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Dillinger heavy plate for the
Merdeka 118 Tower in Kuala Lumpur

A landmark to commemorate Malaysia’s independence

Merdeka is Malay and stands for freedom and independence. The term has a profound meaning for Malaysia’s national history.
On August 31, 1957, the first Prime Minister of the Federation of Malaya proclaimed the word “Merdeka!” seven times at Merdeka Stadium. This was the proclamation of independence from British colonial rule. As he did so, he stretched his right hand towards the sky. This movement is supposed to be reflected through the spire of Merdeka 118 skyscraper located near the independence stadium.
Another special feature of the tower are the triangular elements of the glass facade, which are inspired by traditional Malaysian craftsmanship.

The second tallest building in the world

Merdeka 118 stands out from the Kuala Lumpur skyline with an impressive height of 678.9 metres. When it was completed, it was considered as the tallest building in Southeast Asia and the second tallest in the world. Only the Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai surpasses this megatower.

Approximately 287,000 square metres of usable space are spread over a total of 118 above-ground (this also explains the origin of the name Merdeka 118) and 5 underground floors. Of this, 158,000 square metres are leased as office space.

The tower also houses a hotel belonging to the luxurious Park Hyatt chain and a rooftop restaurant. Another extraordinary attraction is a 360-degree viewing platform on the 116^th floor. It is the highest in Southeast Asia and, at more than 500 metres above the ground, offers a magnificent view of the city.

In the external steel frame system, the outrigger and the belt truss around 6,000 tons of steel were used. In particular, the higher-strength grade S460M/ML was employed, which enabled a significant weight saving of around 20% in the steel system. This not only brings economic added value but also benefits in terms of the use of resources and CO₂ emissions.

Dillinger delivered about 2,560 tons of heavy plate in grade S460ML and plate thicknesses ranging from 10 to 125 millimetres for this megatower.