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s residential housing in our geographic area is becoming more prevalent
in city settings, the high rise condominium is becoming more and more
popular. The purpose of this article is to present what comprises the phys-
ical assets of this type of building and the importance of understanding ongoing
maintenance and energy efficiency, which results in maintaining the value of
the property while at the same time minimizing the long term operational costs.
But first, what is a high rise? The definition from the International Building
Code of a High Rise is “A building with an occupied floor located more than
75 feet above the lowest
level of fire department vehi-
cle access. “ Typical com-
ponents of a high rise are
shown in the diagram to
the right.The modern high
rise was not born until the
end of the 19th century.
Up until then, cities looked
much different than the way they look today. The buildings at that time were
rarely higher than 40 to 50 feet.
Two major developments led to the high rises that dominate major city sky-
lines throughout the modern world.
First, in 1853, an American, Elisha Graves Otis, invented the world’s first
safety lift or elevator. This new form of vertical transportation enabled people
to travel safely upward at a much greater speed and with considerably less
effort than by walking.
The second major development occurred in the 1870s, when steel frames
became available, gradually replacing the weaker combination of cast iron
and wood previously used in construction. Until then, the walls had to be
very thick to carry the weight of each floor. Steel frames were able to carry
the weight of more floors, so walls became simply cladding for the purpose
of insulating and enclosing the building. This development, which included
applying hollow clay tiles to the steel supports, resulted in a fireproof steel
skeleton and “also permitted movable interior partitioning, which allowed
rooms to be reconstructed to meet the demands of new tenants. This new
method of construction reduced the thickness of walls, increased valuable
The High Rise
By Mitchell H. Frumkin, PE, RS, CGP
President, Kipcon Inc.
and Allan Samuels, LEED AP
Managing Partner, Energy Squared, LLC
©
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