Republic of the Philippines
University of Northern Philippines
Tamag, Vigan City
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the subject
CE TE – SPECIAL TOPICS IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
“TOWERS”
Submitted By:
GROUP 5 – BSCE 5B
Stephanie L. Adoc
Rio Nico U. Costales
Christian Joshua B. Llanda
Mark Anthony R. Rabena
Ryan Wigan
Submitted To:
Dr. Norma A. Esguerra, C.E.
Instructor
TOWERS
A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor.
Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are
therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures.
Tower buildings are tall buildings with many floors.
It have been a fascination for people; for engineer it is a challenge to build
structure that rises hundred of feet above the ground.
Although not correctly called towers many modern skyscraper are often
called towers (whereas they are classified as 'buildings'). In the United
Kingdom, tall domestic buildings are referred to as tower blocks. In
the United States, the original World Trade Center had the nickname the
Twin Towers, a name shared with the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala
Lumpur.
THE FIRST TOWER BUILDING
In the late 19th century, the first tower building would have been typically
an office building of more than 10 storey’s. The concept was undoubtedly
originated in the USA, in Chicago and in New York, where space was limited
and where the best option was to increase the height of the buildings. The
Home Insurance Building in Chicago was perhaps the first tower building in
the world. Built in 1884-1885 its height was 42 m/10 storeys
SKYSCRAPERS
A skyscraper is a continuously habitable high-rise building that has over 40
floors and is taller than approximately 150 m (492 ft). Historically, the term
first referred to buildings with 10 to 20 floors in the 1880s. The definition
shifted with advancing construction technology during the 20th century.
Skyscrapers may host offices, residential spaces, and retail spaces. For
buildings above a height of 300 m (984 ft), the term supertall
skyscrapers can be used, while skyscrapers reaching beyond 600 m
(1,969 ft) are classified as megatall skyscrapers.
MECHANICS (LIMITS)
Up to a certain height, a tower can be made with the supporting structure
with parallel sides. However, above a certain height, the compressive load
of the material is exceeded and the tower will fail. This can be avoided if
the tower's support structure tapers up the building.
A second limit is that of buckling—the structure requires sufficient stiffness
to avoid breaking under the loads it faces, especially those due to winds.
Many very tall towers have their support structures at the periphery of the
building, which greatly increases the overall stiffness.
A third limit is dynamic; a tower is subject to varying winds, vortex
shedding, seismic disturbances etc. These are often dealt with through a
combination of simple strength and stiffness, as well as in some
cases tuned mass dampers to damp out movements. Varying or tapering
the outer aspect of the tower with height avoids vibrations due to vortex
shedding occurring along the entire building simultaneously.
FUNCTIONS
Strategic advantages
The tower throughout history has provided its users with an advantage in
surveying defensive positions and obtaining a better view of the
surrounding areas, including battlefields. They were constructed
on defensive walls, or rolled near a target. Today, strategic-use towers are
still used at prisons, military camps, and defensive perimeters.
Potential energy
By using gravity to move objects or substances downward, a tower can be
used to store items or liquids like a storage silo or a water tower, or aim an
object into the earth such as a drilling tower.
Communication enhancement
In history, simple towers like lighthouses, bell towers, clock towers, signal
towers and minarets were used to communicate information over greater
distances. In more recent years, radio masts and cell phone towers
facilitate communication by expanding the range of the transmitter. The CN
Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was built as a communications tower,
with the capability to act as both a transmitter and repeater. Its design also
incorporated features to make it a tourist attraction, including the world's
highest observation deck at 147 storeys.
Transportation support
Towers can also be used to support bridges, and can reach heights that rival
some of the tallest buildings above-water. Their use is most prevalent
in suspension bridges and cable-stayed bridges. The use of the pylon, a
simple tower structure, has also helped to build railroad bridges, mass-
transit systems, and harbors.
Other towers
To access tall or high objects: launch tower, service tower, service
structure, scaffold, tower crane, tower wagon
To access atmospheric conditions aloft: wind turbine,
meteorological measurement tower, tower telescope, solar power station
To lift high tension cables for electrical power distribution transmission
tower
To take advantage of the temperature gradient inherent in a height
differential: cooling tower
To expel and disperse potentially harmful gases and particulates into the
atmosphere: chimney
To protect from expFor industrial production: shot tower
For surveying: Survey tower
To drop objects: Drop tube (drop tower), bomb tower, diving platform
To test height-intensive applications: elevator test tower
To improve structural integrity: thyristor tower
To mimic towers or provide height for training purposes: fire
tower, parachute tower
As art: Shukhov Tower
For recreation: rock climbing tower
As a symbol: Tower of Babel, The Tower (Tarot card), church tower
MAJOR EQUIPMENT
Aerial Cranes - Aerial crane or 'Sky cranes' usually are helicopters designed
to lift large loads. Helicopters are able to travel to and lift in areas that are
difficult to reach by conventional cranes.
Tower Cranes - Tower cranes are a modern form of balance crane that
consist of the same basic parts. Fixed to the ground on a concrete slab (and
sometimes attached to the sides of structures), tower cranes often give the
best combination of height and lifting capacity and are used in the
construction of tall buildings.
TOWERS AROUND THE WORLD
CN Tower, Toronto, Canada
Completed back in 1976, this iconic tower that defines Toronto, was both
the world’s tallest free-standing structure as well as the world’s tallest
tower. At a massive 553 meters, this tower was only surpassed by the
Canton Tower in 2010, which means it held both those records for 34 years.
Today, CN Tower still remains the tallest free-standing structure in the
Western Hemisphere.
Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China
We’re back to Shanghai to look at another tower that pierces the clouds.
The Shanghai Tower measures a staggering 632 meters in height, and cost a
whopping $2.4 million. The tower provides multiple zones for office
purposes, retail, as well as leisure. The Shanghai Tower ranks no.1 in the list
of tallest structures in China, and when expanding this list to the world, the
tower comes third, behind the Tokyo Skytree and of course the Burj Khalifa.
Burj Al Arab, Dubai, UAE
Strictly speaking, the Burj Al Arab isn’t a tower, but it still happens to be a
really tall structure. That’s partly because it’s in Dubai! Well, jokes apart,
this incredibly amazing sail-shaped hotel stands 321 meters tall, and has
become an icon of Dubai’s luxurious display. The hotel sits on a man-made
island and has its very own bridge that connects it to the rest of the city.
The Burj Al Arab has a helipad situated at 300 meters above the ground.
Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The first thing that probably comes to mind when one refers to KL is
undoubtedly the Petronas Twin Towers. Architect César Pelli made use of
repetitive geometric patterns found in Islamic architecture to exhibit
Malaysia’s culture and heritage. A Skybridge connects the world’s tallest
twin towers, which both measure a staggering 452 meters. Once again,
Kohn writes ‘Petronas was also an attempt to relate a tall building to a
country’s culture and history, and to make a statement about its power…’
One World Trade Center, New York City, USA
Undoubtedly one of the most controversial buildings today, One World
Trade Center sits on the spot where the earlier 6 World Trade Center stood,
which was subsequently destroyed in the devastating events of 9/11. The
new building interestingly stands at 546 meters, or more importantly 1,776
feet, signifying the year the Declaration of Independence was signed. One
World Trade Center is equipped with numerous safety features, including
biological and chemical filters in the ventilation system, reinforced walls
and pressurized stairwells, in case of emergencies in the future.
Big Ben, London, UK
What is London without the Big Ben? This clock tower derives its name
from Sir Benjamin Hall, the man who first ordered the 13 ton bell that is
housed within. The 96-meter Big Ben celebrated its 150th anniversary on
31st May 2009 amid great festive events. Films shot in London never forget
to include a shot of this tower, whether it be wizards flying past on their
broomsticks or secret agents looking at it from afar.
Empire State Building, New York City, USA
Despite King Kong swatting planes from its top, the Empire State Building
still stands firm today. It also holds the unique record of being built in a
year and 45 days, the fastest for a skyscraper of its height. ‘With the
passing of the World Trade Center, it became even more entrenched in the
hearts and souls of New Yorkers and the rest of the world,’ said actor
Michael Greene. Measuring 437 meters, the tower held the record of ‘the
tallest building in the word’ for a record 41 years.
Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa, Ialy
Speaking of the fastest built tower, this tower right here would be ranked
no.1 from the bottom! The Leaning Tower of Pisa, measuring only 56
meters, was built over a span of 177 years. In fact, the tower was left
untouched for a century due to its poor foundation. Engineers had to build
floors with one side higher than the other in order to compensate for the
tilt. If you’re a climbing enthusiast, you can make your way up the 296 steps
to the top of the tower.
Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
And of course, the moment you step into Paris, the Eiffel Tower is the first
monument you want to lay your eyes on. The tower was built by Gustave
Eiffel as the entrance arch for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889.
Standing tall at 300 meters, it then held the record for the world’s tallest
building, until the Chrysler Building was erected in 1930. As of date, more
than 2 billion people have paid the Eiffel Tower a visit, making it the most
visited paid monument in the world. The observation deck at the top offers
Parisians and visitors alike magnificent views of the snaking Seine and all
the famous monuments lined on its bank.
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE
Last, but in no ways the least, is Dubai’s latest addition to its exhibition of
wealth – even the one and only Tom Cruise couldn’t stay away from this
tower! Of course, it’s the undisputed king of towers, the 828 meter Burj
Khalifa. The word gigantic doesn’t do justice to this structure. The tower is
also home to the world’s highest mosque situated on the 158th floor. The
tripedal design and its projecting edges are a few of the features that
helped the Burj Khalifa break all barriers.
