Steel Buildings – The History of Skyscrapers

Skyscrapers make up some of the most impressive steel buildings in the world ranging from the Empire State Building in New York to the Taipei 101 in Taiwan. These monumental steel buildings have a long and interesting history.

Skyscrapers dominate the skyline in major cities throughout the world and these cities would be rendered unrecognisable if these gargantuan steel buildings were removed. Skyscrapers rely heavily on steel in their construction as it is a highly durable material which is perfect for building projects as ambitious as skyscrapers. Steel buildings like the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Chrysler in New York are two of the most recognisable skyscrapers in the world but all modern skyscrapers owe their existence to pioneering engineers and designers like George A Fuller who dedicated his time to solving the problems associated with the load bearing capacity of tall steel buildings; and with his findings, the skyscraper was essentially born.

Steel Buildings – Reach for the Sky

The term skyscraper was first used during the 1880’s and was used to describe the steel buildings that were popping up throughout America and which were generally between 10 and 20 storeys in height. By the start of the 1900’s, steel buildings in the form of skyscrapers began to dominate the skylines across America and in 1913 the world’s tallest building at that time was completed; the Woolworth Building in New York. Steel buildings and skyscrapers have obviously come a long way since the early days at the turn of the century but the design principles for skyscrapers still rely heavily on findings that were discovered at the time. The first steel buildings, like the flatiron building in New York, tended to be constructed using Bessemer steel beams and steel cages that were capable of supporting the weight of these early skyscrapers.

Steel Buildings – Importance of Materials

Steel buildings and skyscrapers are feats of modern engineering and today’s skyscrapers are an amalgamation of materials which tend to have steel at their core. Skyscrapers and steel buildings throughout the world are built to last which is why steel is used as the primary building block. Other important materials in the construction of skyscrapers are most often glass and concrete as designers and engineers seek more and more ways of making skyscrapers more resolute whilst continuing to build them higher and higher. Almost all tall steel buildings and skyscrapers that are built today are designed to be able to withstand unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes.

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