Which skyscraper has the best structural efficiency?

Question

This is for a tower I am building for a contest. It must be made completely of wood, and I have to make a design for it. I am baseing it on skyscrapers. It must have a flatish top.

Thanks for your answers. But my tower has to have a flat top and nothing in the middle because a chain with a bucket holding 15 kg of sand goes through the center. It must support this weight without collapsing.

Answer 1

For your contest, you just need something that would stand up and not collapse or fall over too easily. it's a column problem. You start with four corner verticals, preferably straight unbroken pieces if the rules allow it (otherwise glue a bunch of pieces together to make them), and then you run cross-bracing between them. Use the John Hancock Tower in Chicago as your guide, but ignore the other verticals on the faces. You might want to include some internal cross-bracing between the 4 verticals to ensure that your tower won't warp, but you won't need many.

Answer 2

I used to think that triangular shapes were the answer, now I believe that they have invented beams that actually MOVE with an eathquake, and also a beam stuucture that involves liquid, like oil or something.
(I am just a house wife. I think I aw it on Discovery.com)

Answer 3

I would try to get a 6-1 ratio of height to base width. you can reduce the base width as you move up the structure.

Answer 4

I have heard that a cone is one of the best shapes due to a stable base and it's ability to allow wind to pass around it.

Answer 5

One made out of lots of little members, as opposed to a few big ones.

Answer 6

possibly the transamerica building in san francisco, which was designed with earthquakes in mind. it has a broad base which narrows in its higher elevations.

Answer 7

Scythian nailed it......