ABSTRACT
Structural designers have always been tasked with creating strong and stable frameworks to enclose architectural volumes. To resist overturning forces of the wind, tall structures tapered from a wide base to a smaller peak–for centuries, the Giza Pyramids were the tallest structure in the world at 481ft. In the late 19th century, intense economic growth in Chicago and New York City led to innovations in design and construction–specifically the “structural frame”–which allowed habitable multi-storied buildings to be completed at heights previously unseen. In response, high-rises had to integrate load stabilizing frames into their overall structural systems. Structural strategies need to serve architectural and economic goals, especially daylight and floor area, and architecture needed to respect the physical constraints of the structure, particularly its core and framing. In traditional buildings, load-bearing masonry walls were used for enclosure and support, but they became larger and thicker as buildings grew taller.
