Bangkok’S Lavish Malls Consume As Much Power As Entire Provinces

[cavanami]

...and they continue to build malls

 

Bangkok’s lavish malls consume as much power as entire provinces

 

http://qz.com/376125/bangkoks-lavish-malls-consume-as-much-power-as-entire-provinces/

 

How much luxury retail does one city need? Bangkok seems determined to find out. The Thai capital’s newest high-end mall, EmQuartier, opened March 27 featuring brands including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, Prada, Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, Tiffany, Fendi, and Balenciaga.

 

It joins more than half a dozen similar shopping meccas within a three-mile (5 km) stretch along the city’s central Sukhumvit Road, many of them boasting the same expensive brands.

 

But the true cost may extend beyond Thailand’s borders. In part because of the city’s intense climate—it is one of the hottest big cities in the world—Bangkok malls and their massive air conditioning systems consume immense amounts of electricity. The huge Siam Paragon mall consumes nearly twice as much power annually as all of Thailand’s underdeveloped Mae Hong Son province, home to about 250,000 people...

[Flashermac]

One of these days, they'll probably start sinking into the mud that underlies Bangkok. It's a long way down to the bedrock.

[My Penis is hungry]

With a little luck

[Mekong]

One of these days, they'll probably start sinking into the mud that underlies Bangkok. It's a long way down to the bedrock.

 

Alas Flash the foundations do not need to go down to bedrock which in Bangkok is down at approx 500 Meters.

 

Driven piles need to penetrate the the second layer of Stiff Clay or the Layer of Hard Clay, which in Bangkok is between 40 - 45 meters down so the piles will be driven to a depth of 50 meters. Before depth of driven pile is known a number of test piles are first driven until it comes to a resistance based upon load bearing. Geotechnical Engineering is a science even though I do tease Civil Engineers about making Mud Pies

 

The dimensions of the piles and the spacing between them is then calculated on Load Bearing Capacity and Seismic Data. When a pile is driven it compresses the ground between each pile and it is the lateral compression which offers load bearing capacity. On my current project we are building on reclaimed Paddy Fields on the bank of a tidal river, the piles are driven to 80 - 85 meters and so tightly grouped that there is more piling than actual earth, for one Boiler unit alone in excess of 1850 piles and these are 500mm Square.

[baa99]

Isn't Bangkok sinking due to water wells?

 

Solar panels on top of the mall should work quite well.

[The_Munchmaster]

Driven piles need to penetrate the the second layer of Stiff Clay or the Layer of Hard Clay, which in Bangkok is between 40 - 45 meters down so the piles will be driven to a depth of 50 meters.

 

I doubt the piles are driven, aren't they much more likely to be cast in-situ bored piles?

[jitagawn]

Ugh ... another souless mall.

I have watched them build this for the last few years.

 

Isn't there another huge project going up on Suk Soi 6?

Anybody know what that is going to be?

[Mekong]

I doubt the piles are driven, aren't they much more likely to be cast in-situ bored piles?

 

Munchie,

 

I am no expert on the topic, far from it to be honest, but my understanding is that Bored or CIDH (Cast in Drilled Hole) Piles are utilised on dense strata and dry soil conditions, where as driven piles are utilised on light density strata and saturated ground such as Chao Phraya Basin and the reclaimed Paddy Fields where my current project is being executed. A CIDH with a deep water table will not work as I have been told.

 

On my project after soil improvement many test piles were installed, bored piles (Augercast and Under Reamed) as well as driven (Round, Square & Octagonal) both in Foundation and Monopile configurations, at the end of the day the Geotechnical Engineers made the call on which was the best suited to site conditions and decided upon Square Driven Foundation with a Pilecap.

 

Whilst not my field of engineering it really is a fascinating topic (for a geek like me) and I have been fortunate enough to get a deeper insight into the subject and have been privy to some intense meetings on such, the mud pie makers now have mutual respect from me, I never realised how involved the topic was, Torre Pendante di Pisa is a classic example of differential settlement.

[Pom Michael]

Suk Soi 6 looks like a Q House condo.

 

http://newpattaya.com/bangkok/q-sukhumvit-6/

 

Ignore all the Pattaya references - they are talking about Bangkok Sukhumvit Soi 6.

[jitagawn]

Thanks now I Know...