Happold Consulting’s Kate Ascher unveils new book - The Heights: Anatomy of a Skyscraper

Happold Consulting

10/11/2011 Written by: Gill Sincock 1 comment

This month saw the US launch of Happold Consulting, the strategic management arm of international multidisciplinary engineering consultancy Buro Happold. Based in New York, the subsidiary will provide integrated development solutions to public and private sector clients and is being overseen by urban planning and development expert, Kate Ascher.

Not content with delivering strategic and management consulting services in the States, Ascher has also launched a new book this month: The Heights: Anatomy of a Skyscraper, which explores the inner workings of skyscrapers and the massive challenges that engineers face when designing them.

In The Heights Ascher talks about the many issues that engineers must take into account when delivering a tall building; from potential natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes to wind forces which even on a normal day can reach more than 100 mph at the building’s summit.

Ascher explains; "There are wind currents that when we're down below [on the ground] we don't even notice. That building, as it rises, interrupts those flows. The larger the building, the greater the wind flows."

In The Heights Ascher outlines other factors that engineers must take in to account when creating these giants of the built environment; from how engineers purposefully design buildings to sway back and forth in order to alleviate the pressure caused by high wind flows to how the same principle that allows a building to get taller also accounts for its ability to sway. In addition to structural engineering issues Ascher also discusses the building services aspects of creating a tall building, right down to how you ensure the toilets flush on the 100th floor!

For more information regarding Happold Consulting USA, please contact kate.ascher@burohappold.com

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Note to Editors

Buro Happold

Images are available on request.

For more information, please contact:
Gill Sincock
Corporate Communications Manager
Tel: +44 (0)1225 320600
Email: gill.sincock@burohappold.com

Buro Happold is an independent international practice of consulting engineers. Since 1976 we have grown in size and reach to serve public and private clients across a full range of sectors through an international network of 29 offices.

We draw on the multi-disciplinary skills, knowledge and experience of our local experts to design and deliver award winning building, infrastructure and environmental projects that excel for clients, engage with communities and enrich the lives of users.

Sustainability, innovation and holistic consulting are at the heart of everything we do and we are committed to touching the earth lightly. We think harder and are dedicated to addressing the big challenges that face the planet – climate change, population growth and scarcity of natural resources.

Current and recent projects include the Grand Museum of Egypt (Cairo), the Louvre (Abu Dhabi), the Aviva Stadium (Dublin), the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, the King Abdullah Financial District (Riyadh), the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (Stratford) and the O2 (London).

Categories: Commercial office, United States, Saudi Arabia, UAE

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Comments

Harold Woodworth at 09/09/2001 02:46 said:

I'd like to talk to Kate Ascher, about the sewage problem in Dubai

My company Is Green Planet Food Fuel & Energy Inc

The Links Below is to two Videos,, The first will give you some Idea of what we do

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pQdjwliLMA&;

The second Demonstrates the Sewage Problem as it was some 7 years ago, They still have challenges to be over com

list=HL1327538491&feature=mh_lolz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pQdjwliLMA

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