Tallest Towers

Empire State Building - New York, NewYork

What is the first building that comes to mind when someone asks you what the tallest building in the world is? Most people would say the Empire State Building. Actually, it was the tallest building in the world from 1931-1972 and is currently the 15th tallest building in the world at 1,250 feet.

When you build your "tallest towers" you have to account for compression, tension, gravity, and other forces, while also considering how best to use all of your materials.  These are the same principles that engineers have to think about when building a real skyscraper.  Here is a list of some of the tallest structures in the world. 

Burj Khalifa - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

At 2,717 feet, The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world.

The CN Tower - Toronto, Canada

The CN Tower is the tallest concrete tower in the world.  CN stands for Canadian National, the railway company that built the tower.  The 1,815 foot tall building is a signature icon of Toronto's skyline.

The Willis Tower - Chicago, Illinois

At 1,451 feet tall, the Willis Tower is the tallest building in the United States and the 7th tallest building in the world.

The Petronas Towers -  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

At 1,483 feet tall, the Petronas Towers are the tallest twin towers in the world.  They are the 5th tallest structure in the world.

The Gateway Arch - St. Louis, Missouri

The Gateway Arch stands 630 feet tall and is the tallest monument in the world.  Constructed in 1967, the Arch has come to symbolize St. Louis as a "Gateway" between the east and western United States.

Kingda Ka - Jackson, New Jersey

Located at Six Flags amusement park, the Kingda Ka reaches 456 feet in the sky making it the tallest roller coaster in the world.  It also is the fastest roller coaster in the world with a top speed of 128 mph.  It reaches its top speed in 3.5 seconds. 

1.  Take a look at the list and the find them in Google Earth.  Then put a push pin on each of the buildings.
2.  With Google Earth you see pictures of the outside of these buildings.  Click here to get a tour of the inside of some of the tallest buildings in the world.

3..  In your application menu, click on the Career and Technology Education tab, then try to build a bridge using the West Point Bridge Builder. 

4.  Want a challenge?  I've never seen anyone complete a bridge that works using this Bridge Builder program.
Update (5/3/10): Michael M. just became the first student to ever beat it.  Who's next?
Update (5/7/10): Brooks G. was the 2nd person to beat it.  Anyone else?

Now let's test out more of your tower building skills...

Try Huje Tower or Huje Tower 2 (pictured above) or Moonlights (pictured below)