Program
Blowin’ in the Wind: Reducing Building Sway
In order to withstand the Windy City's namesake weather, some of Chicago’s tallest buildings are designed to sway in the breeze, which can leave residents and workers feeling seasick. Join us for a look at the innovative ways structural engineers minimize the sway -- you’ll be surprised by some of the very interesting solutions!
Buildings keep getting taller, especially as urban land becomes less available. But since winds are much stronger at higher levels than at street levels, this means special considerations have to be made when engineering Chicago's skyscrapers. Building designs must contend with and minimize these wind forces for the safety of the structure and for the comfort of people in the buildings. During this program, we'll talk about some options for minimizing sway which have become very popular since the early 2000s.
Presenter: Claudia Winkler
Claudia has been a CAC docent since 2007. She currently gives the River Cruise, Rookery, Must-See Chicago and French walking tours. For 13 years, she was on the Docent Enrichment Committee and had great fun setting up tours of many of Chicago's newest buildings. She's also a Backstage Tour Guide at the Lyric Opera. In addition to all her volunteering, she was in sales for many years at IBM.