Click a link below to view a previously featured CTBUH technical paper. The date in blue denotes when the paper was featured via the CTBUH homepage or Newsletter. Click here to see all Technical Papers.

		Can Tall Buildings be Child-Friendly? Vertical Living for Kids Whitzman, Carolyn, posted December 2011 With the emergence of new high-rise residential developments occurring in tandem with economic restructuring and changing household demographics. The Vertical Living Kids Research Project is sparked by a decline in children's independent mobility.
		Investigating Sustainable Practices in Tall Buildings R. Kennedy and S. Thompson, posted December 2011 This article discusses how outcomes of the charrette take their cue from the city’s subtropical climate and demonstrate how high-density high-rise living can be attractive, affordable and sustainable through positive engagement with the subtropical climate’s natural attributes.
		Sustainable Groundscrapers and Megaplate Towers R. Bressi and D. Kindracuk, posted November 2011 This paper explores the influence of property market aspirations and sustainability issues upon workplace environments influencing office buildings in Australia. Emerging trends and influences are shifting the traditional demand for high-rise office towers toward an alternative or evolved building typology.
		A New Demolition Method for Tall Buildings R. Mizutani & S. Yoshikai, posted November 2011 “Using conventional demolition methods, ten different materials could have been recycled on the job site, returning a recycling rate of 55%.The C&TD method allowed recycling of 20 kinds of material with a 93% recycling rate.”
		Toward a Better Urban Life: Integration of Cities and Tall Buildings M. Ali, A. Aksamija, posted October 2011 In the context of a rapidly urbanizing world, architects and planners should aim to create cities that are thriving, vibrant, and healthy. Well-planned cities containing tall buildings at appropriate locations and their infrastructures will help reduce the demands placed on natural resources and create an enjoyable living environment.
		Structural System of North-East Asia Trade Tower in Korea Kwang, Scott, Kim, Ha & Park, posted October 2011 NEATT is a unique, tapered structure of 68 stories high (305 m) which can be characterized by its highly irregular shape and two outrigger floors. This paper introduces the structural system and new outrigger connection of Northeast Asia Trade Tower.
		The Race for the Sky: Unbuilt Skyscrapers Mohamad Kashef, posted September 2011 Unbuilt skyscraper designs are noted by many architecture critics as the best in the genre of tall buildings. This paper provides an exposition of various iconic and “unbuilt” skyscraper design proposals that have inspired architects and engineers to build ever-taller buildings and continue to fuel the 21st century race for the sky.
		Urban Sustainability in London Peter Rees, posted September 2011 It is vitally important to create buildings which minimise their energy consumption, environmental impact and use of limited resources, but the means by which the occupants come and go is a much more critical determinant of overall sustainability.
		Organic and Natural Forms in Building Design M. Sarkisian, P. Lee, E. Long & D. Shook, posted August 2011 Safe, efficient structural forms are abundant in nature. The challenge, however, is to quantify these forms and to derive behavior that is adaptable, constructible and cost effective. Three conceptual structural systems are considered which exemplify the use of organic and natural forms in building design.
		Validating Dynamics: the Burj Khalifa Ahmad Abdelrazaq, posted August 2011 Historically, tall building design and construction relied solely on minimum building code requirements. While many research and monitoring programs have been implemented, these programs are yet to be systematically validated and/or holistically integrated.
		From Eyesore to Urban Asset: The Transformation of Abandoned Railroad Structures in American Cities Robert Lau, posted July 2011 The high-line is a new 1.5-mile long public park built on an abandoned elevated railroad stretching from the Meatpacking District to the Hudson Rail Yards in Manhattan.
		Supporting Environmental Claims for Tall Buildings Joana Goncalves & Klaus Bode, posted July 2011 One of the main causes of energy efficiency failures is LEED rewarding projects for their predictions, but not for proving the savings. The operation of buildings accounts for 85% of its environmental impact.
		The High Life: Residential Towers in Central Business Districts P. Noone, G. Klompmaker, C. Sumanik , posted June 2011 These buildings serve growing segments of the population who desire amenity-rich lifestyles and safe urban homes. They serve cities that desire significant real estate tax revenues, as well as local businesses, which desire purchasing power of new urban residents.
		Vibration Control of Connected Towers Akira Nishimura, posted June 2011 During an earthquake or strong winds, a natural response is to hold on to something. Through Sky Gardens, the three towers of the Island Tower Sky club are holding on to each other.
		Challenging Preconceptions of the High-rise Typology R. Koolhaas, E. Long, C. Doo & D. Shook, posted May 2011 The tall building today seems only concerned with a relentless striving for height and dominance of a city skyline. Often these towers are nothing more than the constant and monotonous repetition of a piece of land in the vertical direction, whose main aim is the profitable multiplication of the value of the ground.
		Optimization Tools for the Design of Structures M. Sarkisian, E. Long, C. Doo & D. Shook, posted May 2011 Structural optimization has attracted increasing interest in the building industry, especially in the design of high-rise buildings. By selectively distributing structural members in a building, the efficiency of the resulting design can be optimized; often resulting in aesthetically interesting forms.
		Integration of Design and Construction Abdelrazaq, Baker, Chung, Pawlikowski, Wang & Yom, posted April 2011 Tower Palace III was conceived as a 93-story residential tower soaring 320 meters into Seoul’s skyline. However, concerns of the local residents and authorities over the building height resulted in a 73-story tower with the same gross floor area.
		Sustainability and the Tall Building M. Ali, P. J. Armstrong, posted April 2011 As a major energy consumer, the tall building does not ordinarily conjure images of sustainable design. But a new generation of tall buildings is incorporating new developments in technology and design to produce smarter, energy-efficient buildings.
		Tallest Steel Sheer Wall Building S. Lee, N. Mathias, M. Sarkisian, D. Wang, posted March 2011 Because of its iconic slender form, a key design challenge was to develop an efficient lateral system capable of resisting wind and seismic lateral load; the article analyzes innovative structural system considerations relying entirely on the use of steel plates.
		Tall Timber Buildings Matthew Wells, posted March 2011 Standing nine floors and 29 meters (95ft) tall, the Stadtaus in London is indeed not very tall when regarded by height, but it does stand out as one of the tallest timber framed buildings in the world.
		The Origin of the Skyscraper Gerard Peet, posted February 2011 The modern skyscraper is generally considered to be an American invention. Chicago and New York claim they once hosted the world's first skyscraper and many American companies are involved in design of the world's tallest buildings.
		A new urbanity: the relationship between towers and urbanism Stefan Krummeck, posted February 2011 The prevailing skyline of the world's developed and developing cities demonstrates an ever-increasing prevalence of tall buildings forming a new urban model. This paper examines the relationship between towers and urbanism.
		The Culture of Compactness Peter Cookson Smith, posted January 2011 Compact cities are, by their nature, relatively sustainable, and Hong Kong is eminently so on many counts. In addition, the emerging intervention of economic forces in the Pearl River Delta continues to superimpose a new collective identity on the region.
		Application of Tuned Liquid Dampers for the Efficient Structural Design of Slender Tall Buildings David Lee, Martin Ng, posted January 2011 Tall, slender buildings on restricted sites present structural engineers with dynamic problems that are difficult to resolve... This performance-based design approach permits investigating separate structural systems.