How does a tall building stay up? It has a steel frame.
Steel is very strong. We use it for beams and columns.
The building pushes down on the frame. The columns get squeezed.
The foundation goes down into the earth. It holds the building up.
Wind pushes on tall buildings. They sway a little.
A truss is a frame made of triangles.
The first skyscraper was in Chicago. It had 10 stories.
The Burj Khalifa has 163 floors.
As of November 2026 the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building.
Words to know
- steel: strong metal
- truss: triangle frame
- skyscraper: very tall building
