ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a series of different structural systems used in the design and construction of high-rise buildings. These systems are designed to withstand both gravity and lateral loads, the latter resulting from winds and, in earthquake-prone countries, from seismic forces. Some structural systems are more efficient than others in responding to these physical constraints and therefore in achieving greater heights. The structural system would only spread vertically and imply a redundancy of its layout in order to efficiently carry the loads. Due to the considerable amount of structural systems applicable to high-rise buildings, the chapter focuses on some of the key ones, addressing their characteristics as well as their relationships with various architectural qualities. The tube is a structural system using steel, concrete, or a composite material, allowing the building to act as a hollow cylinder cantilevered from its foundations.
