Chapter 2:

The Evolution of Highrise Building

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The Four Generations of High Rise Building Designs
Introduction

 The level of high rise construction today is a result of series of construction process
and development carried throughout years.

 Initially, it was heavy and sturdy/robust structures, which with time have changed
to lightweight structures as we see today.

 the high-rise buildings presently and those undergoing construction is the fourth
generation of high rise buildings.

 The high-rise building in the fourth generation have strong emphasis building
safety and protection along with the life safety factors.

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The Four Generations of High Rise Building Designs

Monadnock The Empire State Seas Tower Burj Khalifa

1891 1931 1973 2009

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Generations of High Rise Building
I - First Generation
The exterior walls of these buildings consisted of stone or brick,
although sometimes cast iron was added for decorative purposes
(facades). The columns were constructed of cast iron, often
unprotected; steel and wrought iron was used for the beams; and the
floors were made of wood.
The walls are heavy in weight. When
considering the thickness of the wall, they
were given in a larger thickness. This is to
ensure that the complete load over the
building is carried properly by the walls.

An example of first generation high rise

building is the Monadnock Building in
Chicago. This was built from 1889 to 1891.
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Generations of High Rise Building
I - First Generation
16 story and considered as the tallest load
bearing structure in the world.

Walls at the base have a thickness of 6 feet

was a way to carry the loads from the upper
floors.

Most of the authorities in the first generation

came up with a recommendation that a
thickness equal to 12 feet is necessary to Monadnock Building: The Last Brick
support the load from the first story. Skyscraper

This thickness value was added with four inches with each increase of story.

This hence limited the construction of stories greater than 10. The Monadnock
Building mentioned above was an exception at that period.
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Generations of High Rise Building
I - First Generation
Most of the floor where made from wood.
This was a weak link during a fire attack. This
had resulted in numerous building collapse.

Vertical openings that were unprotected was

a common construction practice in the high-
rise building construction.

Everywhere in a high rise building the use of

open stairways, elevator shafts and the light
wells were common.

These features are restricted in the modern

high-rise construction of buildings.

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Generations of High Rise Building
II - Second Generation
The high-rise construction in second generation can also be
called as pre-world war II High rise construction.
This era has given rise to the development of the protected
steel frame structures.

The following were the features that characterized the high-rise building in this
generation:
 Assembly of fire resistance
 Shaft enclosures
 Compartmentalization
 Use of non-combustible materials

The Empire State building in New York is the best example of second generation
high rise building construction.
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Generations of High Rise Building
II - Second Generation
Masonry enclosure were provided for all kind of metal
structural members. This was also provided for vertical
shafts that was enclosed by masonry and tiles.

The floor construction was carried out by having

concrete floors that were constructed on brick or arches
of hollow tile.

The floor areas were subdivided. The use of combustible

materials was limited in the construction as a step to
improve fire resistance.

The buildings constructed in the Pre-world war II were

considered to be most excellent buildings. The Empire State building
in New York
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Generations of High Rise Building
II - Second Generation
In order to have closer access to the natural
ventilation and lighting, the building have floor
spaces that were small. It was common in the
building.

More open floor areas were derived in the

modern high-rise buildings with the invention
of central heating system, air conditioning
systems (HVAC), fluorescent lighting systems
etc.

The high-rise building in this period had floors

that were well segregated fire area.

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Generations of High Rise Building
III – Third Generation
Are known as post-world War II high rise construction and much
more lighter construction methods and materials.

This era was the rise of steel frame type structure with core, or in
other words, center core construction technique.

A common exterior wall surrounded the inner core structure. The exterior wall is
either glass or some sort of stone material. The exterior steel frame has curtain
wall that are attached to it by fastening.

The fastening is done such a way that a gap exists between the structural frame
and the curtain walls. Within this gap, a fire stopping material is placed or a kind
of vertical fire extension have chances to occur. This is a major problem behind
fires in major high rise buildings.
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Generations of High Rise Building
III – Third Generation
The method and type of stopping used are
similar to that used to fill the gap as
mentioned above, is very important.

Many buildings have used friction fire

stopping material like rock wool to be placed
in the curtain wall gap.This is held in place by
means of friction.

When the material becomes wet due to any

reason of rain or air conditioning water or
any other reason, this material absorbs the
water and become heavy. Once it become
too heavy it falls out.
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Generations of High Rise Building
III – Third Generation

This generation makes use of central heating as well as ventilation system (air
conditioning etc.) inside the building very significantly. This is more related to
the air movement and the extension of smoke and fire related issues.

These third-generation buildings can be defined as windowless as the

common HVAC system is used.

The occupants faced the problem of egress due to the lack of fire towers and
less remote scissor stairs. The modern high rise construction has the stair in
the core structure that they no longer will remain remote for access. As these
cores have most of the stair arrangement, it was observed that they were
more contaminated by the smoke and product of combustion when a chance
of serious fire issue is commenced.
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Generations of High Rise Building
III – Third Generation

Many mega high-rise structures followed

unique construction features to reach the
desired heights.

The Seas Tower and the former World Trade

Center used the tubular construction design.
This design makes use of high load bearing
members to bound and surround the buildings.
Seas Tower,
Chicago
The interior members have to take less load.
The sections and designs are hence placed
based on this criteria in a tubular building
construction. In order to support the floor,
truss combination is used.
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Generations of High Rise Building
IV – Fourth Generation
This generation is also called as the post-9/11 high rise
construction.

This generation structures make us see the resurrection of

many features that are seen in the second generation.

Considering all the limitation of past generation

construction, the newer high-rise construction considers a
means of egress through a stairwell.

Hybrid systems also evolved during this time. These systems

make use more than one type of structural system in a
building

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Generations of High Rise Building
IV – Fourth Generation

For examples, the use of elevators carried in a heavy enclosure which is

resistant to fire, explosion, collapse and smoke.

These robust construction techniques come out to be costly. But the concern
about fire and life safety compromise with the cost.

Burj Khalifa, Dubai

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