Wood

trump.jpg
Trump Tower Construction, River North, Chicago

When I think of the materials skyscrapers are made of I think of metal and glass and steel and cement. But for the Trump Tower construction they’re using a lot of wood. I don’t know much at all about building skyscrapers, obvs, but whenever I see the wood I always think to myself “that’s not gonna hold up” or something to that affect. Maybe it’s just because we’re so close to wood, it’s so organic.. and skyscrapers are so foreign, even though I work in one, they seem like too big for wood or something. Still, watching the Trump Tower being built has made me realize that wood is still a basic building material no matter what. It’s just weird to see stacks of like 2x4s laying around and nailed into shapes that are not uncommon to your dad’s woodshop in the basement.

5 thoughts on “Wood

  1. I may be wrong, but I think the wood is used to provide shuttering for concrete, its like a giant mould, that is used to support and form concrete pillars etc.

  2. Yeah, I think they have to build a “mold” to pour concrete into, to build a concrete wall. (I think they do the same thing when they build 3-flat condos around town?) Also, from the picture, it looks like they’re building impromptu walkways and railings for the construction crew, which they’ll just tear down later; wood is quick and cheap, so it suits that purpose well … I guess.

  3. see everytime i post a photo of the trump construction i learn a little more about building skyscrapers. someday i’ll build one of my own! mwah ha ha.

    james, those condos in our neighborhood are almost done, huh?

  4. The condos by my place were done a few weeks ago and already have folks moved in. Looks like the ones by you are getting real close now. I like the one with the not-perfectly-flat front, with the patios jutting out, just because it’s different from all the other new condo buildings with their perfectly flat fronts. The one builder is putting up 3 (or is it 4?) identical buildings on Paulina between Augusta and Division — he didn’t even vary the brick color.

    PS – I sure wish there were RSS feeds for comments. 🙂

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