Modern skyscrapers are some of the most impressive feats of engineering ever created. Reaching toward the heavens as far as the eye can see, these modern marvels boast some of humanity’s finest engineering and construction technologies. But what goes into building a skyscraper, and how long does it take to build a skyscraper? To answer these questions, you first must understand what separates skyscrapers from other tall buildings.
What is a Skyscraper?
While there’s no definite rule about what makes a building skyscraper or not, current sources define a skyscraper as a building at least 100 meters tall. By story height, high-rise buildings have seven to ten stories while skyscrapers have 40-stories or more.
Skyscrapers: The Building Process
Building a skyscraper is not an easy feat and takes a lot of planning from beginning to end. The building of a skyscraper occurs in several stages:
- Selecting the location
- The design phase
- The excavation phase
- Preparing the foundation
- Installing the steel frames
- External cladding
- Completing the interior
While every stage of building a skyscraper is essential, installing the steel frames is the most crucial and most time-consuming. Proper rigging services are vital at this stage of building. Without adequate and experienced rigging services, it would be impossible to lift, move, and attach the heavy steel beams necessary for skyscraper construction.
How Long Does it take to Build a Skyscraper?
Building a 52-story skyscraper with over one million square feet in roughly four years is relatively standard. However, many factors determine how long it takes to build a skyscraper, so not all skyscrapers can be built in that time frame. For example, a 52-story skyscraper built in four years means builders must have an average of one story of completion each month.
The square footage of the building, the material used, the delivery time of materials, the number of workers, and other factors, will influence how quickly or how slowly builders can complete the project. However, with today’s advancements in construction technology, equipment, and building knowledge, developers often complete skyscrapers with over 100 floors within five years. That’s an average of 1.5 stories per month.
Skyscpares are wonders to look at before, during, and after construction. It takes years of planning to construct a skyscraper. Every construction stage must be tediously inspected and evaluated to ensure the process is going according to design and building codes.