A building hundreds of floors high is always amazing constructions that look prestigious and respectable. How to build skyscrapers and why do it? The feasibility of such decisions comes from the rapid population growth of the largest megacities of the planet. At the same time, it is extremely difficult to develop a project of a building more than a hundred meters high. Such a structure should be not only functional, but also safe. That is why today to implement such projects resort to the use of the most innovative technologies.
What is the technology of building skyscrapers? Which buildings are the tallest today? What innovations in the construction of skyscrapers are using recently? We will try to answer these and other questions in our material.
Choosing a place for construction
How are skyscrapers built? The most important role in the implementation of the project is played by the choice of site for the placement of structures. High-rises are much stronger pressure on the ground than standard residential buildings. For this reason, skyscrapers stand only on dense soil, which does not contain cavities, inhomogeneous masses and deposits of water. Buildings of impressive height contain a massive underground part invisible to the eyes of the layman. Obviously, laying complex foundation designs requires a thorough analysis of the nature of the soil.
Walls and Structures
Modern skyscrapers cannot be built from bricks or concrete slabs. Such constructions would inevitably expect rapid destruction due to instability under the influence of natural factors.
As a rule, in the construction of skyscrapers resort to the use of load-bearing, composite steel structures. As a material for all kinds of ceilings, monolithic reinforced concrete of the highest level of strength is used.
Layout
The internal structure of skyscrapers is fundamentally different from urban housing. The main emphasis is on fire safety. After all, it is extremely problematic to evacuate people from a building tens of floors high in the event of an emergency. Therefore, the internal space of skyscrapers is divided by special fire barriers. In this case, one backup elevator in the building always remains connected to the uninterrupted power supply.
The latest skyscrapers are designed so that in emergency situations people can take refuge on the technical floors, which usually stand empty. At the same time, all entrances to the rooms are most often equipped with double doors. This is implemented in order to prevent drafts, which supply the flame with oxygen during fires.
Life support
Skyscrapers are usually equipped with systems that provide economical energy consumption. Many modern buildings have solar panels. Productive pumps, which are installed every 10-15 floors, are responsible for water supply. It is simply impossible to pump water hundreds of meters up another way. Well, it should be noted autonomous air conditioning systems.
Project cost
How much does a skyscraper cost? Not so long ago, Japanese engineers announced that they plan to build a structure called "Fuji", the height of which will reach an unthinkable 4 kilometers. The design of the building involves the presence of as many as 800 floors. The finished construction should accommodate about one million people. To provide the building with electricity, solar panels will be used. What is the cost of the project? According to experts, the construction of "Fuji" will cost Japan in the amount of 300 to 900 billion dollars.
As for the tallest house of the existing ones, such is the Burj Khalifa tower in the United Arab Emirates. Its height reaches 828 meters. The cost of such a skyscraper reaches about $ 20 billion.
The next tallest skyscraper is the Shanghai Tower, the construction of which was completed in 2015, cost its creators only 1.7 billion. The height of this building is 632 meters.
The tallest skyscraper in the world
In 2010, one of the most impressive buildings in history was inaugurated in Dubai (UAE) . The tallest skyscraper in the world (828 meters) is called the Burj Khalifa. The presentation of the tower was a pompous event. Around the huge building gathered thousands of onlookers. The broadcast of the ceremony spread to the whole world. The action was simultaneously watched on TV by a record 2 billion viewers.
The project took 5 years to complete. In the course of the work, the plans of the Arab sheikhs, who were responsible for financing, repeatedly changed. Architects regularly had to amend the construction plan to maximize its height.
Despite all the efforts of the sheikhs, the Burj Khalifa, presumably, promises not to remain the most impressive building in the world for long. After all, not so long ago, the Saudi government announced its own project, which should overshadow the famous tower with its grandeur. According to some reports, the height of the new giant called Kingdom Tower will be 1.1 kilometers.
Skyscrapers in New York
To this day, the city of New York remains one of the world leaders in the number of skyscrapers per unit area. The real tourist mecca is the famous Empire State Building. The skyscraper is located in the financial center of the city at the intersection of Fifth and Thirty-fourth Avenues. The building occupies a whole block and rises to heaven at 448 meters.
Not so long ago, the New York City's tallest skyscraper was the World Trade Center. The monumental structure consisted of two twin towers, each 541 meters high and 110 floors. However, in 2011 a terrible tragedy took place. It is no secret that the famous skyscraper was destroyed by the terrorist attack and forever sunk into history.
In 2005, the famous Rofeller Center appeared on the map of the metropolis. Funds for the construction of a skyscraper were allocated by the successful businessman John Rockefeller, in whose honor the building was actually named. The building rises above New York at 259 meters. At the top of the structure is equipped with an observation deck, which opens one of the best panoramas of the city. It is noteworthy that the observation tower on the roof of the building, implemented for tourists, does not have protective nets and gratings. This allows visitors to the facility to enjoy fantastic views.
Innovative technologies
Currently, the construction of skyscrapers around the world focuses on the implementation of renewable energy sources in the project, the use of environmentally friendly, safe materials, reducing the impact of huge masses on the ground. Specialists are guided by the possible vibrations of the structure, the impact on it of seismic phenomena.
How are skyscrapers built? First of all, designers resort to the use of composite materials. As a rule, the same patterns are repeated at all levels of the building. The use of composites reduces the overall weight of buildings by an average of 10%. The technology also makes it possible to significantly accelerate the implementation of projects.
The most advanced technologies are applied today in the countries of Asia. Here, they are especially concerned about the increased stability of high-rise structures, which is due to the high probability of the occurrence of natural disasters. So, the Jin Mao skyscraper located in Shanghai, according to experts, can maintain the integrity of its structures at a wind speed of more than 200 km / h, as well as withstand tremors up to 7 points. This is ensured by the implementation of movable joints inside bearing columns made of steel. The presence of a swimming pool located on the 57th floor of a skyscraper has a huge impact on maintaining structural stability. The latter allows the building to balance in space.
Not in the last place in the construction of high-rise buildings remains an increased concern for the environment. Modern skyscrapers are increasingly playing the role of air filters, which remove greenhouse gases and other harmful substances from airspace. A prime example is the Bank of America building, located on Manhattan Island. Systems located in the walls of the construction structure are able to filter out contaminated air and return it to space already in purified form.
The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, concentrates condensate in itself, which then goes into the form of liquid for irrigation of adjacent green spaces. Among other things, the construction of the skyscraper used special grades of concrete that withstand the effects of high temperatures, which exceed 50 ° C.
Finally
So we found out how to build skyscrapers. Not so long ago, some of the above projects seemed futuristic and unattainable in the near future. As you can see, the development of technology does not stand still. Innovative solutions quietly become part of our daily lives and are increasingly taken for granted.