BASIC READING COMPLETION 5

It’s Windy up Here

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER in each gap

1. The engineers and architechs used to safely support the weight of buildings.

2. The engineers have been working on the that affects the building from side to side.

3. Wind is able to from anywhere.

4. All skyscrapers are designed in a way that it can .

5. The Burj Khalifa's tallest point can move at a range of .

6. There are some that stretch to the top to protect the building from strong winds.

7. The engineers also used a very heavy weight that works as the in a clock.

8. This weight is heavy.

9. It can help the tower keep its .

10. Other skyscrapers also apply .

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Stand at the dizzying height of Taipei 101’s 1,046 feet and your biggest fear is how high you are. However, that’s not the main concern of the engineers and architects who designed the building. They rely on technology like steel beams to safely support the weight of buildings that now reach over half a mile (0.8 kilometers) into the sky. While anyone standing in the viewing area at the top of a skyscraper is focused on the vertical drop, engineers have been studying the force that pushes the building from side to side. That force is wind. 

The forces of nature, such as wind, gravity, and earth vibrations, all have to be considered when constructing a skyscraper. However, wind is the most difficult to plan for. Wind can push and pull from every direction. In fact, take an elevator ride to the top of any skyscraper on a windy day, and you’ll notice the movement. All skyscrapers sway. They are designed that way. For instance, the newly constructed Burj Khalifa in Dubai moves back and forth by about two meters at its tallest point. Engineers designed this building to fight dangerous winds. Several spires rise to the top of the structure. These stop the wind from whirling in circles and damaging the building. 

Taipei 101 uses different engineering tricks. One is a large weight that acts like the pendulum in a clock. This structure weighs 730 tons. As it slowly moves back and forth, it helps balance the tower as the wind pushes on it. Other skyscrapers use this same technique. It helps keep the structures stable. And that’s not easy to do 1,000 feet off the ground.