The World's Most Famous Steel Structures

Steel has been harnessed and glorified throughout humanity as one of the most versatile and practical substances in the world. For millennia we have shaped and moulded it for use in everything from weapons and surgical instruments, to famous steel structures. Its high tensile strength and extremely malleable nature make it prime for use in construction it would be impossible to find any structure in the modern world whose skeleton isn't made from, or reinforced by, steel.

Image source Atilla2008 via Flickr

 

The Empire State Building - New York City, USA

The Empire State Building is a unbelievable testament to human will and ingenuity. Designed by William F. Lamb and built in 1931, it was inspired by Art Deco aesthetics. Scaling 102 stories and standing at 1,250 feet, for nearly 40 years it was the world's tallest building. It is composed of almost 200,00 cubic feet of limestone - nearly 10 million bricks - and contains 6,500 windows and 73 elevators. Weighting in a tremendous 57,000 tonnes, the building contains 730 tonnes of steel.

Image source Steven Kelley via Flickr Taipei 101 Tower, Taiwan

The Taipei 101 Tower in Taiwan was the world's tallest tower from 2004-2009, but today still hold's the title of the world's tallest 'green' tower (the building was awarded platinum accreditation by the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design0. Where the Empire State Building took only 13 months to build, construction of the Taipei 101 Tower took more than 5 years - from 1999 to 2004. It stands at more than half a kilometre tall and is designed to withstand earthquakes and typhoons with a number of structural steel elements ensuring its unyielding durability. It was named one of the Seven Wonders of Engineering by the Discovery Channel.

Image source TZU-YEN FU via Flickr

 

Burj Khalifa - Dubai

The world's current tallest building, Burj Khalifa dwarfs any other structure on this list by the at least 350 metres. While the primary structure is made from reinforced concrete, steel plays a massive part in the building's composition. It contains 31, 400 metric tonnes of reinforcing steel which, if laid end to end, would extended a quarter of the way around the Earth. However, interestingly, thanks to the tubular design of the building, Burj Khalifa contains half the amount of steel than the Empire State.

Image source CruisAir via Flickr Beijing National Stadium - Beijing

The Beijing National Stadium takes the prize as the largest all-steel structure in the world. Nicknamed the 'Bird's Nest', it is comprised of 42,000 tonnes of criss-crossed steel beams. Despite its quizzical, random look, the stadium is actually made up of two almost identical, symmetrical sections.  It was constructed for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and is slated for use in 2022 for the Winter Olympics.

Image source Peter23 via Wikipedia

Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney

Of all the bridges around the world the Sydney Harbour Bridge is arguably the most iconic - it's also the largest steel arch bridge in the world. It contains almost 53,000 tonnes of steel, the majority of which sits in the arc, and despite it age is still renowned for its study, unyielding nature. On hot days, the expansion of the steel structure can raise the arch by up to 18cm.

Image source Andy Rouse via Flickr

 

Steel is absolutely incredible. If you have any queries about building a world-class steel structure, whether it’s about supply, structural steel fabrication, steel drafting, or installation,  talk to the experts at Steel Fabrication Services. Our dedicated team of professionals will ensure that your project goes according to plan right down to the smallest detail.