5 impressive steel structures in the world

Steel is one of the most important materials in construction. Since its application in this industry, there have been thousands of steel buildings constructed and in use. Some of them are amazingly unique. With its limitation, this writing shall list five impressive steel structures which are also the most attractive tourist attractions in the world.

1. The Eiffel Tower

The first steel construction to be listed in this article is the Eiffel Tower, one of the world's modern wonders. 

The Eiffel Tower, a symbol of the capital of light - Paris, is a steel structure that was designed and built by engineer Gustave Eiffel in 1889. Located next to the Seine, in Paris, France, the building is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. Apart from the function of tourism, it also serves as the radio and television broadcasting station of Paris.  

The tower is well-known for its unique and impressive architecture. It has a height of 330 meters and three floors. The first floor is the ground floor with a solid foundation, four concrete feet, and several arcs to keep the base of the tower firm. The second floor has a large area that is capable of around 3,000 people and a corridor running around which allows a 360° view of Paris. The third floor with a capacity of around 1,600 people is the tallest part, allowing an optimal view of Paris city. There is also an antenna installed at the top to serve as a broadcasting station. 

Although the metal material constructions are often matched to cold and humdrum, the Eiffel Tower has always been ascribed to romantic and passionate. Since it's open to visitors, the tower is one of the most famous attractions in the world as well as an abundant inspiration for art. If you come to Paris, pay a visit to Eiffel. 

2. The Empire State Building

The Empire State Building which is a symbol of modern New York is the second structure to be listed in the writing. 

The Empire State Building is a 102-story building located in Manhattan, New York City, United States. It was designed by Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon, one of the most famous architectural firms at that time. Started in January 1930, and finished in May 1931, the construction of the building was known for being completed in an incredibly short period of time. Nowadays, the building is serving the function of an office building.

Despite the fact that it was constructed in the early 20th century, the building has all the modern design on its own and a height of 443 meters (counting the spire and antenna). Over 57.000 tons of steel was in use to build up this landmark building. And the steel framework of the building is truly what makes it a significant attraction to visit. In 2022, the Empire State Building was chosen to be a green architecture initiative since the consumption and emission of energy of the building have been reduced.

Similar to the Eiffel Tower, The Empire State Building is considered a symbol of New York City, as well as an inspiration for art. If you have a chance to travel to New York City, don’t forget to visit this building. 

3. Burj Khalifa

Another building that is the world’s highest artificial structure ever, Burj Khalifa, is the next name on the list.

Burj Khalifa, also known as Khalifa Tower, is a 163-story building located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 828 meters, it is the tallest building in the world. Burj Khalifa was designed and built by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, a company from Chicago, America. The construction of the building took up 5 years, from January 2004 to October 2009. The tower fulfills a number of functions, from commercials, business offices, and accommodations...

The design of the tower is derived from Islamic architecture with a spiral pattern which increases outdoor space. The main structure of this tower is reinforced concrete. It is estimated that there were 330,000 cubic meters of concrete in use to construct this landmark. Significantly, due to its effective system and design, the tower took up 31.400 tons of steel rebars, much lower than the amount of steel used in the construction of the Empire State Building.

Known for being the tallest man-made structure in the world, Burj Khalifa is not only the symbol of Dubai but also the highlight of the human construction industry. It has also become a very popular tourist destination and it will continue to attract tourists from all over the world in the years to come.

4. Beijing National Stadium

Unlike the building listed above, Beijing National Stadium is not a skyscraper or tower. It is famous for its unique architecture and capacity instead of its height.

Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, is a 91,000-capacity stadium located in Beijing, the capital of China. The stadium was designed and constructed in order to serve the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The construction took up 4 years, from December 2003 to September 2007, and cost 428 million USD to be completed. It is also used for other games such as the 2022 Winter Olympics as well as Paralympics Games 2022, and so on.  

This is considered one of the most unique stadiums in the world due to its Bird’s Nest structure. The entire structure is immensely complex since it consists of many steel beams erected and installed on each other. An amount of 42.000 tons of steel was used to construct this huge bird’s nest.

Every year, a lot of sports and entertainment events occur in this stadium, making it an attractive destination to visit. In the future, there will be more and more events to be held there, and you can come there to enjoy, too. 

5. Sydney Harbor Bridge

The last destination in this list is transportation infrastructure rather than a building to serve commercial purposes - Sydney Harbor Bridge. 

Sydney Harbor Bridge is a bridge across Sydney Harbour to serve a variety of transport, rails, roads, and even pedestrians. It connects the Sydney Central Business District with the North Shore (coastal) North Sea. 

The design of the bridge is influenced by the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City but has its own unique characteristics. It has one of the world's longest main spans and widest leading spans. This arched structure is made with a total of 52.800 tons of steel. Besides, in order to retain the unique structural design, the bridge is supported by hand-driven rivets.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge, along with the Sydney Opera House, is an iconic image of Sydney and Australia. It would be incomplete to visit Sydney without going through this bridge and taking some pictures of it.

Above are some highlighted steel structures in the world. Hopefully, this article has provided you with useful information. Visit BMB Steel’s website to read more about pre-engineered steel buildings and steel structures.