Shrine Of 'Abdu'l-Bahá - Construction Nears Major Milestone
This latest Bahá’í World News Service report on the construction of the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá includes a video update and was published on Monday 24th July 2023.
BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTRE — Construction of the Shrine of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá is moving swiftly ahead with the project team
preparing to cast the roof structure—a trellis that will span the
central edifice where the sacred remains of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will be
permanently laid to rest.
The project team has been meticulously laying the formwork for the
trellis using expanded polystryene (EPS) blocks that are specially cut
to form valleys of negative space into which concrete will be poured,
forming the intricate roof structure.
This unique roof structure will be composed of one continuous slab,
making it necessary for the concrete to be poured all at once. The
project team will need to work continuously over 48 hours to complete
the work.
Khosrow Rezai, the project manager, explains that two types of
concrete are being poured—standard grey concrete and higher-quality
white concrete—and that the sequence in which these are poured needs
to be carefully coordinated.
“The pouring areas are sloped in four directions,” says Mr. Rezai.
“Four pumps are being used to pour the white concrete from above to
the lowest areas at the north and south ends of the trellis up to a
pre-determined level before we switch to the regular grey concrete
that will cover the remaining areas in three separate sequences.”
It is critical that each stage follows a precise sequence, and this
demands detailed planning to ensure that the stages are perfectly
synchronized. Mr. Rezai explains that this process is “calculated
based on the volume of concrete, the rate of its application and the
areas that it covers, to allow for a continuous pour before the
concrete begins to set.”
To read the story online, view more photos, or view a video update
visit news.bahai.org [https://news.bahai.org/story/1685/]
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Photos and video on this page are from Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS) (copyright © Bahá'í International Community).
Feature image: An aerial view of the latest developments on the work at the site of the Shrine
