Chinese workers build 15-story hotel in just six days

[mentalfloss]

As the United States and China battle over the finer points of currency manipulation at the G-20 summit, American negotiators may want to take note of this startling testimonial to the productivity of Chinese workers: A construction crew in the south-central Chinese city of Changsha has completed a 15-story hotel in just six days. If nothing else, this remarkable achievement will stoke further complaints from American economic pundits that China's economy is far more accomplished than ours in tending to such basics as construction.

Meanwhile, it's easy to imagine the disorientation of Changsha residents who'd gone away, or who just hadn't recently ventured into the downtown neighborhood of the new Ark Hotel: "Honey, I don't remember a hotel there, do you?"

The work crew erected the hotel -- a soundproofed, thermal-insulated structure reportedly built to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake -- with all prefabricated materials. In other words, a crew of off-site factory workers built the sections, and their on-site counterparts arranged them on the foundation for the Ark project.

Despite the frenetic pace of construction, no workers were injured -- and thanks to the prefab nature of the process, the builders wasted very few construction materials. Below is a time-lapse video that shows the hotel being built from the ground up in less than a week:


YouTube - Ark Hotel Construction time lapse building 15 storeys in 2 days

 

[Chiliagon]

ya but would you want to go stand in this building??

 

[Praxius]

Built in six days......

..... collapses in 4.

The only way it would ever withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake is if it fell down the day before.

 

[mentalfloss]

It was prefab'd which is actually much safer and environmentally friendly.

 

[DurkaDurka]

I've seen how Chinese construction work has handled earthquakes in the past, it crumbles.

 

[damngrumpy]

I would plan to stay somewhere else, I don't trust that kind of construction time line.
What comes to mind is my grampa's old saying, "How come there is no time to do
something right, yet there is all kinds of time to do it over again."
I would trust staying their even if there was no earthquake.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

It's a little disingenuous to claim it was built in 6 days. It was assembled in 6 days from prefab components, but before that somebody had to design and build and test (I hope, though as this is China I wouldn't bet on it) all the components then transport them to the site.

 

[damngrumpy]

Dexter Sinister you got that right, I would not trust any building that was built in this fashion anywhere
in the world. It might have been assembled, in the time frame with enough workers. The only problem
with assembly, what part is it that is left over? There is always one or two pieces left over isn't there?

 

[Unforgiven]

Assorted safety concerns aside, it's pretty cool that they can erect it that fast. Never see that in Canada or the US as the unions would never move that fast nor would the mob allow it.

 

[bill barilko]

Typical load of lying Chinese bull.

 

[Goober]

Assorted safety concerns aside, it's pretty cool that they can erect it that fast. Never see that in Canada or the US as the unions would never move that fast nor would the mob allow it.

And Building codes - Trades must have certain qualifications - Worker safety etc. I do not mind that it takes longer and cost more when it is built correctly.

The world say the death toll from the hundreds upon hundreds of school buildings that collapsed because of the Chinese Building Ethic/ Corruption - Poor quality of material right down to substandard.

Oh yes - Please recall the contaminated Gyprock that thery exported by the boatload. Or the toothpaste, or the Baby Formula or the cough syrup.

Yeah I can wait.

 

[Spade]

I have always been impressed by the genius and adaptability of the Chinese people.

 

[petros]

If the time to prefab everything were counted rather than just assembly time it would still amount to a couple months of labour.

 

[taxslave]

Impressive but that is just the shell, not the completed building. Also judging by the video they worked 24/7 which makes 18 days which is still impressive. All of which was after the foundation was poured and cured I hope.
Then again we only have the word of the Chinese government on that.

 

[Goober]

Impressive but that is just the shell, not the completed building. Also judging by the video they worked 24/7 which makes 18 days which is still impressive. All of which was after the foundation was poured and cured I hope.
Then again we only have the word of the Chinese government on that.

And their word is worth the paper it is written on.

 

[Elder]

I would not even take a tour in it let alone live in a building put up that quickly. China is not known for paying attention to saftey issues. I wonder how long it will last.

 

[cdn_bc_ca]

I would not even take a tour in it let alone live in a building put up that quickly. China is not known for paying attention to saftey issues. I wonder how long it will last.

Probably the same as one that took 2 years to build here in Canada. Remember, Chinese construction projects are not encumbered with multiple trade unions and all the apathy it brings.

I don't think you can compare a developing country to one that is developed. In fact, if it weren't for the leaky condo fiasco here in BC and the popularity of the Mike Holmes shows, I thought we were superior to them too. But we are not.

 

[TenPenny]

Hey, they have vending machines that sell cans of beer in the Beijing airport. They're obviously far advanced beyond us.

 

[cdn_bc_ca]

Hey, they have vending machines that sell cans of beer in the Beijing airport. They're obviously far advanced beyond us.

And we have vending machines that sell condoms at the airport..

 

[Trotz]

I'm annoyed with the road crews that are always working every single day in the Lowermainland,

I still haven't been to a city abroad that has constant traffic contestation, as a result of construction crew, every 4-5 blocks.