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Pier Luigi Nervi vs Fazlur Khan: the developing of the outrigger system for skyscrapers

Cardellicchio, Luciano (2014) Pier Luigi Nervi vs Fazlur Khan: the developing of the outrigger system for skyscrapers. In: First National Conference of the Construction History Society, 11-12 April 2014, Queens’ College, Cambridge. (KAR id:52008)

Abstract

The structural development of tall buildings has been a continuously evolving process. There is a distinct structural history of tall buildings similar to the history of their architectural styles. In this structural history it might be interesting to investigate how one of the most popular system used nowadays to build super tall skyscrapers, the outrigger structure, was designed for the first time. A very early example of outrigger structure is the Place Victoria Office Tower of 1965 in Montreal designed by Pier Luigi Nervi and Luigi Moretti (Fig.1). It was also used by Fazlur Khan in BHP House in Melbourne, completed in the 1972 and in the First Wisconsin Center of 1973 in Milwaukee.

The paper focuses on how this particular structural system was first developed, trying to link the experience of two outstanding engineers who worked after the Second World War, the Italian Pierluigi Nervi (1891–1979) and the Bangledeshi-American Fazlur Rahman Khan (1929–1982).

Item Type: Conference or workshop item (Proceeding)
Subjects: N Visual Arts > NA Architecture
T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
T Technology > TH Building construction
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Arts and Humanities > Kent School of Architecture and Planning
Depositing User: Luciano Cardellicchio
Date Deposited: 17 Nov 2015 15:17 UTC
Last Modified: 10 Dec 2022 02:05 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/52008 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Cardellicchio, Luciano.

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