ABSTRACT
Tall buildings are mainly constructed in city centres where land is in short supply; high population density coupled with high land prices and rents make their adoption economical. In provision of housing, one tall building can replace a large area of low-rise buildings, which can make way for other developments such as community centres, sports centres or open parkland. Tall buildings are used for offices, banks, hotels, flats, schools, hospitals, and department stores. and often for combined use, for example offices/apartments. In the structural engineering sense, the multistorey building may be defined as tall when the horizontal loading due to wind or seismic effects becomes the most important consideration in design. The chapter discusses the main structural systems used for tall buildings. The classification of the various types is based primarily on the method adopted to resist horizontal loading. A second classification is concerned with the method of construction used. The chapter describes both steel-framed only and composite structures.
