Since man first started building high-rises, there has always been a limit on how high we can build

them.
As the years go on and as technology improves the limits to high-rise buildings height has been
constantly broken and higher buildings have been made, BUT limits still exist. It is important to know
why we have limits to building high-rise buildings and it is just as important knowing just what some of
these limits are. Therefore research has been conducted and compiled and a report has been put
together. This report is about the limits to building high-rise buildings the report will outline:- a)The
involvement of both engineering and non-engineering professionals, b)Social/cross cultural/indigenous
issues, c)Ethical issues, d)Economic issues. a)Concrete:- a)Concrete grades up to M80 are now being
used for highrise buildings in India. However, due to escalation in the repair and replacement costs,
more attention is now being paid to durability issues. There are compelling reasons why the concrete
construction practice during the next decades should be driven by durability in addition to strength. b)It
is very hard and in its normal state can withstand high compression loads but it has one major weakness
- it cannot resist tension loads, having perhaps a tenth of its compressive strength when it is pulled.
b)Fly Ash:-Thermal power stations are left with an undesirable by-product, fly ash, in large quantities
which is not able to effectively utilize or dispose of. Currently, (2009) more than 120 million tonne of fly
ash are generated annually and the storage and disposal has been costing the power stations substantial
unproductive expenditure. Unfortunately, all the fly ash available at the power stations is not fit for use
as mineral admixture directly. As per the Euro Code for Concrete, only processed fly ash can be
permitted as mineral admixture in concrete. c)Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS):- a)The
problems associated with the quality of fly ash do not exist in the case of Ground Granulated Blast
Furnace Slag GGBFS, as the produce is necessarily the outcome of grinding to the required particle size.
b)Due to the proximity to steel mills, PSC is generally produced in locations close to steel plants. Here
again due to the bulky nature of the product, the transportation cost predominate. Another issue
concerning quality of the PSC is the actual percentage replacement while making PSC; this information is
not normally displayed on the bags, leaving the user at a disadvantage. d)Reinforcement:- a)The revised
BIS Code 1786 provides for four grades of reinforcement characterized by the yield strength – Fe 415, Fe
500, Fe 550 and Fe 600. Each of the first three grades is also available with superior ductile properties
and a nomenclature is Fe 415D, Fe500D and Fe550D. Primarily the ductile grades specify a higher
elongation value. Use of higher grades reduces the tonnage of steel in compression members e.g.
columns substantially, results in decongested reinforcement and facilitates easy placement and
vibration of concrete. b)Lapping of bars results in congestion of steel creates difficulties in proper
placement and compaction of concrete and of course more expensive for large diameter bars. Couplers
are now preferred instead of lapping.