Tallest Buildings in the Western Hemisphere
CN Tower, Petronas Towers, Petronius oil platform, Willis Tower, etc. are a few of the tallest structures in the western hemisphere. But how do these buildings rank? Read on to find out. In this article, we’ll cover the CN Tower and the Petronius oil platform.
CN Tower
The CN Tower is the tallest freestanding construction in the western hemisphere, standing at 351 metres. It features an observation deck that’s 350 m above ground level and a restaurant. It’s also protected by an extensive sprinkler system. The sprinklers are fed by a ground-based pump connected to a municipal water supply. Its inlet relative pressure is 350 kPa. The piping on the CN Tower is made of commercial steel and has an inner diameter of 7.5 cm.
The CN Tower has been named one of the seven modern wonders of the world by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It is also a member of the World Federation of Great Towers. It currently holds the second highest ranking among the tallest structures in the world. It is also the tallest habitable structure in Canada. When completed in 1975, it was the tallest freestanding building outside of New York City and Chicago.
Petronas Towers
In its construction, the Petronas Towers was inspired by Islamic art. The cross section of the building is based on the Rub el Hizb, and the circular sectors resemble the bottom part of the Qutub Minar.
The Petronas Towers are 88-storey twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The twin towers are connected by a sky bridge, which is the world’s highest double-decker bridge. Its design makes it unique – unlike other skyscrapers, the towers are not fixed to one another, and they are prone to slide in and out during strong winds.
Petronius oil platform
The Petronius oil platform is the tallest free-standing structure in the western hemisphere, and stands 610 meters above sea level. It was crowned the world’s tallest freestanding structure by Guinness World Records in 2007 and was eclipsed in 2010 by the Burj Khalifa. However, the question of how high an oil platform can be below water is still a matter of debate. Some oil platforms have a higher height below water than other types of oil platforms, and some have a much smaller depth.
The Petronius oil platform is situated at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, about 210 km southeast of New Orleans. The platform has been built using a compliant tower design, which makes it flexible and able to deflect 2% of its height. In comparison, most buildings are restricted to a maximum of 0.5% height deflection.
Willis Tower
The Willis Tower in Chicago is the tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere. It was built in 1973 and was previously known as the Sears Tower. It has a total height of 1,450 feet, making it the tallest building in the world. The Willis Tower is a popular tourist attraction in Chicago. In 2009, the Willis Group leased part of the tower and renamed it to reflect the new name. United Airlines occupies the top 20 floors of the building.
The Willis Tower was once the Sears Tower, which closed its doors in 1999. However, this did not prevent the building from being called the Sears Tower. In the year 2003, the building was purchased by London-based Willis Group Holdings, who leased a portion of the tower and obtained the naming rights to it. On July 16, 2009, the Willis Tower was officially renamed to the Willis Tower.
