Mexico City is only 31 years removed from a devastating earthquake that killed 5,000 people.
Triangular buildings have a tendency to twist when subjected to lateral loads, wind, and earthquake forces.
These two facts aren’t stopping Arup, the engineer, and L. Benjamin Romano Arquitects, the designer, from building the 57-story Torre Reforma in Mexico’s capital.
The tower is reinforced so efficiently that computer simulations determined that it can withstand all earthquake activity for 2,500 years.
Curbed reports that the 800-foot-tall building has a series of double-V hangers and irregularly spaced gaps that give room for the concrete to constrict, allowing the structure to bend. Also, a 10-story basement provides additional support at its base.
The architects chose concrete because it will block out the sun and keep the building cooler, and because the thick walls will allow the building to support itself without steel columns. This means cheaper construction costs, and more importantly, open floor plans. The triangular peak of the building will also contain elevators and egress stairways, freeing up even more room.
The $100 million tower, which has office and retail space, is seeking LEED Platinum certification.
Related Stories
Concrete | Jun 7, 2016
Concrete Institute publishes document providing concrete curing guidance
New curing monitoring techniques included.
Building Materials | Jun 1, 2016
MIT study: Microscopic structure of natural materials can inspire better concrete
Bones and sea sponges are highly organized at the molecular level, while concrete consists of random composites.
High-rise Construction | Mar 28, 2016
SOM’s Salt Lake City skyscraper uses innovative structural system to suspend itself over a neighboring building
The hat truss-supported office tower was topped off in January, rising 25 stories above the Salt Lake City streets.
Concrete Technology | Jan 27, 2016
New concrete can make roads, sidewalks safer by melting ice and snow
The de-icing concrete uses an electrical current to generate heat to keep roads safer during winter storms.
3D Printing | Jan 25, 2016
Architecture students create new method for 3D printing concrete
The team's Fossilized project allows for structures that are more varied and volumetric than other forms so far achieved.
Great Solutions | Jan 20, 2016
Digitally fabricated concrete formwork pushes the limits of what can be cost-effectively constructed in concrete
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger and CW Keller use 3D modeling and CNC machining to advance concrete construction.
Great Solutions | Jan 20, 2016
Sasaki Associates develops simple yet novel solution for precast concrete complication
Its double-angle cladding anchor maintains the air/water/vapor barrier integrity and continuous insulation while still allowing for the desired versatility of precast panels.
Great Solutions | Jan 19, 2016
Concrete innovation: voided biaxial slab slashes weight, saves concrete
System reduces slab dead load by 30% on medical clinic project
Concrete | Jan 15, 2016
Fallingwater to Sydney Opera House: Ranking the world’s best concrete buildings
Large and small, some of the most iconic structures of all time were made of the composite building material.
Vertical Transportation | Aug 5, 2015
ThyssenKrupp’s maglev elevator test tower almost ready
The 761-foot concrete tower will enable the manufacturer to test its maglev elevator prototypes. The new elevators will be moved by magnets, allowing for vertical and horizontal movement of multiple cars in one shaft.
