Why do skyscrapers sway in wind?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Their tall structures bend elastically as wind forces change
Their tall structures bend elastically as wind forces change ✓ — Wind exerts changing forces on a tall structure, and its finite stiffness allows elastic bending. Engineers control strength, stiffness and damping so the motion stays within design limits. The goal is not to maximize flexibility but to keep the building safe and the movement tolerable.
Each gust leaves them in a new permanent leaning position — Normal wind sway is a reversible deflection, not a new permanent lean after every gust. Elastic restoring forces bring the structure back, while damping removes energy from its motion.
Their foundations slide back and forth beneath the ground — Ordinary wind sway does not require foundations to slide underground. A sound foundation can stay stable while the structure above bends and moves.
More Physics in Daily Life questions
- In a warm office that already reads 26 C, which change can make people feel cooler without lowering the thermostat?
- Why might 26 C feel acceptable in a breezy naturally ventilated summer building but too warm in a sealed winter office?
- On a warm, humid day, why can a 27 °C room feel worse once your skin is sweaty?
- Why can moving air make a 27 C room feel cooler without changing the thermometer?
- Why can a desk beside a cold window feel chilly even when the thermostat across the room still reads 22 C?
- Why might someone who just climbed stairs feel warm in a 22 C room while someone sitting in a T-shirt feels chilly?