Up until the last few decades, the race for the tallest buildings in the world was mainly limited to North America, and within the continent, there were only a few cities trying to eclipse one another – for example, Chicago and New York City.

However, regardless of the reasons why, North America is projected to have only one skyscraper listed in the top 20 in the world by 2020, that being ‘One World Trade Center’, which Kryton’s products were used in.

The Chicago Skyline

For the most part, the race to space is currently being waged by buildings located in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions of the world, each country hoping to display their economic prowess by erecting the tallest building.

As was the theme of the first two installments of this series, there are elements of engineering that must be thoroughly considered. Planning for elevators and anticipating wind issues are both incredible tasks, however neither matters much if the foundation of the skyscraper has not been thoroughly accounted for.

The ‘Mega-Foundations’, as they are so aptly known are vast in that they must anchor a structure, that will move because of wind, rising over 600 meters into the sky. Extremely tall buildings are extremely heavy, and their weight is spread over a much smaller are than a comparably scaled shore r building. A very tall building will have a very deep foundation, and is critical that it is strong and durable.

The rising Hong Kong skyline

These buildings are meant to last the sands of time, meaning it is of the utmost importance that these structures lifespans stretch as far into the future as they do high in the sky. Thus, water and waterborne chemicals, which will attack and seriously deteriorate the concrete and steel reinforcement these buildings depend on for strength and stability, must be appropriately detailed.

Water is the main cause for concrete deterioration, which must be combated against by deciding on the most reliable and durable concrete waterproofing system that will ensure these ‘Mega-Tall’ buildings are towering over cities long into the future.