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course Note :
Architecture
ère ale
1 –T
The Skyscraper
Page 1 on 5
Preamble
Match the word with the definition.
Machine that takes people from one
A Beam
floor to another
Part of a skyscraper that is above the
B Concrete
ground
C Crane What you think about something
Strong metal made out of iron that you
D Foundation
can easily shape
E Steel Large machine that can lift heavy things
F Support To design or make something new
A long thick piece of metal that is laid
G Brick
horizontally
H Elevator Floor
I Invent At the moment, now
J Wire To hold up something
Something that is easy to see and that
K Currently
helps you know where you are
L Opinion If something cannot be done
Strong building material made by mixing
M Story
sand, stone, cement and water
Thin piece of metal that is used to
N Superstructure
transport electricity
Hard block of baked clay used to make
O Corridor
buildings
Long narrow hallway between rooms in
P Impossible
a building
The part of a building that is under the
Q Landmark
ground
History of skyscrapers
Fill in the blanks with the following words: Safe – to carry – skeleton – discovery – story – flight – century
Two ______________ in the middle of the 1800s made it possible to build modern skyscrapers. Before the industrial
revolution brick and stone walls _________ the weight of buildings. Because each floor was very heavy, it was
impossible to build very high houses. In the middle of the 19th ____________ steel became an important building
material. This metal was strong and light. Architects could now construct a steel ______________ to support very tall
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Architecture
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The Skyscraper
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buildings. Chicago’s Home Insurance Company Building was ten ____________ tall and the first skyscraper to use such a
steel construction.
Skyscraper would have been useless if people had to walk up and down many _________ of stairs. In 1853 an elevator
________ enough to carry passengers was invented by Elisha Graves OTIS.
The Science behind Skyscrapers
The central support structure of a skyscraper is its steel
skeleton. Metal beams are riveted end to end to form vertical
columns. At each floor level, these vertical columns are
connected to horizontal girder beams.
Underground Substructure: The base of the tall
architectural building is supported by an underground
substructure. The force of gravity is transferred through vertical columns into the base of the building where the
vertical columns rest in the underground substructure.
Vertical Columns: The weight of the skyscraper is supported by a group of vertical columns. Each vertical column
sits on a spread footing. The column rests directly on a cast-iron plate, which sits on top of a grillage. The grillage
is a stack of horizontal steel beams, lined side-by-side in two or more layers. The grillage rests on a thick
concrete pad poured directly onto the hard clay under the ground. Once the steel is in place, the entire structure
is covered with concrete.
Girder Grids: Each floor is supported by horizontal steel girders running across the vertical columns. Many
buildings also have diagonal beams running between the girders, for extra structural support.
Curtain wall: The curtain wall, which makes up the outside of the skyscraper, is made up of glass and concrete
and needs to support only its own weight. This lets architects open the building up as much as they want, in
stark contrast to the thick walls in traditional building construction.
Steps to building a Skyscraper:
1. A clear piece of land with stable ground and a good location is found.
2. A hole is dug to bedrock level to support the building; this could be up to 200-plus feet deep.
3. The footings (which are like big pads that spread out the weight) are placed at the bottom of the hole. The
footings must be placed on stable ground, which is often bedrock.
4. Concrete is poured over the footings.
5. The vertical support beams are constructed and placed using large cranes. These are used to support the vertical
load.
6. The horizontal steel girders are then placed between the vertical beams. These are used to bind the building
together.
7. The outside walls, which act like curtains, are then placed and the building is finished off.
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Architecture
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The Skyscraper
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How to secure an elevator
Explain, thanks to the picture below the principle invented by Mr
E.G. OTIS
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Architecture
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1 –T
The Skyscraper
Page 4 on 5
Crossword
1 2
3 4 5
6
7
8 9
10
11 12
13
Across Down
1. Country that once had the world’s tallest building 1. Part of N.Y. with many skyscrapers
2. Place where water has special minerals in it and
3. Ten years where people go to become healthier
4. Machine that takes people from one floor to another
7. Large machine that can lift heavy things 5. Country in the Middle East in which the world’s
tallest building has been built
8. American city that also has many skyscrapers 6. Something that not very many people know about
7. Very strong piece of metal that is up vertically to keep
12. Important, big up a building
13. Finish 9. To build something in a skyscraper and make it ready
to use
10. Iron steel skeleton of a building
11. Hard block of baked clay use to make buildings
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Architecture
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1 –T
The Skyscraper
Page 5 on 5
What is there next?