Eli5 forget the pyramids, how exactly did we achieve skyscrapers?
In: 1
Metallurgy
Iron based materials are really strong and can support a huge amount of weight. A steel beam could be well over 1000 meters high if all it had to do was support itself. Supporting the weight of floors and whatnot obviously cuts into that but that’s wayyyy higher than stone or wood based construction can pull off.
The struggle is that iron is hard to melt, and when you do get it softened its behavior is *very* different depending on the impurities. Too much carbon makes it very brittle but even at low carbon contents it can behave differently. Add a bit of nickel or chromium to the mix can significantly change the properties
It took a long time before we could melt large quantities of iron and get consistent results from them, but once you’ve got a material wayyy stronger than wood it unlocks a lot of new options
Latest Answers