3 ms·

Definitely not an expert, but isn't Oklahoma a bit on the seismically active side to be building uber-tall buildings? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_ea

Definitely not an expert, but isn't Oklahoma a bit on the seismically active side to be building uber-tall buildings? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_earthquake_swarms_(2009%E2%80%93present) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_earthquake_swarms_(20... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2017_Oklahoma_seismic_hazard_map.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2017_Oklahoma_seismic_haz...

zamadatix 2y ago
Many of the world's tallest buildings are in areas with more frequent and much more severe earthquakes. It comes down to whether or not the building is designed with earthquakes in mind more than whether earthquakes occur.
- cosmotic 2y ago
  And the tornadoes?
  - zamadatix 2y ago
    The closest we've seen is either when an F3 tornado hit the Bank One Tower in Fort Worth or typhoons hitting larger buildings elsewhere but with slower winds. A strong tornado causes the building to pretty much be a total loss without extensive renovation (as is typical with a strong direct hit by a tornado) but not in a "Wizard of Oz House Flying through the sky" way rather a "the floors all get blown out and ruined as the wind passes through" way.
    - KennyBlanken 2y ago
      And that's just a 35 floor office building that is about 400 feet high. This is five times that height, and right smack in the most tornado-dense area of the country. Insane.
      - zamadatix 2y ago
        I mean if you've ever seen a tornado risk map you're basically concluding half the US would be insane to develop just from tornado risk alone https://i.imgur.com/3enPH8r.png https://i.imgur.com/3enPH8r.png Combine that with all natural hazards and I guess we're all moving to MI, OH, PA, and some of the northeast? Also not really sure how height plays into it. Either you have x floorspace of development in a region or you don't. How high you do/don't stack it isn't related to risk in that region in any way.
        cosmotic 2y ago
        The more floors, the bigger the loss will be.
foxyv 2y ago
Larger buildings are usually pretty good at handling seismic activity. When I was growing up in California they taught this in the occasional earthquake safety classes. Parking structures though are HORRIBLE. They fold up like an accordion.
djmips 2y ago
And then there's tornadoes. How compatible are uber-tall buildings with those kind of storms?
- rufus_foreman 2y ago
  I don't know about uber-tall, but Bank One Tower was a 35 story office building in Ft. Worth Texas that was hit by an F3 tornado in 2000. Plenty of broken glass (https://dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/SQSD6BS4PSIKD2M6WW6TVU42CE.jpg?auth=a42bd83b7961158221dd1194873a50f7b8a90e1e64b2c9aa2dbdfe92e4fe9f67&width=930&quality=40 https://dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v...) but it survived. They were originally going to tear it down after the tornado but instead converted it to residential. They were worried about demolishing a building with that much asbestos. According to Wikipedia if they had demolished it, it would have been "the 5th tallest building in the world to be demolished".
jandrewrogers 2y ago
Earthquakes are not a problem for tall buildings. The resonant frequencies created by an earthquake that cause maximum damage as a function of height typically are centered around much shorter buildings. Hence why you will find very tall buildings in many areas with strong seismic activity, it is routine engineering.

zamadatix 2y ago

Many of the world's tallest buildings are in areas with more frequent and much more severe earthquakes. It comes down to whether or not the building is designed with earthquakes in mind more than whether earthquakes occur.

cosmotic 2y ago
And the tornadoes?
- zamadatix 2y ago
  The closest we've seen is either when an F3 tornado hit the Bank One Tower in Fort Worth or typhoons hitting larger buildings elsewhere but with slower winds. A strong tornado causes the building to pretty much be a total loss without extensive renovation (as is typical with a strong direct hit by a tornado) but not in a "Wizard of Oz House Flying through the sky" way rather a "the floors all get blown out and ruined as the wind passes through" way.
  - KennyBlanken 2y ago
    And that's just a 35 floor office building that is about 400 feet high. This is five times that height, and right smack in the most tornado-dense area of the country. Insane.
    - zamadatix 2y ago
      I mean if you've ever seen a tornado risk map you're basically concluding half the US would be insane to develop just from tornado risk alone https://i.imgur.com/3enPH8r.png https://i.imgur.com/3enPH8r.png Combine that with all natural hazards and I guess we're all moving to MI, OH, PA, and some of the northeast? Also not really sure how height plays into it. Either you have x floorspace of development in a region or you don't. How high you do/don't stack it isn't related to risk in that region in any way.
      - cosmotic 2y ago
        The more floors, the bigger the loss will be.

foxyv 2y ago

Larger buildings are usually pretty good at handling seismic activity. When I was growing up in California they taught this in the occasional earthquake safety classes. Parking structures though are HORRIBLE. They fold up like an accordion.

djmips 2y ago

And then there's tornadoes. How compatible are uber-tall buildings with those kind of storms?

rufus_foreman 2y ago
I don't know about uber-tall, but Bank One Tower was a 35 story office building in Ft. Worth Texas that was hit by an F3 tornado in 2000. Plenty of broken glass (https://dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/SQSD6BS4PSIKD2M6WW6TVU42CE.jpg?auth=a42bd83b7961158221dd1194873a50f7b8a90e1e64b2c9aa2dbdfe92e4fe9f67&width=930&quality=40 https://dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v...) but it survived. They were originally going to tear it down after the tornado but instead converted it to residential. They were worried about demolishing a building with that much asbestos. According to Wikipedia if they had demolished it, it would have been "the 5th tallest building in the world to be demolished".

jandrewrogers 2y ago

Earthquakes are not a problem for tall buildings. The resonant frequencies created by an earthquake that cause maximum damage as a function of height typically are centered around much shorter buildings. Hence why you will find very tall buildings in many areas with strong seismic activity, it is routine engineering.