Roadmap On The Future Research Needs of Tall Buildings

Roadmap on the Future
Research Needs of Tall Buildings

Editors: Philip Oldfield, Dario Trabucco & Antony Wood
Bibliographic Reference:
Oldfield, P., Trabucco, D. & Wood, A. (eds.) (2014) Roadmap on the Future Research Needs of Tall Buildings.
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat: Chicago.
Editors: Philip Oldfield, Dario Trabucco & Antony Wood
Layout & Design: Marty Carver & Steven Henry
Copy Editor: Daniel Safarik
First published 2014 by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
Published by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)

2014 Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
Printed and bound in the USA by Source4
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asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any
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ISBN13 978-0-939493-36-4
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

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Email: info@ctbuh.org
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Editors
Philip Oldfield, University of Nottingham
Dario Trabucco, CTBUH & Iuav University of Venice
Antony Wood, CTBUH & Illinois Institute of Technology
The Research informing this document was conducted between

January 2012 and October 2013 at the Council on Tall Buildings and
Urban Habitat at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, the
Iuav University of Venice, and the University of Nottingham.
Steering Group
Abbas Aminmansour, University of Illinois
Wim Bakens, CIB
Jordi Morato, UNESCO Chair of Sustainability
Philip Oldfield, University of Nottingham
Dario Trabucco, CTBUH & Iuav University of Venice
Fahim Sadek, NIST
Antony Wood, CTBUH & Illinois Institute of Technology
Research Support
Daria Petucco, Iuav University of Venice
Peer Review Panel

Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues
Seifu Bekele, Global Wind Technology Services, Melbourne, Australia
Jon DeVries, Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate, Chicago, USA
Robert Lau, Roosevelt University, Chicago, USA
Michael Short, University of West England, Bristol, UK
Architecture and Interior Design
Nicholas Holt, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, New York, USA
Moira Moser, M Moser Associates, Hong Kong, China
Jason Pomeroy, Pomeroy Studio, Singapore
Javier Quintana de Ua, IE School of Architecture, Madrid, Spain
Economics and Cost
Peter De Jong, TU University, Delft, Netherlands
Sofia Dermisi, Roosevelt University, Chicago, USA
Jon DeVries, Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate, Chicago, USA
Steve Watts, Alinea Consulting, London, UK
Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and Geotechnics
Abbas Aminmansour, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA
Peter Irwin, Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin, Guelph, Canada
Mark Sarkisian, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, San Francisco, USA
David Scott, Laing ORourke, London, UK
Hi Sun Choi, Thornton Tomasetti, New York, USA
Circulation: Vertical Transportation and Evacuation
James Fortune, Fortune Shepler Consulting, Morrison, USA
Marja Liisa Siikonen, KONE, Espoo, Finland
George Von Klan, GVK Consulting, San Francisco, USA
Dario Trabucco, Iuav University of Venice, Italy
Fire and Life Safety
Jason Averill, NIST, Gaithersburg, USA
Richard Bukowski, Rolf Jensen and Associates, Washington D.C., USA
Daniel OConnor, AON Fire Protection Engineering Corporation,
Chicago, USA
Jose Torero, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Cladding and Skin

Marzio Perin, Permasteelisa, Vittorio Veneto, Italy
Karel Vollers, TU University, Delft, Netherlands
Peter Weismantle, AS + GG Architecture, Chicago, USA
Building Materials and Products
Philip Oldfield, University of Nottingham, UK
Dario Trabucco, Iuav University of Venice, Italy
Jason Vollen, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, USA
Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation
Abbas Aminmansour, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA
Luke Leung, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago, USA
Kyoung Sun Moon, Yale University, New Haven, USA
Lester Partridge, AECOM, Sydney, Australia
Cathy Yang, Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan
Construction and Project Management
Ahmad Abdelrazaq, Samsung Corporation, Seoul, South Korea
William Maibusch, CTBUH Trustee, Doha, Qatar
Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation
Philip Oldfield, University of Nottingham, UK
Joana Carla Soares Gonalves, University of So Paulo, Brazil
Werner Sobek, Werner Sobek Group, Stuttgart, Germany
Contents
About CTBUH, CIB and UNESCO

About the Editors
Background to this Guide
6
7
9
Executive Summary
11
Introduction and Background

Tall Building Research

Roadmap Aims and Objectives
Methodology

General Observations

Research Limitations

Dewey: General Information

Dewey Classifications Used in this Roadmap
17
17
18
18
21
21
23
24
Research Sections

1. Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues

2. Architecture and Interior Design

3. Economics and Cost

4. Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design
and Geotechnics

5. Circulation: Vertical Transportation
and Evacuation

6. Fire and Life Safety

7. Cladding and Skin

8. Building Materials and Products

9. Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation

10. Construction and Project Management

11. Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation

Conclusion: Emergent Research Priorities
Next Steps
27
33
39
45
53
61
69
75
81
89
95
101
103
|5
About CTBUH
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is the worlds leading resource for professionals focused on
the design, construction and operation of tall buildings and future cities. A not-for-profit organization based
at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, the group facilitates the exchange of the latest knowledge
available on tall buildings around the world through events, publications, research, working groups, web
resources and its extensive network of international representatives. At the same time, the Councils research
department is spearheading the investigation of the next generation of tall buildings by aiding original
research on sustainability and key development issues. Its free database on tall buildings, The Skyscraper
Center, is updated daily with detailed information, images, data and news. The CTBUH also developed the
international standards for measuring tall building height and is recognized as the arbiter for bestowing such
designations as The Worlds Tallest Building.
About CIB
CIB (International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction) was established in 1953
as an Association whose objectives were to stimulate and facilitate international cooperation and information
exchange between governmental research institutes in the building and construction sector, with an
emphasis on those institutes engaged in technical fields of research. CIB has since developed into a world
wide network of over 5,000 experts from about 500 member organization with a research, university, industry
or government background, who collectively are active in all aspects of research and innovation for building
and construction.
About UNESCO
Chair on Sustainability
The UNESCO Chair on Sustainability (UNESCOSOST) was the second UNESCO Chair to be established,
reflecting a long tradition in teaching, excellence in research, innovation and training activities. Since its
creation in 1996, UNESCOSOSTs mission has been to contribute to sustainable development, in an integrated
and holistic way. Research and innovation are essential tools for navigating through all societal challenges.
Many adaptations are likely to require deep transformations of culture, values and technology, which can only
be identified and justified by research. Urban societies transformation to a more sustainable condition should
take into consideration the entire range of human interactions with the Earths ecosystems. Development of
new technologies must be accompanied by a robust change in behavioral patterns, a key aspect to achieving
higher social and environmental resilience and a more sustainable human development.
6 | About CTBUH, CIB and UNESCO
About the Editors

Philip Oldfield
University of Nottingham, UK
Dr. Philip Oldfield is a Lecturer at the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University
of Nottingham. His role at Nottingham includes Co-Directing the Masters Course in Sustainable Tall
Buildings. Oldfield also leads the Departments high-rise architecture design studios and seminars.
Philip is Co-Chair of the CTBUH Research, Academic and Postgraduate Working Group and a
member of the Student Competitions Committee, Research Seed Funding Review Committee and
CTBUH Journal Editorial Board. He has written peer-reviewed papers for the Journal of Architecture,
the CTBUH Journal, Urbanism and Architecture, and Architectural Science Review. In addition he has
written articles for the Guardian (UK), Structure Magazine (USA), BbICOTHbIE (Russia) and The Big
Project (UAE), among others.
Dario Trabucco
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat & Iuav University of Venice, Italy
Dr. Dario Trabucco is a Researcher at the Department of Architecture, Construction and

Conservation, Iuav University of Venice, Italy where he teaches Building Technology and undertakes
research on tall buildings and sustainability.
Dario is Co-Chair of the CTBUH Research, Academic and Postgraduate Working Group and a
member of the Student Competitions Committee and Research Seed Funding Review Committee.
He spent a year in Chicago as a Research Associate at CTBUH from February 2013 to February 2014.
He has written peer-reviewed papers for the Journal of Architecture, The Structural Design of Tall
and Special Buildings, the CTBUH Journal, and Energy and Buildings, and has contributed to several
international conferences and publications.
Antony Wood
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat & Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
Dr. Antony Wood has been Executive Director of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
since 2006. Based at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Antony is also a Studio Associate Professor
in the College of Architecture, where he convenes various tall building design studios. A UK
architect by training, his field of specialism is the design, and in particular the sustainable design,
of tall buildings. He is also chair of the CTBUH Tall Buildings and Sustainability Working Group. Prior
to becoming an academic, Antony worked as an architect in practice in Hong Kong, Bangkok,
Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and London. He is the author and editor of numerous books and papers
in the field, including the 2013 title The Tall Buildings Reference Book. His PhD explored the multidisciplinary aspects of skybridge connections between tall buildings.
About the Editors |7
Background to this Guide

The Roadmap on the Future Research Needs of Tall Buildings aims to
identify priority research topics and research gaps in the field of tall
buildings. In doing so, it acts as a guide to assist all those concerned
with the typology with the necessary planning of future research and
the pursuit of research funding in order to advance tall buildings to
their optimum level in the coming years.
The Roadmap is split into 11 broad fields, ranging from Urban Design,
City Planning and Social Issues, to Energy: Performance, Metrics and
Generation. In each field, a list of research topics is presented as
a graphical research tree, organized into appropriate categories
and subcategories. Each topic has been evaluated through a series
of questionnaires distributed to those involved in the ownership,
development, design, planning, construction, consultancy, operation,
maintenance and research of tall buildings. Through this process, each

topic has been scored based on its importance and relative immaturity.
Scores have been averaged and combined to create a priority index a
score that defines the level of research priority for each topic.
The result is 11 sections, set out over the following pages, which
numerically present the perceived priority of given research topics in
different tall building fields There are 358 individual research topics
represented overall. The results are presented alongside commentary
outlining key trends and highlighting key issues. This Roadmap has
been initiated as a joint venture between the Council on Tall Buildings
and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the International Council for Research
and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) and the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Research funding, in most regions of the world, has declined year-on-year for most of the
last several decades putting in jeopardy the very act of research to better our existence.
Against the backdrop of the planets urban population increasing by a million or more
people every week, research into making cities more efficient and sustainable is vitally
needed, now more than ever. Urban density is a key factor in this and, while tall buildings
are not the only solution for achieving greater density, they are being embraced as a key
element of that solution in many cities around the world. This Research Roadmap is thus
timely in its suggestion of a hierarchy of research priorities for the industry to consider in
the coming years.
Timothy Johnson, Chairman, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat & Design Partner, NBBJ
Tall buildings represent the most challenging building typology from many points of
view and they will influence, for better or worse, the future of cities worldwide. It is in
our possibilities to turn tall buildings into nice, affordable and sustainable places to
live in, and academic and industry research is the way forward. This Research Roadmap
prioritizes the topics that require more research efforts in the near future, so as to reach
such goals as soon as possible. The cooperation between CIB and CTBUH created a strong
platform for the development of this Roadmap and it is our hope that we will profit from
this platform in its implementation.
Wim Bakens, Secretary General, CIB
The Roadmap can be used as a mechanism to increase double way technology transfer, to
facilitate the interchange of new concepts, processes and technologies, and to select the
successful solutions for rethinking the transformation of cities.
Jordi Morato, Coordinator of UNESCO Chair on Sustainability
Background to this Guide |9
Executive Summary
Aims and Objectives
Approach
This Roadmap has three primary aims:
Discussion on such a document started in 2010 when more than 80

researchers from all over the world gathered at the Iuav University of
Venice for the inaugural meeting of the CTBUH Academic Research and
Postgraduate Working Group. In 2012 a first open-ended questionnaire
was released to 20,000 colleagues to initiate the Research Roadmap; its
aim was to identify what possible research topics were considered to
be of importance, across all disciplines, by researchers and professionals
around the world. In 2013 a second questionnaire was released. This was
aimed at ranking and prioritizing the 1,243 research topics resulting from
the first questionnaire that had been divided into 11 broad research fields
covering all aspects of tall building planning, design, construction and
management. These 11 fields are:
1. To identify research which is important in tall buildings.
2. To identify immaturity (research gaps) in the field of tall buildings.
3. To suggest research priorities in the field of tall buildings.
Research gap is defined as an area of research that is significantly

immature and/or is suffering from a significant lack of available
information and knowledge in the field.
Priority research is defined as an area of research that requires priority
funding and scientific interest in order to advance the typology of tall
buildings in the coming years.
The main objective of the Roadmap is to create a guide for the
CTBUH, CIB, UNESCO and all those involved in tall buildings to assist
in the planning of future research and the pursuit of funding, in order
to advance the typology to its optimum level. This may include, for
example:

Funding bodies using the Roadmap to establish the potential
impact of funding bids, or for the development of specific calls
for projects.

Researchers/research organizations using the Roadmap to focus
their research activities and develop funding bids.

PhD candidates using the Roadmap to explore research topics
that are under-developed and worthy of PhD proposals.

4. Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and Geotechnics
5. Circulation: Vertical Transportation and Evacuation
Highlighted Findings
The Roadmaps intended audience includes intergovernmental

organizations, national governments and agencies, non-governmental
organizations, academia and research institutes, industry and industry
umbrella organizations.
The results of the investigation are described in detail in each specific

section of this publication. The ten most important findings of the
Roadmap are highlighted below:
This Roadmap has been initiated as a joint venture between the Council
on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the International Council
for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) and
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO).
1. The social sustainability of tall buildings

A clear trend for priority research identified in the Roadmap is a focus
on the social sustainability of tall buildings, at both an urban and a
building scale, with topics related to the social role of tall buildings and
tall building living among the highest ranked topics in the field of both
Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues and Architecture and Interior
Design.
In order to facilitate the dissemination of the Roadmap findings and

to promote the opportunities for research for both individuals and
companies, this document is available for free download on the CTBUH
website at: www.ctbuh.org/roadmap
In addition, a physical copy of the Roadmap will be mailed to the
following:

All CTBUH organizational members

Key public and private research funding bodies

Selected city authorities

Selected universities

Other organizations with a high interest in research in these fields
There is a clear trend across the two fields, suggesting that a significant
group of responders believe research to improve the social impact of tall
buildings on both surrounding communities, and on those who live and
work at height, is a significant research priority.
2. Energy performance of tall buildings
Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation has the highest mean priority
value of all sections (7.6) denoting that research in this broad area is a
priority to evolve the typology of tall buildings. This is also reflected by
the highest average immaturity score in all sections (3.6), showing that
even though a lot has been written on the subject in recent years, topics
of this category still need to be developed .
Executive Summary |11
3. Safety in tall buildings

Four out of the five topics that scored highest research priority across
the entire Roadmap, deal with safety and security in tall buildings, as a
combined effect of extremely high importance and relevant immaturity.
This shows that tall buildings are still seen as a vulnerable typology,
especially under fire scenarios.
4. Defining appropriate levels of safety performance in tall buildings
A second broad trend in the domain of safety that is apparent from the
Roadmap results is the need for research to establish appropriate levels
of safety performance in tall buildings. In particular, this is evident from
the scores in two fields: Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and
Geotechnics and Fire and Life Safety where several topics related to the
safety performance of tall buildings are all ranked among the highest
priority topics.
5. The embodied energy of tall buildings and their components
When talking about environmental sustainability, current emphasis has
shifted to also include the environmental impact of building materials
and components. Research has suggested that, due to their greater
structural requirements, tall buildings use more embodied energy than
low-rise buildings and the results of the Roadmap here highlight that
both establishing and reducing embodied energy in tall buildings is
considered a priority topic across multiple fields.
Topics connected to the environmental performance of building systems
and products can be found among the highest ranking topics in the
Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation; Building Materials and
Products; and Cladding and Skin fields.
6. Life-cycle sustainability of tall buildings
In a similar manner to the calls for priority research on embodied energy
above, the Roadmap shows that more research is needed on tall
building life-cycle sustainability issues beyond day-to-day operations.
While this broad area includes embodied energy and the specific topics
previously mentioned, other highly prioritized topics include material
and component durability, the design for easy repair and replacement of
materials, disassembly and deconstruction of tall buildings, strategies to
extend tall buildings lifecycles, adaptive reuse and retrofitting, research to
determine whole-life-cycle impacts of tall buildings, and the holistic and
integrated sustainable performance of tall buildings.
Again, this broader thinking in terms of tall building sustainability is a
reflection of current thought in the built environment community as a
whole, but also identifies the need for research dedicated to the unique
challenges and opportunities of tall building lifecycles specifically.
7. Disassembly/deconstruction/demolition of tall buildings
Research examining the opportunities and strategies to allow for
disassembly/deconstruction at the end of a tall buildings life (and as
such, re-use of components, materials, etc.) received the third-highest
immaturity score of all Roadmap research topics. This fits well in the
overall life-cycle issues of tall buildings noted above, but it reinforces
a perceived lack of knowledge regarding the end of the life-cycle of
tall buildings which is likely to become a dominant research field for
the future of cities re-development as many tall buildings are now
approaching the end of their service lives.
12 | Executive Summary
8. The Economic impact of tall buildings

The joint-highest score in the Roadmap, in terms of importance, is
Research on tall buildings financial relationship with global economic
cycles and conditions. Tall buildings are often assessed in terms of
their impact on the local real estate market but, in an ever-increasing
competition among cities at a global scale, the role of tall buildings (as
individual buildings, or their booming construction in a single city) must
be carefully assessed to prevent the bursting of real estate bubbles and in
relation to larger scale economic conditions.
9. The use and performance of new and innovative materials in tall
buildings
A trend in priority research, apparent across multiple fields, is the use
and performance of new and innovative materials in tall buildings. The
development and application of such materials will have a significant
impact on other disciplines as well, as recognized by issues such as the
call for studies on the fire behavior of green and innovative materials.
10. Highlighted high-scoring research gaps
Only four topics across the whole Roadmap received a score of
immaturity higher than 4 (extremely immature), implying that research is
still needed to discover new potentialities. These four topics are:

Research on alternative evacuation systems that allow for
evacuation through the faade in emergency scenarios
(immaturity 4.2)

Research on strategies and technologies for energy sharing
between tall buildings such that excess energy generated in one,
may coincide with a peak demand in another (immaturity 4.1)

Research examining the opportunities and strategies to allow
for disassembly/deconstruction at the end of a tall buildings life
(immaturity 4.0)

Research to determine and calculate the maximum sustainable
height of tall buildings (immaturity 4.0)
Summary of Findings, Across All Research

Fields
The top five priority research subjects across each field embraced in
this Roadmap, as determined by their Priority Index scores are indicated
below (scores are out of 10):
1. Research examining the social sustainability of tall buildings at an
urban/city scale (including impact on social behavior, community
and lifestyle, societal needs for tall buildings, ghettoization, social
impact in different geographical locations, etc.) 7.8
2. Research to determine optimum height, density and massing
of tall buildings to provide appropriate social interaction and
communities at an urban/city scale 7.6
3. Research to examine and improve the pedestrian realm at
ground-floor level in and around tall building developments
(including public amenities, social spaces, development of
regulations, etc.) 7.6
4. Research on the design and integration of tall buildings in or

near historic urban districts (including UNESCO designated areas,
regulatory systems, etc.) 7.5
4. The development of design criteria to determine the appropriate

level of safety for tall buildings in extreme events (such as seismic
and wind events, blast, plane impact, tornadoes, etc.) 7.4
5. Research on tall building city planning and regulatory policies

(including local city plans, planning for changing demographics,
political and financial policies, urban design standards, etc.) 7.4
5. Research on the development of holistic performance-based

multi-hazard design and analysis of tall buildings across multiple
disciplines 7.4

1. Research on the impact living in tall buildings has on families
with children, and strategies to make high-rise living more
appropriate for families with children 7.9
2. Research on the experience, happiness and satisfaction of those
who live and work in tall buildings 7.6
3. Research on the needs of the elderly and disabled with respect to
high-rise living 7.6
4. Research to improve the social-communal experience of
occupants in tall buildings (including appropriate mix of
functions, humanizing tall building environments, strategies to
foster community, etc.) 7.5
5. Research on architectural strategies to improve tall buildings
integration and relationship with the surrounding urban
context 7.4
Economics and Cost
1. Research on tall buildings financial relationship with global
economic cycles and conditions 7.9

1. Research on the planning, design and implications of using
elevators for evacuation in tall buildings 8.3
2. Research on appropriate evacuation and egress strategies for the
disabled (including emergency planning, the use of safe zones,
etc.) 8.0
3. Research on strategies and technologies to deliver information
to occupants in evacuation/emergency scenarios (including
dynamic route guidance systems, integrated audio and video
technology, wireless systems, occupants attitude toward such
systems and conformance to legislation) 7.8
4. Research on the use of elevators for evacuation in extreme
events, e.g., after an earthquake 7.8
5. Research on real-time tall building evacuation management
strategies and technologies 7.8
1. Research to determine credible worst-case design fires for tall
buildings 8.3
2. Research to determine the holistic economic benefits and costs

of tall building construction on the city/surrounding urban area
(including direct tax benefits and indirect employment tax/
spending benefits, impact of creating recognizable icons on the
city, value of surrounding area, externalities, etc.) 7.9
2. Research to establish the impact of new sustainable materials,

technologies and design strategies in tall buildings on fire and life
safety performance 8.2
3. Research to establish cost metrics for key architectural decisions

and different building types (including location, height, land-use,
footprint, floor-to-floor, structural systems, etc.) 7.9
4. Research and development of realistic fire scenarios for the

design of tall building structural fire protection 8.0
4. Research on the life-cycle cost analysis of tall buildings (including

development of methodologies, creation of a database of results,
etc.) 7.8
5. Research on strategies to reduce construction costs of tall
buildings 7.7
1. Research on the development and implementation of real-time
structural monitoring of completed tall buildings (including
the creation of a database of results, comparison with design
assumptions, determining actual performance such as in-situ
natural frequency, damping, vertical shortening, acceleration,
creep, etc.) 7.9
3. Research to develop better collaborations between architects,

fire-engineers and the fire-fighting community 8.1
5. Research focussing on fire and life safety issues in tall buildings in

developing and the least developed countries 8.0
Cladding and Skin
1. Research on the use of innovative/advanced materials and
cladding systems in tall building faades (including composite
materials, photochromatic glazing, aerogel, application of
aerospace/shipbuilding technologies, etc.) 7.9
2. Research to develop strategies and products to improve
the thermal performance of tall building faades (including
development of new products such as vacuum insulation panels,
highly insulating but thin cladding products, improved thermal
performance of framing components, etc.)7.8
2. Research on the validation of modelling assumptions for wind

and seismic loading 7.5
3. Research to establish the embodied energy of tall building

faades (including the development of reliable, quickly-sourced
metrics) 7.8
3. Research to improve tall building protection from multi-hazard

events such as seismic and wind events, blast, plane impact,
tornadoes, etc. (including robustness, structural optimization,
etc.) 7.5
4. Research on the design, construction and performance of

dynamic/active faade systems in tall buildings (including user
control, development of standards and regulations, impact on
energy performance and indoor climate, etc.) 7.7
5. Research on faade-integrated energy generation and collection

systems in tall buildings (including building-integrated
photovoltaics, wind energy systems, water collection, etc.) 7.7
1. Research on the use of composite materials and systems in tall
buildings 7.5
2. Research to improve material and component durability in tall
buildings 7.5
3. Research on the responsible procurement of materials and
components in tall buildings (e.g., in areas that do not have
strict controls on processing-plant emissions and toxic waste
disposal) 7.4
4. Research to determine material and component durability in tall
buildings 7.4
5. Research on the application and performance of fiber-reinforced
polymers in tall buildings (e.g., carbon, glass) 7.3
1. Research on strategies and technologies to develop carbonneutral, net-zero-energy, zero-carbon and self-sustaining tall
buildings (including evaluations of whether such concepts are
technically viable) 7.8
2. Research on strategies and techniques to reduce embodied
energy/carbon in tall buildings 7.8
3. Research on environmental optimization strategies and
methodologies for tall building form 7.7
4. Research on the integration of passive design strategies and
technologies into tall buildings to reduce energy requirements
and improve occupant comfort 7.6
5. Research examining the opportunities and strategies to allow
(and, as such, re-use of components, materials, etc.) 7.6
1. Research on the dissemination of construction logistics best
practices and lessons learned from tall building project and team
leaders internationally 7.8
2. Research and development of new construction methods and
systems for complex tall building projects 7.6
3. Research and development of strategies to increase the speed
of tall building construction (including Lean Building Principles,
etc.) 7.4
4. Research to develop strategies and practices to reduce waste and
waste water during tall building construction 7.3
5. Research and development of integrated software and
tools, such as BIM, and their impact on tall building design,
construction and logistics 7.3
1. Research to determine and calculate the holistic and
integrated sustainable performance of tall buildings (including
environmental, economic and social sustainability, integrated
cost, carbon and energy analyses, etc.) 8.3
14 | Executive Summary
2. Research on strategies and technologies for heat storage and

sharing in tall buildings (including waste energy harvesting in
mixed-use tall buildings, etc.) 8.0
3. Research on the post-occupancy evaluation of tall buildings
to monitor real energy performance and water requirements
in operation (including use of monitoring systems, energy use
in different geographical locations, verification of computer
simulations, comparison with design loads, creation of an
inventory of data, etc.) 7.9
4. Research to determine and calculate the whole life-cycle
environmental impacts of tall buildings (including Life-cycle
Assessment, development of methodologies, etc.) 7.8
5. Research on strategies and technologies for energy sharing
may coincide with a peak demand in another 7.8
Introduction and Background

Tall Building Research
Each discipline involved in tall buildings is continually evolving
its science, but also has immediate problems to solve on current
projects. One cannot wait to build until we know all there is to know.
Conversely, just because we are currently creating buildings, we
cannot forget that we must broaden our knowledge and extend the
science of tall buildings.

William Baker, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
It is widely known that we are now experiencing a huge surge in tall

building construction internationally, with more and taller skyscrapers
being designed, constructed and completed since 2000 than at any other
time in history. The statistics demonstrating this are staggering. According
to the CTBUH tall building database (www.skyscrapercenter.com), it has
been shown, for example, that 265 buildings measuring 200 meters or
taller were completed around the world prior to the year 2000. However,
in the 12 years that followed, to the end of 2012, almost double this
number have been built, with 518 skyscrapers completed. Although Asia,
and in particular China, dominate tall building construction globally, what
is fascinating is that this growth is not limited to any one geographic
region. There are 543 cities around the world which embrace at least one
building taller than 100 meters as a significant element within their urban
realm.
academic and industrial spheres. Universities are increasingly engaging

with the typology at both an individual seminar/module level, and
through the development of postgraduate courses and qualifications
that deal specifically with tall buildings. Doctoral studies examining a
whole range of high-rise related topics, from social sustainability to fire
safety, are becoming increasingly popular, while dedicated journals such
as the CTBUH Journal, the International Journal of High-Rise Buildings, or
The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings, and specific tall building
funding opportunities such as the CTBUH Research Seed Funding
Initiative are emerging. Some commercial organizations are following suit,
teaming up with universities, developing in-house tall building research
teams, and even publishing their findings in freely accessible reports.
This growth is perhaps best demonstrated by exploring the number of
tall building-related papers published in peer-reviewed journals over
recent years. The database ScienceDirect (2013) provides access to papers
from more than 2,500 journals, and data drawn from this resource shows
publication numbers in the field have been generally consistent and
mainly focused on wind-engineering. However, more recently there has
been a significant spike in tall building-related journal publications, with
three times as many papers published in 2012 as compared to 2008,
while also covering a broad range of disciplines and topics (see Figure 1).
While this is clearly encouraging, it is difficult to argue that research
developments have been anywhere near as spectacular as the growth
in actual tall building construction, and it is clear that more tall building
Perhaps less well-publicized is that this boom in construction has

coincided with a growth in tall building research across both the
100
90
80
70
60
The text Tall Building in
abstract, title, keywords
50
The text High-Rise Building in
40
30
20
10
2
20
1
0
20
1
8
20
0
6
20
0
4
20
0
2
20
0
0
20
0
8
19
9
6
19
9
4
19
9
2
19
9
19
9
Figure 1: Tall building-related papers published in peer review journals available on ScienceDirect, 2013. Source: Compiled by Roadmap editors
Introduction and Background |17
research needs to be undertaken. However, there is little consensus as

to what specific research areas are most in need of priority research,
and until recently, there has not been a platform or a network for such
discussions to take place.1 Too much tall building research is occurring in
isolation, with little widespread effort to reach out to all of those involved
in the planning, design, construction and operation of high-rises to
evolve a comprehensive direction for future tall building research that will
advance the typology in the immediate future.
With vast levels of population growth and urbanization predicted for the
coming decades, more and more people will be living and working in
tall buildings. The opportunity for research to improve tall buildings, the
safety and comfort of those who occupy them, and their performance in
the environmental and physical context, is enormous.
Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in the aftermath of 9/11.
Following this terrible event, many questioned the safety of tall buildings,
and huge research activities were directed toward assessing and
improving the safety and security of the typology. Hundreds of papers
were published, dedicated conferences held, traditional codes and
methods questioned, and new technologies and strategies developed.
Research related to evacuation, progressive collapse, structural
redundancy and fire suppression all developed dramatically, with the
results having a direct bearing on the design and construction of towers
over the past decade. For example, 7 World Trade Center, completed
just five years after 9/11, included a more redundant looped sprinkler
system; stronger, more adhesive structural fire-proofing; concreteencased cores; and other safety features. Meanwhile the use of elevators
for evacuation purposes is starting to become a reality in many locations.
While investigations in these fields still continues apace, there can be
little doubt that the flurry of research after September 11th has improved
the safety and security of high-rises, and consequently our confidence in
the typology.
The development of any tall building demands a significant level
of investment not only monetarily, but also in terms of consultant
expertise and time. Due to this, built high-rises are increasingly being
used as test beds for innovative new ideas, technologies and systems,
which just wouldnt be viable to explore in smaller constructions, though
they may be applicable to their design once tested and established in
tall buildings. Recent examples include dynamic faade shading systems,
building-integrated energy generation systems and seismic damping
technologies all at the cutting edge of innovation, and all being tested
in recently completed high-rises. Tall building research and development,
then, has the potential to have a much greater impact across the built
environment, beyond just the high-rise typology itself.
It is clear, then, that tall building research is important and can play a
significant role in the development of the cities of the future. However,
while increased research activities in the field are to be celebrated, there
is a genuine need to identify priority research topics and significant
research gaps, such that the next generation of high-rise buildings
benefit from the best possible knowledge and developments in the field
as soon as possible.
Roadmap Aims and Objectives

This Roadmap has three primary aims:

1. To identify research which is important in tall buildings.
2. To identify immaturity (research gaps) in the field of tall buildings.
3. To suggest research priorities in the field of tall buildings.
Research gap is defined as an area of research that is significantly

immature and/or is suffering from a significant lack of available
information and knowledge in the field.
Priority research is defined as an area of research that requires priority
funding and scientific interest in order to advance the typology of tall
buildings in the coming years.
The main objective of the Roadmap is to create a guide for the
CTBUH, CIB, UNESCO and all those involved in tall buildings to
assist in the planning of future research and the pursuit of funding,
in order to advance the typology to its optimum level. This may
include, for example:

Funding bodies using the Roadmap to establish the potential
impact of funding bids, or for the development of specific calls
for projects.

Researchers/research organizations using the Roadmap to focus
their research activities and develop funding bids.

PhD candidates using the Roadmap to explore research topics
that are under-developed and worthy of PhD proposals.
The Roadmaps intended audience includes intergovernmental
organizations, national governments and agencies, non-governmental
organizations, academia and research institutes, industry and industry
umbrella organizations.
It is important to note that the Roadmap does not aim to identify
research that is unimportant, or is of little to no value. All 358 topics
listed and presented in the research trees over the following pages
have been identified as being priority research by at least one
responder in the first questionnaire (see Methodology below) and, as
such, all topics have at least some value to tall buildings. However, the
Roadmap does establish which research is considered the greatest
priority, is the most important and the most immature (or under
developed), thus allowing readers to see a full breakdown of how
those involved in tall buildings perceive the value of individual topics,
and their role in the development of future skyscrapers.
Methodology
The Roadmap was first initiated as a necessary project at the inaugural
meeting of the CTBUH Research, Academic and Postgraduate Working
Group in Venice, June 1718, 2010 (see Figure 2). This meeting and
workshop was attended by over 80 researchers representing 60
institutions and 18 countries from around the world.
1. The commencement of the CTBUH Research, Academic and Postgraduate Working Group in 2010 aimed to fill this gap by promoting networking and collaboration between those
involved in the research of tall buildings at both an academic and industrial level. The group is involved with a number of activities including summer schools, annual meetings and
networking events, student competitions and the development of strategies to support and coordinate research in the field, including the development of this Roadmap.
18 | Introduction and Background
The first and the second questionnaires, described below, were

responded to by 245 and 252 experts, respectively.
Peer-review teams consisting of between two and five key experts
for each of the 11 fields were established to provide comment and
feedback on the both the process in its entirety and the results in each
field specifically. Results were periodically presented and reviewed at key
meetings of the CTBUH Research, Academic and Postgraduate Working
Group. These meetings included:

October 9th, 2011 at the Dongbu Financial Center tower, Seoul,
South Korea, as part of the CTBUH 2011 World Conference.

September 18th, 2012 at the Jin Mao Grand Hyatt, Shanghai,
China, as part of the CTBUH 9th World Congress.

June 12th, 2013 at the Brewery, London, UK, as part of the CTBUH
2013 World Conference.
Figure 2: The inaugural meeting of the CTBUH Research, Academic and Postgraduate Working
Group in Venice, June 2010.
Following this, a Steering Group was established, consisting of key

individuals from the three supporting organizations; the Council on
Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the International Council
for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) and
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO). The Steering Group identified 11 key streams of tall building
research that would form the basis of the Roadmap. These are:


It was decided to identify and prioritize tall building research within

each of these streams through the creation of a series of questionnaires,
to be answered by those involved in the ownership, development,
design, planning, construction, consultancy, operation, maintenance
and research of tall buildings. The questionnaires were designed using
the Delphi Method, a systematic forecasting process that involves
the results of an initial questionnaire influencing the design of latter
questionnaires, thus allowing responders to re-evaluate their original
answers. In this instance, an initial open-ended questionnaire was used to
first establish a comprehensive list of possible research topics that could
be considered as priority research in the field of tall buildings. These
topics were grouped by commonality, and then evaluated and scored in
a second multiple-choice questionnaire. To induce the maximum return
of responders, the Delphi Method was modified to allow responders
who didnt answer the first questionnaire to be able to answer the
second. In the design of both questionnaires, significant effort was given
to following best-practice guidelines in terms of question planning,
format, grammar and wording.
A full overview of the processes that formed the Roadmap methodology

are outlined on the following pages.
Questionnaire 1: Identifying Priority Topics
The first questionnaire was designed to collate a comprehensive list of
possible research topics considered as priority research in each of the 11
broad research fields. Following initial pilot tests with the peer-review
panels, the questionnaire was released in April 2012 through multiple
avenues designed to maximize the number of expert responders. These
avenues included:

Dedicated invitation emails to researchers in the field of
tall buildings.

Dedicated invitation emails to experts identified by the
peer review panels.

Dedicated invitation emails to all those who had published
conference papers at recent tall building conferences.

A general email blast to all those on the CTBUH database
(approximately 20,000 addresses), asking for experts to answer the
questionnaire.

Articles in the May 2012 edition of the CTBUH newsletter, and June
2012 edition of the CIB newsletter.

A dedicated question in the questionnaire asking responders to
nominate other experts in the field of tall buildings who might be
willing to complete the survey.
Following this multi-faceted approach, a total of 245 responders
completed the questionnaire. In doing so, they were asked to identify
which of the 11 fields best represented where their expertise on tall
buildings lay. They were then asked to identify in an open-ended manner
between three and five topics that they felt were most deserving of
priority research in that field. So, if a responder had identified Cladding
and Skin as being the field in which his or her expertise was based, he or
she was asked:
What topics do you feel are the most deserving of priority research
in the field of Cladding and Skin in tall buildings? Please list three
to five topics.
Priority research is defined as an area of research that requires
priority funding and scientific interest in order to advance the
typology of tall buildings in the coming years. When listing your
topics, please be as specific and explicit as possible. For example,
instead of writing Tall Building Form, write Use of parametric

modeling for generation of complex tall building form.
After listing their topics, responders were allowed to choose additional
fields (if relevant), and to again define topics they felt were areas of
priority research in these areas. This allowed responders who had tall
building expertise in more than one area to contribute to multiple fields.
In total, the 245 responders identified 1,243 topics.
The next stage of the methodology involved sorting and organizing
these topics to create a series of research trees that form the structure
of this Roadmap. With assistance from the peer review panels, topics that
were similar, complimentary or duplicative were merged together, and
those that were too general (e.g., tall building sustainability, structural
design of tall buildings, etc.) were removed. In each field, topics are
organized under broader categories and subcategories, and these have
been denoted with a Dewey Decimal Classification a library notation
system that allowed for categorization and further research in each area
(see page 23).
In total, the original 1,243 suggested topics were combined to create 358
topics organized over the 11 fields as per below:
Economics and Cost
Cladding and Skin
Total
31 topics
31 topics
26 topics
54 topics
38 topics
43 topics
32 topics
26 topics
36 topics
22 topics
19 topics
358 topics
Questionnaire 2: Evaluation and Ranking of Topics

The organization of responses from questionnaire 1 described above
created a manageable and refined list of topics for responders to evaluate
and score as part of the second questionnaire. It was decided to ask
responders to evaluate topics based on two criteria importance and
immaturity thus allowing for identification of the degree of value
responders assigned to each topic (importance) and how developed they
feel each topic is, identifying whether or not they felt there was a research
gap (immaturity).2 As in the first questionnaire, responders were initially
asked to identify in which of the 11 broad fields their expertise in tall
buildings lay. They were then directed to the list of topics in that field, and
asked to score them. So, if a responder had identified Cladding and Skin as
his or her field of expertise they were told:

Below are listed 32 research topics in the field of Cladding and
Skin identified by experts in the first questionnaire released in

April 2012. For each topic, you are asked to identify how important

you feel it is, and how immature you feel it is. You indicate this by

giving each topic a score from one to five for importance and

immaturity. If you have no judgment on a topic, or you do not
know if it is important/immature, please leave the question blank.

However, responders are asked to answer as many questions as
they feel they can.
Rankings are evaluated as such:
Importance of research topic:

How important do YOU feel the topic is with the aim of improving
tall buildings over the next ten years?
1. Not at all important
2. Slightly important
3. Moderately important
4. Very important
5. Extremely important
Immaturity of research topic:

How immature do YOU feel the existing knowledge and
understanding is related to this topic?
1. Not at all immature
2. Slightly immature
3. Moderately immature
4. Very immature
5. Extremely immature
Again, following pilot tests with the peer review panels, the
questionnaire was released in March 2013 and publicized through the
following avenues:

Dedicated invitation emails to those who answered the
first questionnaire.

A general email blast to all those on the CTBUH database

(approximately 20,000 addresses), asking for experts to answer the
questionnaire.

An article in the March edition of the CTBUH newsletter.

Dedicated emails to experts in fields that returned low responses
(e.g., Economics and Cost; Construction and Project Management).
Following this approach, 252 responders completed the second
questionnaire. As with the first questionnaire, responders were allowed to
complete multiple fields, so in total 347 questionnaires over the 11 fields
were completed as outlined below:
Field
No. of responders in Questionnaire 2

Economics and Cost
Cladding and Skin
Total
38
76
9
62
22
33
32
16
28
12
19
347
2. The actual questionnaire asked for maturity rather than immaturity, with a higher score meaning a more developed (mature) topic. It was later decided to reverse the results to indicate immaturity, to
show a higher score as a higher priority, making the term and scale consistent with the importance scale. Original scores of maturity were thus inversed to achieve their current immaturity ranking.
Following the completion of the questionnaire, the data was processed

and managed. An average score out of five for importance and
immaturity was determined for each individual topic, and these were
added together to create a priority index score out of ten: this is the
number used to prioritize the various research topics. Priority index scores
could range from two3 (not at all important and not at all immature) to
10 (extremely important and extremely immature), with a higher score
denoting a greater research priority. In the actual results, however, all 358
topics received a priority index score in the 5.08.3 range, as outlined in
Figure 3.
100
90
80
Priority index scores were used to define the ranking of topics in each of
the 11 fields; thus, the topic ranked number one in each field is that with
the highest priority index.
70
60
The final results and scores were collated, and presented as part of
the research trees, as found in the following pages of the Roadmap.
Additional commentary is provided in each field to identify trends and
provide comments from the peer review panels.
50
2. Research Immaturity
Those involved in the design, construction and operation of tall
buildings believe research on tall buildings is broadly immature and
underdeveloped.
As a typology, the tall building itself is somewhat immature. It has
been less than 130 years since skyscrapers first emerged in Chicago
and New York, and in some regions, a matter of mere years since
high-rises appeared on the scene. So, perhaps not surprisingly, those
who completed the questionnaire feel that research in the field of
tall buildings is relatively immature and underdeveloped. Of the 358
topics ranked and evaluated by responders, 293 (82%) received a mean
immaturity score of 3.0 or greater (moderately immature), suggesting the
majority of topics require clear and pressing research in order to improve
existing knowledge and understanding.
In some fields, thisThe
trendtext
is more
apparent
than inin
others. In particular in
Tall
Building
Economics and Cost and Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation, all
topics received immaturity scores of 3.0 or greater.
40
The text High-Rise Building in

30
General Observations
Research Limitations
20
In compiling the results of the second questionnaire a number of

observations were made, as outlined below. In addition, some specific
topics were highlighted as priority research topics across multiple fields in
the Roadmap, and these are discussed in the Conclusion (see page 101).
The Roadmap methodology and results have the following limitations:
What this suggests is simply that experts in the field of tall buildings
believe that research is an important and necessary tool for developing
the typology over the next decade.
1. Responder samples
Significant efforts were made to circulate and promote the Roadmap
questionnaires to such an extent that a broad and reasonable distribution
of the tall building expert population responded. In many ways, this
process was successful. For example, the vast majority of responders to
both questionnaires had completed significant outputs related to tall
buildings (completed projects, journal papers, etc.) (see Figure 4) and as
such they were in an ideal position to comment on tall building priority
research. Likewise, the location of building/research projects with which
responders are involved show a good geographical spread (see Figure 5),
with the majority doing work in Asia or North America. However, very few
responders do work in Africa, Central or South America, and it would be
fair to say that the list of priority research topics identified here may not
match research priorities in these regions.
12
20
10
08
20
06
20
20
04
20
02
20
00
20
98
19
96
19
19
19
19
94
1. Research Importance
Those involved in the design, construction and operation of tall buildings
believe that research on many tall building topics is very important. While
this is perhaps an obvious statement to make, it is telling that of the 358
individual topics that responders ranked and evaluated, 186 received a
mean importance score of 4.0 (very important) or greater. This equates to
52% of all topics being considered very important. Only five topics, just
over 1% of the total, received mean importance scores lower than 3.0
(moderately important).
90
92
10
In terms of responders background (see Figure 6), the majority were from
engineering, academic and architectural/urban design realms, with these
three groups representing more than 80% of completed questionnaires.
Lowest possible
priority
10
Highest possible
priority
Lowest priority
given to any topic
in the Roadmap = 5.0
Highest priority
given to any topic
in the Roadmap = 8.3
Figure 3: Scale of priority used in the eleven sections, as a result of the second questionnaire.
3. Importance ranges from one to five, and immaturity ranges from one to five, also. So the priority index ranges from two to 10, as shown in Figure 3.
Patents and/or the industrial development of

products/components/materials
Built/future tall building projects (e.g., ownership,
development, design, construction, consultancy,
operation, maintenance, etc.)
Published journal papers
Book contributions
Conference papers/presentations
Funded research projects
None of the above

0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Number of Responders
Figure 4: Areas to which responders have applied knowledge in tall buildings.
Africa
Industry: Developer/
Owner/Manager 3%
Asia
Academ
Research
Australasia
Industry:
Other 15%
Central America
Industry:
Engineering30%
Architec
Planning
Engineer
Europe
Middle East
Develop
Manager
Industry: Architectural/
Urban Planning 24%
North America
Consulta
South America
Academia/University/
Research27%
Worldwide
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Number of Responders
Figure 5: Geographic location of building or research projects with which responders are
connected.
Figure 6: Overview of the responders background for the second questionnaire.
Other
There was a lack of response from the tall building developer/owner/

manager backgrounds in particular, and again, it would be fair to say that
the priority topics detailed here may not match this particular groups
needs or desires.
The main driver behind this decision was the need to create manageable
questionnaires that could be completed by responders in a relatively
short duration of time, rather than a single questionnaire with more than
300 topics, which would deter responders.
In terms of responses to each of the 11 individual fields, four received less

than 20 completed second questionnaires: Economics and Cost; Building
Materials and Products; Construction and Project Management; and Energy:
Performance, Metrics and Generation. In these fields the results are perhaps
less robust when compared to the other seven areas, despite specific
efforts from the authors to contact and encourage additional experts to
complete the survey.
However, tall buildings are incredibly complex entities, and research

topics related to high-rises often span multiple fields and disciplines,
rather than belonging to any one specific area. As such, with the
categorization of topics in the Roadmap, significant effort was expended
in placing topics in the most appropriate field, considering which area
most people would commonly associate with the topic, and what
discipline would be primarily concerned with the specific research. For
example, Research on the life-cycle costs of different faade solutions in
tall buildings is located in the Economics and Cost field, rather than the
Cladding and Skin field.
2. Geographic location of responders

Even if Asia appears to be the largest represented region in terms of
responders of the second questionnaire, this doesnt reflect the actual
geographic location of the responder, but only the area in which his/
her built or research projects are located. The actual physical location of
the responders was not the subject of a specific question in the survey
and therefore the real geographic representation can only be assumed
on the basis of the responders affiliation. The majority of responders
were physically located in North America or Europe, but with businesses
predominantly in Asia.
Efforts were spent on increasing the participation of Asian professionals
and researchers, in particular by encouraging the Asian speakers of the
previous CTBUH 2011 Seoul Conference and 2012 Shanghai Congress to
take part in the survey, and through individual emails sent to the personal
contacts of the editors, but results are far from an accurate representation
of the world presence of tall buildings. This can reflect a cultural/language
barrier to respond to the survey, or an actual lack of local experts in the
least represented areas.
3. Emergence of new trends and events that create a change in
research priorities
The Roadmap methodology outlined here relies on the initial openended questionnaire (completed in April 2012) to generate the
priority topics, which were later ranked and evaluated in the second
questionnaire. As such, any research topics that have emerged since
this initial questionnaire closed have not been considered. One possible
example of this is the after effects and implications of Hurricane Sandy,
which had a significant impact on New York in October 2012. Since then,
it has been suggested that New Yorks buildings are more vulnerable to
climate change and flooding than previously thought, and there have
been significant and well-publicized calls for the citys building stock
to be more resilient in the face of such disastrous events. However, this
concept of resilience is not reflected in the priority topics suggested
in the Roadmap, despite its current potential to become a significant
research priority in a tall building city.
As such, while the Roadmap is designed to provide guidance on
necessary tall building research over the next ten years, readers need to
be aware that as-yet-unknown and unpredictable future events (such as
Hurricane Sandy, 9/11, climate change issues, etc.) could occur and, as
such, change the research needs and requirements of the typology.
4. Inter-disciplinary research topics
Research topics identified in the Roadmap have been organized into 11
broad categories, as established early on in the course of this research.
However, by following this methodology, there are circumstances where

topics are placed in a category that may restrict some appropriate
responders evaluating it. In the example above, experts in Cladding and
Skin may not have also completed the Economics and Cost questionnaire,
and as such, not been able to score Research on the life-cycle costs of
different faade solutions in tall buildings in terms of its importance and
immaturity. Significant efforts have been made to minimize the impacts
of this, for example, by allowing responders to complete questionnaires
in more than one field in which they had a broader knowledge base. We
also provided the opportunity to make comments and draw comparisons
throughout the Roadmap on trends and topics that are similar or
complimentary across multiple fields.
Dewey: General Information

In each of the fields in this Roadmap, topics are organized under broader
categories and subcategories, and these have been denoted with a
Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC). This is a library notation system
that uses Arabic numbers, conceived by Melvil Dewey in 1873 and first
published in 1876. The DDC provides a classification methodology for
human knowledge, and it provides an easy and logical organization
method to search a library archive and to organize its shelves.
The Dewey is used now in 135 countries, and is translated into more than
30 languages. Thus it is the most widely used classification system.
Since its development at the end of the nineteenth century, the DDC
has been constantly updated, due to the progress in various fields of
knowledge. The Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC),
a ten-member international board, meets twice a year to review and
update the system. A new edition of the Dewey is published every six
years (the last one, the 23rd edition, was released in 2011), while the
online version is updated monthly.
The world of knowledge is divided into 10 main classes, identified by a
three-digit number. A publication is always labeled with at least a three
digit-number:
000 Generalities
100 Philosophy, parapsychology and occultism, psychology
200 Religion
300 Social science
400 Language
500 Natural science and mathematics
600 Technology
700 The arts, fine and decorative arts
800 Literature and rhetoric
900 Geography, history, and auxiliary disciplines
Each class is then subdivided ten times. Each of these subdivisions is
divided into an additional 10 sections. The Dewey is then formed by 10
classes, 100 divisions and 1,000 sections, wherein the first digit-number
represents the class, the second the division, and the third the section.
XXX : DDC number
X : main class
X : division
X : section
720 : Architecture
7 : The arts, Fine and decorative arts
2 : Architecture
0 : Architecture
After the basic three-digit number and a decimal point, it is possible

to deepen the classification using the same principle. Similar numbers
identify the works with similar topics and those with topics that are
connected with each other. This system proves to be really useful in
bibliographical research. The DDC is a hierarchical notation system:
every topic is subordinate to and part of all the broader topics above it.
Example
720.483: Tall Building
720 = Architecture
4 = Special topics
8 = Building by shape
3 = Tall building
The classification of works is arranged by discipline, and not by
subject. This means that it is possible to have multiple codes for
a given subject, according to the discipline being considered. For
example, the topic Foundations is studied by different disciplines, and
consequently it has different DDCs:
721.1 (Architecture)
690.11 (Construction)
624.15 (Structural Engineering).
In the Roadmap, however, the hierarchy is bypassed, so as to assign
to a single topic of research all the Dewey numbers that are relevant,
so as to reflect the contribution of different disciplines to the study of
every given topic.
As the title of this publication declares, the Roadmap is a tool for future
research. The organization of hundreds of research topics needs to be
supported by a bibliographical backbone, considering literature on
the topic and the state of the art of two preliminary steps of scientific
research. In the present document, however, it has not been possible
to assign a Dewey number to all topics suggested.
The DDC number that matches the suggested research topics (or
categories/subcategories) could thus act as a navigator in the world of
libraries and publications. The Dewey number will summarize in one
nomenclature a whole complexity of books that the researcher could
autonomously find, choose and even implement.
Dewey Classifications Used in this Roadmap

000 Computer Science, Information & General Works

000 Computer Science, Knowledge & Systems
004 Data processing & computer science
005 Computer programming, programs & data
100 Philosophy & Psychology
150 Psychology
150.1 Philosophy and theory; systems, viewpoints
152.1 Sensory perception
152.14 Visual perception
155.93 Influence of specific situations
155.94 Influence of community and housing
300 Social Sciences
300 Social Sciences, Sociology & Anthropology
307.1 Planning and development
307.2 Movement of people to, from, within communities
307.76 Urban communities
330 Economics
330.91732 Urban economics
333 Economics of land & energy
333.332 Value and price of land
333.337 Urban lands
333.338 Buildings and other fixtures
333.7 Land, recreational and wilderness areas, energy
333.791 Energy conservation
338.54 Economic fluctuations
338.542 Business cycles
338.73Partnerships
338.9 Economic development and growth
338.927 Appropriate technology
360 Social Problems & Social Services
363.1791 Toxic chemicals
363.3 Other aspects of public safety
363.34Disasters
363.37 Fire hazards
363.378 Remedial measures, services, forms of assistance
363.3781 Rescue operationsfire safety
363.69 Historic preservation
363.7284 Liquid wastes
500 Science
510 Mathematics
519Probabilities & applied mathematics
550 Earth Sciences & Geology
551.525Temperatures
600 Technology
600 Technology
604.7 Hazardous materials technology
620 Engineering
620.110287 Testing and measurement
620.112 Properties of materials and nondestructive testing
620.1122 Resistance to decay, decomposition, deterioration
620.1123 Resistance to mechanical deformation (Mechanics of

materials)
620.1124 Resistance to specific mechanical stresses
620.11242Compression
620.11243Torsion
620.11248Vibrations
620.3 Mechanical vibration
620.82 Human factors engineering
620.86 Safety engineering
621.042 Energy engineering

621.389 Security, sound recording, related systems
621.4 Prime movers and heat engineering
621.4022 Heat transfer
621.45 Wind engines
621.47 Solar-energy engineering
621.8 Machine Engineering
621.8676Escalators
621.877Elevators
624 Civil Engineering
624.15 Foundation engineering and engineering geology
624.17 Structural analysis and design
624.171 Specific elements of structural analysis
624.172Loads
624.175 Wind loads
624.176 Stresses and strains (Deformation)
624.177 Structural design and specific structural elements
624.1771 Structural design
624.1773 Trusses and frames
628.1 Water supply
628.92 Fire safety and fire fighting technology
628.922 Fire safety technology
628.9223 Fireproofing and fire retardation
628.9225 Fire detection and alarm
629.2772 Heaters, ventilators, air-conditioners
640 Home & Family Management
644.6Plumbing
650 Management & Public Relations
657.833 Finance and real estate
658.2 Plant management
658.202 Maintenance management
658.404 Project management
658.4083 Protection of environment
658.477 Protection against fires and other disasters
658.5 Management of production
658.562 Quality control
658.7 Management of materials
659Advertising & public relations
690 Building & Construction
690.028 Auxiliary techniques and procedures, apparatus,

equipment
690.0287 Buildingsconstructionmeasurement
690.1832 Escalatorsbuilding construction
690.22 Provision for safety
690.24 Maintenance and repair
691 Building materials
691.1Timber
691.2 Natural stones
691.3 Concrete and artificial stones
691.4 Ceramic and clay materials
691.5 Masonry adhesives
691.6Glass
691.7 Iron and steel (Ferrous metals)
691.8Metals
691.9 Other building materials
691.95 Insulating materials
692 Auxiliary construction practices
692.3 Construction specifications
692.5 Estimates of labor, time, materials
693.8 Construction for specific purposes
693.82 Fireproof construction
693.832 Thermal insulation
693.85 Shock-resistant construction
693.852 Earthquake-resistant construction

693.892 Waterproof construction
693.96Glass
693.97 Prefabricated materials
696Utilities
697 Heating, ventilating, air-conditioning engineering
700 Arts & Recreation

710 Landscaping & Area Planning
711 Area planning (Civic art)
711.4 Local community planning (City planning)
711.42 Plans based on environment
711.7 Transportation facilities
711.73 Motor vehicle transportation facilities

720 Architecture
720.2 Miscellany
720.286Remodeling
720.288 Maintenance and repair
720.47 Architecture and the environment
720.472 Energy resources
720.48 Buildings by shape, buildings with atriums
720.483 Tall buildings
720.87 Disabled peoplearchitecture for
720.9 Historical, geographic, persons treatment
721.0449 Other materials
721.04496 Glassarchitectural construction
721.04497 Prefabricated materialsarchitectural construction
721.2 Walls
721.83 Means of vertical access
721.832Stairs
721.833Elevators
725.38 Motor Vehicle Transportation Buildings
729Design & decoration
729.1 Design in vertical plane
729.24 Interior arrangement
729.28Lighting
729.29Acoustics
740 Drawing & Decorative Arts
747 Interior decoration

Questionnaire Sample
In which geographical region is your involvement in the field of Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues mainly located?
Africa
Middle East
Asia
Australasia
Europe
First questionnaire
Second questionnaire
North America
Central America
South America
Worldwide
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Has your knowledge in the field of Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues been applied to any of the following outputs,
specific to tall buildings?
Patents and/or the industrial development

of products/components/materials
Built/future tall building projects
First questionnaire
Book contributions
None of the above
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Please note: The percentages above may total greater than 100% due to responders option to choose multiple answers
Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues |27
The Research Tree presented here outlines the various topics identified in questionnaire 1 as deserving priority research in the
field of Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues. These have been grouped together by commonality, and were later ranked
by importance and immaturity in questionnaire 2, to determine the final results (see Evaluation and Ranking of Topics on the
following page). Here topics are organized by broad categories and subcategories, with the numbers in parentheses denoting
each fields Dewey Decimal Classification, which can be used for further enquiry or research in each area. For a more in-depth
explanation of this system, along with a key, please refer to pages 2325.
Field
Category
Subcategory
Priority Ranking
Phase 1: Identifying Priority Topics
Topic No.
1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Social Issues
(307.76)
Social Issues
(307.76)
Public Acceptance/Criticism of
Tall Buildings
(720.483)
2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
City Planning and Zoning
(711; 711.4; 711.42; 720.47)
Urban Design, City

Planning and Social
Issues
(711; 307.76)
Density
(307.2; 711.42)
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Urban Design
(711.4)
Skyline
(307.1)
27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Integration into the Historical

Urban Realm
(363.69)
4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Transportation and
Infrastructure Implications
(711.7)
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Environmental Performance
at the Urban Scale
(711.42; 551.525)
28 | Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Immaturity
responders to rank and score all topics based on their importance (1 = not at all important, 5 = extremely important)
and immaturity (1 = not at all immature, 5 = extremely immature). These scores have been combined to create a
Priority index, which in turn leads to a Priority Ranking (listed on the left). The ranking highlights the topics which are
most deserving of priority research in the field in the coming years. The top five scores are highlighted in yellow for
easy reference. For a more in-depth explanation of these definitions, please refer to page 18.
Importance
* Priority Index: Following the identification of priority topics in questionnaire 1, a second questionnaire asked
Priority index *
Phase 2: Evaluation and Ranking of Topics
Topic
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the social sustainability of tall buildings at an urban/city scale (including impact on social behavior, community and lifestyle,
societal needs for tall buildings, ghettoization, social impact in different geographical locations, etc.)
4.7 3.2 7.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine optimum height, density and massing of tall buildings to provide appropriate social interaction and
communities at an urban/city scale
4.5 3.1 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the cultural impact of tall buildings at an urban/city scale

. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining tall building demographics and living trends
4.2 3.2 7.4

4.0 3.0 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research exploring the formation of ghost towns and their relationship with rapid urban growth and high-density construction
3.5 3.3 6.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research exploring public acceptance and pride related to tall buildings (including in different contexts, NIMBYism, etc.)
3.8 3.4 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to examine and improve the pedestrian realm at ground-floor level in and around tall building developments (including
public amenities, social spaces, development of regulations, etc.)
4.6 3.0 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building city planning and regulatory policies (including local city plans, planning for changing demographics, political and financial
policies, urban design standards, etc.)
4.5 2.9 7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on horizontal connectivity and skybridges in tall buildings, and their ability to create alternative layers of public realm at
height in the city
3.9 3.4 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research exploring appropriate tall building heights for urban development (including how high is too high?, existing height restriction zones, etc.)
4.3 2.9 7.2

4.1 2.9 7.1
4.1 2.9 7.0
4.3 2.7 7.0
3.8 3.1 6.9
3.6
3.0 6.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the appropriate context for tall building zoning/development (including suburban opportunities)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the development of tools and software to model cities and precincts to test the impact of tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the impact of tall building development on the surrounding realm (e.g., impact on character, circulation, property values)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research exploring the possibilities for outdated, vacant high-rise housing developments (e.g., demolish, refurbish, renovate, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the safety of land used to construct tall buildings (including impact of former uses, remediation strategies, hazardous operations
and substances, etc.)
4.3 3.1 7.4

4.3 3.0 7.3
4.2 2.9 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the impact of density and the creation of tall buildings on the availability of public open spaces
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to establish what densities are achievable in tall buildings and cities
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the relationship between density, sustainability and tall buildings (including urban versus suburban development,
analysis of case studies, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to establish alternative models to high-density urban living
3.9 3.0 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact of tall buildings on city skylines (visual impact, public satisfaction, skyline identity, etc.)
4.1 2.8 6.8

4.0 2.6 6.6
3.7 2.8 6.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact of tall buildings on strategic urban views

. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the role of the tall building as a city/regional icon
. . . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and integration of tall buildings in or near historic urban districts (including UNESCO designated areas, regulatory systems, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . Research on the integration of tall buildings into the European urban context
4.3 3.2 7.5

3.8 3.4 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building integration with mass transit systems (including impact of high-rise on the economics of mass transit, construction
implications, capital expenditure needed by public agencies, architectural implications, etc.)
4.5 2.8 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact of tall buildings on urban mobility (including impact on existing transportation infrastructure, access to tall building areas,
overcrowding, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the impact of tall building development on local infrastructure services (water supply, electricity, gas, sewage capacity, etc.)
4.3 3.0 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the environmental impact of tall buildings on the surrounding urban realm (including rights of light, rights of wind, wind downdraft on the
pedestrian realm, etc.)
4.3 3.0 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on district energy/water systems in tall building zones
3.8 3.3 7.1

4.0 3.1 7.1
3.9 3.0 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on ground-level ecology and landscaping in and around tall building developments
. . . . . . . . . . . Research exploring the impact tall buildings, and tall building clusters, have on the urban heat island effect
4.1 2.8 6.9
Top-Five Priority Index Scores

Topic
Priority Index
1 Research examining the social sustainability of tall buildings at an urban/city scale (including impact on social
behavior, community and lifestyle, societal needs for tall buildings, ghettoization, social impact in different
geographical locations, etc.)
7.8
2 Research to determine optimum height, density and massing of tall buildings to provide appropriate social
interaction and communities at an urban/city scale
7.6
3 Research to examine and improve the pedestrian realm at ground-floor level in and around tall building developments
(including public amenities, social spaces, development of regulations, etc.)
7.6
4 Research on the design and integration of tall buildings in or near historic urban districts (including UNESCO
designated areas, regulatory systems, etc.)
7.5
5 Research on tall building city planning and regulatory policies (including local city plans, planning for changing
demographics, political and financial policies, urban design standards, etc.)
7.4
In the field of Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues, 31 individual topics of relative importance and/or immaturity were recognized. Questionnaire
responders in this field gave high importance scores overall, with most topics receiving an average importance score greater than 4 (very important).
No topic received a score below 3.5. In addition, the topic Research examining the social sustainability of tall buildings at an urban/city scale received
the joint-highest average importance score (4.7) in any section of the Roadmap. This underlines the perceived importance of the broad research field
as a whole, and suggests that tall buildings may still be widely considered to be disconnected from the urban realm in the physical and social sense.
Immaturity scores in the field ranged from 2.63.4, with over 60% of topics receiving a score of 3.0 (moderately immature) or higher. These scores
are somewhat lower than other fields, but still suggest knowledge related to Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues is perceived as somewhat
underdeveloped.

I think in headline terms what the results show in the area of Urban Design, City Planning
and Social Issues, is that the integration of tall buildings within urban systems remain an
important and under-researched area in the field. It would seem that the social
implications of tall buildings are particularly relevant to the discipline and I think this is the
area that would concur with my own view of research gaps.

Michael Short, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
Priority Research in the Field

One of the main findings that can be drawn from the results is the need for more research related to the social sustainability of tall buildings at an
urban scale, with the two highest scoring topics in the priority index concerned with this. Such findings were also supported by the peer review panel.
We do need more research on livability in terms of inter-generational living. There is a huge

difference between high-rise buildings for seniors or for young single professionals, or for
families with children. Are planners thinking about the kind of communities we want
in terms of family structure? Otherwise, we could end up without the kind of age diversity
(not to mention class diversity) that might not be healthy in the long run.

Robert Lau, Roosevelt University & Jon DeVries, Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate, Chicago, USA

While research has been developing in this area, it is clear that social sustainability is still a significant research gap and priority in the field of tall
buildings, with a need for examples of socially-successful vertical communities published as example case studies to educate those unfamiliar
to this style of living.
Some of the more specific research statements grouped under the topic Research examining the social sustainability of tall buildings at an urban-city
scale suggested by responders in the first open-ended questionnaire include:

How do megatall buildings impact human behavior within and around them?

Research on the correlation between plot ratio and social behavior in urban habitats.
Are tall buildings socially sustainable, and do they add significant benefit to cities vitality and the lifestyle of people living and working in cities?

Studies on whether tall buildings are a development for a limited, wealthy elite or whether the typology provides assets for a wider range of
social groups within the city. Such studies should include the displacement of residents that may occur to make way for the tall building and
could also include public resources (like green spaces or subway access) within the development.

Studies related to urban density, in particular vertical density as a positive factor in the quality of urban life.
Two additional topics received high importance scores from the questionnaire responders. Research on tall building city planning and regulatory
policies received an importance score of 4.5, although it is suggested by the peer review panel that such research can be tricky as some cities may
not provide data relating to regulatory policies, and success stories do not necessarily mean that other city governments will follow suit. Research on
tall building integration with mass transit systems also received an importance score of 4.5, with high-rise communities that prosper from efficient,
accessible and affordable transportation considered worthy of significant focus.
Additional Research Gaps

It is interesting to note that the top three research gaps in this field did not rank in the top 5 priority index finding. Three topics received the highest
immaturity score of 3.4 (between moderately immature and very immature) and can thus be considered as research gaps in the field. These are:

Research on horizontal connectivity and skybridges in tall buildings

Research exploring public acceptance and pride related to tall buildings
Research on the integration of tall buildings in the European urban context
Some aspects of research related to the impact of tall buildings on the physical urban realm were considered a lower priority by responders, with
Research on the role of the tall building as a city/regional icon, Research on the impact of tall buildings on strategic urban views, Research on the
impact of tall buildings on city skylines and Research examining the impact of tall building development on the surrounding realm all receiving lower
scores overall. This may be due to the maturity of such studies, with significant work on zoning and skylines already undertaken. The main exception
here is Research on the design and integration of tall buildings near historic urban districts, which achieved the fourth-highest priority index score
in this section. This is likely due to recent and widely publicized debate regarding the placement of tall buildings in sensitive historic areas, such as
controversies with regard to high-rises in UNESCO World Heritage Zones in London and St Petersburg.
Results Broken Down by Questionnaire Responders

Responders who completed the second questionnaire in this section have a professional background in the following disciplines:
Academia/University/Research43%
Industry: Architectural/Urban Planning 43%
Industry: Other 14%
Results by Professional Background

Responders in this field were quite evenly distributed between the academic and industrial realm, with most from the latter being in the architecture/
urban planning field. Outlined below are the three highest-scoring topics for academic and industrial responders respectively:
Academia/University/Research

Research examining the social sustainability of tall buildings at an urban/city scale (8.0)

Research to determine optimum height, density and massing of tall buildings to provide appropriate social interaction and communities at an
urban/city scale (7.9)

Research examining the impact density and the creation of tall buildings has on the availability of public open spaces (7.8)
Industry: Architecture/Urban Planning


Research to examine and improve the pedestrian realm at ground-floor level in and around tall building developments (7.5)
Research on tall building city planning and regulatory policies (7.5)
The results show that both groups consider research on the social sustainability of tall buildings to be the greatest priority. However, those in industry
gave more emphasis to research on the pedestrian realm and planning and regulatory policies, no doubt due to these being among the primary issues
architects face in the realization of high-rises.
Results by Geographical Area

The locations of building/research projects with which responders are involved with are based across a wide range of geographical areas, although with
no representation of the Middle Eastern region. Outlined below are the three highest-scoring topics for the four best-represented geographical areas:
Asia


Research on tall building integration with mass transit systems (7.5)
Research on the design and integration of tall buildings in or near historic urban districts (7.4)
Australasia

Research to establish alternative models to high-density urban living (8.0)


Research on horizontal connectivity and skybridges in tall buildings, and their ability to create alternative layers of public realm at height
in the city (7.9)
Europe

Research on tall building city planning and regulatory policies (7.8)

Research examining the impact density and the creation of tall buildings have on the availability of public open spaces (7.8)
Research on the design and integration of tall buildings in or near historic urban districts (7.8)
North America


Research examining the impact density and the creation of tall buildings have on the availability of public open spaces (8.6)

Here, results show that while social sustainability of tall buildings at an urban/city scale is the top research priority in North America and Asia, in Europe
responders gave greater priority to regulatory policies and the integration of tall buildings in historic environments, likely due to the more complex/
onerous planning laws and challenges facing high-rise construction in that continent.

In which geographical region is your involvement in the field of Architecture and Interior Design mainly located?
Africa
Middle East
Asia
Australasia
Europe
First questionnaire
North America
Central America
South America
Worldwide
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Has your knowledge in the field of Architecture and Interior Design been applied to any of the following outputs, specific to tall
buildings?

First questionnaire
Book contributions
None of the above
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Architecture and Interior Design |33
field of Architecture and Interior Design. These have been grouped together by commonality, and were later ranked by importance
and immaturity in questionnaire 2, to determine the final results (see Evaluation and Ranking of Topics on the following page).
Here topics are organized by broad categories and subcategories, with the numbers in parentheses denoting each fields Dewey
Decimal Classification, which can be used for further enquiry or research in each area. For a more in-depth explanation of this
system, along with a key, please refer to pages 2325.
Field
Category
Architectural Design
(720.48)
Subcategory
Priority Ranking
Topic No.
Architectural Concepts
(720.483)
8.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Relationship with
Climate and Context
(720.47)
5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Building Form and Shape

(720.48)
15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Architecture and
Interior Design
(720; 729; 747)
Architectural and Design

Team Interactions (720.2)
7.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Typologies and Mixed-Use (architectural,

technological, performances, etc.)
(720.9)
16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Occupant
Experience and
Needs (155.94)
1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Occupant Experience and Needs

(155.94)
2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Layout of Floor Plate and

Influence of Internal Function
(729.24)
9.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Planning and
Interior Design
(747)
34 | Architecture and Interior Design
Service Core Design

(621.8; 690.1832; 721.83)
23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Accesibility and Parking

(711.73; 725.38)
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Visual/Acoustic Quality of
Internal Space (729.28; 729.29)
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Immaturity
Importance
Priority index *
Topic
4.0 3.2 7.3
4.4 2.6 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to develop new architectural concepts for tall building design (including biomimicry, adaptive forms, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of tall building architectural concepts informed by structural behavior
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on architectural strategies to improve tall buildings integration and relationship with the surrounding urban context
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on architectural strategies to improve tall buildings relationship with the local climate (including orientation, form, impact on shading, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the possibilities for vernacular architecture to inspire and inform the design of high-rise buildings
4.6 2.9 7.4

4.4 2.8 7.2
3.6 3.4 7.0
3.9 3.1 7.0
4.3 2.6 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to develop tools and software to assist architects in designing, controlling and managing complex tall building forms
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to explore and develop tall building forms that maximize functionality and efficiency
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to explore the shape and form of tall building podiums, shafts and crowns and the relationship between these three elements and the
surrounding context
3.7 3.0 6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of complex, asymmetric and free-form architectural forms in tall buildings
3.2 3.1 6.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to develop and improve coordination and interaction between the different disciplines involved in the design of tall buildings
4.4 2.9 7.3

3.8 3.4 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to explore the challenges and solutions to international consultants expertise being curtailed at the design development stage in the design
of tall buildings in China (including impact on building performance, quality, design compliance, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research exploring the opportunities and challenges for alternative functions and programs in tall buildings (e.g., beyond office, residential and hotel)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining mixed-use tall buildings (including optimization of functions, benefits and challenges of mixed-use high-rise, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of databases containing tall building information (including built and unbuilt projects)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the history of tall buildings
3.9 3.1 7.0

4.2 2.9 7.0
3.9 3.0 6.9
3.3 2.7 6.0
7.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact living in tall buildings has on families with children, and strategies to make high-rise living more appropriate for
families with children
4.3 3.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the experience, happiness and satisfaction of those who live and work in tall buildings
4.3 3.4
7.6
4.0 3.6 7.6
4.2 3.3 7.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the needs of the elderly and disabled with respect to high-rise living
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to improve the social-communal experience of occupants in tall buildings (including appropriate mix of functions, humanizing tall building
environments, strategies to foster community, etc.)
4.0 3.3 7.3

3.8 3.3 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact sky gardens and sky courts have on occupants social behavior in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the services and functions that would satisfy tenants in mixed-use tall building
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact smart-building technologies have on the planning, interior design and tenant experience of tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design of plant/technical spaces and floors in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to establish best-practice tall building floor plate metrics for different heights and functions (e.g., column spacing, lease span, ceiling heights,
core size, MEP spaces, toilets)
4.0 3.3 7.2

3.8 3.0 6.8
3.8 2.9 6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to improve the flexibility and adaptability of tall building office interiors (including technological advances, adaptable partitions, M&E
implications, etc.)
3.9 2.8 6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to improve the functionality and efficiency of tall building internal layouts
3.9 2.8 6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on service-core design in tall buildings (including improving space efficiency, alternatives for location, development of design metrics, etc.)
3.9 2.9 6.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on public accessibility of tall buildings (including street-level spaces and spaces at height such as high level restaurants, viewing galleries, etc.)
3.8 3.1 6.9

3.4 3.1 6.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the integration of vehicular parking into tall building design and operation
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of atria in tall buildings for visual communication, natural ventilation, social interaction, daylighting, etc.
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the effective use and planning of the perimeter zone of tall building floor plates (including light, glare, thermal and acoustic performance, etc.)
4.2 3.0 7.2

4.1 3.1 7.1

Topic
Priority Index
1 Research on the impact living in tall buildings has on families with children, and strategies to make high-rise living more
appropriate for families with children
7.9
2 Research on the experience, happiness and satisfaction of those who live and work in tall buildings
7.6
3 Research on the needs of the elderly and disabled with respect to high-rise living
7.6
4 Research to improve the social-communal experience of occupants in tall buildings (including appropriate mix of
functions, humanizing tall building environments, strategies to foster community, etc.)
7.5
5 Research on architectural strategies to improve tall buildings integration and relationship with the surrounding urban
context
7.4
In the field of Architecture and Interior Design, 31 individual topics of relative importance and/or immaturity were recognized. By nature this is a broad
and holistic field, encompassing a wide range of research topics related to the other ten fields found in the Roadmap. It also received the greatest
number of responders with 22% of all responders answering the second questionnaire.
Responders generally gave high importance scores overall, with 15 of the 31 topics receiving an average importance score of greater than 4 (very
important). The average immaturity score for all topics fell within the 2.63.6 range, with over 60% of topics scoring 3.0 (moderately immature) or
greater, suggesting a perceived need for future research development.

Perhaps the most significant finding is the clear and definitive need for more research on the socio-physiological experience of occupants living and
working in tall buildings, with five of the six highest-ranked topics related to this. In fact, it is striking how so many of the topics in this subcategory
of Occupant Experience and Needs were ranked highly by responders, with topics related to specific design issues ranked in the middle, and those
concerned with tall building functionality and efficiency generally receiving lower scores.
This focus on occupant experience in tall buildings highlights the desire for prioritizing research on the needs of those not typically associated
with high-rise living, including families with children, the elderly and disabled. This may be fuelled in part by increasing urbanization,
population growth and changing demographics, and the recognizable concept that more of us will need to live at higher densities in the
future.
Given the worlds aging population, the most relevant area could be Research on the
needs of the elderly and disabled with respect to high-rise living. This can be researched
with regard to measurable criteria relating to physical limitations that the elderly and
disabled face. Research into issues related to loss of memory, confusion and other mental
instabilities would also be worthwhile.

Moira Moser, FAIA, M Moser Associates, Hong Kong, China

This perceived research priority concerned with social sustainability and occupants experience is reflected and strengthened by similar results
found at an urban-city scale in Section 1 of the Roadmap, Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues (see page 27).
The highest average importance score in this section (4.6) was given to Research on architectural strategies to improve tall buildings integration and
relationship with the surrounding urban context. However, in this instance, this conflicts with some results from the Urban Design, City Planning and
Social Issues field, with topics such as Research on the role of the tall building as a city/regional icon, Research on the impact of tall buildings on
strategic urban views and Research on the impact of tall buildings on city skylines perceived as being lower priorities in that field. However, Research
on the design and integration of tall buildings near historic urban districts was highly ranked in the Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues field.
This demonstrates how perhaps some aspects of tall buildings relationship with the surrounding urban context are perceived as being of greater
research priority than others, and the additional specificity presented in Section 1 sheds light onto this.

In terms of immaturity, it is again the topics related to the living experience of families, children, the elderly and disabled that received the highest
immaturity score of 3.6 (between moderately immature and very immature) and can thus be considered as the main research gaps in the field.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, those topics related to the functionality and efficiency of tall building design (including interior layouts, floor plate
metrics, plant and technical spaces, core design, etc.) were perceived as being lower research priorities, receiving lower importance and lower
immaturity scores. These topics remain key drivers to tall building development, and significant information and experience in these areas exists in
the professional realm. However, this is not to say that research should ignore the functionality of high-rises, as reflected by the opinions of the peer
review panel.
Research to explore and develop tall building forms that maximize functionality and
efficiency is probably the biggest topic of them all, even if it is a mature one.

Javier Quintana de Ua, IE School of Architecture, Madrid, Spain


Responders that completed the second questionnaire in this section have a professional background in the following disciplines:
Architectural Urban
Design
Academia
Industry: Architectural/Urban Planning 59%
Engineering
Consultants
Industry:
25%
Other (mostly Engineering) 16%
Other

Responders in this field predominantly represent two professional backgrounds, those in architecture/urban planning and academics. The
remainder (around 16%) are a mixture of engineers, owners and consultants. Outlined below are the three highest scoring topics for each of these
groups respectively:

Research on the impact living in tall buildings has on families with children, and strategies to make high-rise living more appropriate for
families with children (8.4)

Research on the experience, happiness and satisfaction of those who live and work in tall buildings (8.3)
Research on the needs of the elderly and disabled with respect to high-rise living (8.0)


Industry: Other (mostly Engineering)

Research on architectural strategies to improve tall buildings integration and relationship with the surrounding urban context (8.0)


This highlights the consistency of the results, with all groups giving priority to research on occupant experience and lifestyle, with specific focus on
families, children, the elderly and disabled.

The locations of building/research projects with which responders are involved are based across a wide range of geographical areas, although
almost half work in Asia, the center of high-rise construction today. Outlined below are the three highest-scoring topics for the four best-represented
geographical areas:
Asia


Europe

Research on architectural strategies to improve tall buildings relationship with the local climate (7.8)


Research to develop and improve coordination and interaction between the different disciplines involved in the design of tall buildings (7.6)
North America


Research to improve the social-communal experience of occupants of tall buildings (8.4)
Middle East



Again, this shows a consistency in terms of the perceived need for priority research related to occupant lifestyle in tall buildings, families, children, the
elderly and disabled, across multiple geographic areas.

In which geographical region is your involvement in the field of Economics and Cost mainly located?
Africa
Middle East
Asia
Australasia
Europe
First questionnaire
North America
Central America
South America
Worldwide
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Has your knowledge in the field of Economics and Cost been applied to any of the following outputs, specific to
tall buildings?

First questionnaire
Book contributions
None of the above
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Economics and Cost |39
field of Economics and Cost. These have been grouped together by commonality, and were later ranked by importance and
immaturity in questionnaire 2, to determine the final results (see Evaluation and Ranking of Topics on the following page). Here
topics are organized by broad categories and subcategories, with the numbers in parentheses denoting each fields Dewey
Field
Category
Large Scale Economic
Dynamics
(333)
Economics
Related to the
Country/City
(333.337; 338.9)
Economics and Cost

(330; 692.5)
Topic No.
Response to Economic Cycles

(338.542)
1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Risk Assessment
(338.54)
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Economic Context
(333.337)
9.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Land Acquisition
(333.332)
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Public-Private Partnerships
(338.73)
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Economic Impact on the

City and Surroundings
(330.91732)
2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Economics Related
to the Building and
Occupier
(692.5)
Economics Related
to Materials and
Components
(692.5)
40 | Economics and Cost
Subcategory
Priority Ranking
Building Cost
(692.5)
5.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life-cycle Cost Analysis

(338.927)
4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quality and Design Decisions

(658.5; 690.0287)
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Layout
(333.338)
16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance and Refurbishment

(690.24)
8.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Marketability of Tall Buildinga

(657.833)
24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Economics Related to Materials

and Components
(692.5)
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Immaturity
Importance
Priority index *
Topic
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall buildings financial relationship with global economic cycles and conditions
4.7 3.2 7.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on economic risk assessment of tall buildings
4.2 3.1 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building economics and financial feasibility in developing countries

. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact of local regulations, laws of ownership, and market conditions on tall building construction
4.1 3.4 7.5

3.7 3.2 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the cost of land versus the market value of tall buildings
4.0 3.3 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on public-private partnerships in the development of tall buildings, and their role in future cities
3.6 3.4 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine the holistic economic benefits and costs of tall building construction on the city/surrounding urban area (including direct tax
benefits and indirect employment tax/spending benefits, impact of creating recognizable icons on the city, value of surrounding area, externalities, etc.)
4.4 3.5 7.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the affordability of socially sustainable high-rise housing
4.0 3.5 7.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to establish cost metrics for key architectural decisions and different building types (including location, height, land-use, footprint,
floor-to-floor, structural systems, etc.)
4.4 3.5 7.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies to reduce construction costs of tall buildings
4.4 3.3 7.7

4.4 3.2 7.6
3.8 3.5 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the relationship between sustainability and tall building economics

. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building cost modeling techniques (including better integration into the design process, integrated performance and cost
modeling, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the life-cycle cost analysis of tall buildings (including development of methodologies, creation of a database of results, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of BIM and its impact on the life-cycle cost of tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the relationship between quality of space and architecture (including iconic buildings) and cost
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on occupant comfort in tall buildings and its relationship to productivity
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the economic implications of flexibility and adaptability of mixed-use high-rise developments
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the economic impact (cost and revenue) of different tall building office layouts
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the economic comparison of tall building renovation versus demolition and rebuild
. . . . . . . . . . . Research exploring the economic implications of tall building maintenance and inspection (including when to undertake inspections, who pays for
maintenance if there are multiple owners, etc.)
4.3 3.5 7.8

3.3 3.7 7.0
3.7 3.7 7.4
3.8 3.3 7.1
3.8 3.5 7.3
3.3 3.4 6.7
4.3 3.3 7.6
3.5 3.5 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on rental trends and vacancy rates in tall buildings (including to what level governments / the private sector should control construction of tall
buildings that are destined to remain vacant due to market conditions)
3.7 3.0 6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the life-cycle costs of different faade solutions in tall buildings
4.2 3.5 7.7

3.9 3.4 7.3
4.0 3.2 7.2
3.8 3.4 7.2
3.6 3.1 6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the life-cycle costs of different structural framing systems in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the life-cycle costs related to the vertical transportation of people and goods within tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the life-cycle costs related to fire safety and structural fire protection in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies for alternative materials to be considered during the design process in order to adapt to the volatility of material costs

Topic
Priority Index
1 Research on tall buildings financial relationship with global economic cycles and conditions
7.9
2 Research to determine the holistic economic benefits and costs of tall building construction on the city/surrounding
urban area (including direct tax benefits and indirect employment tax/spending benefits, impact of creating recognizable
icons on the city, value of surrounding area, externalities, etc.)
7.9
3 Research to establish cost metrics for key architectural decisions and different building types (including location, height,
land-use, footprint, floor-to-floor, structural systems, etc.)
7.9
4 Research on the life-cycle cost analysis of tall buildings (including development of methodologies, creation of a database
of results, etc.)
7.8
5 Research on strategies to reduce construction costs of tall buildings
7.7
In the field of Economics and Cost, 26 individual topics of relative importance and/or immaturity were recognized. This section of the Roadmap received
the lowest number of questionnaire responses among all categories, despite specific efforts from the authors to reach out to experts in field (for details
on the methodology see page 18). This is surprising, considering recent global economic instabilities and the role of economics and cost as key drivers
in the design and construction of high-rise buildings.
This lack of responders is also reflected in the high immaturity scores given to topics in the field, with none of the 26 topics receiving an average
score lower than 3.0 (moderately immature). This suggests either a lack of knowledge in the field, or more probably, a lack of available published
data and studies in a discipline led predominately by consultants/professionals who may not be able to disseminate certain information due to
confidentiality issues.
The lack of research on the subjects outlined in Economics and Cost is caused by the
absence of building-specific data, mainly due to owner confidentiality issues. The absence
of a large number of buildings disclosing data regarding their cost, sustainability indicators
and other quantitative elements leads researchers to examine only case studies of certain
buildings or a very limited number of buildings with available data.

Sofia Dermisi, Roosevelt University & Jon DeVries, Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate, Chicago, USA
Knowledge in the field can be expanded by exploring avenues for the release of such information, or through the development of other
strategies to overcome this hurdle (e.g., development of appropriate methodologies, assumptions, etc.). Similar trends in terms of research
immaturity and lack of available data were also found in the Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation field on page 95.

Three topics scored an average priority index value of 7.9. One of these, Research to determine the holistic economic benefits and costs of tall building
construction on the city/surrounding urban area aims to define the broader (and more difficult to determine) economic impact of tall building
construction at a city/regional scale. It includes the following specific research ideas, grouped together under this topic, and suggested by responders
in the first open-ended questionnaire:

Research on the fiscal benefits of high-rise development to local, state/provincial, and national governments including direct tax benefits
and indirect employment tax/spending benefits.

Research on the economic benefits and costs of tall buildings to urban area governments particularly to counter NIMBY anti-density
zoning decisions.

Determination of the true economic benefits (if any) of using tall buildings to create identifiable iconic landmarks in developing countries.
42 | Economics and Cost

Studies on the socio-economic impact of tall buildings on the urban environment and the financial returns of tall buildings on the social
fabric of city planning and urbanization.

Residential development does it help or hinder the scale and value of nearby or contiguous commercial/office development?
The other two highest-ranked topics are Research to establish cost metrics for key architectural decisions and different building types and Research
on tall buildings financial relationship with global economic cycles and conditions. The latter also scored the joint highest average importance score
in the entire Roadmap (4.7) likely fueled by current global economic instabilities and well-publicized suggestions of links between the construction of
the worlds tallest buildings and business cycles.
Research on the life-cycle cost analysis of tall buildings also scored highly with responders, having the fourth-highest priority index score. Related
topics dealing with the life-cycle cost of specific tall building elements were also included in this field, with the life-cycle cost of faades, structural
framing, vertical transportation systems and fire safety and structural fire protection all individually ranked (6th, 14th, 17th and 18th respectively). In
this instance, Research on the life-cycle costs of different faade solutions in tall buildings was ranked by far the highest, with greater importance and
higher immaturity scores than the other topics. As such, it can be considered a priority area for further research in the field of life-cycle costing.

Due to the limited number of responders, it is not practical/valuable to break the results down by geographical area or professional background.

In which geographical region is your involvement in the field of Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and Geotechnics
mainly located?
Africa
Middle East
Asia
Australasia
Europe
First questionnaire
North America
Central America
South America
Worldwide
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Has your knowledge in the field of Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and Geotechnics been applied to any of the
following outputs, specific to tall buildings?

First questionnaire
Book contributions
None of the above
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and Geotechnics |45
field of Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and Geotechnics. These have been grouped together by commonality, and
were later ranked by importance and immaturity in questionnaire 2, to determine the final results (see Evaluation and Ranking
of Topics on the following page). Here topics are organized by broad categories and subcategories, with the numbers in
parentheses denoting each fields Dewey Decimal Classification, which can be used for further enquiry or research in each area.
For a more in-depth explanation of this system, along with a key, please refer to pages 2325.
Field
Category
Building
Foundations and
Geotechnics
(624.15)
Subcategory
39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
46. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Related to Special Conditions

(seismic, hurricane) (693.8; 693.852)
38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Irregular and Complex Forms

(624.177)
Structural Systems
and Design
(624.17)
Topic No.
In General
(624.15)
Structural Design and Specific

Structural Elements (624.1771)
Structural Performance,
Multi-Hazard Design
and Geotechnics
(624)
Priority Ranking
48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
54. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Efficient and Sustainable Structures

(720.47; 624.17)
15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resistance of Structural Connections

(624.1773)
Code Issues
(624)
42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
49. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
51. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
53. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Structural Analysis, General (624.17)
43. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Building Motion and Occupant Comfort

(620.11243; 620.11248; 624.171; 624.172)
28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Structural Behavior
(624.17)
Wind Engineering
(620.11243; 620.11248; 624.175)
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
46 | Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and Geotechnics
Immaturity
Importance
Priority index *
Topic
. . . . . . . . . . . Development of techniques for the assessment of geotechnical parameters in tall building foundation design
3.7 3.2 6.9

3.1 3.6 6.7
3.9 2.8 6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and performance of tall building foundations under wind and seismic loads
4.2 2.8 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the structural design and performance of alternative patterns for perimeter grid-structures (e.g. triangular, hexagonal,
mixed triangular-hexagonal)
3.5 3.1 6.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and performance of stiffened and un-stiffened steel shear wall structural systems
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on structural floor systems in tall buildings
3.5 3.0 6.5

3.8 2.2 6.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and performance of structural systems for complex tall building forms and geometries
4.1 3.2 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on structural optimization opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce embodied energy, material resources and cost (including
lighter/stronger structural systems, material advancements, optimization of form, reduction of deadweight, etc.)
4.0 3.3 7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine life-cycle analysis data for tall building structural systems
4.0 3.3 7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of sustainable construction materials and components in tall building structural systems
4.2 3.1 7.3

3.8 3.3 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact of foundation and soil-structure interaction on drift simulations of tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on sustainability opportunities for tall building foundation design (including reuse of old foundations, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on structural connections/joints to enable greater reuse and recycling of structural elements
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and performance of structural connections in tall buildings (including impact on speed of construction, gravity shear
connections, three-dimensional behavior, mega-steel-concrete interfaces, etc.)
4.0 2.9 6.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on structural connection ductility in tall buildings (including impact on alternative load paths, code implications, etc.)
4.0 2.8 6.8

3.9 2.6 6.5
3.7 2.7 6.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and performance of core-wall coupling beams

. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and performance of column-base connections (including uplift during wind and seismic events)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the opportunities and challenges in the unification of international building codes
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and review of the major design code boundaries on its prescriptions, including whether code prescriptions lack physical and rational
grounding in terms of tall buildings
3.6 3.6 7.2

3.7 3.3 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the structural implications of planning and building permit procedures for tall building construction
3.1 3.2 6.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the sequential analysis of tall building structures with different structural systems
3.7 3.2 6.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on human acceptability of tall building dynamics
4.0 3.1 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Development of approximate tools for optimization in the early stages of high-rise design for wind (including aerodynamic databases and other
approximate tools and rules based on shape, height, slenderness, exposure, structural system, etc.)
4.0 3.4 7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to improve wind engineering education for tall building design professionals
4.0 3.3 7.4

4.1 3.3 7.4
3.9 3.2 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on performance-based wind engineering methods in tall buildings (including time domain analysis, non-linear effects, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Development of wind statistics for use in tall building design and analysis (including directionality, storm types, geographic variations, impact
of climate change, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on appropriate criteria for tall building motions and deflections under wind action
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact of architectural form (including micro-features such as balconies) on tall building response to wind loads
4.1 3.0 7.1

3.5 3.3 6.9
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seismic Design
(620.11243; 620.11248; 624.172; 693.852)
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
44. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Structural Behavior
(624.17)
Damping and Damping Systems
(620.3)
25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Structural Performance,
Multi-Hazard Design
and Geotechnics
(624)
Structural Failure
(363.34; 620.112)
Shortenings of Columns and Core

(620.1124; 620.11242)
27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Robustness and Progressive Collapse

(620.1123)
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multi-Hazard Design and Mitigation
(624.171)
5.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Monitoring Systems and Measurement

(620.110287)
Structural Monitoring
and Simulation
(620.110287)
Structural Simulation and Software
(624.17)
1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
37. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
47. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
52. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and methodologies to determine appropriate tall building seismic performance (considering uncertainties in earthquake
magnitude, needs of users and communities, etc.)
4.3 3.2 7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the assessment of seismic hazards (including vulnerability of existing tall buildings, impact on existing developed areas, seismic mapping of
under-mapped areas, etc.)
4.3 3.1 7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on increasing the resilience and structural reliability of high-rise buildings subject to seismic loading
4.2 3.2 7.4

4.3 2.9 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the performance-based seismic design of tall buildings (including practical and simplified methods, scale-up method, non-linear time
history analysis, serviceability analysis, impact in different regions of seismicity, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the seismic design of prestressed, precast concrete tall buildings with residential function
4.3 2.9 7.2

3.4 3.3 6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of supplemental damping materials as a strategy to control building and substructure responses
3.5 3.6 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and behavior of passive damping systems in tall buildings
3.9 3.2 7.1

3.3 3.8 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building behavior in seismic events
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the opportunities for the multi-functional use of heavy or large building systems or elements to form part of a tall building
damping strategy
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and behavior of active damping systems in tall buildings
3.5 3.4 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Development of construction technologies and strategies to compensate for axial shortening and shrinkage in tall buildings
3.8 3.4 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on progressive collapse in tall buildings (including behavior of different structural systems, tying forces, mitigation strategies, etc.)
4.1 3.3 7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to improve tall building protection from multi-hazard events such as seismic and wind events, blast, plane impact, tornadoes, etc. (including
robustness, structural optimization, etc.)
3.9 3.6 7.5
. . . . . . . . . . . The development of design criteria to determine the appropriate level of safety for tall buildings in extreme events (such as seismic and wind events,
blast, plane impact, tornadoes, etc.)
4.1 3.3 7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the development of holistic performance-based multi-hazard design and analysis of tall buildings across multiple disciplines
3.8 3.7 7.4

4.0 3.4 7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Development of methodologies for evaluating risk to, and reliability of, new and existing tall buildings in extreme event scenarios (such as seismic and
wind events, blast, plane impact, tornadoes, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building facility management strategies in extreme event scenarios (including contingency plans for unintended overloading of
structural elements, etc.)
3.6 3.8 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building structural behavior in extreme events and under unconventional loads such as blasts, large displacements, airplane impacts, etc. 3.6 3.6 7.2
7.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the development and implementation of real-time structural monitoring of completed tall buildings (including the creation of a database
of results, comparison with design assumptions, determining actual performance such as in-situ natural frequency, damping, vertical shortening,
acceleration, creep, etc.)
4.2 3.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the validation of modelling assumptions for wind and seismic loading
4.1 3.4 7.5

3.7 3.6 7.3
4.1 3.1 7.2
3.7 3.3 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of computational fluid dynamic tools and models in the structural/wind design of tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Development of tools and models to adequately capture tall building response to seismic loads
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of parametric modeling in the design and verification of tall building structural systems (including development of form, structural
dimensioning and geometry, simulation of wind loads, provision of instant feedback, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . The use of software to assess and visualize serviceability issues in tall buildings, such as lateral acceleration and long-term deformation
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and tools to allow for the automated design and construction of tall buildings and their structural systems
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the application of BIM tools for the integrated planning of tall buildings and their structural systems
. . . . . . . . . . . Development of strategies and methodologies for establishing accurate estimates of wind loads on tall buildings by using wind tunnel testing
3.6 3.5 7.0

3.2 3.7 7.0
3.6 3.1 6.7
3.9 2.5 6.4

Topic
Priority Index
1 Research on the development and implementation of real-time structural monitoring of completed tall buildings
(including the creation of a database of results, comparison with design assumptions, determining actual performance
such as in-situ natural frequency, damping, vertical shortening, acceleration, creep, etc.)
7.9
2 Research on the validation of modelling assumptions for wind and seismic loading
7.5
3 Research to improve tall building protection from multi-hazard events such as seismic and wind events, blast, plane
impact, tornadoes, etc. (including robustness, structural optimization, etc.)
7.5
4 The development of design criteria to determine the appropriate level of safety for tall buildings in extreme events (such
as seismic and wind events, blast, plane impact, tornadoes, etc.)
7.4
5 Research on the development of holistic performance-based multi-hazard design and analysis of tall buildings across
multiple disciplines
7.4
In the field of Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and Geotechnics, 54 individual topics of relative importance and/or immaturity were
recognized, giving this section the largest number of topics available for responders to rank. Some of these topics are interlinked, with broader
research areas spread over a number of statements that were individually scored by responders. This section received the second-greatest number of
responders to questionnaire 2, behind only Architecture and Interior Design.
Due to the number of topics and specialities covered in the questionnaire (e.g., wind engineering, seismic design, geotechnics) this field returned
a higher number of unanswered responses than any of the other ten research areas. However, blank responses made up less than 11% of the total
number of responses available.
In keeping with common themes throughout the Roadmap, responders considered many of the topics important, with 43% scoring an importance
value of 4.0 or greater (very important). Likewise, it was felt that many topics also had room for significant development, with 81% receiving an
immaturity score of 3.0 or greater (moderately immature).

The highest ranked topic identified by responders is Research on the development and implementation of real-time structural monitoring of
completed tall buildings. This is supported by the peer review panel, who suggest such instruments will provide data valuable to the owner and
engineering team to assess likely damage immediately following an earthquake, and to the design community to calibrate and further improve design
procedures:
The survey results state loud and clear that instrumentation of tall buildings can offer very
valuable data to verify design assumptions and may lead to new knowledge. However,
to accomplish this, more building owners should be willing to share such information for
the benefit of advancing knowledge. That is a challenge, particularly in some parts of the
world.

Abbas Aminmansour, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA
Beyond this, a number of research topics related to the broader concept of performance-based design are highly ranked by responders. These include:

Research on the validation of modeling assumptions for wind and seismic loading (priority rank 2)

The development of design criteria to determine the appropriate level of safety for tall buildings in extreme events (priority rank 4)

Research on the development of holistic performance-based multi-hazard design and analysis of tall buildings across multiple
disciplines (priority rank 5)

Research on strategies and methodologies to determine appropriate tall building seismic performance (priority rank 6)
Development of methodologies for evaluating risk to, and reliability of, new and existing tall buildings in extreme event scenarios (priority rank 9)
Research on performance-based wind engineering methods in tall buildings (priority rank 14)
Research on the performance-based seismic design of tall buildings (priority rank 21)
Performance-based seismic design is a common strategy used in tall buildings in some countries, which perhaps explains why the last of these topics
listed above was ranked lower (Research on performance-based seismic design of tall buildings received a high importance score of 4.3, but also a
low immaturity score of 2.9, suggesting the topic is relatively well developed). Results here suggest the need for priority research on performancebased design in other fields too, such as wind engineering and multi-hazard design, in order to determine the level of performance needed for tall
buildings in terms of both safety and serviceability.
There is currently a lot of discussion (in North America) about performance-based design
for wind, similar to the way performance-based design has entered into the seismic field.

Peter Irwin, Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin, Guelph, Canada
A related trend, suggesting priority research identifying specific design-level fire scenarios for which tall buildings are expected to meet some
level of safety performance, is also recognized in the Fire and Life Safety field (see page 61).
The trend of priority research on material sustainability and embodied energy is a common theme throughout the Roadmap (see Building Materials
and Products, page 75). However, within this field, topics such as structural optimization opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce embodied
energy, life-cycle analysis data for tall building structural systems and the use of sustainable construction materials and components are ranked slightly
lower, being 13th, 15th and 18th respectively. It is suggested, however, that this is to be expected:
It is not surprising to me that sustainability featured low in the priorities of structural

engineers, since most believe that structural efficiency equates very closely to sustainability.

David Scott, Laing ORourke, London, UK
These topics are intrinsically linked to the theme of performance-based design as well. For example, Research on structural optimization opportunities
to increase efficiency and reduce embodied energy, material resources and cost cannot be considered without deciding what level of structural
performance is acceptable, which again ties back to the concept of performance-based design.
Topics in the category of Building Foundations and Geotechnics were generally ranked as low research priorities by responders (between 38th and
46th overall). This was, however, challenged by the peer review panel:
I found that tall building foundations are undermined in the survey, especially Research on
the impact of foundation and soil-structure interaction on drift simulations of tall buildings.

Hi Sun Choi, Thornton Tomasetti, New York, USA
Responders that completed the questionnaire in this section have a professional background in the following disciplines:
Industry: Engineering 69%
Academia
Engineering
Other
21%
Industry: Other 10%

As expected, the majority of questionnaire responders are structural engineers working in the professional field (with 84% of all responders having
been involved in a built/future tall building project). Outlined below are the three highest-scoring topics for engineering, and the second-largest
responder group, academics:
Industry: Engineering

Research on the development and implementation of real-time structural monitoring of completed tall buildings (8.0)

Research on the validation of modeling assumptions for wind and seismic loading (7.7)
Research on strategies and methodologies to determine appropriate tall building seismic performance (7.6)

Research on the development of holistic performance-based multi-hazard design and analysis of tall buildings across multiple disciplines (8.0)

Research on the use of computational fluid dynamic tools and models in the structural/wind design of tall buildings (7.6)

The locations of building/research projects with which responders are involved are mainly in three geographical areas, namely North America, Asia
and Europe. Outlined below are the three highest scoring topics for these regions:
North America


Research on the validation of modeling assumptions for wind and seismic loading (8.3)
Research to determine life-cycle analysis data for tall building structural systems (7.8)
Asia

Research on the development of holistic performance-based multi-hazard design and analysis of tall buildings across multiple disciplines (7.7)

Research to improve tall building protection from multi-hazard events, such as seismic and wind events, blast, plane impact, tornadoes, etc. (7.7)
Development of tools and models to adequately capture tall building response to seismic loads (7.6)
Europe

Research to determine life-cycle analysis data for tall building structural systems (7.4)

Research on progressive collapse in tall buildings (7.4)
The development of design criteria to determine the appropriate level of safety for tall buildings in extreme events (7.4)
Trends that emerge from these results include: prioritizing multi-hazard and seismic design and performance in Asia, and greater consideration of lifecycle analysis of structural systems in the European and North American contexts.

In which geographical region is your involvement in the field of Circulation: Vertical Transportation and Evacuation
mainly located?
Africa
Middle East
Asia
Australasia
Europe
First questionnaire
North America
Central America
South America
Worldwide
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Has your knowledge in the field of Circulation: Vertical Transportation and Evacuation been applied to any of the following
outputs, specific to tall buildings?

First questionnaire
Book contributions
None of the above
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Circulation: Vertical Transportation and Evacuation |53
field of Circulation: Vertical Transportation and Evacuation. These have been grouped together by commonality, and were later
ranked by importance and immaturity in questionnaire 2, to determine the final results (see Evaluation and Ranking of Topics on
the following page). Here topics are organized by broad categories and subcategories, with the numbers in parentheses denoting
Field
Category
Subcategory
Evacuation Procedures,
Design and Best Practice
(363.37; 620.86)
Priority Ranking
Topic No.
5.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Circulation:
Vertical Transportation
and Evacuation
(150.1; 628.92; 721.83)
Evacuation
(620.86; 628.92; 363.34)
Evacuation by Stairs
(721.832)
34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Elevators for Evacuation

(621.877; 721.833)
1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Evacuation of the Impaired

(620.82; 620.86; 720.87)
2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fire Crew Needs

(363.378; 363.3781)
15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Signaling and Messages in

Evacuation Scenarios
(621.389; 628.9225)
Human Behavior
(155.93)
54 | Circulation: Vertical Transportation and Evacuation
Human Behavior in
Emergency Scenarios
(155.93)
3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Immaturity
Importance
Priority index *
Topic
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on real-time tall building evacuation management strategies and technologies
4.2 3.6 7.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on evacuation and life safety strategies for occupants in supertall buildings, i.e., those over 300 meters in height
4.5 3.3 7.8

4.5 3.1 7.7
4.1 3.5 7.7
4.1 3.4 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on simultaneous evacuation design, strategies and implications in tall buildings

. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building evacuation codes and standards internationally
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies for the training of occupants and fire wardens (including communication in multi-lingual areas, ensuring training takes place and
is repeated, the use of simulators for training, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on refuge floor design, strategies and implications in tall buildings (including opportunities for combining refuge floors with sky gardens for
social-communal benefits)
4.0 3.4 7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on phased evacuation design, strategies and implications in tall buildings
4.2 2.9 7.1

4.0 3.0 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on appropriate occupant protection strategies (defend-in-place, relocate or evacuate) in tall buildings, their planning, design and implications
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on alternative evacuation systems that allow for evacuation through the faade in emergency scenarios (including chutes, parachutes,
slides, etc.)
2.8 4.2 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on planning, design and implications of tall building evacuation by stairs
3.7 2.6 6.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the planning, design and implications of using elevators for evacuation in tall buildings
4.6 3.7 8.3

4.2
3.6
7.8
4.2
3.4
7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of elevators for evacuation in extreme events, e.g., after an earthquake
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the code requirements and standards associated with the use of elevators in evacuation scenarios internationally (including
comparison and development of existing codes, development of new codes and recommendations, etc.)
3.5
8.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on appropriate evacuation and egress strategies for the disabled (including emergency planning, the use of safe zones, etc.)
4.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on fire brigade access and operations during fire/other emergency scenarios in tall buildings
4.2 3.1 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and technologies to deliver information to occupants in evacuation/emergency scenarios (including dynamic route guidance
systems, integrated audio and video technology, wireless systems, occupants attitude toward such systems and conformance to legislation)
4.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on what information needs to be delivered to occupants in evacuation / emergency scenarios (including best practice, issues of language, etc.)
4.0 3.6 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on human behavior in evacuation scenarios and risk perception associated with different evacuation strategies in tall buildings (including impact
of 9/11, attitudes to evacuation in different buildings of different heights, impact of human behavior on design, etc.)
4.3 3.4 7.7
3.8 7.8
Vertical Traffic
(721.83)
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Escalators
(621.8676)
36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Elevator Traffic Design
(hardware solutions)
(621.877; 721.833)
Circulation:
Vertical Transportation
and Evacuation
(150.1; 628.92; 721.83)
Elevator Traffic Design

(software solutions)
(621.877; 721.833; 519)
Vertical
Transportation
Systems and
Technologies
(721.83)
26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Monitoring and Acquisition of Data
(n/a)
31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modeling/Calculation of Egress
Routes and Ancillary Areas (721.83)
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Elevator Cabin Design (architectural,

comfort, functionality)
(721.833)
37. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installation and
Maintenance of Elevators
(621.877)
24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sustainability Issues
(621.877; 721.833; 720.47)
25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on people flow, occupant navigation and wayfinding in tall buildings

. . . . . . . . . . . Research to improve and promote the use of stairs for occupant interconnectivity between floor plates (including impact on traffic flow, fire
compartmentation issues, etc.)
4.2 3.0 7.1

3.3 3.3 6.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the history of elevators and vertical transportation systems
3.6 2.6 6.2

2.8 2.2 5.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on escalators and moving sidewalks and their application in tall building design
3.0 3.0 6.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on alternative ropeless traction systems such as linear induction, magnetic levitation, non-use of counter-weights, infinite screws,
horizontal/vertical movement systems, etc.
3.6 3.7 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and application of multiple elevator cars in a single hoistway and the impact on building design
3.7 3.1 6.8

3.9 2.7 6.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of sky lobby systems in tall building vertical transportation
. . . . . . . . . . Research on the application of modern technologies to improve traditional elevator systems (such as disk brakes, strategies to reduce car weight, shaft
area, energy consumption and life-cycle costs)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on elevator destination control systems, user interfaces and usability (including integrated security turnstiles, remote input devices such as
smart phones, individual GPS in building tracking locators, face recognition security and floor assignments, design and performance implications, etc.)
4.1 3.0 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to collect passenger demographics and occupant characteristics (elderly, disabled, families, obesity, average walking speeds, social distances,
etc.) in tall buildings of different functions and in different locations and examination of the impact this will have on egress and evacuation systems
4.1 3.5 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to collect vertical transportation data in real tall buildings in different regions (including energy usage, comparison of theoretical and actual
waiting times and destination times, etc.)
4.2 3.0 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Development of metrics for evaluation of tall building vertical transportation systems, including peak usage times, determination of service quality and
regional differences?
3.7 2.8 6.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to examine the effects of high-speed vertical transportation on the human ear, and to develop strategies to mitigate ear discomfort due to
rapid pressure changes in elevators
3.5 2.9 6.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Modeling of people flow to validate tall building egress and evacuation data
4.1 3.1 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Development of models and tools to assist in the calculation of the number of egress routes and their key dimensions (stair widths, lobby sizes, elevator 3.8 2.7 6.5
systems, etc.) based on fundamental building data
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design of elevator cars (including affordability, functionality, standardization, architectural features, use of glass, etc.)
2.8 2.3 5.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on vertical transportation modernization and configuration changes in tall buildings
4.0 3.0 7.0

3.3 3.3 6.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on obsolescence factors and loss of vertical transportation performance in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to develop calculations, models and metrics to determine the environmental life-cycle impacts of tall building vertical transportation systems
(including embodied and operational emissions)
4.0 2.6 6.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and development of sustainable and energy-efficient vertical transportation systems and technologies (including
regeneration drives, etc.)
3.7 3.1 6.8

Topic
Priority Index
1 Research on the planning, design and implications of using elevators for evacuation in tall buildings
2 Research on appropriate evacuation and egress strategies for the disabled (including emergency planning, the use of
safe zones, etc.)
8.3
8.0
3 Research on strategies and technologies to deliver information to occupants in evacuation/emergency scenarios

(including dynamic route guidance systems, integrated audio and video technology, wireless systems, occupants attitude
toward such systems and conformance to legislation)
7.8
4 Research on the use of elevators for evacuation in extreme events, e.g., after an earthquake
7.8
5 Research on real-time tall building evacuation management strategies and technologies
7.8
In the field of Circulation: Vertical Transportation and Evacuation, 38 individual topics of relative importance and/or immaturity were recognized. This
field show the greatest range of scores across the whole Roadmap, with topics receiving priority index scores ranging from 5.08.3, and importance
scores of 2.84.6. As such, the data presents a clear hierarchy of research in terms of priority in the field of tall buildings.
Like many other fields, immaturity scores in this field are relatively high, with 73% of topics scoring a value of 3.0 (moderately immature) or higher. This
suggests a perceived need for increased research in the field, to advance the typology in the coming years.

As outlined in the research tree, topics in this field can be broken down into three main sections: Evacuation, Human Behavior and Vertical
Transportation Systems and Technologies. These are quite clearly split in the ranking of topics, with those related to evacuation perceived to be a
greater research priority, and those related to vertical transportation systems and technologies generally lower down the scale. This is perhaps not
surprising given that evacuation tends to occur in hazardous scenarios (e.g., fire, terrorism threats, earthquake) and is usually combined with an
immediate threat to human life.
The main outlier to this trend is the topic Research on planning, design and implications of tall building evacuation by stairs which was ranked as one
of the lowest priorities in the field. This is due in part to more developed research surrounding the topic (receiving an immaturity score of 2.6) when
compared to other evacuation topics (which are typically in the range of 3.03.8), with responders clearly feeling knowledge related to evacuation by
stairs is reasonably mature and thus not a current research priority.
The highest-ranked topic, by some distance, is that of Research on the planning, design and implications of using elevators for evacuation in tall
buildings, which received a priority index score of 8.3 the highest in the Roadmap overall, although tied with two topics in other categories. Despite
considerable research in this area post 9/11, the use of elevators in evacuation scenarios is still rare in built high-rises. However, with the dramatic
growth of more skyscrapers, and higher occupied floor levels, the development of elevator evacuation strategies and technologies for the safe and
speedy evacuation of tall buildings is clearly seen as a major research priority by responders. This is also highlighted in other related and highly ranked
topics such as Research on appropriate evacuation and egress strategies for the disabled, Research on the use of elevators for evacuation postextreme events and Research on evacuation and life safety strategies for occupants in supertall buildings.
[Emergency evacuation] has received much specific attention, and yet there remains
great opportunity to improve in this area, specifically regarding how and when elevators
can be used.

George von Klan, GVK Consulting, San Francisco, USA
In terms of research related to non-emergency egress, the highest ranked topics are Research to collect passenger demographics and occupant
characteristics in tall buildings of different functions and in different locations and examination of the impact this will have on egress and evacuation
systems and Research on alternative ropeless traction systems, such as linear induction, magnetic levitation, non-use of counter weights, infinite
screws, horizontal/vertical movement systems, etc.

The topic Research on alternative evacuation systems that allow for evacuation through the faade in emergency scenarios received an immaturity
score of 4.2 the highest in the Roadmap but also a low importance score of 2.8. This suggests that while it is a research gap, it is not currently seen
as a viable approach to tall building evacuation, and not a research priority.
Other topics that are not considered a research priority include Research on the history of elevators and vertical transportation systems and Research
on the design of elevator cars receiving a priority index score of 5.0 and 5.1 respectively the lowest of any topics in the Roadmap. This is not to say
that developments in these areas will not occur manufacturers will continue to improve and customize cabins and the interior environment of
elevator cars but just that developments in these areas is perceived to be of very low priority for researchers in the field.
Topics related to life-cycle environmental impacts are ranked highly across a number of fields in the Roadmap, and yet here Research to develop
calculations, models and metrics to determine the environmental life-cycle impacts of tall building vertical transportation systems is ranked only 25th
overall, and 7th in the category of Vertical Transportation Systems and Technologies. This relatively low score is challenged by the peer review panel:
The energy efficiency, and the larger category of total life-cycle cost and carbon footprint,
of both elevators and their related impacts on the building (such as core and building
systems impacts), remains an enormous opportunity. The calculations, models and metrics
of the ways to optimize this have not been widely developed, disseminated or understood
in a way that they can be applied consistently as a discipline in building design, or learned
from operating buildings.

George von Klan, GVK Consulting, San Francisco, USA
Industry: Other 54%


The majority of responders in this field were other consultants with engineering the second-most represented profession. Outlined below are the three
highest scoring topics for those from other professions grouped together and those with an engineering background respectively:
Industry: Other

Research on appropriate evacuation and egress strategies for the disabled (8.2)

Research on evacuation and life safety strategies for occupants in supertall buildings, i.e., those over 300 meters in height (8.2)
Research on the planning, design and implications of using elevators for evacuation in tall buildings (8.2)


Research on the use of elevators for evacuation in extreme events, e.g., after an earthquake (8.2)
Research on real-time tall building evacuation management strategies and technologies (7.8)
These results show that all professional groups have in general prioritized tall building evacuation research over everyday egress-related topics, again,
with an emphasis on research on elevator evacuation planning, design and implications.

The locations of building/research projects with which responders are involved are based across a wide range of geographical areas, with about a
third working specifically in North America. Responders of other areas are grouped together into a single category here, with most operating on a
worldwide scale, or in Asia and Europe specifically:
North America

Research on the use of elevators for evacuation in extreme events, e.g., after an earthquake (8.3)

Research on real-time tall building evacuation management strategies and technologies (7.8)
Rest of the world (mostly worldwide, Europe and Asia)


Research on strategies and technologies to deliver information to occupants in evacuation/emergency scenarios (8.1)
Research on appropriate evacuation and egress strategies for the disabled (8.0)
These results demonstrate that research on elevators for evacuation is perceived as a significant research priority in all the geographic areas
represented.

In which geographical region is your involvement in the field of Fire and Life Safety mainly located?
Africa
Middle East
Asia
Australasia
Europe
First questionnaire
North America
Central America
South America
Worldwide
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Has your knowledge in the field of Fire and Life Safety been applied to any of the following outputs, specific to tall buildings?

First questionnaire
Book contributions
None of the above
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Fire and Life Safety |61
The Research Tree presented here outlines the various topics identified in questionnaire 1 as deserving priority research in
the field of Fire and Life Safety. These have been grouped together by commonality, and were later ranked by importance and
Field
Category
Subcategory
Life Safety in Tall Buildings

(363.3)
Life Safety in Tall Buildings

(363.3)
Building Management
(628.922; 658.477)
Legislation
(628.92)

(363.37)
Smoke Management and Fire Control
(628.9223)
Priority Ranking
Topic No.
2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fire Scenarios
and Mitigation
(628.92)
Fire Modeling
(628.92)
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
37. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fire Safety During Construction

(363.37; 690.22)
62 | Fire and Life Safety
29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Priority index *
4.3
3.9
4.4 3.7
8.2
8.1
Importance
Immaturity
Topic
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to establish the impact of new sustainable materials, technologies and design strategies in tall buildings on fire and life safety performance
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to develop better collaborations between architects, fire-engineers and the fire-fighting community
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on emergency power and generation systems in tall building
4.1 3.9 8.0

4.2 3.4 7.6
4.1 3.4 7.5
4.0 2.8 6.7
3.4 3.1 6.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining disaster risk management and reduction planning in tall buildings
3.7 3.4 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building security systems and technologies
3.2 3.0 6.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the performance based fire and life-safety design of tall buildings and alternative means of legislative compliance
4.1 3.4 7.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of new construction materials suitable for tall buildings with increased fire resistance and to improve overall fire safety
3.9 3.8 7.7

4.3 3.3 7.7
3.9 3.6 7.5
4.2 3.3 7.5
4.0 3.4 7.4
4.3 3.0 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research focussing on fire and life safety issues in tall buildings in developing and the least developed countries
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to establish and examine what are the appropriate levels of fire and life safety required in tall buildings as compared to other typologies
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on fire and life safety in tall buildings during disasters and extreme events
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining case studies of previous tall building life safety disasters, such as the collapse of the WTC Towers
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on smoke control techniques specific to tall buildings

. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the risk associated with fire resistance reductions as a trade-off against automatic sprinkler protection in high-rise
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the spread of smoke through tall buildings and how construction products may influence this
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on vertical compartmentation in tall buildings (including development of materials and assemblies to improve performance)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on new and improved strategies to provide appropriate fire and smoke protection of egress and evacuation spaces and systems
in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the propagation of fire through tall buildings and the impact space geometry, interior design and finishes can have on growth and severity
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the capability of fire compartmentation to contain all aspects of fire including smoke and the influence of any leakage on human
behavior in evacuation scenarios
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the testing, quality control during installation and ongoing inspection of Spray-Applied Fire Resistive Materials (SFRM)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the application and development of passive control/suppression systems for use in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of sprinklers in tall buildings (including development for multi-level fire scenarios, interaction between sprinklers and smoke, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine credible worst-case design fires for tall buildings

. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of realistic fire scenarios for the design of tall building structural fire protection
3.9 3.3 7.3

3.7 3.3 7.0
3.8 3.2 6.9
3.9 3.0 6.9
3.8 2.8 6.6
4.4 3.8 8.3
4.5 3.5 8.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the validation and comparison between computational models and behavior in real tall building fire scenarios (including connection
response, shear failure modes, concrete spalling, pre-loading, etc.)
4.1 3.7 7.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the probabilistic approach to tall building design in fire scenarios
3.8 3.8 7.6

3.8 3.8 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of computational models, data and technologies to enhance automated building management operations and emergency
response decision-making support (e.g. real-time monitoring of interior environment for fire, response of systems, response of structure, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to develop and collate fire protection, egress and communication system reliability and resiliency data
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of tools and computational models for the design and analysis of tall buildings in fire scenarios
. . . . . . . . . . . Testing and development of standards for fire/smoke penetration in tall buildings, and in particular floor-to-floor transmissions
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine the level of fire hazard posed by emergency generator fuel supply systems in tall buildings, and the necessary fire
resistance they require
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the behavior and mitigation of fire scenarios occurring during the construction period
3.9 3.5 7.5

4.1 3.3 7.4
3.8 3.0 6.8
3.2 3.1 6.3
3.8 3.5 7.2

(363.37)
Structural
Behavior in
Fire Scenarios
(624.176; 693.82)
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Structural Fire Behavior

(693.82)

Topic
Priority Index
1 Research to determine credible worst-case design fires for tall buildings
8.3
2 Research to establish the impact of new sustainable materials, technologies and design strategies in tall buildings on fire
and life safety performance
8.2
3 Research to develop better collaborations between architects, fire-engineers and the fire-fighting community
8.1
4 Research and development of realistic fire scenarios for the design of tall building structural fire protection
8.0
5 Research focussing on fire and life safety issues in tall buildings in developing and the least developed countries
8.0
In the field of Fire and Life Safety, 43 individual topics of relative importance and/or immaturity were recognized. Research across a number of areas
related to the fire and life safety of tall buildings is clearly considered a priority by the questionnaire responders, with five topics in this field receiving a
priority index score greater than 8.0. To put this into perspective, only nine topics in the entire Roadmap received such high scores. Such priority is no
doubt linked to fire and life safetys intrinsic relationship to occupant protection and wellbeing in hazardous and life-threatening scenarios.
The perceived need for priority research in this field is also reflected in the high immaturity scores received by many topics, with 93% scoring 3.0 or
higher, and several topics receiving scores closer to 4.0 (very immature). Research in this field then is in need of notable further development in order
to progress the fire and life safety knowledge base in future years.

The highest ranked topic is Research to determine credible worst-case design fires for tall buildings which scored a priority index value of 8.3 the
joint highest in the Roadmap (with Research on the planning, design and implications of using elevators for evacuation in tall buildings and Research
to determine and calculate the holistic and integrated sustainable performance of tall buildings see pages 54 and 96). Several highly ranked topics
in this field deal in some way with the need to identify specific design level fire scenarios for which tall buildings are expected to meet some expected
level of safety performance, and priority research in this broader area is suggested.
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on opportunities for the integration of structural and fire safety design in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the behavior of high and ultra-high strength structural concrete in fire scenarios
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the behavior of plastic polymers and composites used in tall building structure in fire scenarios
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining how structural performance in fire scenarios can impact evacuation and means of escape in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the behavior and appropriate protection of tall building structural nodes and connections in fire scenarios
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the redundancy of high-rise structures in fire scenarios
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the behavior of structural transfer systems in fire scenarios
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the behavior of concrete filled composite columns in fire scenarios
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the behavior of composite floor systems in fire scenarios
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the behavior of tall building structures in multiple ignition fire scenarios
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on structural fire protection systems and materials in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the application of the hydrocarbon time temperature curve in the structural design of tall buildings
4.3 3.5 7.8

3.9 3.6 7.5
3.8 3.6 7.4
4.0 3.5 7.4
4.0 3.4 7.4
4.0 3.4 7.4
3.9 3.4 7.3
3.9 3.4 7.3
3.8 3.2 7.1
3.2 3.8 7.0
3.9 2.9 6.9
2.9 3.4 6.3
The issue of specific design level fire scenario standards for tall buildings has been raised
by regulators in several countries utilizing performance-based regulatory systemsTo
meet the normal rigors of regulatory control, these regulators need agreed sets of design
level events that are applied to every building of similar use (risk) with the provision for
additional scenarios that reflect unique risks associated with a particular building or
tenant.

Interestingly, similar priority research topics related to establishing the level of structural performance in tall buildings in multi-hazard scenarios
was also identified in the Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and Geotechnics field (see page 45). However, many consider the fire control/
suppression system to play the most important role in preventing fires from becoming a threat to a tall building structure:
We need to think more about actively managing fires with high reliability fire suppression
systems, so that the likelihood of fires threatening the structure becomes very low in the future.
Of course, a proper degree of fire resistive capability in the structural frame is always needed.

Daniel OConnor, AON Fire Protection Engineering Corporation, Chicago, USA
A further trend among highly ranked topics is that of collaboration between multiple disciplines (ranked 3rd priority), with calls for strategies to
promote closer collaborations between architects, fire-engineers and the fire-fighting community and, in addition, more specific teams such as those
involved in building sustainability: Research to establish the impact of new sustainable materials, technologies and design strategies in tall buildings
on fire and life safety performance (ranked 2nd priority), and structural engineering: Research on opportunities for the integration of structural and fire
safety design in tall buildings (ranked 6th priority). These concerns are driven by the complexity of high-rise and the recognition that design decisions
affect multiple disciplines, and a lack of understanding and communication among consultants could cause challenges to high-rise development.
It is interesting to note that this concept of collaboration is a common theme in a number of sections in the Roadmap. In the Architecture and Interior
Design field the topic Research to develop and improve coordination and interaction between the different disciplines involved in the design of tall
buildings is the 7th highest ranked topic, with a score of 7.3. However, the links between sustainability and fire and life safety are considered less of a
priority by responders in the field of Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation. Here the topics Research on strategies for the integrated analysis
of energy conservation and safety and Research on the impact of, and balance between sustainable initiatives and tall building fire and life safety
were ranked lower, being 21st and 23rd in the list respectively (although with scores of 7.3 and 7.2, which are similar to the collaboration topic in
the Architecture and Interior Design field see pages 33 and 81). These differences of opinion may be caused by such research only having a minimal
impact on building sustainable performance, but at the same time having a potentially much greater impact on fire and life safety. It is recognized that
sustainability drives designs to employ materials and strategies whose fire performance is not well documented, which is also reflected in a high mean
immaturity score of 3.9 (very immature) for the topic Research to establish the impact of new sustainable materials, technologies and design strategies
in tall buildings on fire and life safety performance.
An additional topic highly ranked, with a score of 8.0, is that of Research focusing on fire and life safety issues in tall buildings in developing and least
developed countries.
based on the observation that an increasing number of developing countries are the sites of
tall (but not record height) buildings, fire and life safety issues for tall buildings in developing
countries is an important topic to be addressed. Further, even in developed countries tall
buildings are increasingly being built in smaller cities that have never had to deal with the
unique needs of tall buildings.

This also received the joint highest immaturity score in this field (3.9) and can thus be considered a significant gap in the knowledge base.


Industry: Other 30%
Academia/University/Research 27%

The majority of responders in this field were from an engineering background. Outlined below are the three highest scoring topics for engineering,
other consultant and academic responders respectively:

Research to determine credible worst-case design fires for tall buildings (7.9)

Research on the risk associated with fire resistance reductions as a trade-off against automatic sprinkler protection in high-rise (7.9)
Research and development of realistic fire scenarios for the design of tall building structural fire protection (7.9)
Industry: Other

Research to establish the impact of new sustainable materials, technologies and design strategies in tall buildings on fire and life
safety performance (9.2)

Research to develop better collaborations between architects, fire-engineers and the fire-fighting community (9.0)
Research on the probabilistic approach to tall building design in fire scenario (8.8)



The location of building/research projects with which responders are involved are based in North America (39%) and Europe (21%). Outlined below are
the three highest scoring topics for these two areas, as well as for the other geographical regions combined:
North America


Research focusing on fire and life safety issues in tall buildings in developing and the least developed countries (7.9)
Research to develop and collate fire protection, egress and communication system reliability and resiliency data (7.8)
Europe


Other

Research to establish the impact of new sustainable materials, technologies and design strategies in tall buildings on fire and life safety
performance(8.8)

Research on the probabilistic approach to tall building design in fire scenarios (8.3)
These results firstly highlight that responders who mostly work in the European context give very high priority to some of the topics in this field,
with scores greater than 9.0 suggesting topics are considered both extremely important, and very or extremely immature. Secondly, while there is
commonality between some of the results (e.g., research to develop better collaborations, research to determine credible worst-case design fires) the
variability beyond this is perhaps a consequence of different regulations and prescriptions in terms of fire and life safety that are present in different
regions internationally.

In which geographical region is your involvement in the field of Cladding and Skin mainly located?
Africa
Middle East
Asia
Australasia
Europe
First questionnaire
North America
Central America
South America
Worldwide
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Has your knowledge in the field of Cladding and Skin been applied to any of the following outputs, specific to tall buildings?

First questionnaire
Book contributions
None of the above
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Cladding and Skin |69
the field of Cladding and Skin. These have been grouped together by commonality, and were later ranked by importance and
Field
Category
Subcategory
Design, Construction and
Installation of Faade
(729.1)
Design, Construction and

Installation of Faade
(721.2; 729.1)
Priority Ranking
Topic No.
16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Design and Integration of
Non-Standard Faade Systems
and Materials
(729.1; 721.0449; 720.48)
4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Faade Access and Maintenance

(690.24)
Cladding and
Skin
(721.2; 729.1)
Retrofit, Recycling and Reuse

of the Building Faade
(690.24)
Performance and Optimization

of Faade
(693.832; 729.1)
24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Performance of Faade
(729.1)
Thermal Performance of Faade

(693.832; 621.4022)
2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Air/Water Tightness of Faade

(693.892)
32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wind Response of Faade

(624.175)
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Light/Solar Transmission and Internal

Visual Comfort
(729.28; 152.14)
Glass Proprieties and Performance

(693.96; 691.6; 721.04496)
70 | Cladding and Skin
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Immaturity
Importance
Priority index *
Topic
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the constructability of tall building faades (including minimizing worker risks during construction, prefabrication opportunities, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of tools and modeling software for the design of high-rise faades (including parametric modeling, optimization tools,
software to develop complex faades, etc.)
4.2
3.0
7.2
3.9 3.1 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the factors affecting faade aesthetics in tall buildings (including examination of architectural languages, impact of color, reflectivity,
transparency and scale of patterns on the visual impact of the city, etc.)
3.7 3.2 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of innovative/advanced materials and cladding systems in tall building faades (including composite materials, photochromatic
glazing, aerogel, application of aerospace/shipbuilding technologies, etc.)
4.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design, construction and performance of dynamic/active faade systems in tall buildings (including user control, development of
standards and regulations, impact on energy performance and indoor climate, etc.)
4.2 3.5 7.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on faade-integrated energy generation and collection systems in tall buildings (including building-integrated photovoltaics, wind energy
systems, water collection, etc.)
4.3 3.4 7.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on manufacturing techniques and systems for the production of free-form and complex faade panels and their fixings
3.6 3.4 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building faade cleaning, access and maintenance (including systems and strategies, automation, reducing worker risk, etc.)
3.9 3.1 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on design strategies, practices and guidelines for the recladding/retrofit of tall building faades (including data benefits of retrofit,
minimization of disruption to ongoing building operations, provision of easy change-out glass panels, etc.)
4.2 3.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of sustainable, recycled and reused materials in tall building faades (including reuse and recyclability attributes of materials
commonly used in faades, strategies to promote greater reuse and recycling, etc.)
3.9 3.7 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to establish the embodied energy of tall building faades (including the development of reliable, quickly-sourced metrics)
4.0
3.7
7.8
4.3 3.2 7.5
4.3 3.0 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the interactions between, and the integration of, tall building faades with space conditioning and HVAC systems
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the optimization of transparent elements in tall building faades, and strategies to balance the factors they regulate (e.g., balancing glare,
thermal performance, daylighting performance, etc.)
3.6
7.9
7.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building faade design and performance in different climates and the impact climate has on high-rise envelopes (including
performance, efficiency, cost and durability in hot, tropical, arid, temperate climates etc.)
4.1 3.0 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and performance of faade-integrated greenery in tall buildings (including impact on interior comfort in different climates,
impact on thermal performance of faade and U-values, etc.)
3.5 3.4 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the optimization of tall building faades based on function, room usage and meteorological climate changes with height
3.5 3.4 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to develop strategies and products to improve the thermal performance of tall building faades (including development of new products such
as vacuum insulation panels, highly insulating but thin cladding products, improved thermal performance of framing components, etc.)
4.4
3.3
7.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the testing and improvement of air-and-water tightness performance in tall building faades (including factors affecting seal material
deterioration, air and vapor barrier design, interaction of setting blocks with metallic coatings in standing water, appropriate pressure in glazing
units, etc.)
3.9
2.8
6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact of wind on faade design (including impact of appendages such as balcony guards and solar shading, wind tunnel testing,
impact of neighboring buildings on envelope peak loads, etc.)
4.1
3.0
7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on appropriate tall building faade shading strategies and technologies (including active and passive systems, impact of solar analysis on
design, appropriate location and orientation of shading systems, etc.)
4.3 3.1
7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to develop guidelines, tools and techniques for the consideration of interior and exterior glare in highly glazed tall buildings
3.9 3.3 7.2

4.1 3.0 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the modeling and assessment of daylighting benefits in tall buildings (economic impact, occupant benefits, environmental quality, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to improve the performance of glass in tall building faades (including development of coatings, self-cleaning glazing, manufacturing
techniques to minimize distortion, improved thermal performance, safety and greater visual light transmission, etc.)
4.1 2.6 6.7
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Double-Skin and Ventilated Faades

(729.1)
Cladding and
Skin
(721.2; 729.1)
Performance of Faade
(693.8; 729.1)
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multi-Hazard Resistance
(693.85)
Durability of Faade Materials

and Components
(620.1122)
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Topic
Priority Index
1 Research on the use of innovative/advanced materials and cladding systems in tall building faades (including composite
materials, photochromatic glazing, aerogel, application of aerospace/shipbuilding technologies, etc.)
7.9
2 Research to develop strategies and products to improve the thermal performance of tall building faades (including
development of new products such as vacuum insulation panels, highly insulating but thin cladding products, improved
thermal performance of framing components, etc.)
7.8
3 Research to establish the embodied energy of tall building faades (including the development of reliable,
quickly-sourced metrics)
7.8
4 Research on the design, construction and performance of dynamic/active faade systems in tall buildings (including user
control, development of standards and regulations, impact on energy performance and indoor climate, etc.)
7.7
5 Research on faade-integrated energy generation and collection systems in tall buildings (including building-integrated
photovoltaics, wind energy systems, water collection, etc.)
7.7
In the field of Cladding and Skin, 32 individual topics of relative importance and/or immaturity were recognized. Like many fields in the Roadmap,
responders in this field of consider research in this area as being both highly important and somewhat immature.
In terms of importance, only five of the 32 topics (16%) received an importance score lower than 3.9 (which is just below very important). In terms
of immaturity, more than 90% of topics received an immaturity score of 3.0 (moderately immature) or greater.

A number of trends are apparent from the results. Firstly, there seems to be a perceived desire for priority research on new and innovative materials
and faade systems in tall buildings with the topics Research on the use of innovative/advanced materials and cladding systems in tall building
faades, Research on the design, construction and performance of dynamic/active faade systems in tall buildings and Research on
faade-integrated energy generation and collection systems in tall buildings ranked 1st, 4th and 5th, respectively. This is perhaps influenced by the
fact that while faade design has evolved since the development of the glazed curtain wall, the standardized use of glass, aluminum and silicone still
prevails in the majority of buildings. Opportunities to develop and use advanced and alternative materials and systems such as photochromatic
glazing, aerogel, highly insulating panels, dynamic faade systems, faade-integrated photovoltaics, etc. are seemingly popular with those in the field,
and such developments are beginning to be realized in the as-built realm.
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on faade design strategies and technologies to allow for natural ventilation in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and performance of double-skin and multi-layer faades in tall buildings (including performance in different climates,
examination of case studies, life-cycle cost implications, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the performance of the faade in fire scenarios (including testing, impact on faade brackets, use of fire protection, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on fire performance and smoke control of double-skin assemblies in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the performance and design of compartmentation junctions between floors and faades in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and testing of faade performance in earthquake and building motion scenarios
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on blast and projectile impact on tall building faades (including mitigation, resistant constructions, etc.)
4.3 3.3
7.6
4.1 3.0 7.2
4.3
3.3 7.6
4.2 3.4 7.6
3.9 3.2 7.1
4.0 2.9 7.0
3.7 3.2 6.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining safety and failure modes of tall building faade materials and systems (including glazing failure/falling, reliability of heattreated products, etc.)
4.2 3.2
7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the durability of faade materials and components in tall buildings (including establishing material/component life-spans, impact of
geographical location and local weather/atmospheric conditions, etc.)
4.1 3.1 7.2
It is important to note that these topics related to the research and development of innovative and non-standard products and systems are primarily
concerned with improving the environmental performance of tall building faades, and this is reflected in the second-highest ranked topic Research
to develop strategies and products to improve the thermal performance of tall building faades. This includes specific calls for research on the
development of new materials and products, including vacuum-insulation panels, highly insulating but thin cladding products, improved thermal
performance of framing components, etc.
What I read from the responses in Cladding and Skin is that the over-riding concern expressed
was for improvements to faade performance, which I interpret to mean environmental
performance. The application of non-standard systems and materials was one way to potentially
accomplish this goal.

Peter Weismantle, AS+GG Architecture, Chicago, USA
A further trend apparent in the results is the desire for research on tall building faades beyond their day-to-day performance, encompassing
sustainability across the entirety of their life-cycle. This is a theme that is repeated in multiple fields across the Roadmap (and specifically in Building
Materials and Products, and Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation see pages 75 and 81), and gives significant priority to topics such as
establishing the embodied energy of tall building faades, retrofitting and recladding of tall building faades, and using sustainable, recycled and
reused materials. These topics also received the highest immaturity scores in the field, denoting the need for development in order to improve
knowledge, understanding and information in these realms.
Research related to the multi-hazard resistance of tall building faades was scattered throughout the rankings, with Research on the performance of
the faade in fire scenarios and Research on fire performance and smoke control of double-skin assemblies in tall buildings receiving the highest
priority scores in this subcategory. Topics related to faade performance in earthquake, blast and projectile impact scenarios were considered a much
lower priority by those who responded to the questionnaire.

Industry: Other (mostly Engineering) 51%

Industry: Architecture/Urban Planning 22%

Other than academics (who make up just over a quarter of responders), it is important to note that those who completed the questionnaire are
predominantly represented by architects, engineers and consultants who have been involved in built/future tall building projects and as such have a
hands on knowledge in the field. A significant deficiency in the results is the lack of feedback received from building owners, managers and tenants
(i.e., those who occupy and manage the building during its life), although their response was limited in all the Roadmap categories.
Listed below are the three highest-scoring topics from responders in the other consultancy (mostly engineering), academic and architecture/
urban planning realms respectively:

Research on the design, construction and performance of dynamic/active faade systems in tall buildings (8.2)

Research on the use of innovative/advanced materials and cladding systems in tall building faades (8.2)
Research on faade-integrated energy generation and collection systems in tall buildings (8.2)

Research to establish the embodied energy of tall building faades (8.4)

Research on the design, construction and performance of dynamic/active faade systems in tall buildings (8.3)
Research on the use of sustainable, recycled and reused materials in tall building faades (8.3)


Research to establish the embodied energy of tall building faades (8.2)
Research on the optimization of transparent elements in tall building faades, and strategies to balance the factors they regulate (8.1)
Across all professional backgrounds, there was a general prioritization of research concerned with the sustainability performance of tall building
faades. However, it is notable that while those in the academic realm gave higher priority to life-cycle sustainability issues (such as embodied energy
and the use of sustainable and recycled materials), those in the other consultancy realm gave priority to innovative materials and systems such as
dynamic and energy-generating envelopes. Responders from an engineering background gave greater priority to research on the performance of the
faade in fire scenarios, as compared to the other groups.

The locations of building/research projects with which responders are involved are based across a wide range of geographical areas, with Europe,
North America and Asia almost evenly represented, embracing approximately 75% of all responses. Outlined below are the three highest-scoring
topics for these three best-represented regions:
Europe

Research on fire performance and smoke control of double-skin assemblies in tall buildings (7.8)

Research on the performance and design of compartmentation junctions between floors and faades in tall buildings (7.7)
Research to develop strategies and products to improve the thermal performance of tall building faades (7.6)
North America


Research on the interactions between, and the integration of, tall building faades with space conditioning and HVAC systems (7.9)
Asia

Research on the use of sustainable, recycled and reused materials in tall building faades (8.7)

Research on faade integrated energy generation and collection systems in tall buildings (8.6)
Of note here is the perceived need for research on fire performance and smoke control of double-skin assemblies in the European context, likely
due to the prominence of this faade technology in the region. In North America there seems to be a preference for research on innovative faade
materials and systems, which is also mirrored in the responses from those whose work is predominantly in the Asian region.

In which geographical region is your involvement in the field of Building Materials and Products mainly located?
Africa
Middle East
Asia
Australasia
Europe
First questionnaire
North America
Central America
South America
Worldwide
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Has your knowledge in the field of Building Materials and Products been applied to any of the following outputs, specific to tall
buildings?

First questionnaire
Book contributions
None of the above
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Building Materials and Products |75
field of Building Materials and Products. These have been grouped together by commonality, and were later ranked by importance
and immaturity in questionnaire 2, to determine the final results (see Evaluation and Ranking of Topics on the following page).
Here topics are organized by broad categories and subcategories, with the numbers in parentheses denoting each fields Dewey
Field
Category
General Aspects:
Selection, Preservation,
Construction Properties
(691)
Building Materials
and Products
(691)
Hazardous Materials
Technology
(604.7)
Life-cycle Analysis
of Materials
(658.4083; 658.5)
76 | Building Materials and Products
Subcategory
Priority Ranking
Topic No.
Performance of Traditional
Materials
(691.2; 691.3; 691.4; 691.5;
691.6; 691.7; 691.8)
1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other Building Materials

(691.9)
5.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Timber
(691.1)
16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quality Control
(658.562)
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hazardous Materials Technology

(604.7)
15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Asbestos and Hazardous Materials

(691.95; 363.1791)
26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life-cycle Analysis and

Sustainability of Materials
(658.4083; 658.5)
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resistance to Decay,
Decomposition, Deterioration
(620.1122)
2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance and Repair

(690.24)
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use and Disposal of Building

Materials and Products
(658.7)
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use and Procurement of Local

Materials and Products
(658.7; 720.47)
3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Immaturity
Importance
Priority index *
Topic
4.3 3.3 7.5
3.7 3.1 6.8
3.7 2.9 6.6
3.9 2.7 6.6
3.6 2.8 6.4
3.5 2.9 6.4
3.5 2.6 6.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of composite materials and systems in tall buildings

. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the creep behavior of concrete in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the composition and elasticity of concrete used in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use and performance of high- and ultra-high strength concrete in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use and performance of high- and ultra-high strength steel in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on steel TMT bar reinforcements of various sizes, and their application in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on structural steel weight to size ratio in tall buildings
3.5 3.8
7.3
2.8 3.5 6.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the application and performance of fiber-reinforced polymers in tall buildings (e.g., carbon, glass)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of elastic materials such as render, plaster, etc. and their application in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and performance of timber as a structural material in tall buildings (including in a hybrid capacity, such as cross-laminated
timber floor plates)
3.0 3.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on non-structural applications of timber (cladding, shading systems, etc.) in tall buildings
3.1 3.5 6.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on opportunities for manufacturers to partner up to provide greater product compatibility in tall building design
4.1
3.1
7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of toxin-free and low VOC materials in tall building interiors
3.6
3.1
6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use, impact and removal of asbestos from tall buildings (including regulations, practices, remediation, effect on productivity
and occupation, etc.)
3.4
2.4
5.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the development and use of sustainable and low-energy materials, products and components in tall buildings
4.4
2.9
7.3
3.8 3.3 7.1
4.2 2.7 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . The development of embodied energy/carbon data for tall building-specific materials and components
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of sustainable concrete and cement products in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to improve material and component durability in tall buildings

. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine material and component durability in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the effect of climate on materials and components used in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the compatibility and impact of tall building-specific materials and components on each other (e.g., deterioration of materials due to
contact with other specific materials)
6.7
4.3
3.2
7.5
4.3 3.1 7.4
3.8 3.1 6.9
3.6 3.1 6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on designing for easy repair and replacement of materials and products in tall buildings
3.9
3.4
7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on recyclability and reusability of tall building materials and components (including demountable systems, environmental impact of recycling
as compared to landfill, etc.)
3.7 3.3
7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on prefabrication construction strategies and techniques in tall buildings
3.9 3.1 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the responsible procurement of materials and components in tall buildings (e.g., in areas that do not have strict controls on
processing-plant emissions and toxic waste disposal)
3.7 3.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the local procurement of materials and components in tall buildings (including economic issues, environmental issues, etc.)
3.6 3.0 6.6
7.4

Topic
Priority Index
1 Research on the use of composite materials and systems in tall buildings
7.5
2 Research to improve material and component durability in tall buildings
7.5
3 Research on the responsible procurement of materials and components in tall buildings (e.g., in areas that do not have
strict controls on processing-plant emissions and toxic waste disposal)
7.4
4 Research to determine material and component durability in tall buildings
7.4
5 Research on the application and performance of fiber-reinforced polymers in tall buildings (e.g., carbon, glass)
7.3
In the field of Building Materials and Products, 26 individual topics of relative importance and/or immaturity were recognized. The index of priority
scores in this field are slightly lower than in the other areas of the Roadmap, with values ranging from 5.87.5. Similarly, only six of the 26 topics in
the field scored a mean importance value of 4.0 or greater (very important), which again is the lowest return in the Roadmap. This suggests that
responders perceive that research on building materials and products merits a lower priority when compared to other fields, or alternatively, that
research on tall building materials and products is outside of the realm of the tall building researcher, instead being more applicable to general
material scientists, product designers, etc.
In terms of immaturity, trends are consistent with responses across the Roadmap, with only 31% of topics in this section scoring mean immaturity values
lower than 3.0 (moderately immature), suggesting a perceived need for increased research in the field, to advance the typology in the coming years.

The highest-ranked topic is Research on the use of composite materials and systems in tall buildings. This is a clear reflection of current construction
trends, with 48 of the tallest 100 buildings in the world completed or currently under construction using a composite structural system (data as of
September 2013) according to the CTBUH tall building database (www.skyscrapercenter.com).
Beyond this, two trends are apparent. Firstly, there is a perceived need for priority research on tall building material and component durability and
life-cycle, with topics such as Research to improve material and component durability in tall buildings and Research on designing for easy repair and
replacement of materials and products in tall buildings ranked highly (2nd and 7th overall).
The second trend is related to tall building sustainability. Historically, focus in this area has been centered on energy use in operation, but this is clearly
expanding to encompass more holistic concepts, including the life-cycle of building materials and products. Responders highlighted a need for
research in this area by ranking topics such as Research on the responsible procurement of materials and components in tall buildings, Research
on the development and use of sustainable and low-energy materials, products and components in tall buildings, The development of embodied
energy/carbon data for tall building-specific materials and components and Research on the use of sustainable concrete and cement products in tall
buildings in the top 50% of topics. These topics are inter-related to those dealing with durability, suggesting overall a clear need for priority research
on the life-cycle sustainability of tall building materials and products, from their extraction, to their procurement, to end-of-life scenarios.
This broader concept is apparent in multiple fields across the Roadmap. In the Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation field, topics such as
Research on strategies and techniques to reduce embodied energy/carbon in tall buildings, Research examining the opportunities and strategies to
allow for disassembly/deconstruction at the end of a tall buildings life and Research on strategies to assess and extend the life-cycle of tall buildings
excluding large-scale retrofit are ranked 2nd, 5th and 6th respectively (see page 81). Likewise in Cladding and Skin, Research to establish the embodied
energy of tall building faades and Research on the use of sustainable, recycled and reused materials in tall building faades are ranked 3rd and
9th (see page 69). In Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation, Research to determine and calculate whole life-cycle environmental impacts of tall
buildings and Research to determine and calculate the embodied energy/carbon of tall buildings and their key components are ranked 4th and 9th
(see page 95). This strengthens the argument that research focused on determining and reducing the environmental impact of tall building materials,
products and components is widely supported as a priority research topic. There are, however, exceptions. In the Circulation: Vertical Transportation and
Evacuation field, the topic Research to develop calculations, models and metrics to determine the environmental life-cycle impacts of tall building
vertical transportation systems is ranked only 25th, with a lower priority index of 6.5 (see page 53). Likewise, in Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard
Design and Geotechnics, topics dealing specifically with material sustainability are again ranked as a lower priority. However, here it is suggested that
this is due to structural engineers intrinsically connecting structural efficiency with material sustainability, and so dedicated research in the latter is
encompassed by broader topics related to the former (see page 45).

In terms of research maturity, responders felt that research related to alternative materials is underdeveloped, with Research on the application
and performance of fiber-reinforced polymers in tall buildings and Research on the design and performance of timber as a structural material in tall
buildings receiving mean immaturity scores of 3.8 and 3.7, respectively.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, research related to the traditional tall building materials of steel and concrete were in general ranked towards the
bottom of the list, with topics such as the use of high-performance steel and concrete, structural steel weight-to-size ratios, use of reinforcements and
the composition and elasticity of concrete, all considered low priorities. This trend is driven by lower immaturity scores for these topics (all considered
at least moderately immature, with scores below 3.0) and academic responders giving some of these topics much lower importance ratings as
compared to engineers (see results broken down by questionnaire responders below).


Industry: Other 19%

The majority of responders in this field come from an engineering or academic background. Outlined below are the three highest-scoring topics from
both of these groups respectively:

Research on the use of sustainable concrete and cement products in tall buildings (7.5)

Research on the use of composite materials and systems in tall buildings (7.5)
Research on the creep behavior of concrete in tall buildings (7.4)

Research on the responsible procurement of materials and components in tall buildings (8.2)

Research on the design and performance of timber as a structural material in tall buildings (8.0)
Research on non-structural applications of timber (8.0)
These results show a clear difference in research priorities between those in the engineering realm and those in academia. Responders in the former
group have prioritized more traditional tall building materials and systems such as concrete and composite systems, most probably due to their common application in real tall building projects all over the world. Those in the academic realm prioritized more alternative materials, in particular the use
of timber in a structural and non-structural capacity. While those in the academic realm ranked Research on the design and performance of timber
as a structural material in tall buildings as their second-highest-priority topic, with a score of 8.0, those in the engineering realm ranked it as their
second-lowest priority topic, with an index of importance and maturity score of just 5.9, and an average importance score of 2.3 (just above slightly
important). In fact, 50% of responders with an engineering background ranked this topic as not important at all.

The location of building/research projects with which responders are involved are based across six continents, but with Europe and North America
dominating. Outlined below are the three highest-scoring topics for these two best-represented regions:
Europe

Research on recyclability and reusability of tall building materials and components (7.4)

Research on the use of sustainable concrete and cement products in tall buildings (7.2)
The development of embodied energy/carbon data for tall building-specific materials and components (7.2)
North America

Research on the application and performance of fiber-reinforced polymers in tall buildings (9.0)

Research on the use of composite materials and systems in tall buildings (8.3)
Research to improve material and component durability in tall buildings (8.3)
The difference in research priorities by professional background is reflected in a similar manner when breaking down the results by geographical area.
Responders whose work is in Europe suggest greatest research priority for topics related to material and product sustainability, while those in North
America have focused priority on composite and advanced materials and durability. Again, there is an interesting polarization of scores in these two
regions, with Research on the application and performance of fiber-reinforced polymers in tall buildings receiving a priority index of 9.0 in North
America, but only 6.3 in Europe. Likewise, Research on recyclability and reusability of tall building materials and components received the highest
score of 7.4 in Europe, but only 5.8 in North America. Such differences in magnitude suggest very different attitudes and research priorities, and the
potential need for technology and knowledge transfer between the regions.

In which geographical region is your involvement in the field of Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation
mainly located?
Africa
Middle East
Asia
Australasia
Europe
First questionnaire
North America
Central America
South America
Worldwide
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Has your knowledge in the field of Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation been applied to any of the following
outputs, specific to tall buildings?

First questionnaire
Book contributions
None of the above
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation |81
field of Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation. These have been grouped together by commonality, and were later ranked
Field
Category
Subcategory
Priority Ranking
Topic No.
3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sustainable Design
Principles and Processes
(720.47)
Sustainable Design
Principles and Processes
(720.47)
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sustainable Design,
Construction and
Operation
(644.6; 720.47)
Reducing Life-cycle Impacts

of Tall Buildings
(333.7; 658.2)
1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reducing Embodied Energy

(333.791)
2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reducing Operating Energy
(720.472)
Reducing Lifecycle Impacts of

Tall Buildings
(333.7; 658.2)
82 | Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation
19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Water Waste/Usage
(363.7284; 628.1; 644.6)
16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Renovation and End-of-Life Scenarios

(720.286; 720.288)
and Management and Life Span of
Buildings and Components
(658.202)
5.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Immaturity
Importance
Priority index *
Topic
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on environmental optimization strategies and methodologies for tall building form
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact of meteorological changes with height on the sustainable design and performance of tall buildings (e.g., changes in air
temperature, pressure and density, stack effect)
4.4 3.3 7.7

4.1 3.4 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies for high-rise design to take inspiration from nature and biomimetic concepts (including in the architecture,
mechanical systems, etc.)
4.0 3.5 7.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and strategies to improve design team fluency and education in tall building sustainable practices and principles
4.1 3.3 7.4

4.3 3.1 7.4
4.3 3.0 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the influence of microclimate on sustainable tall building design (e.g., local wind behavior, surrounding context)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use and development of software and modeling tools to improve tall building sustainability (including daylight, wind,
stack effect, HVAC and energy modeling, use of modeling to inform early design stage energy performance, parametric models,
development of modeling criteria, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the application of Passivhaus design principles and performance in tall building design
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design and opportunities for vertical farming and agriculture (including determining if such solutions actually provide more
sustainable agricultural production)
4.1 3.2 7.3

3.5 3.7 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the design, performance and integration of greenery and planting on tall buildings (including green roofs, sky gardens,
green plot ratio, etc.)
3.9 3.0 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and technologies to develop carbon-neutral, net-zero-energy, zero-carbon and self-sustaining tall buildings (including
evaluations of whether such concepts are technically viable)
4.4 3.5
7.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and techniques to reduce embodied energy/carbon in tall buildings
4.1
7.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the integration of passive design strategies and technologies into tall buildings to reduce energy requirements and
improve occupant comfort
4.5 3.1 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and technologies to allow for natural/mixed-mode ventilation in tall buildings (including impact of form, faade and internal
organization, determining economic and environmental advantages of natural/mixed-mode ventilation, etc.)
4.3 3.2 7.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use and development of low-energy air conditioning and climate management systems in tall buildings (including technologies such
as absorption chillers, desiccant cooling, solar thermal cooling systems, etc.)
4.3 3.0 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the stack effect in tall buildings (including utilization where useful, and mitigation where unwanted)
4.3 3.0 7.3

4.3 2.7 7.0
4.1 2.8 6.9
4.2 2.6 6.8
3.8 3.0 6.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the use of energy recovery systems in tall buildings (e.g., mechanical ventilation and heat recovery systems)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to enhance air-conditioning and MEP system performance and efficiency in tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on energy management control systems and strategies to achieve energy efficiency in operations
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to mitigate internal thermal loads due to computer operation in tall buildings (including removal of heat strategies, dephasing day-to-night
operations, etc.)
3.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and technologies to reduce the use of water in tall buildings (including treatment of sewage, low plumbing fixture flow-rates,
water recycling, rainwater harvesting, etc.)
4.3 3.1 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research examining the opportunities and strategies to allow for disassembly/deconstruction at the end of a tall buildings life (and, as such, re-use of
components, materials, etc.)
3.7 4.0 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies to assess and extend the life-cycle of tall buildings to the exclusion of large-scale retrofits (for example, reducing building
maintenance, examining the needs of the occupants in terms of building obsolescence, etc.)
4.0 3.6 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies for adaptive reuse and change of function in tall buildings to extend their life-cycle
4.1 3.5 7.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on retrofitting tall buildings for improved energy performance and extended life-cycle
4.4 3.2 7.6
Sustainable
Management
(720.47)
Sustainable Design,
Construction and
Operation
(644.6; 720.47)
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interaction of Sustainability
and Safety
(n/a)
23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MEP and ITC Systems and Strategies

(696)
29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MEP Systems
and Design
(621.8; 696)
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Occupant Comfort
(152.1; 629.2772)
31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
User Operation of Systems

(n/a)
25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Topic
Priority Index
1 Research on strategies and technologies to develop carbon-neutral, net-zero-energy, zero-carbon and self-sustaining tall
buildings (including evaluations of whether such concepts are technically viable)
7.8
2 Research on strategies and techniques to reduce embodied energy/carbon in tall buildings
7.8
3 Research on environmental optimization strategies and methodologies for tall building form
7.7
4 Research on the integration of passive design strategies and technologies into tall buildings to reduce energy
requirements and improve occupant comfort
7.6
5 Research examining the opportunities and strategies to allow for disassembly/deconstruction at the end of a tall
buildings life (and, as such, re-use of components, materials, etc.)
7.6
In the field of Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation, 36 individual topics of relative importance and/or immaturity were recognized.
Sustainability is a holistic and interdisciplinary field, especially in tall buildings. As such, many research topics related to sustainability are found
throughout the Roadmap, beyond this individual section. Where possible, this section pulls together the research most commonly related to
sustainability, although some topics that sit more comfortably in other fields are located accordingly (e.g., topics directly concerned with faade
sustainability are found in Cladding and Skin).
Like many fields in the Roadmap, immaturity scores of the topics in Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation are relatively high, with 89%
scoring 3.0 or higher (moderately immature). This suggests a perceived need for increased research in the field, to advance the typology in the
coming years.
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies for integrating analysis of energy conservation and safety (including the introduction of safety metrics into
sustainability criteria)
3.7 3.6 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact of, and balance between sustainable initiatives and tall building fire and life safety (for example, the impact of sustainable new
materials and design strategies on fire load assumptions, etc.)
4.0 3.2 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the impact of climate on alternative mechanical systems (for example the use of chilled beams and chilled ceilings in tropical climates
without the risk of condensation occurring, etc.)
3.9 3.3 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies to integrate structure and MEP systems (for example, hollow-core slabs for air-conditioning conduits, etc.)
3.7 3.3 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies to reduce the amount of space taken up by MEP systems in tall buildings (including air supply systems, plant rooms, ceiling voids,
service risers, etc.)
3.9 3.1 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to establish appropriate MEP loads and systems sizing (including ventilation needs according to real CO2 content of microclimate, impact of
occupancy rates on loads and HVAC sizing, examination of whether air-conditioning systems in tall buildings are regularly over-sized, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies to enhance MEP system flexibility
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the provision for current and future IT connectivity in and between tall buildings
3.9 3.0 6.9

3.8 3.0 6.9
3.5 3.2 6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . . Research to define occupant comfort and psychological well-being in tall buildings (including in different climates, impact of different
conditioning systems, etc.)
4.2 3.2 7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . . Research on interior air quality in tall buildings
4.0 2.9 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies to promote reduced occupant energy use in tall buildings (for example, tenants competing on a floor-by-floor basis in an
office building, etc.)
3.9 3.4 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on user operation and education of MEP systems in tall buildings (including building management systems, impact of improper use of systems on
HVAC energy/efficiencies, etc.)
3.9 3.2 7.1

Due to sustainabilitys wide-ranging nature, a variety of different topics have been highly ranked by responders. The highest-priority score was given
to Research on strategies and technologies to develop carbon-neutral, net-zero-energy, zero-carbon and self-sustaining tall buildings (including
evaluations of whether such concepts are technically viable). This is a very broad theme, covering a variety of research streams, perhaps going some
way to explain its popularity with responders. However, regardless of its breadth, there is clearly significant opportunity and desire for more research
in this area.
[Research] focus should be sharper on how to use the height of tall buildings and

integration with the urban environment to get to net-zero on all resources (including new
and existing buildings).

Luke Leung, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago, USA
Throughout the Roadmap there is a perceived need for more research on topics related to the broader life-cycle of tall building sustainability,
beyond day-to-day operations and including construction and end-of-life scenarios. Themes such as reducing high-rise embodied energy/carbon,
disassembly/deconstruction, extending tall buildings life-cycle, adaptive reuse and retrofitting are all ranked within the top ten topics in this field.
This is reflected in many areas of the Roadmap, and outlined in more detail in the Building Materials and Products field (see page 75). This trend is also
apparent in the wider built environment, beyond tall buildings, with increasing consideration for embodied energy/carbon in both professional and
academic realms.
The highest average importance score (4.5) was given to Research on the integration of passive design strategies and technologies into tall buildings
to reduce energy requirements and improve occupant comfort, which again is a broad topic covering a number of themes. In this area, the more
specific Research on strategies and technologies to allow for natural/mixed-mode ventilation in tall buildings also scored highly.
Tall buildings have a significant sustainability impact when considering their role in the
urban/suburban context. This impact needs to be quantified for better understanding of the
sustainability contributions of tall buildings.

Abbas Aminmansour, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA

The highest immaturity score, 4.0 (very immature), was given to Research examining the opportunities and strategies to allow for disassembly/deconstruction at the end of a tall buildings life. This is the third-highest immaturity score in any section of the Roadmap, indicating a potentially significant
research gap. Research in this area has not progressed, since demolition of tall buildings is a generally rare event, only five towers taller than 150 meters
have ever been taken down voluntarily, and knowledge in the field is held by only a small number of demolition companies. However, with many tall
buildings approaching the end of their effective life, such research may be valuable in the coming years. This finding is supported by results in the
Building Materials and Products field (page 75), with Research on designing for easy repair and replacement of materials and products in tall buildings
and Research on recyclability and reusability of tall building materials and components being ranked 7th and 10th, respectively. However, the desire
for such research does not seem to extend to the structural or construction fields with Research on structural connections/joints to enable greater
reuse and recycling of structural elements ranked only 31st out of 54 topics in Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and Geotechnics (page 45).
Research on design for disassembly strategies in tall buildings ranked last in the Construction and Project Management field (page 89).

Industry (Architectural /
Other
UrbanIndustry:
Planning)
(mostly Engineering) 46%
Academia / University /
Research
Industry (Other mostly
Engineers
and OtherArchitectural/Urban
Industry:
Consultants)
43%
Planning 11%

Interestingly, the questionnaire received a lower-than-expected response from architects and urban planners. This may be due to these professionals
only answering the sections on Architecture and Interior Design, or Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues, or perhaps the group does not feel
adequately knowledgeable or involved in the field of sustainability.
Responders in this field were quite evenly distributed between the academic and industrial realm, with the latter being dominated by engineers and
other consultants. Outlined below are the three highest-scoring topics for industrial and academic responders respectively:

Research on strategies and technologies to develop carbon-neutral, net-zero-energy, zero-carbon and self-sustaining tall buildings (7.7)

Research on the integration of passive design strategies and technologies into tall buildings to reduce energy requirements and improve
occupant comfort (7.6)

Research on environmental optimization strategies and methodologies for tall building form (7.6)

Research on strategies and techniques to reduce embodied energy/carbon in tall buildings (8.4)

Research examining the opportunities and strategies to allow for disassembly/deconstruction at the end of a tall buildings life (8.3)
Research on strategies for adaptive reuse and change of function in tall buildings to extend their life-cycle (8.0)
It is interesting to note here that the topics ranked highest by industry tend to focus on building operations (e.g., carbon neutrality, passive design
strategies) while those ranked highest by academics were focused on the broader life-cycle of tall building sustainability, including topics such as
embodied energy, disassembly/deconstruction and adaptive reuse.

The locations of building/research projects with which responders are involved are based across a wide range of geographical areas, although Asia
and North America the two leading markets for tall buildings dominate. Outlined below are the three highest-scoring topics for these two bestrepresented geographical areas:
Asia

Research on the integration of passive design strategies and technologies into tall buildings to reduce energy requirements and improve
occupant comfort (7.8)

Research on the impact of meteorological changes with height on the sustainable design and performance of tall buildings (7.8)
Research to define occupant comfort and psychological well-being in tall buildings (7.7)
North America

Research on strategies and technologies to develop carbon-neutral, net-zero-energy, zero-carbon and self-sustaining tall buildings (8.3)

Research on environmental optimization strategies and methodologies for tall building form (8.1)
Research on strategies to assess and extend the life-cycle of tall buildings, to the exclusion of large-scale retrofits (8.1)
Of interest here may be the fact that topics related to a buildings end of life (e.g., retrofitting, adaptive reuse, life-cycle extension, disassembly/
deconstruction, etc.) all scored higher in terms of importance from responders in North America than in Asia. This is likely due to the fact that many
high-rises constructed from the 1950s through1970s in North America are approaching the end of their service lives, whereas those in Asia are
typically more recent, and as such, are still in their early- or mid-lifecycles.

In which geographical region is your involvement in the field of Construction and Project Management mainly located?
Africa
Middle East
Asia
Australasia
Europe
First questionnaire
North America
Central America
South America
Worldwide
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Has your knowledge in the field of Construction and Project Management been applied to any of the following outputs, specific
to tall buildings?

First questionnaire
Book contributions
None of the above
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Construction and Project Management |89
the field of Construction and Project Management. These have been grouped together by commonality, and were later ranked
Field
Category
Software and Data

Management
(005)
Subcategory
5.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data Management
(004)
15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Construction
Techniques
(692)
Construction
Management
(658.2; 658.5)
Prefabrication
(721.04497; 693.97)
9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Procurement and Delivery

(658.7)
19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Safety and Worker Rights

(690.22; 620.86)
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Construction Sustainability
(658.2; 720.47; 658.5)
4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Time Management
(692.5)
Construction Logistics
(692.5; 692.3)
90 | Construction and Project Management
Topic No.
Construction Software
(005)
Construction Techniques
(692)
Construction and
Project Management
(658.404; 658.5; 659;
692)
Priority Ranking
3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Immaturity
Importance
Priority index *
Topic
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of integrated software and tools, such as BIM, and their impact on tall building design, construction and logistics
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of software and technologies to allow for the automated construction of tall building components using 3D printing
4.2 3.1
7.3
3.5 3.8 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of data management systems on tall building construction materials (e.g. to allow for the evaluation and
comparison of options)
3.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of new construction methods and systems for complex tall building projects
4.3 3.3
7.6
4.3 2.9 7.3
4.3 2.8 7.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of strategies, technologies and techniques to improve tall building construction efficiency
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the appropriate selection and operation of major construction equipment (cranes, forming systems, concrete pumps) and their impact on
construction economics
3.2
7.0
3.6 3.4 7.0

3.8 3.1 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on regional methods of tall building construction and how these influence design, efficiency and sustainability
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and technologies that allow for greater tolerances in tall building construction
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building prefabrication construction techniques (including customization opportunities, impact on cost, environment, schedule,
opportunities in different geographical locations, etc)
4.0 3.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on design for disassembly strategies in tall buildings
3.2 3.5 6.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the benefits and limitations of integrated project delivery (IPD) of tall building design, construction and operation
3.5 3.3
6.8
3.7 3.1 6.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research comparing conventional construction procurement and Design/Build procurement in tall building scenarios (advantages and disadvantages,
impact on schedule, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to improve site and construction safety in tall buildings (including cocoon systems, safe multi-level simultaneous work, etc.)
4.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to develop strategies and practices to reduce waste and waste water during tall building construction
3.8 3.5
7.3
3.9 3.2 7.1
3.8 3.1 6.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine the total environmental impacts associated with the construction phase of tall buildings life-cycle
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to develop strategies and technologies to reduce energy use during tall building construction
2.9
7.2
7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on phased occupancy strategies for tall buildings
4.2 3.2
7.4
3.8 3.5 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building construction planning and programming
4.4 2.8 7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the dissemination of construction logistics best practices and lessons learned from tall building project and team leaders internationally
4.5 3.3
7.8
4.0 3.1 7.1
3.9 2.8 6.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research and development of strategies to increase the speed of tall building construction (including Lean Building Principles, etc.)
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on tall building construction site logistics

. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies to promote better collaboration between the consultants in tall building construction teams

Topic
Priority Index
1 Research on the dissemination of construction logistics best practices and lessons learned from tall building project and
team leaders internationally
7.8
2 Research and development of new construction methods and systems for complex tall building projects
7.6
3 Research and development of strategies to increase the speed of tall building construction (including Lean Building
Principles, etc.)
7.4
4 Research to develop strategies and practices to reduce waste and waste water during tall building construction
7.3
5 Research and development of integrated software and tools, such as BIM, and their impact on tall building design,
construction and logistics
7.3
In the field of Construction and Project Management, 22 individual topics of relative importance and/or immaturity were recognized. This field was
(together with Economics and Cost) the section of the Roadmap that received the lowest number of responses in both questionnaires, despite specific
attempts from the authors to reach out to experts in the field (for details on the methodology see page 18). This is surprising, considering the breadth
and relevance of the field, with topics ranging from selection and operation of equipment to waste and water usage, and from procurement to worker
safety. This lack of responders is also reflected in the generally high immaturity scores, with only five of the 22 topics receiving a mean immaturity score
lower than 3.0 (moderately immature). This suggests many topics across construction and project management require significant development or
dissemination in order to progress research in this area.
I was disappointed to see generally high scores on mean immaturity for all topics in the
Construction and Project Management field. This demonstrates that our industry as a whole
does not embrace the opportunities from structured learning from things like research.
The construction industry as a whole really lags behind many other industries when it
comes to productivity, or more importantly, wasted or down time. It has been stagnant for
decades, and is one place where great improvements still need to be made.

William Maibusch, CTBUH Trustee, Doha, Qatar

The highest priority topic is that of Research on the dissemination of construction logistics best practices and lessons learned from tall building project
and team leaders internationally with a priority index of 7.8. This strengthens the points made above, and the high immaturity scores throughout,
suggesting it is not necessarily a lack of knowledge in the field, but perhaps a lack of dissemination and knowledge transfer that is seen as restricting
research in construction and project management. The second and third highest-ranked topics are Research and development of new construction
methods and systems for complex tall building projects and Research and development of strategies to increase the speed of tall building
construction, both of which are not surprising considering the growth of new and challenging tall building forms, heights and functions and the
importance of construction speed in the viability and financial return of any high-rise project. Beyond this, however, the topic of Research to develop
strategies and practices to reduce waste and waste water during tall building construction is somewhat more surprisingly ranked as the fourth-highest
priority, due in part to a high immaturity value of 3.5.
Research on tall building sustainability outside day-to-day operations is a common theme in several sections of the Roadmap, with topics related to
the reduction of embodied energy and sustainable construction and demolition ranked highly in Cladding and Skin; Building Materials and Products; and
Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation (see pages 69, 75 and 81). However, in this field, with the exception of strategies to reduce waste and
waste water, such research is ranked noticeably lower, not being of priority concern for those in construction and project management. Of particular
interest is the fact that Research examining the opportunities and strategies to allow for disassembly/deconstruction at the end of a tall buildings life
92 | Construction and Project Management
was the fifth-highest-ranked topic in the field of Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation (with a priority index of 7.6 see page 81). However,
here it is ranked last, with a priority index of only 6.7, showing that those involved in the actual construction logistics of tall buildings do not consider
this a valuable research area, despite its significantly under-developed status, with an immaturity score of 3.5.
Research on strategies to promote better collaboration between the consultants in tall building construction teams ranked as the second to last topic
in Construction and Project Management with a priority score of 6.8. This conflicts with similar topics in other sections, such as Research to develop and
improve coordination and interaction between the different disciplines involved in the design of tall buildings that ranked seventh in Architecture and
Interior Design (see page 33) and the participation of consultants in highly specific disciplines as in Fire and Life Safety where Research to develop better
collaborations between architects, fire-engineers and the fire-fighting community comes as the third highest priority research topic in that field (see
page 61).

Other topics with the highest immaturity scores are:

Research and development of software and technologies to allow for the automated construction of tall building components using 3D
printing(3.8)

Research on phased occupancy strategies in tall buildings (3.5)

Research to develop strategies and practices to reduce waste and waste water during tall building construction (3.5)
While all these can be seen as potential research gaps, it is the focus on phased occupancy which might be most valuable in the near future. The
growing trend for mixed-use high-rise programs means that phased occupancy will become an increasingly important factor for developers (who can
start generating income sooner) and buildings (giving them a competitive edge).

Due to the limited number of responders, it is not practical/valuable to break the results down by geographical area or professional background.

In which geographical region is your involvement in the field of Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation
mainly located?
Africa
Middle East
Asia
Australasia
Europe
First questionnaire
North America
Central America
South America
Worldwide
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Has your knowledge in the field of Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation been applied to any of the following outputs,
specific to tall buildings?

First questionnaire
Book contributions
None of the above
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation |95
field of Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation. These have been grouped together by commonality, and were later ranked
Field
Category
Energy Generation
(621.042)
Energy: Performance,
Metrics and Generation
(697; 720.47)
Subcategory
Priority Ranking
Topic No.
Energy Generation (in General)

(621.042)
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wind Energy
(621.45)
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Solar Energy
(621.47)
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other
(621.4)
5.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sustainability Performance
(621.042; 621.4; 690)
Building Performance
and Metrics
(621.042; 621.4; 690; 697)
9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Post Occupancy Evaluation and
Monitoring
(621.042; 697)
Metrics and Rating Systems

(690.028)
96 | Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Importance
Immaturity
Priority index *
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the maintenance costs of generating on-site renewable energy in tall buildings
4.0
3.6
7.5
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and technologies for on-site energy generation from the wind in tall buildings (including optimization of form for wind energy,
development of technologies, examination of where to locate turbines, etc.)
3.5
3.6
7.1
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and technologies for on-site energy generation from the sun in tall buildings (including optimization of form for solar energy,
development of technologies, building integrated photovoltaic systems, etc.)
4.2
3.3
7.4
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and technologies for heat storage and sharing in tall buildings (including waste energy harvesting in mixed-use tall
buildings, etc.)
4.3 3.7
8.0
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on strategies and technologies for energy sharing between tall buildings such that excess energy generated in one, may coincide with a peak
demand in another
3.7 4.1 7.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the opportunities for renewable energy and emergency generation systems to be combined for improved reliability
3.8 3.6 7.4

3.8 3.2 7.0
Topic
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the application of tri-generation systems in tall buildings
4.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine and calculate the whole life-cycle environmental impacts of tall buildings (including Life-cycle Assessment, development of
methodologies, etc.)
4.3 3.6 7.8
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine and calculate the maximum sustainable height of tall buildings (e.g., at which point are environmental benefits such as density
balanced out by environmental negatives such as increased embodied energy?)
3.8 4.0 7.7
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine and calculate the embodied energy/carbon of tall buildings and their key components
4.0 3.8 7.7

4.4 3.1 7.5
3.6 3.6 7.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine and calculate the operational energy/carbon of tall buildings

. . . . . . . . . . . Research comparing the life-cycle environmental impacts of tall buildings with low-rise buildings
3.9
8.3
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to determine and calculate the holistic and integrated sustainable performance of tall buildings (including environmental, economic and
social sustainability, integrated cost, carbon and energy analyses, etc.)
4.6
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the post-occupancy evaluation of tall buildings to monitor user behavior, satisfaction and comfort
4.2 3.6 7.8

4.2 3.6 7.7
3.9 3.4 7.2
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to establish the actual performance of tall building integrated renewable energy systems
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to establish occupant expectations in terms of tall building performance
. . . . . . . . . . . Research to identify/develop appropriate environmental performance metrics specific to tall buildings
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the applicability and development of tall building-specific assessment and rating systems (including evaluation of existing rating
frameworks and possibilities for their modification to make them specific to tall buildings, etc.)
3.4
7.9
. . . . . . . . . . . Research on the post-occupancy evaluation of tall buildings to monitor real energy performance and water requirements in operation (including use of
monitoring systems, energy use in different geographical locations, verification of computer simulations, comparison with design loads, creation of an
inventory of data, etc.)
4.1 3.4
7.5
3.8 3.4 7.2

Topic
Priority Index
1 Research to determine and calculate the holistic and integrated sustainable performance of tall buildings (including
environmental, economic and social sustainability, integrated cost, carbon and energy analyses, etc.)
8.3
2 Research on strategies and technologies for heat storage and sharing in tall buildings (including waste energy harvesting
in mixed-use tall buildings, etc.)
8.0
3 Research on the post-occupancy evaluation of tall buildings to monitor real energy performance and water requirements
in operation (including use of monitoring systems, energy use in different geographical locations, verification of
computer simulations, comparison with design loads, creation of an inventory of data, etc.)
7.9
4 Research to determine and calculate the whole life-cycle environmental impacts of tall buildings (including Life-cycle
Assessment, development of methodologies, etc.)
7.8
5 Research on strategies and technologies for energy sharing between tall buildings such that excess energy generated in
one, may coincide with a peak demand in another
7.8
In the field of Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation, 19 individual topics of relative importance and/or immaturity were recognized. This
field received the highest overall priority index scores as compared to other fields in the Roadmap, with values in the range of 7.08.3. This is
driven predominantly by all topics receiving mean immaturity scores greater than 3.0 (moderately immature) and almost half greater than 3.5,
demonstrating the most significant level of perceived research underdevelopment in any field. This is not surprising given that research related to
energy performance, measurement, post-occupancy evaluation and renewable energy systems is relatively immature and still evolving in the wider
built environment, beyond just the tall building typology.

The highest ranked topic identified by responders is Research to determine and calculate the holistic and integrated sustainable performance of tall
buildings (including environmental, economic, and social sustainability, integrated cost, carbon and energy analyses, etc.), which scored a priority
index of 8.3, the joint highest in the Roadmap. Development in this area would require an interdisciplinary approach, encompassing a wide variety
of stakeholders and expertise. It is a very broad topic, and one which is relevant and developing across the wider building industry, being not just
specific to high-rises.
The second highest ranking topic is Research on strategies and technologies for heat storage and sharing in tall buildings, a topic which may be
fuelled by the increase in mixed-use tall buildings constructed globally, opening up possibilities for heat/energy sharing between different programs
(specifically between office and residential/hotel). The related topic Research on strategies and technologies for energy sharing between tall
buildings, such that excess energy generated in one may coincide with a peak demand in another also ranks highly, with the highest immaturity
score of 4.1 (beyond very immature), denoting a significant research gap.
Beyond this, three topics related to the subcategory of Post Occupancy Evaluation and Monitoring were all ranked highly, focusing on the actual
performance of energy, user behavior and satisfaction, and integrated renewable systems in tall buildings. Again, this is a topic relevant to the
broader built environment, with significant evidence suggesting buildings do not perform as well as predicted and post occupancy evaluation being
a powerful tool used to provide better data and feedback for actual building performance. However, research specific to the field of tall buildings is
also relevant here, for example, to develop appropriate methodological approaches for post occupancy evaluation in high-rises, given their unique
architectural organization and systems.
How post-occupancy evaluation should be actually conductedby who and in which

buildings, are huge questions to be discussed by a specialized group. I say this because
I dont believe so much in the conventional post-occupancy evaluation methods. I think
there is a huge need for the revision of those.

98 | Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation
Topics related to the broader environmental performance of tall buildings beyond energy use, including life-cycle issues and embodied energy/
carbon are common in several fields in the Roadmap, and noted as priority research in Cladding and Skin, Building Materials and Products and
Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation (see pages 69, 75 and 81). In this field, the topics Research to determine and calculate the whole lifecycle environmental impacts of tall buildings and Research to determine and calculate the embodied energy/carbon of tall buildings and their key
components are ranked relatively highly (4th and 9th respectively), with priority index scores comparable with, or even higher than, related topics in
these other fields.
Topics related to the broader category of Energy Generation were generally considered a lower priority by responders, with the exception of Research
on strategies and technologies for heat storage and sharing in tall buildings and Research to establish the actual performance of tall building
integrated renewable energy systems. The latter of these offers particularly valuable opportunities for research, given the increasing application of
renewable energy systems to high-rise, but the lack of published details regarding their actual performance.
Regarding the issue of energy generation in tall buildingsI personally think very little
has actually been confirmed or achieved in this field of research. It would be important
to know more, especially related to wind, as almost all the few buildings which have this
technology, do not work well (or at all!)

Industry: Other 64%


Outlined below are the three highest scoring topics for other consultants and academics respectively:
Industry: Other

Research to determine and calculate the holistic and integrated sustainable performance of tall buildings (8.2)

Research to determine and calculate whole life-cycle environmental impacts of tall buildings (8.1)
Research on the post-occupancy evaluation of tall buildings to monitor real energy performance and water requirements in operation (7.9)

Research on strategies and technologies for heat storage and sharing in tall buildings (8.4)

Research on the maintenance costs of generating on-site renewable energy in tall buildings (8.4)
Research to determine and calculate the holistic and integrated sustainable performance of tall buildings (8.3)
Of interest here is the fact that Research on the maintenance costs of generating on-site renewable energy in tall buildings received the joint highest
priority index score from academics (8.4), but the lowest from those in consultancy (6.7). Beyond this, scores were generally consistent from both
groups.

The locations of building/research projects with which responders are involved are well distributed geographically, but with a greater representation
of professionals working predominantly in the North American market. However, responses were generally consistent across regions, and as such, are
not presented here in detail.
Conclusion: Emergent Research Priorities

Beyond the results demonstrating that responders feel tall building
research is generally both important and immature, some specific
research topics were perceived to be priority research across the
Roadmap, either through achieving very high scores in either importance
and/or immaturity, or through reoccurring across numerous fields. These
emergent research priorities are discussed below.
1. The social sustainability of tall buildings
A clear trend for priority research identified in the Roadmap is a focus on
the social sustainability of tall buildings, at both an urban and a building
scale. In the field of Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues, the two
highest scoring topics are:

1. Research examining the social sustainability of tall buildings at
an urban/city scale (7.8)

2. Research to determine optimum height, density and massing
of tall buildings to provide appropriate social interaction and
communities at an urban/city scale (7.6)
In the field of Architecture and Interior Design, the four highest-scoring
topics are related to livability, and occupant social experience:

1. Research on the impact living in tall buildings has on families
with children, and strategies to make high-rise living more
appropriate for families with children (7.9)

2. Research on the experience, happiness and satisfaction of
those who live and work in tall buildings (7.6)

3. Research on the needs of the elderly and disabled, with
respect to high-rise living (7.6)

4. Research to improve the social-communal experience of
occupants in tall buildings (7.5)
This is a clear trend across the two fields, suggesting that a significant
group of responders believe research to improve the social impact of
tall buildings on both surrounding communities, and on those who live
and work at height, is a significant research priority. This is supported by
external literature, which suggests that high-rises are less satisfactory
than other housing forms for most people, that they are not optimal for
children, that social relations are more impersonal, and helpful behavior is
less than in other residential typologies.
Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation has the highest mean priority
value of all sections (7.6) denoting that research in this broad area is a
priority to evolve the typology of tall buildings. This is also reflected by
the highest average immaturity score in all sections (3.6), showing that
even though a lot has been written on the subject in recent years, topics
of this category still need to be developed.
3. Safety in tall buildings
Four out of the five topics that scored highest research priority across
the entire Roadmap deal with safety and security in tall buildings, as a
combined effect of extremely high importance and relevant immaturity.
These are:

Research on the planning, design and implications of using
elevators for evacuation in tall buildings (8.3)

Research to determine credible worst-case design fires for tall
buildings(8.3)

Research to establish the impact of sustainable materials,

technologies and design strategies in tall buildings on fire and life
safety performance (8.2)

Research to develop better collaborations between architects,
fire-engineers and the fire-fighting community (8.1)
This shows that tall buildings are still seen as a vulnerable typology,
especially under fire scenarios.
4. Defining appropriate levels of safety performance in tall buildings
A second broad trend in the domain of safety that is apparent from the
Roadmap results is the need for research to establish appropriate levels
of safety performance in tall buildings. In particular, this is evident from
the scores in two fields: Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and
Geotechnics, and Fire and Life Safety. In the former, research topics such
as The development of design criteria to determine the appropriate
level of safety for tall buildings in extreme events, Research on the
development of holistic performance-based multi-hazard design and
analysis of tall buildings across multiple disciplines, Research on
strategies and methodologies to determine appropriate tall building
seismic performance and Development of methodologies for evaluating
risk to, and reliability of new and existing tall buildings in extreme event
scenarios are all ranked in the ten highest priority topics.
Likewise, in Fire and Life Safety Research to determine credible worst-case
design fires for tall buildings, Research and development of realistic fire
scenarios for the design of tall building structural-fire protection and
Research on the validation and comparison between computational
models and behavior in real tall building fire scenarios are again ranked
highly by responders.
As such, studies and projects to determine the appropriate level of safety
required in tall buildings in both fire and other multi-hazard scenarios
(seismic, wind, blast, etc.) is consistently regarded as an area of priority
research.
5. The embodied energy of tall buildings and their components
Improving buildings environmental performance has historically focused
on reducing energy use and emissions from day-to-day uses: lighting,
heating, ventilation, conditioning, etc. However, current emphasis has
shifted to also include the environmental impact of building materials
and components also known as embodied energy/carbon within
a broader consideration of environmental performance. Research has
suggested that, due to their greater structural requirements, tall buildings
use more embodied energy than low-rise buildings, and the results of the
Conclusion: Emergent Research Priorities |101
Roadmap here highlight that both establishing and reducing embodied

energy in tall buildings is considered a priority topic across multiple fields.
For example, in the Sustainable Design, Construction and Operation field
Research on strategies and techniques to reduce embodied energy/
carbon in tall buildings is the second-highest-ranked topic. In Building
Materials and Products, Research on the responsible procurement
of materials and components in tall buildings, Research on the
development and use of sustainable and low-energy materials,
products and components in tall buildings and The development of
embodied energy/carbon data for tall building-specific materials and
components are all highly ranked. In Cladding and Skin, the topics
Research to establish the embodied energy of tall building faades
and Research on the use of sustainable, recycled and reused materials
in tall building faades are also ranked highly by responders.
However, there are some exceptions to this trend. In the field of
Circulation: Vertical Transportation and Evacuation, the topic Research
to develop calculations, models and metrics to determine the
environmental life-cycle impacts of tall building vertical transportation
systems was ranked much lower in the list of priority topics. Likewise in
the field of Structural Performance, Multi-Hazard Design and Geotechnics,
topics related to the reduction of embodied energy in structural systems
were much less of a priority than in the sustainability, materials and
cladding fields. However, here it is suggested that this lower priority is
due to structural engineers equating structural efficiency very closely
with material sustainability, and as such, topics related to embodied
energy are encompassed within the broader focus on more-efficient,
less-wasteful structural systems.
6. Life-cycle sustainability of tall buildings
In a similar manner to the calls for priority research on embodied
energy above, there are consistent calls for more research on tall
building life-cycle sustainability issues beyond day-to-day operations.
While this broad area includes embodied energy and the specific
topics previously mentioned, other highly prioritized topics include
material and component durability, the design for easy repair and
replacement of materials (Building Materials and Products), disassembly
and deconstruction of tall buildings, strategies to extend tall buildings
lifecycles, adaptive reuse and retrofitting (Sustainable Design, Construction
and Operation), research to determine whole-life-cycle impacts of tall
buildings, and the holistic and integrated sustainable performance of tall
buildings (Energy: Performance, Metrics and Generation).
Again, this broader thinking in terms of tall building sustainability is a
reflection of current thought in the built environment community as a
whole, but also identifies the need for research dedicated to the unique
challenges and opportunities of tall building lifecycles specifically.
7. Disassembly/deconstruction/demolition of tall buildings
Research examining the opportunities and strategies to allow for
disassembly/deconstruction at the end of a tall buildings life (and as
such, re-use of components, materials, etc.) received the third-highest
immaturity score of all Roadmap research topics. This fits well in the
overall life-cycle issues of tall buildings noted above, but it reinforces a
perceived lack of knowledge regarding the end of the life-cycle of tall
buildings. The tallest building ever demolished to date is the Singer
Building, New York at 187 meters in height (not including the destruction
102 | Conclusion: Emergent Research Priorities
of the World Trade Center Towers, New York). This is less than one quarter
of the height of the tallest building recently constructed, and with many
tall buildings approaching the end of their service life, this topic (and its
extension to demolition strategies, costs and consequences) is likely to
become a dominant research field for the future of cities re-development.
8. The Economic impact of tall buildings
The joint-highest score in the Roadmap, in terms of importance, is
Research on tall buildings financial relationship with global economic
cycles and conditions. This topic can perhaps be considered a subset
of the larger scale of life-cycle sustainability, from an economic
perspective. Tall buildings are often assessed in terms of their impact
on the local real estate market but, in an ever-increasing competition
among cities at a global scale, the role of tall buildings (as individual
buildings, or their booming construction in a single city) must be
carefully assessed to prevent the bursting of real estate bubbles and in
relation to larger scale economic conditions.
9. The use and performance of new and innovative materials in
tall buildings
A trend in priority research, apparent across multiple fields, is the use
and performance of new and innovative materials in tall buildings. This is
perhaps clearest in the Cladding and Skin field, where research on the use
of innovative/advanced materials including composites, photochromatic
glazing, aerogel, application of aerospace/shipbuilding technologies,
new products such as vacuum insulation panels, highly insulating
but thin cladding products, and faade-integrated energy generation
systems are all ranked highly by responders. However, the development
and application of such materials will have a significant impact on other
disciplines as well, as recognized by the fact that the second-highestpriority topic in the field of Fire and Life Safety is Research to establish the
impact of new sustainable materials, technologies and design strategies
in tall buildings on fire and life safety performance. In the field of Building
Materials and Products, topics related to the development of new
sustainable and low-energy materials, and fiber-reinforced polymers, are
also highly ranked.
10. Highlighted high-scoring research gaps
Only four topics across the whole Roadmap received a score of
immaturity higher than 4 (extremely immature), implying that research is
still needed to discover new potentialities. These four topics are:

Research on alternative evacuation systems that allow for
evacuation through the faade in emergency scenarios
(immaturity 4.2)

Research on strategies and technologies for energy sharing
may coincide with a peak demand in another (immaturity 4.1)

Research examining the opportunities and strategies to allow
(immaturity 4.0)

Research to determine and calculate the maximum sustainable
height of tall buildings (immaturity 4.0)
These four topics have not ranked particularly high in their categories
in terms of priority as a consequence of the low or average perceived
importance as research fields. However, further research can show
unexpected potentialities that might result in significant findings and
benefits for the future of tall buildings.
Next Steps
Identifying Research Projects and Programs
The overarching aim of this Roadmap has been to identify priority
research topics and research gaps in the field of tall buildings, in order to
provide a clear direction for future research in this area.
The Roadmap presents 358 research topics spread over 11 broad
categories, ordered and ranked by how important and how immature
those in the tall building community perceive each topic to be. What
is established then is a series of priority research topics that those
involved in the ownership, development, design, planning, construction,
consultancy, operation, maintenance and research of tall buildings feel
deserve priority research focus and development in order to advance the
typology over the coming years.
It is clear from these findings that those in the industry perceive
tall building research to be of significant importance to its future
development, and also believe that notable gaps in the research
and understanding of tall buildings currently exist. It will require
a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary program of research and
development to fill these gaps, and progress tall building design and
performance across the multitude of fields the typology impacts.
Selected city authorities
Selected universities
Other organizations with a high interest in research in these fields
If you would like to suggest a party who you believe would find benefit
in receiving a physical copy of this publication, or if you would like tor be
involved in the next steps of this initiative, please contact:
research@ctbuh.org
The next steps of the Roadmap will be developed through the CTBUH
Research Academic and Postgraduate Working Group, with the ongoing
activities of the group published regularly on the CTBUH website:
www.ctbuh.org/research-academic
While this Roadmap clearly establishes a hierarchy for future tall building
research, what it does not do is identify the specific research programs
and projects necessary to develop these priority areas. Any of the 358
research topics identified in the Roadmap may require several, if not
more, individual research projects or programs developed by different
teams (and perhaps across different disciplines) in order to advance
knowledge in the topic area, and as such, improve tall buildings and close
the research gaps that exist in the field.
The next stage of the Roadmap will identify the key research streams
required to progress the topics identified as needing greatest priority
attention within this document. This will involve identifying the specific
projects and research questions, costs, teams, funding streams and
timescales necessary within each priority topic. As part of this, the CTBUH
will develop activities to facilitate the development of research on the
topics ranked higher in terms of priority, and ideally all research topics
included in this Roadmap.
It is hoped that Researchers and Research Teams will use this document
to promote and progress the need for research in their respective fields. It
is also hoped that the document will be useful in supporting the leverage
of research funds from both public and private research funding bodies.
In order to facilitate the dissemination of the Roadmap findings and
to promote the opportunities for research for both individuals and
companies, this document is available for free download on the CTBUH
website at: www.ctbuh.org/roadmap
In addition, a physical copy of the Roadmap will be mailed to the
following:

All CTBUH organizational members
Key public and private research funding bodies
Next Steps |103
This Roadmap aims to identify priority research

topics and research gaps in the field of tall
buildings. In doing so, it acts as a guide to assist all
those involved with the typology in the necessary
planning of future research and the pursuit of
research funding in order to advance tall buildings
to their optimum level in the coming years.
The Roadmap has been created as a joint
venture between the Council on Tall Buildings
and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the International
Council for Research and Innovation in Building
and Construction (CIB) and the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO).
ISBN 978-0-939493-36-4

Roadmap On The Future Research Needs of Tall Buildings

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Roadmap On The Future Research Needs of Tall Buildings

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Roadmap on the Future

Research Needs of Tall Buildings

Published by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)

Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

The Research informing this document was conducted between

Peer Review Panel

Cladding and Skin

About CTBUH, CIB and UNESCO

Introduction and Background

6 | About CTBUH, CIB and UNESCO

About the Editors

Dr. Dario Trabucco is a Researcher at the Department of Architecture, Construction and

Background to this Guide

maintenance and research of tall buildings. Through this process, each

Background to this Guide |9

This Roadmap has three primary aims:

Discussion on such a document started in 2010 when more than 80

1. To identify research which is important in tall buildings.

2. To identify immaturity (research gaps) in the field of tall buildings.

3. To suggest research priorities in the field of tall buildings.

Research gap is defined as an area of research that is significantly

1. Urban Design, City Planning and Social Issues

The Roadmaps intended audience includes intergovernmental

The results of the investigation are described in detail in each specific

1. The social sustainability of tall buildings

In order to facilitate the dissemination of the Roadmap findings and

3. Safety in tall buildings

8. The Economic impact of tall buildings

Summary of Findings, Across All Research

4. Research on the design and integration of tall buildings in or

4. The development of design criteria to determine the appropriate

5. Research on tall building city planning and regulatory policies

5. Research on the development of holistic performance-based

Architecture and Interior Design

Circulation: Vertical Transportation and Evacuation

2. Research to determine the holistic economic benefits and costs

2. Research to establish the impact of new sustainable materials,

3. Research to establish cost metrics for key architectural decisions

4. Research and development of realistic fire scenarios for the

4. Research on the life-cycle cost analysis of tall buildings (including

3. Research to develop better collaborations between architects,

5. Research focussing on fire and life safety issues in tall buildings in

2. Research on the validation of modelling assumptions for wind

3. Research to establish the embodied energy of tall building

3. Research to improve tall building protection from multi-hazard

4. Research on the design, construction and performance of

Executive Summary |13

5. Research on faade-integrated energy generation and collection

2. Research on strategies and technologies for heat storage and

Executive Summary |15

Introduction and Background

William Baker, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

It is widely known that we are now experiencing a huge surge in tall

academic and industrial spheres. Universities are increasingly engaging

Perhaps less well-publicized is that this boom in construction has

Introduction and Background |17

research needs to be undertaken. However, there is little consensus as

Roadmap Aims and Objectives

1. To identify research which is important in tall buildings.

2. To identify immaturity (research gaps) in the field of tall buildings.

3. To suggest research priorities in the field of tall buildings.

Research gap is defined as an area of research that is significantly

18 | Introduction and Background