several large-scale data center contracts, including the construction of a 902-megawatt center in Wisconsin as part of the Stargate program, and a stake in the $10 billion, one-megawatt Meta campus in Indiana. Those are conventional projects. They are cities whose inhabitants are servants for this new era of AI. Go for it all. As they point out in five daysdata centers generated more than 9 billion euros in sales during 2025, and ACS has already delivered more than 9 GW of capacity all over the world. That figure is extraordinary, especially considering that in all of Spain the installed capacity barely reaches 7 GW. The Spanish company that talks the least about AI has been silently one of its great beneficiaries for years. Very much in the style of Florentino Pérez, who usually maintains a relatively low profile and succeeds without making too much noise. Stocks on the rise. The market took a while to see it, but it has reacted forcefully. ACS shares have soared 115% in the last twelve months. Today they are close to 110 euros and mark historical highs while the construction sector advances (“only”) 20%. Group sales they reached 49,848 million euros, with the US and Canada contributing 63% of the total. ACS is in practice more of a North American technological infrastructure company than a Spanish construction company. It is listed on the Ibex and is chaired by one of the great football personalities, yes, but its current driving force is not here, but in the US and in the AI ​​fever. Build and Own. ACS is not limited to executing other people’s contracts: it also wants to be the owner of what it builds. In January 2026, the company completed an alliance with Global Infrastructure Partners, BlackRock subsidiaryto create a 50/50 joint venture to develop a global data center platform with an initial capacity of 1.7 GW. Already before had bought Dornanan Irish engineering company specialized in this type of infrastructure, for 436 million euros. ACS doesn’t just want to build AI data centers: it wants to own a piece of that infrastructure. The dollar as a great risk. One of the big problems with this project is the US currency. With more than 60% of its income in North America, each fall of the dollar against the euro is a setback for the Spanish multinational. The devaluation of the dollar is already greater than 10% after the last twelve months, and that has prevented Turner’s growth from being even greater. According to Renta 4 analysts, the “currency effect” subtracted more than five percentage points from the growth of net profit. And investors warn. Analysts themselves consider that the AI ​​market has already discounted a good part of future growth. At Bloomberg, the consensus is to maintain the stock with an average target price of 88 euros, which would imply a fall of 20% compared to current levels. This is what usually happens with good economic stories: when everyone knows them, they are no longer an opportunity. But at ACS they are optimistic. Although experts are cautious, at ACS they expect that spending on infrastructure quadruples from now to 2034. In fact, they expect that the benefits of 2026 will go even further than those of 2025 and exceed 1,000 million euros. If it achieves this, Florentino’s company will have completed one of the quietest and most profitable industrial transformations in the recent history of our country. {“videoId”:”x86aas4″,”autoplay”:false,”title”:”60% of the INTERNET passes through HERE: This is the LARGEST Data Processing Center in SPAIN”, “tag”:””, “duration”:”266″} Turner is ahead. According to Data Center MagazineTurner accumulated a backlog – a portfolio of confirmed orders – of $39 billion as of August 2025. It is the dominant construction company in this segment globally, although of course it has direct competitors such as DPR Construction, Holder, Skanska or AECOM. However, none have achieved the same concentration of contracts with the hyperscalers (Meta, Amazon and Microsoft). Turner has been building its reputation as a builder of this type of facility for more than a decade, and it is very difficult to replicate that advantage quickly. The irony of ACS and Spain. There is a geographical paradox in this success story: Spain and Europe have years debating on digital sovereignty, technological dependence and the need to build own infrastructure for not to be left out of the AI ​​revolution. While this debate is taking place, the Spanish company that is most building this infrastructure is doing so almost exclusively outside of Spain. As … Read more

This is the new mega construction that makes it possible

by

The Seat and Cupra plant in Martorell has launched a new PXL hydraulic press which will manufacture up to 4 million pieces per year mainly intended for the bodywork of the Cupra Raval and the Volkswagen ID. Polethe two electric vehicles that the factory will begin producing in 2026. As the group has shared, the installation is now operational and is stamping parts for the company’s current models. A record installation. The PXL press, which according to Seat is among the most modern in the world, has six pressing machines with a combined force of 81,000 kN (kilo-Newton). It has a capacity of up to 15 strokes per minute, allowing it to stamp more parts in less time than the plant’s previous installations. According to account Seat, the process is completely automated, allowing you to change between dies of different production series in just five minutes. The installation supports up to 15 changes per day, according to the company. Technical challenge. The installation has become a technical challenge that has required 40 months between development and construction. To support its enormous weight and force, the press sits on a 9-meter-deep pit, which in turn rests on concrete piles that penetrate 20 meters underground, the equivalent of a seven-story building. “Communication and transversal work between the process, maintenance, manufacturing, logistics, IT, prevention and finance teams has been the catalyst for the success of this mega-construction,” explains Alicia Molina, director of Production Process Engineering at Seat and Cupra. Information to continue optimizing. According to they explain From the automotive group, one of the main novelties of this press is its ability to generate information. With each stamping, approximately 3,000 data are extracted that the company intends to use to improve production and maintenance control. Seat assures that it is developing two systems to interpret this flow of information and apply it to the prediction and optimization of processes. Preparing electrification. The idea with this mega construction is that it helps to shape the new wave of electric vehicles that Volkswagen intends to promote, thus adapting to an increasingly competitive field that has given rise to the European regulations regarding emissions and the growing appearance of Chinese firms that are becoming more and more established. “We have changed the chip, literally, and we are ready for the electric present,” affirms Jose Arreche, director of the Martorell factory. The facility will prepare the plant for the production of the Cupra Raval and Volkswagen ID. Polo, the two economical electric models that the automobile group intends to produce in 2026. They will certainly be the models that test the firm in terms of offering economical electric vehicles to the market. Images | SEAT In Xataka | Plug-in hybrids have become the preferred trap for bypassing ZBEs. There are already those who propose to harness its power

In 2016, a construction manager lost his 16,000 euro Rolex in a concrete pour. So he sued his company

by

The story of a construction manager in Parma (Italy) has hit the local media for having lost a luxurious watch Rolex Daytona valued at around 16,000 euros while working on one of the construction sites that he had to supervise as part of his job. As if it were not striking enough that a construction worker (no matter how much of a construction manager he was) I had a Rolexand took him as if nothing had happened to an environment as hostile as a work in progress, the employee decided to add a twist to the drama of the story: sue the company, accusing it of being responsible for the loss of the valuable watch. Two courts had to show him what seemed obvious. Luxury formwork In May 2016, the person in charge of a construction site in the Italian city of Parma carried out the usual prior verifications when pouring concrete necessary to build the foundation of a building. Apparently nothing out of the ordinary in the reality of thousands of works anywhere in the world, except for the detail that this employee wore a Rolex Daytona on his wrist. In one of these verifications, the person in charge detected that one of the pumps in charge of pumping the concrete into the intended hole was not working properly, which prompted him to take control himself at that precise moment and personally manipulate the nozzle of one of the machines to instruct his colleagues on how to pour it correctly. While holding a metal chain anchored to the end of the concrete mixer chute to control the direction in which the material should be poured, he waited for the staff to reactivate the pump. It was then that, when the spill resumed, something happened that triggered the loss. According to the witnesses called to testify in the trial: “Within minutes of resuming concrete pouring, while still holding the supply pipe as described, another sudden blockage occurred. Without giving him time to break free and move away, the pipe moved with a sudden and violent jerk, with such force that it lifted him off the ground and threw him several meters away.” After the incident, the construction manager composed himself and warned that his Rolex Daytona had disappeared from his wrist: everything indicated that the valuable Swiss watch had disappeared in the middle of the quick-setting concrete. At that same moment, exhaustive searches were launched, even within the mix, but the watch was never recovered. Outraged by the mishap, the employee blamed both the company and the machinery for the accident and filed a lawsuit requesting full compensation for the lost watch due to the malfunction of the concrete pumping system. According to collect The Italian newspaper Corriere di Bologna, in its statement, stated verbatim: “You owe me my Rolex Daytona for 16,000 euros; it is your fault and the machine’s fault.” Common sense two courts Italian justice was clear, and it was clear on two occasions: the responsibility fell on the construction manager for not being sufficiently cautious. After lose the lawsuit In the first instance, the construction manager submitted the first ruling to the Court of Appeal of Bologna, which determined – for the second time – that “it is seriously unsustainable that directing the trunk of a concrete mixer to direct the pouring of concrete on foundations under construction is an activity that can be carried out wearing a 16,000 euro watch”, as literally stated in the ruling signed by judges Rossi, Gaudioso and Mazze who formed the court. In their resolution, the magistrates concluded that the employee did not adopt the essential “expertise and diligence” measures, which made any claim against the company inadmissible. For this reason, the employee not only lost the valuable watch, but was also forced to pay an additional 2,500 euros in legal costs. The Rolex it cost him money even after losing it. In Xataka | Rolex is tired of theft and counterfeiting: they want to use NFT chips and blockchain-based certificates of authenticity Image | Rolex, Unsplash (Troy Mortier)

In the rural US there are more and more towns mobilized against its construction

by

The race they are in disputing Big Tech Mastering artificial intelligence is driving massive investment in data center infrastructure around the world, especially in the United States. But there are already localities that are complaining of it. In fact, some are even going so far as to ban the construction of data centers altogether. And there are several reasons for this, especially because its monstrous water consumptionelectricity and noise. An unprecedented case. Saline Township, a small rural municipality in Michigan, rejected the construction of a 100-acre data center on agricultural land. Just like account Washington Post, the developer Related Digital responded with a lawsuit, accompanied by neighbors who wanted to sell their land for the project. The city ended up giving in to the threat of a lengthy legal process, achieving only a few concessions such as limits on water use and millions of dollars for the fire department. “They were between a rock and a hard place,” explained Fred Lucas, the municipality’s attorney. Why protests are multiplying. For decades, data centers have been discrete infrastructures necessary to keep the Internet running. But the AI ​​boom has accelerated its construction at a dizzying pace, and local communities have begun to perceive its drawbacks. Ben Green, professor at the University of Michigan, points out that “there has been a real change in the last six months in terms of the public becoming more aware of what data centers are and becoming more skeptical.” What they offer and what they do not offer to cities. The promoters usually promise fiscal investment, municipal income and jobs. Related Digital, for example, offered 3.5 million dollars for affordable housing in Cheyenne, Wyoming. However, construction work is temporary and once operational, these centers require very few employees. Meanwhile, your energy consumption It drives up neighbors’ electric bills and some use large amounts of water to cool their systems. Just like account Midway, in Memphis, residents protested an xAI data center for polluting natural gas turbines. The cities that are standing up. St. Charles, Missouri, went beyond rejection, as approved unanimously a one-year moratorium prohibiting any construction of data centers. The decision came after developer CRG proposed a 178-hectare facility near drinking water wells, without disclosing expected water consumption or noise levels. “It almost looks like they were trying to force it down people’s throats,” assured a 78-year-old neighbor in the middle. CRG withdrew its application before the vote. Even with million-dollar investment, fear persists. Lordstown, Ohio, welcomed with enthusiasm part of the stargate projecta $500 billion investment led by OpenAI and SoftBank, to repurpose a former General Motors factory closed in 2019. The idea was to manufacture data center components on site, with a small demonstration facility. But when OpenAI’s announcements raised fears of a large-scale data center being set up, the city council introduced a permanent ban on new data centres, with the only exception being the already agreed installation. “People panicked,” explained in the middle Mayor Jackie Woodward. Virginia, epicenter of political debate. The data center problem has also become an election issue in Virginiaone of the states most affected by this expansion. In Prince William County, near Washington DC, Republican and Democratic candidates compete to see who can promise tougher measures against these infrastructures. “I think we should ban all future data centers,” Republican candidate Patrick Harders declared in a debate, while his Democratic rival George Stewart agreed that “the crushing weight of data centers” was a crisis, with large companies “making us, as residents, pay for their energy.” The immediate future. With a billion dollars in recent investments and the energy demand of AI growing without brakes, everything indicates that this conflict has only just begun. Technology companies need these infrastructures to promote their technology based on generative artificial intelligence, but localities in the United States are increasingly reluctant to build them. Cover image | İsmail Enes Ayhan In Xataka | ChatGPT and AI have done for hard drives what no one expected: brought them back to life

All new construction buildings are becoming the same building

by

It doesn’t matter that you live in Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Grenade, Malaga either Vigoto name just a handful of cities. If you take a walk through the majority of municipalities in Spain, it is more than likely to meet the same picture: white and black residential buildings. The chromatic sobriety taken to the extreme seems to send among the blocks of New construction. Even in rehabilitations in which the facades are formed. It might seem a simple fashion issue, but – without discarding that factor – reality is a lot more complex and rich in nuances. So … why so many black and white buildings? The trend is already Some time Besting, but it has spread to such an extent and with such force that today all cities can be found in (almost). Populous cities of the size of Madrid either Valencia. And others with less population, such as A Coruña, Cáceres either Grenade. If new construction promotions are reviewed, it seems that almost all have come out of the same Architecture study. Black and White Mandate. As in his day he did the caravista brick. It is not necessary to leave home and travel the cities of the country to check it. Arrives with a look at the catalog of promoters such as Aedas Homes, Neinor Homes, Celere, Metrovacesa either Real estate habitat. There are exceptions, of course; But if we had to identify a trend in its portfolios and infographics is precisely that: the recurring use of whites, blacks and gray tones. Tax, tastes … and much more Made of tastes and fashions? It is an explanation. In 2023 the newspaper Herald He wondered Why in the neighborhoods of Zaragoza with a significant number of new buildings seemed to be repeated again and again the same picture: facades that combine white, black and dark gray. To clear the unknown he consulted with Grupo Lobe, behind one of the new buildings in the Aragonese capital that had opted for that combination: black, white and, where appropriate, an anthracite gray. And while the firm pointed to several factors, one of them is pure aesthetic. “There is another issue that we consider that it is the taste of the people. We are clear that attracts black and white, or very dark gray,” Álvaro Van Horenbeke saidarchitect of the firm. “For other more unique projects, other tones are used, but in general this combination is easier for it not to become timeless.” Other voices in the sector talk about the desire to “Generate dualities”a commitment to white linked to Modern movement or the simple taste for black and dark gray, such as anthracite or RAL 7016. That the commitment to black and white has spread so strongly does not respond to a simple issue of fashion or the search for an aesthetic as “timeless” possible. Black and white are not any chromatic options, as Van Horenbeke himself recognized. Aesthetic values apart, both are key in a strictly practical aspect: their behavior to reflect either absorb sunlight, which in turn influences temperature. The use of white can be so strategic that there are university researchers dedicated to Find the variety more “pure” possible – the whiter white – to improve its ability to reflect and use it in paintings capable of cooling surfaces that permeate below environmental values. Moreover, there are still the curl there are scientists who They have theorized On the advantages that it would have for the planet covering 2% of the land surface of “ultrabranco”. The architect Pedro Torrijos points another key to understanding the enormous popularity of black and white, which extends even to the reforms: the search for a more effective thermal insulation. The disseminator also remembers the great popularity of the SateThermal insulation systems on the outside that basically They consist in the installation of a thermal insulation on the outer walls of a building to improve thermal performance. By way of finishing Revoco or plates coatings with ceramics or stone can be used. It does not condition black and white, but that is a bet that has gained popularity against more risky ones. “The promoters are conservative.” There is an old adage that says ‘if something works … Why change it?’ That is another of the possible explanationseven simpler: if black and white buildings work in the market, why risk doing something that generates rejection? From the collective Madrid projects They remember that in the sector there are large companies that bet on formulas and studies that are already known to them. “There are few promoters who do a lot of work. They do it a bit in series,” they ironize. Chromatic sobriety is also associated with minimalism, although Madrid projects recognizes that repeating a recurrent formula as happened in its day with bricks causes a risk: “saturation.” “If you want to make a new image you can do it with brick and shapes, but it is normal to go to a more technological material. On the other hand, in Spain everything that has color sounds to social housing,” They pointed Three years ago since the Hisplelyt firm To the opinion of A Coruña. “In the end, 99% of the promotions look for something quiet, so they are sure that it will sell well. They only ask us for color and give some vidilla when we make students residences.” To better understand the phenomenon, Madrid projects slides another even more striking concept: “Buildings cream cake”. The expression helps to understand the success that works in black and white have achieved. The idea is to lift simple buildings to which a layer is then added to “generate a certain volume feeling”, as is the case in pastry with the cream. “To give a more chic touch, these slabs are given,” they say from the collective before aiming their advantages for example to “hide” small windows or other details. “It’s a beautiful finish,” they abound. The idea connects with another concept: that of “marketing architecture”. “These … Read more

China has the ability to stop the construction of new AI data centers. It is a nightmare for the US

by

During the last two years The Chinese government has fought The US sanctions and its allies resorting to a strategy that has proven to be very effective. China controls the production and processing of several critical minerals For semiconductor industries, renewable energies or electric car, among other sectors, which has led to the administration led by Xi Jinping to regulate its export in a very strict way. In early December 2024 He chose to prohibit The export of some critical minerals to the US, among which were three essential metals for the chips industry: Gallium, Germanio and Antimony. Shortly after the Chinese government added two more critical metals to its list of export restrictions: Scandio and Disposio. However, there is a much less exotic chemical element than those I just mentioned the one that is barely talking. China also controls it and is using it to put the US against the strings. Bismuth is a fundamental metal for the global technology industry Although it is not monopolizing as many headlines in international media as rare earths, bismuth (BI) is an essential chemical element not only for the integrated circuit industry, but for the entire global technology sector. It is a whitish, crystalline and relatively fragile metal that acquires a pinkaceous tone when coming into contact with the air. It shares some physicochemical properties with lead and tin, but it has a distinctive characteristic that has helped it be erected as the essential metal that is: it is much less toxic than other heavy metals, such as lead. However, this is not at all its only quality. In addition, it is the most diamagnetic metal, so when introducing it into a magnetic field it is repelled very weakly. On the other hand, its electrical resistance is high and its thermal conductivity is very low. Interestingly, the only metal that has even smaller thermal conductivity is mercury. And its melting point is relatively low (about 271.3 ° C), while Its boiling point touches the 2,000 ° C. Finally, the bismuth has another very unusual property among the metals that are worth not overlooking: when it solidifies it expands. The bismuth is an essential metal thanks to its intervention in welds and the tuning of thermoelectric materials If we had to stay with only two characteristics of all that we just reviewed the chosen ones would be their low toxicity index and their ability to expand when solidified. In fact, these properties largely justify their use in industries that have a strategic role for many countries, such as chips, consumer electronics, renewable energy or electric car. Although it participates in a wide range of applications, the bismuth is an essential metal thanks to its intervention in the welds and the tuning of thermoelectric materials. For many decades the metal usually used in welds was lead, but it has an important problem: it is very toxic. Gradually this metal has been displaced by the alloys of bismuth and tin, which are much less toxic, and, in addition, They have a very low melting point. In fact, these alloys have a leading role in the manufacture of flexible substrates, printed circuit plates and all kinds of electronic components. On the other hand, thermoelectric materials allow generating electricity taking advantage of temperature and vice versa differences, so they are very important in the development of efficient cooling systems. China is currently the largest world producer in bismuth. In fact, control between 80 and 84% of the supply of this metal, so the global distribution chain is in your hands. Only in 2024 this Asian country produced 13,000 metric tons of this chemical element, while outside the borders of China, only 3,000 more tons were refined. This essentially absolute control has led to the Chinese government to drastically restrict Bismuth export with the purpose of responding to the sanctions of their rivals. In the US, some technology companies are already against the ropes because their bismuth reserves are running out. And it is not precisely unimportant companies. Google, Amazon and Nvidia are three of the US companies that Chinese bismuth urgently need In order to sustain the construction of your new data centers for applications of artificial intelligence (AI), so They have asked the US government that he reaches an agreement with his Chinese counterpart. Otherwise the development of AI in the country led by Donald Trump will be compromised. In this area, as we have just seen, China has the pan well grabbed by the handle. More information | China / Business Inside In Xataka | The two most important chip companies in China have a problem: the 5 Nm have been choked

In 1997 a construction company had the delirious idea of ​​building the house of the Simpsons and getting it for sale. It ended up regular

by

Building a house identical to that of the protagonist family of ‘The Simpsons’ looked like a teacher promotional play. And give it to a fan to live in it, the cherry icing. However, neither Fox nor the unsuspecting spectators of the series who went through this house seemed to be clear a patent obviousness: The Simpsons are cartoon charactersand do not work in the real world. Firefighter ideas. The initial idea was from the Kaufman & Broad Construction Company, from the 3D designs that were being created for the 1997 video game ‘Virtual Springfield‘. The intention was to create a house identical to the originalfor which they were analyzed A hundred episodes of the series. The problems started from the first moment: the house of the series lacks something as essential as load walls. However, the builders ended up giving a safe design and fitting with what was seen on television. Mutant house Leaving aside the fact that the house has changed multiple times with the passage of time in the series (for example, the shape, size and distance from each other of the windows), the designers focused on two well -known rooms: that of television and Bart’s room. And they left from there, in a kind of version Cartoon of “Build the house from the roof.” The result: four bedrooms, two floors and, outside, a house in the tree and a backyard. Total: 200 square meters painted of squeaky yellow and with orange rooms, phosphorescent green and pink. The idea of ​​designers It was that the house was 90% normal, 10% cartoon. The devil, in the details. The final touches were given by Rick Floyd, Hollywood production designer who included thousands of details for the most terminal fans. Higher doors than normal to pass Marge’s hair, identical dresses and costumes in the closets of each character, holes near the ground for mice, dozens of Duff beer cans in the fridge, a saxo in Lisse’s room and a painted of the barto that Matt Groening himself did. And also an absolutely useless chimney in Henderson’s desert, Nevada, where the house is located. Pepsi gives it to you. The home found owner through a Pepsi and Fox contest that was launched in 1997: 15 million people sent tests for the purchase of brand products to participate, and the winner would take the house or $ 75,000 in cash (although the value of the house was estimated at double). The winner also promised to paint the facade in accordance with the rules imposed by the neighborhood. The winner was a 63 -year -old Kentucky retiree who decided to accept the money because she had no intention of moving from her home. The house became Attraction for curious. Pillage. An attraction that, by the way, had to be monitored 24 hours a day, by the looting of the unique objects inside. However, over time, surveillance relaxed and the house ended up becoming a curiosity without interest. In 2001, already converted into a reasonably normal housewas sold to another particular, a neighbor who had been secretary of the construction company. He had to make reforms, because the interior was uninhabitable with all the bright colors of the cartoons. Today, its facade remains A magnet for traveler fans And the project, one more sample that we cannot have beautiful things. All promo. The authentic business of the Simpsons is in merchandising: during its first year it generated 2,000 million dollarsand to date, it has 4.7 billion dollars. It is a phenomenon to which we add licenses and collaborations amounts to a value of 13,000 million. But no merchandising artifact is as special as Simpson objects in the real world: Lard Lady Donuts donuts, Duff Beer cans, Apu stores and Krusty Burger restaurants. None, however, as delusional and special as the family home. Header | Fox In Xataka | The Simpsons is a black family: the last theory that gives a radical turn to what we thought about knowing about the series

The construction of the highest skyscraper in the world

by

China is synonymous with Megaconstructions. In addition, in record time, but there are two countries that have been in a particular battle in which the concrete is the absolute protagonist. In 2010 the imposing Burj Khalifa was inaugurated, dethroning Taipei 101 as the tallest building in the world and giving the departure gun to a war between Arab Emirates and Arabia to see who made the vast skyscraper. And, although we have seen numerous skyscrapers in recent years, there are two that have between eyebrow and eyebrow over Creek Tower and the Jeddah Tower. And perhaps it is that ambition that the two projects are being carried ahead. The Saudi Jeddah Tower. It is one of the most ambitious projects in the world and it is expected that, when it is complete, it will become the highest building in the world. Saudi Arabia is clear that it must dethrone the Burj Khalifa of 828 meters with this tower that will exceed 1,000 meters high. How many exactly? We do not know, since although the works began in 2013, they go quite slowly. It will be a tower that will house a luxury hotel, residential apartments, offices and the highest observatory in the world and will feature a whopping 59 elevators, four of them with a double floor. Your designer? The American Adrian Smith, the same one who designed the Burj Khalifa with which he will have a certain resemblance. Dubai’s Creek Tower. This is much more recent, since the works began in 2016 and the data are much more diffuse. As Burj Khalifa, Creek Tower will be in Dubai and will be a very different construction from the other two towers. It will be more a recreational tower with restaurants, places to spend time and ten observation platforms (with glass floor to see the entire city. You can also house some luxury residences, but a very scarce number to be considered the “highest building in the world”, at least technically. And how much are we talking about? Between 828 meters and 1,400 meters. It is a huge fan, but what were clear is that it should exceed 828 of the city’s iconic megonstruction. The design is also peculiar, and the leading architect of the project is the “Recognized” Santiago Calatrava. Shared difficulties. The two constructions share more elements than it might seem. Both have a peculiar design, both are very high and both … have been drawing problems for years. For different reasons, yes. The construction of the Jeddah Tower It was arrested in 2018 due to the fight of the Royal House against administrative, political and real corruption. In a process known as ‘La Purga’, the heir prince created a committee that arrested 281 people. It was a tremendously controversial process because in parallel, it seems that a group of death operated to kill dissidents silently. The works officially resumed In February this year. In the case of Creek Tower, its inauguration was planned For some time of 2020, but COVID-19 forced to paralyze the work and construction has not yet raised head. In 2024 some project updates were made, confirming that the final height would be far from what was expected and, with a total of 745 meters, will not meet the objective of overcoming Burj Khalifa. The craziest plan. Now, although these two towers are colossal, there is a Saudi Arabia project that wants to leave them up to a normal and current residential block. It has no name, but an objective height: 2,000 meters. We only know which is something that is on the horizon and that will be the responsibility of the architects of Foster +. Partners And yes, it is an idea of ​​the same country that is building The Mukaabhe Riad Airport and The Lineso it is sure they will try. Samsung, the silent winner. And although it is not very clear what the two countries intend with this particular battle of megaconstrucciones, the obvious thing is that there are companies that are filling the pockets with these projects. And beyond local construction companies and foreign architects, we must mention Samsung. Specifically, to the Samsung C&T Engineering and Construction Group division that is charge of the construction of Burj Khalifa and is in command of the Creek Tower. And they are not the only constructions of the South Korean division, since, within Vision 2030, the company advertisement In December of last year that the construction of the first Saudi Arabia subway system under Riyadh, a totally automated system without drivers and was ending 11 years with a total cost of more than 2.4 billion dollars. Images | Jeddah Tower, Emaar In Xataka | The tallest building never designed is a colossal (and theoretical) skyscraper of four kilometers: the X-Seed 4000

Japan has just found a way to drastically accelerate the construction of train stations: print them in 3D

by

3D impression continues to make way in the world of architecture. After seeing the first houses and even data centers 3D printednow is the turn of rail infrastructure. The latest novelty It arrives from Japanwhere they have already installed a train station built with this technology. According to those responsible, the main advantages against traditional methods are speed and sustainability. As can be seen in the images, we are not facing a station that impresss its size or monumental design. On the contrary: it is a simple, functional and compact construction. At first glance it may seem plastic, but in reality it is printed in concrete. The structure, of less than 10 square meters, is based on several reinforcement bars and has two openings for the passage of passengers. The first 3D printed station in the world The structure was printed a few kilometers and was subsequently transferred in a truck to Hatsushima Station, in the Wakayama Prefecture, about 96 kilometers south of Osaka. There the final assembly was carried out. Naohiro Ohashi, spokesman for Jr West Japan, explained to NHK that “Normally it takes about two months in building a station of this size ”, and that in this case the priority was the speed to complete the work. The assembly of the structure was completed in about two hours with the help of a crane, and all the work ended before the first train departure to Wakayama. The pieces, of several tons, were manipulated by only six operators, including the crane operator. With this experience, the company already has a more precise estimate of the time necessary to install this type of stations, which are part of future projects. From now on, the company will evaluate the profitability of both construction and maintenance. Depending on the performance of this first station, they consider Extend the use of this technology to other locations. They point out that 3D impression facilitates a planned renewal of the railway facilities, especially before the Crecent labor shortage. The objective, they point out, is to move towards a more sustainable rail infrastructure. According to Nikkeithe current building of the Hatsushima station was built in 1948 and currently functions as a station without staff. The oldest structure, larger, showed a remarkable deterioration and its maintenance had become increasingly expensive. Jr West decided to replace it with a new 3D printed version, more adjusted to the actual level of use and also useful to assess the impact of saline air that blows from the sea. Images | @handakunihio (x) | JR West Japan In Xataka | We have discovered (again) the secret of Roman concrete. Is less impressive than it seems

China intimidates in nuclear fusion. The construction of its own iter advances at full speed

by

The way to a destiny as challenging as the nuclear fusion Commercial must necessarily be full of small conquests. Of achievements that may seem modest, but that, in reality, are milestones that place us a little closer to an ambitious goal that does not pursue anything other than help us solve our energy needs without continuing to emit greenhouse gases. In this context Iter monopolizes much of attention. And it is understandable that it is so. After all, it is a project with a huge wingspan, which is also led by the European Union. In fact, this organization is assuming together approximately 50% of the total cost of a plan in which the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India and South Korea also participate. However, the commitment of public origin for nuclear fusion is not condensed only in Iter. And it is not limited only to the European Union. Not much less. Europe is pointing Very important scientific milestonesbut there are other countries that are also being very high, and that, precisely, do not move in the orbit of the West. In fact, two of them, probably the most outstanding, are China and South Korea. The Chinese experimental reactor CFETR is extraordinarily promising China that, as we have seen, actively participates in Iter’s tuning, has been engaged in the development of an experimental nuclear fusion reactor for several years at least as ambitious as the latter. It’s called CFETR (Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor), A denomination that we can translate as a test reactor for Chinese fusion engineering. The engineers of the country led by Xi Jinping completed their conceptual design in 2015 taking as a starting point the Chinese fusion reactors East, HL-2a (M) and J-Text. The experts of the commission that certifies nuclear facilities have approved the first section of the vacuum chamber CFETR has much in common with Iter. In fact, it aspires to complement the machine that is being built in the French town of Cadarache, and, at the same time, it is nourished by the knowledge generated during the design and development of Iter. Anyway The construction of the CFETR reactor It is already underway. And advances at a very good pace. In fact, just two days ago the experts of the Chinese commission that certifies the nuclear facilities gave the final approval to the first section of the reactor vacuum chamber. This is the gigantic component that we can see in the cover photography of this article. The CFETR reactor vacuum chamber will consist of seven other sections such as this, will have a height of 20 meters and will be made of stainless steel of very low carbon content. Inside, fusion reactions between the deuterium and tritium nuclei will occur that will be magnetically confined in a plasma that will exceed 100 million degrees Celsius. The most interesting thing is that this machine will operate in two phases. During the first of them, he will prove that he is able to generate up to 200 MW of energy, as well as sustain a tritium production ratio greater than 1. This simply means that will produce more tritio than consumeso he will be able to self -abuse from this radioactive hydrogen isotope. During the second phase of operation, the CFETR reactor will pursue more than 1 GW of power, so it will become a demonstration machine that, if everything goes well, will be happened by the first commercial fusion energy plants. Image | Xinhua News More information | China Science In Xataka | Spain’s milestone in nuclear fusion: the first plasma produced by the Smart reactor invites us to optimism

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.