SHORTAGES

• Safety is one of the major disadvantages of a tower. Defective towers may pose a risk of falling and causing severe damage on the ground. In addition, towers present a special challenge for evacuations, since those on higher floors need special means of escape in the event of a fire on a lower floor.

  Architects and engineers must be attentive to safety when designing towers. Every tall structure is subject to powerful winds and low temperatures that occur at high altitudes, and towers must be able to withstand such forces while also handling the weight of the structure itself and external force from earthquakes.

• Towers are often more expensive than lower structures. Besides costing more to construct, towers require more money and work hours to clean, repair and renovate. The tallest towers make use of new technologies like special lightweight building materials, shock absorbers and mass dampers to prevent excessive swaying. All of these systems add to the cost of a tower, making it economically feasible only in certain cases.