14 Skyscrapers

Skyscrapers written by John Lockyer

Skyscrapers are very tall buildings. They are built in cities that don't have much land for low buildings. cranes Many people work and live up high in skyscrapers. Big cranes are used to build them.

Most tall buildings were made of stone before there were skyscrapers. Stone is heavy, so the tallest buildings didn't have many floors.

People could build taller buildings when steel was invented. These buildings had a steel frame and the walls were made of bricks. The first skyscrapers that were made from steel and bricks had ten floors. They were much lighter than stone buildings.

People wanted to build even taller skyscrapers, but the wind was a problem. When the wind blows hard, the skyscrapers can move and bend.

To stop the skyscrapers from bending, steel beams were put up through the middle. This made the building strong. It was a good place to put an elevator, too. Then everyone in the building could get up and down the floors without using the stairs.