The Ascension of the High-Rise.

As a new wave of high-rise buildings, mostly in China, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, show developers vying to expand to record heights, vertical cities are moving ever higher.

Cities cover just 2% of the earth's surface area, but they house 53% of the world's population, with analysts predicting that number will rise to 75% by 2050. When limited land meets a growing population, the only option is to go up. buy apartment qatar

The 55-meter (180-foot) Home Insurance Building in Chicago was the first skyscraper when it was built in 1885. As steel prices dropped, the number of skyscrapers increased, culminating in 1931 with the Empire State Building, which for 41 years held the record for the world's tallest building at 381 meters (1,250 feet).

Things are moving quickly today, thanks to advancements in technology and high-quality materials, as well as a strong local demand for high-rise buildings in many parts of the world. Since 2010, more than half of the world's tallest buildings have been built, with the completion of the Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Central Plaza in China this year bringing the total number of super-tall buildings to 100. (984 feet). In just seven years, the cumulative number of super-talls has nearly tripled.

With 90% of recent super-tall developments, Asia and the Middle East are leading this high-rise boom, signaling a strong eastern regional change from the United States' conventional skyscraper supremacy. Although the United States had 99 percent of the world's tallest buildings in 1930, it now only has 16 percent.

Dubai alone is home to 20% of the world's tallest 50 buildings, while 15 Chinese cities are home to 30% of the world's tallest 100 buildings.

The Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia, the world's first one-kilometer tall structure, is scheduled to open in 2019. The current tallest building, the 828-meter (2,716-foot) Burj Khalifa in Dubai, will be dwarfed by this, doubling the height of the world's tallest buildings in just a decade.

Risk Assessment

When you reach new heights, you'll face new obstacles. The unique complexity of these super-tall structures necessitates flexible risk analysis, according to Allianz Global Corporate & Security (AGCS), a corporate and specialty insurer. AGCS is the lead insurer on four of the world's tallest buildings built since 1998, including The Kingdom Tower, which will take five years to complete and will employ 10,000 people and 100 subcontractors.

"All phases of project development can be covered," says William Henthorne, AGCS's Inland Marine Underwriting Manager in New York. "One insurer does not have the ability or desire to offer the maximum limits required to cover the completed project value on very high-value projects. The valuation of today's newest and largest structures easily exceeds $1 billion."

As AGCS points out in its Supertall Buildings Risk Bulletin, threats persist even after construction is completed. Henthorne brings up the recent case of London's "Walkie-Talkie" house. When the glare of reflecting sunlight on its exterior caused serious damage to cars parked nearby, the 37-story building at 20 Fenchurch Street had to install a permanent sunshade.

Heightening Expectations

According to Adrian Smith, the Chicago-based architect of the Kingdom Tower and the Burj Khalifa, the world's first mile-high building will not be completed for another 20 to 30 years. Cost, as well as the need to find new construction materials to replace steel and concrete, remain major roadblocks.

Another challenge for architects and engineers is efficiently moving people around in super-tall buildings. Elevators currently reach a maximum height of 600 meters, and balancing ample speed with the ability to handle sudden changes in air pressure is one of the reasons why a mile-high building remains a pipe dream for the time being.

The Top Ten Highest Buildings on the Planet:

1. Dubai's Burj Khalifa 163 floors, 828 meters, 2,717 feet

China's Shanghai Tower is number two. There are 121 floors and a height of 632 meters (2,073 feet).

Saudi Arabia's Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel is number three. 120 floors, 601 meters (1,971 feet).

4. New York's One World Trade Center. 104 floors, 541 meters (1,776 feet).

5. Taipei 101, a 101-story building with a height of 509 meters (1671 feet).

Shanghai World Trade Center is number six. There are 101 floors and a height of 492 meters (1,614 feet).

Hong Kong's International Commerce Centre is number seven. 118 floors, 483 meters, 1,584 feet.

Malaysia's Petronas Towers are number eight. 88 floors, 452 meters (1,483 feet).

China's Zifeng Tower is number nine. There are 89 floors and a height of 450 meters (1,476 feet).

Willis Towers in Chicago is number ten. 108 floors, 442 meters (1,451 feet).