Amazing Structures, Famous Landmarks – As of 2010, the tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE. It reaches an incredible 828 metres (2717 feet) in height. This is just one of many amazing structure described.
- curtain wall – Rather than employing load bearing walls as conventional construction does, curtain walls are born by or suspended from the load bearing framework, allowing a wide variety of exterior shapes and surfaces – The glass walled skyscraper is a direct result of such innovation. The load bearing frameworks of the tallest buildings are all derivations of a tubular core, allowing the building not only its height, but the ability to resist lateral loads from wind and seismic forces.
Design process – buildings (video 4:50) – Engineers talk about their process for creating and building.
- SAFE – Safe, Aesthetic (attractive, pleasing), Functional (meets needs, intended use), Economic considerations
- Empire State Building – At 1,250 ft. the Empire State Building is the best-known skyscraper in the world, and was by far the tallest building in the world for more than 40 years. The building’s most astonishing feat however, was the speed in which it rose into the New York City skyline. Construction was completed in only one year and 45 days, without requiring overtime. Ironworkers set a torrid pace, riveting the 58,000-ton frame together in 23 weeks. While just below them, masons finished the exterior in eight months, and plumbers laid 51 miles of pipe and electricians installed 17 million ft. of telephone wire.
- Dubai’s Burj Khalifa is widely known as the world’s tallest building, measuring in at a whopping 2,716.5 feet and 160 stories.
Organic building materials
- Hy-Fi – a circular tower of organic and reflective bricks, which were designed to combine the unique properties of two new materials. The organic bricks are produced through an innovative combination of corn stalks (that otherwise have no value) and specially-developed living root structures. The reflective bricks are produced through the custom-forming of a new daylighting mirror film invented by 3M. The reflective bricks are used as growing trays for the organic bricks
Do It
Challenges for you to work on…
- Engineer a Skyscraper for the Wind – Build a skyscraper that stands strong in the wind and is at least 18 inches tall.
Learn more…
engineering 4 kids 