Steel is one of the materials that contributed heavily to the advancements in construction at the beginning of the 19th century when the Industrial Revolution fully bloomed. While iron has a very long tradition in manufacturing, steel is relatively modern when it comes to building massive structures. In this post, we take a look at some of the most famous steel buildings from around the world.
Taipei 101 Tower – Taipei, Taiwan
This iconic 508.2-metre steel-framed skyscraper towers over the city line of Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Its modern architecture evokes a traditional Asian style found in temples and pagodas.
This impressive steel skyscraper was opened in 2004 and held the record for the tallest building in the world until 2009. A local architectural firm, C.Y. Lee & Partners, designed the iconic tower, but several international companies were involved in making it the tallest green building in the world. Several aspects of its design put the Taipei Tower on the Discovery Channel “Seven Wonders of Engineering” list.
Brooklyn Bridge – New York, USA
An excellent example of how steel took over 19th-century architecture still stands as a landmark of New York, the Brooklyn Bridge. At the time of its opening, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, measuring 486.3 metres.
The Brooklyn Bridge consists of stone towers and suspension cables holding the deck. Altogether, it can hold 10,500 tons of weight. Each of the four main cables contains 1,520 galvanised steel wires.
Burj Khalifa – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
In 2009, Burj Khalifa took Taipei 101’s title as the tallest building in the world. This massive 828-metre skyscraper has broken many world records besides total height, including the highest number of stories, the highest observation deck, and the longest elevator travel distance.
The American architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merill designed the Burj Khalifa, adopting style concepts from regional Islamic architecture. The massive skyscraper needed over 39,000 tonnes of steel reinforcement and 15,500 square meters of embossed stainless steel.
Beijing National Stadium – Beijing, China
An instantly recognisable structure, the Beijing National Stadium has earned the name of “the Bird’s Nest” because of its outward appearance. Inspired by Chinese ceramics, the architectural team at the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron designed this compound structure as a concrete “bowl” surrounded by random-looking steel beams.
In 2001, Beijing started a bidding process for this project, when China was selected to host the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympic games. Construction ended in 2003 and used a total of 121,000 tonnes of steel.
Steel in Architecture
Steel has been at the forefront of many advancements in architecture and engineering. It remains unsurpassed by many modern materials. Its durability, longevity, and adaptive qualities make it ideal for numerous applications.
Here at RW Steel, we are passionate about providing our customers with only the highest quality of steel for all their construction and other needs. We offer a wide selection of steel products, including galvanised steel posts, steel retaining wall posts, and much more. If you need steel for a construction or other project in Melbourne or the surrounding areas, get in touch with us today!