Rotating Skyscraper ?

Question

here is the link to the article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080624/us_nm/newyork_tower_dc

if you click in the left hand corner, you can see the video, which is much easier than reading it.

first off, great idea, kudos to that guy. i mean rotating? cool. the wind power and solar power is an added bonus. here is my question/statement:

skyscrapers are already dangerous, so a rotating skyscraper CANT be safe!!! can it?

your views. best answer gets 10 points.

Answer 1

Skyscrapers are already dangerous?  How so?  I suppose they are favorite targets of some unlicensed pilots, but other than that, they are quite safe.  The biggest issue with tall buildings is fire because of ladder truck height limits, but every place on earth has its hazards.

I don't see this building being any less safe.  But it sure is a step backward.  The initial cost alone, and then the maintenance!!  Hardly green building if you ask me.  But if I had the money.... oh what a view.

Answer 2

I had looked at that ..and It made me think about it .....and the only thing I will ask is what about the wear and tear....I mean is cool that it moves but when something moves it creates friction..and that will cause tear at some point right.

Answer 3

With the rotation being powered by sunshine, Dubai would be ideal. Not sure about Moscow. Apart from the initial cost the green issues should be low being self powered. I would not want to repair one of the main bearings supporting an entire floor off the central core.

The different view would be really nice but maybe automatic curtains sunshades would be required as the rooms change direction with the sun.

The huge number of swivel joints in the central core for water, sewage, electricity would all have to work perfectly.

Every time you exited the lift you would have to go to a different location to find your front door as the lifts would be fixed (a guess but based on revolving restaurants).

A brilliant concept but expensive

Answer 4

Well... I think you've got so many good ideas in this answer list of your.. But, I would like to add something to it. Most of the structures built today use various alloyed steels and even carbon fibers which has an ultimate strength of 5650 MPa. They are safe as you can see. There are buildings all around the world like these. There maybe certain factors coming into play here as friction, fatigue resistance, strength etc. But, I can imagine one way they can avoid most of these problems and add superior strength to these buildings. I do not know whether they are using that technology though. If you use carbon nano tubes, most of these problems maybe avoided. It has an ultimate strength as high as 62,000 MPa. Those made with these do not have crystal imperfections like in the 20th century materials. This is nanotechnology. If they are using nano tech here, I think it would become the most wondrous civil engineering masterpiece ever known and the pathway to a new era of civil structural engineering.

Answer 5

i don't think it would be safe..i mean...what if there was a fire or something...the fire department would have a hard time putting it out because it would be moving! unless the building stopped when confronted w/ a disaster of some sort....

and i would also like to know how people would get into the rooms if different parts of it are rotating...and how they would figure out all the pipes and wires...

the idea is cool but i think its just for the image..its not going to benifit anyone or anything...except the evrion. b/c of the solar and wind power.

Answer 6

I guess, it isn't safe. Though it is unique when you view it outside, but it is not good to work in moving places. If they really want a rotating one, why not design it in order for the surface or the perimeter only to move but not the rooms. I cant elaborate it further but what am trying to say is make another wall to rotate that is separate from the walls of the rooms of the building.

Answer 7

How the h**l are people supposed to get their cars up there???? thats some b.s right there

Answer 8

I don't think it sounds very safe and in the video it looked like it was spinning pretty fast. I think it would be hard to walk around and you might get dizzy after being in it for a while!

edit: to musically inclined. 's answer: in the video it said that it could be adjusted however they liked it so if there was a fire or something they could probably make it stop spinning.

i think it would also be hard to build an elevator or stairs if the different parts of the skyscraper were moving different ways.

i think moving stairs would make injured people.

to ADI 's answer: they might have built rotating rooms or whatever on the tops of buildings before but its different when its a whole building...ecspecialy a skyscraper

Answer 9

i think it is possible....and interesting

...subject tat the 360degrees views are worth all the energy tat wuld be put to use to run the mechanisms to rotate the building!!!!!

.....and not to say the cost of maintenance of the watever machineries....

...dont they oredy have rotating penthouses and restaurants at tops of buildings....?i think tat should suffice...