The Importance of Steel to Wind-Resistant Building Frames

The gradual development of the tall commercial building at the end of the 19th century is usually described as an outgrowth of steel's development as a building material. Rarely, however, are the mechanisms of this enabling described. One might well ask why steel per se had very much to do with skyscraper construction, as it was seen by many as an expensive, unreliable version of structural iron. Iron had been the primary structural material in most tall buildings during the mid-1880s, during which record heights of eight, ten, and eventually fourteen stories had been readily achieved. Why would architects, engineers, and clients change their material preference so quickly – from about 1888 until about 1895, when Engineering Record suggested that any use of iron in building “could not be recommended” – and what about steel made it so overwhelmingly better than iron? The need for stiff connections and for lateral resistance provides one possible answer.