Theory 40/Geometry & Scale/Structural engineering
Tall Buildings Scale Badly
The claim
Wind loads on a building rise with height faster than mass does, so structural material per floor rises with height rather than staying constant.
01Mechanism
Wind pressure integrates over area, which scales with height squared, while the resisting moment depends on the lever arm; both push material up with height.
02Prediction
Material per floor should rise nonlinearly with height.
03Refutation
Constant material per floor would remove the scaling.