Skyscrapers are one of the coolest architectural marvels around the world. When you see skyscrapers, however, you’re probably focusing mostly on the tall part. What about the part of the skyscraper you don’t see? As a matter of fact, skyscraper foundations are actually very interesting and help those skyscrapers function. Here are some comparisons of worldwide skyscraper foundations.
Wilshire Grand Center
- Los Angeles, United States
- 1,100 Feet Tall
- 90 Feet Deep
- 5 Basement Floors
As you can see, the Wilshire Grand Center is a beautiful building that’s a crucial part of the Los Angeles skyline. It also has a sturdy foundation; the 18-foot-thick concrete mat underneath it set a Guinness World Record for the largest continuous concrete pour.
Willis Tower
- Chicago, United States
- 1,451 Feet Tall
- 100 Feet Deep
- 3 Basement Floors
The former name of this tower was Sears Tower, and it’s a tower you’ve certainly seen if you’ve ever been to Chicago. It “stacks” rectangular elements on top of each other to give it a bit more stability, and the 100-foot-deep foundation also helps.
Taipei 101
- Taipei, Taiwan
- 1,667 Feet Tall
- 262 Feet Deep
- 5 Basement Floors
This building is well-known for its extremely unique interpretation of traditional architecture of the region. It’s a postmodern usage of common architectural techniques in Taiwan. It also has an extremely deep foundation to protect against earthquakes.
One World Trade Center
- New York City, United States
- 1,776 Feet Tall
- 150 Feet Deep
- 5 Basement Floors
This building is the tallest in the United States, and its height is an intentional reference to the year of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. The designers actually had to build its underground supports around preexisting commuter trains.
Shanghai Tower
- Shanghai, China
- 2,073 Feet Tall
- 282 Feet Deep
- 5 Basement Floors
This is the deepest basement on this list, and it’s one of the most intense foundations anywhere – 980 foundation piles with three-foot diameters and a 20-foot-thick concrete mat. It’s supposed to stand up to all sorts of earthquakes and general area issues.
Burj Khalifa
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- 2,723 Feet Tall
- 164 Feet Deep
- 1 Basement Floor
As the tallest building in the world, stretching more than a mile into the air, it might surprise you to learn that the Burj Khalifa actually has a basement less deep than some of the other entries on this list. There’s even only one basement floor. A combination of a wider base, lesser environmental issues, and different construction styles allows the Burj Khalifa to stand at a taller height with less of a basement.
Conclusion
As you can see, skyscraper construction is about far more than just how tall the skyscraper is. It’s also about the foundation, the depth of which may not correspond exactly to the height of the skyscraper. However, a good skyscraper will have a foundation that’s deep enough to add as much strength as possible to the skyscraper. No matter where a skyscraper is, it needs that sturdiness to make sure it’s safe.
