How skyscapers became lighter: The Empire State Building compared to the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower.
Channel: engineerguy
Published: 2023-10-26
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBzSnXjyGUQ
Skyscapers become lighter #Shorts #engineerguy #engineering #skyscapers #EmpireStateBuilding #willis
Brief
Engineerguy's short video (published 2023-10-26) compares the Empire State Building (1931) with the Willis Tower (1973) to show how skyscraper design moved from heavy masonry and thick structural members to bundled-tube steel frames and lightweight curtain walls. The result: taller buildings with more usable floor area and much lower mass per square meter of floor.
Why it matters
Empire State Building (completed 1931, roof 381 m) was built with heavy masonry and large steel members plus heavy cladding, making older skyscrapers much heavier per floor area.
Key details
- Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower, completed 1973, roof 442.1 m) uses bundled-tube steel framing and lightweight curtain-wall cladding, enabling greater height with substantially less mass for the usable floor area.