how are the weight on the first floor of a skyscraper able to hold the weight of over a 100 floors?
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Engineering. Piles are drove down into the ground sometimes until refusal (rock) and poured using insanely high psi concrete and rebar. Then the first floor is built on these piles as well as a slab on grade (solid concrete floor). Then columns set on all this to create floors. The floors of 2nd and up are actually mostly suspended except for a column here and there designed by the engineer to hold up X amount. The floors themselves are poured using lightweight concrete that is more porous and has fibers in them to help create tensile strength due to the lack of rebar (weight reduction). The columns are designed and located to withstand the subsequent weight of all floors and are usually located directly atop one another so each floor bare bones is the same. They just add fake walls,panels,etc to make it look like a office or food court or whatever it may be. The most fascinating part is each is given a certain amount of deflection (give) to allow for movement from wind earthquakes and the like. All structures are designed this way and are never rigid. Bridges move around and bend when weight moves across.
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