Tall Buildings in Numbers

Tall Buildings, Structural Systems and Materials

Structural System Categorization for Tall Buildings Completed 19612010
160

Burj Khalifa
Dubai

19611970

steel

19711980
19811990
World Trade Center

110

New York

Willis Tower

International Commerce Center

Chicago

Hong Kong

concrete
composite

19912000

mixed

20012010

West Tower

Guangzhou

100

World Financial Center

Taipei 101

Shanghai

Taipei

John Hancock
Chicago

Trump International

Federation Towers

Chicago

Moscow

90

23 Marina
Dubai

Petronas Towers
Kuala Lumpur

Tuntex Sky Tower

Baiyoke Tower 2

Dubai Towers

Bangkok

Aon Center

Kaohsiung

80

Guangzhou

Columbia Center
Seattle

Water Tower Place

Landmark Tower

Chicago

Yokohoma

Wells Fargo
Houston

Lakepoint Tower
Chicago

311 S.Wacker Drive

Sunshine 60
Tokyo

AT&T Corp. Center

Citicorp

Chicago

New York

Bank of America

Renaissance

Dallas

Atlanta

New York

Exxon Bldg
New York

Marine Midland Bank

New York

1633 Broadway

Burj Al Arab
Two Liberty Place

Dubai

Philadelphia

Bank of America
New York

One Shell Plaza

One Atlantic Center

Atlanta

New York

Singapore

Hong Kong

Los Angeles

50

United Overseas Bank

Cheung Kong Center

Melbourne

One Liberty Plaza

Hong Kong

Dubai

Rialto Towers
Aon Center

The Center

Hong Kong

Bank of China
Almas Tower

Chicago

60

Houston

Transamerica Pyramid

San Francisco

40
Daley Center
Chicago

framed tube bundled tube tube in tube diagonalized core + outrigger

hybrid

Structural Systems

Of the 50 years studied,

only the decade
19811990 saw tall
buildings constructed in
each of the six structural
categories presented.

40 | Tall Buildings in Numbers

20
4
15
10
19
7

Total

75

Notes:
(1) 75 of the tallest buildings completed between 1961
and 2010 were studied, with at least ten from each
decade. These buildings were all drawn from the twenty
tallest completed each decade.

Citic Plaza

70

No. of Buildings

framed tube
bundled tube
tube in tube
diagonalized
core + outrigger
hybrid

Doha

Chicago

No. of Stories

Jin Mao

Shanghai

Structural Systems

All of the buildings

studied using the
framed tube structural
system were completed
prior to 1990, with 75%
constructed using steel.

(2) Six categories have been determined to classify tall

building structural systems over the past five decades.
They are namely:
- Framed Tube (system of rigid frames)
- Bundled Tube (combination of framed tubes)
- Tube in Tube (central and peripheral framed tubes)
- Diagonalized (trussed tubes, diagrids or braced
frames)
- Core + Outrigger (central lateral system linked to the
perimeter system through outriggers)
- Hybrid (combined use of any two or more structural
systems, e.g., diagonalized outrigger core)
(3) A steel tall building is defined as one where the main
vertical and lateral structural elements and floor systems
are constructed from steel. A concrete tall building is
defined as one where the main vertical and lateral structural elements and floor systems are constructed from
concrete. A composite tall building utilizes a combination
of both steel and concrete acting compositely in the
main structural elements. A mixed-structure tall building
is any building that utilizes distinct steel or concrete
systems above or below each other. There are two main
types of mixed-structural system: A steel/concrete tall
building indicates a steel structural system located above
a concrete structural system, with the opposite true of a
concrete/steel building. For more information on CTBUH
tall building height criteria see: http://criteria.ctbuh.org

73% of the tall buildings

studied in the 2000s
adopt a core + outrigger
structural system. Of
these approximately 50%
are constructed with
concrete.

CTBUH Journal | 2010 Issue II

Structural Material Comparison of the 100 Tallest Buildings in the World each decade from 19602010

No. of Tallest 100 Buildings

100

Office

Mixed

90

Residential

Other

80

Hotel

70

Notes:
(1) This study examines the structural material and
function of the 100 tallest buildings in the world at the
end of each decade since 1960.

60
50
40

(2) A single-function tall building is defined as one where

85% or more of its total floor area is dedicated to a single
usage. A mixed-use tall building contains two or more
functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a
significant proportion of the tower's total space. For more
information on CTBUH tall building height criteria see:
http://criteria.ctbuh.org

30
20
10

1970

(3) Tall buildings with functions such as institutional,

governmental and healthcare, etc. have been combined
into the "other" category for the purpose of this graph.

mixed

composite

steel

2000

concrete

mixed

concrete

1990

composite

steel

mixed

composite

steel

1980

concrete

mixed

concrete

composite

steel

mixed

composite

steel

1960

concrete

mixed

concrete

composite

steel

2010

Year/Structural Material Type

Structural Steel Weight in Comparison to the Height of a Tall Building
120
Sears Tower
Chicago

World Trade Center

New York

Empire State Building

John Hancock Building

100

New York

Chicago

No. of Stories

80

Notes:
(1) Data for this graph is taken from CHO, H. W., ROH, S.
G., BYUN, Y. M. & YOM, K. S. (2004). Structural Quantity
Analysis of Tall Buildings, CTBUH Conference Tall
Buildings in Historical Cities Culture & Technology for
Sustainable Cities Seoul, October 1013, 2004.

60

(2) It is worth noting there are often difficulties in

comparing tall building structural weights on a likefor-like basis, as there is no common criteria for what to
include in the figures. Some studies, for example, may
include/exclude the weight of steel in the foundations,
podiums, mezzanine floors, spires, etc.

40

20

(3) The shaded band on the graph represents the area

within which 90% of the buildings lie.

50

100

150

200

250

300

Structural Steel Quantities (kgf/m )

The number of 100 tallest

buildings constructed using
steel has reduced by at least
15% each decade since 1970.
By the end of 2010, only 22%
of the 100 tallest buildings
will be steel.

CTBUH Journal | 2010 Issue II

From 19602000, an average

of 88% of the 100 tallest
buildings were offices and only
1% residential. By the end of
2010, the number of offices will
reduce to 47% and residential
towers increase to 15%.

88%

47%

1%

15%

Despite a similar height,

the John Hancock
Building in Chicago
uses 25% less structural
steel per unit floor area
than the Empire State
Building in New York.

Tall Buildings in Numbers | 41