High-Rise Building Construction

A high-rise building is a tall building, as opposed to a low-rise building and is defined by its height differently in various jurisdictions.

It is used as a residential, office building, or other functions including hotel, retail, or with multiple purposes combined.

Residential high-rise buildings are also known as tower blocks and may be referred to as “MDUs”, standing for “multi-dwelling unit”.

A very tall high-rise building is referred to as a skyscraper.

High-rise buildings became possible with the invention of the elevator (lift) and less expensive, more abundant building materials.

The materials used for the structural system of high-rise buildings are reinforced concrete and steel.

Most North American style skyscrapers have a steel frame, while residential blocks are usually constructed of concrete.

There is no clear difference between a tower block and a skyscraper, although a building with forty or more stories and taller than 150 m (490 ft) is generally considered a skyscraper.

High-rise structures pose particular design challenges for structural and geotechnical engineers, particularly if situated in a seismically active region or if the underlying soils have geotechnical risk factors such as high compressibility or bay mud.