In New York, the tallest and thinnest building is located at 432 Park Avenue. Unfortunately, since the height-to-width ratio of 15 to 1, an issue may occur -; swaying.

The back and forth movement that occurs on the top floors can cause a serious level of discomfort for the people inside. This has resulted in architects having to develop innovative and effective methods to stabilize these buildings, including the use of a Column Formwork System.

Understanding Modern Architecture and Building Methods

There is an array of design elements related to modern skyscrapers. These include random and seemingly gaping holes, tapered pointy tops, and twisting sides. Believe it or not, these do not have anything to do with how the building looks.

There is an array of distinctive features seen in modern, very tall buildings that are created to deal with a factor that people may not consider -; wind. As mentioned above, when heavy wind occurs, the skyscrapers may vibrate, or they could sway several feet.

Engineering and Design of the Sears Tower

Bruce Graham was the Sears Tower architect, with Fazlur Khan designing the skyscraper using a bundled tube system. This means that the building is designed using a cluster of nine different tubes that are connected, so they work as a single unit. The structure was designed to be stronger because each of the tubes provides support for the other tubes. Thanks to the variation in the tube height, the wind’s force is disrupted.

This design has resulted in the tower swaying just six inches in high winds, which is virtually undetectable by those inside.

Eliminating Cases of Vortex Shedding

The building mentioned above in New York, 432 Park Avenue, experienced something called vortex shedding for a while. This resulted in wind causing the entire building to vibrate -; even when wind speeds were somewhat low. To help with this, the engineers eliminate the use of glazing, which is the architectural term used for glass -; on the mechanical floors where no one stayed. This let the wind move through the building without any resistance.

There were other elements added to the design that seemed to be for aesthetics only but were added to help with the wind situation. In another building in New York, which is located at 111 West 57th street, the luxury residential tower, which stands 1,428 feet tall, bronze latticework and terra-cotta panels were added to the structure to help reduce the impact of wind forces.

Additional Architectural Designs to Ensure Stability in Skyscrapers

The Shanghai Tower in China features a spiral design. This is not by accident. As the second tallest building in the world, it was necessary to create something that could withstand high winds. Also, the design helps to reduce the total wind load by about 24%.

When it comes to designs of skyscrapers, there are several factors considered during the design process. This helps to ensure that the building can stand up to adverse weather. Being informed and knowing what to consider will help ensure that the needed results are achieved. In the long run, this is going to pay off and reduce the issues with the buildings while ensuring they look cool and that they do not fall or suffer other negative issues during bad weather or wind.