The Top Form Of High-rise Building: A Study Based On Structure Engineering

Driven by the mushrooming economy and limited land resources, more and more high-rise buildings are been constructed to provide high density urban environment. Eventually many big cities are best known for their unique skylines outlined by the high-rise buildings in the cities. The top of a high-rise building plays an important role in determining the characteristics of the building, the neighborhood and the city. Architects are normally limited by the structural difficulties in the free creation of artistic impression on the building top in term of the form.This study aims to investigate the relationship between the building structural system and the suitable top form in high-rise buildings. In this study, high-rise buildings refer to the buildings that are more than 24 meters high. The structure systems studied include: frame-shear wall , framework– cylinder, combination of cylinder, giant truss, mega frame . For each structure system, the suitable top forms are investigated based on case studies. The study intends to create a connection between structural engineers and architects such that sufficient communication can be performed in the process of high-rise building top design. This allows architects better understand the relevant structural issues and enables structural engineers consider other architectural aspects of the top form in addition to the structural functions. The thesis concludes that it is important for both architects and structural engineers to get involved at early stage of the design process.This thesis has analyzed typical structure system of high-rise buildings with a focus on the fop form and the structural elements. It has also discussed the current trend in the design of high-rise building top. The structural form is associated and limited by the materials used in the structural system of the entire building.