Mega-tall buildings: current trends, challenges and future prospects

Abstract This paper focuses on mega-tall buildings that are distinguished from other skyscrapers by their height, which is 600 m or more. The construction of mega-tall buildings is a twenty-first-century phenomenon, representing the pinnacle of modern building engineering. The construction of the fi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Tanmoy Konar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2025-07-01
Series:Discover Civil Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s44290-025-00299-5
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849341784716476416
author Tanmoy Konar
author_facet Tanmoy Konar
author_sort Tanmoy Konar
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This paper focuses on mega-tall buildings that are distinguished from other skyscrapers by their height, which is 600 m or more. The construction of mega-tall buildings is a twenty-first-century phenomenon, representing the pinnacle of modern building engineering. The construction of the first mega-tall building, Burj Khalifa, was commenced in 2004 and was completed in 2010. Since then, three mega-tall buildings have been completed worldwide, and only a few are under construction. Thus, despite rapid urbanization across the world, the development of mega-tall buildings remains limited. This disparity highlights the need for a comprehensive study on the topic, which is currently lacking in the existing literature. The present study aims to fill the gap. It presents case studies of completed mega-tall buildings, examining key engineering aspects while analysing current trends, prevailing challenges, and future prospects in the field. Additionally, it investigates ongoing and proposed mega-tall building projects. The study identified two principal findings: (i) the construction of mega-tall buildings entails significant financial investment, necessitating robust economic justification, which may be challenging in volatile market conditions; and (ii) the development and operation of such structures are further complicated by critical issues, including structural complexities, fire safety, environmental sustainability, structural health monitoring, and maintenance, all of which demand innovative and expensive solutions. This study also underscores the transformative potential of emerging technologies, including eco-friendly materials, renewable energy systems, advanced vibration control mechanisms, artificial intelligence, and robotics, in advancing the sustainable development of future mega-tall buildings.
format Article
id doaj-art-660e9a5dc0404826996155c72eec6eec
institution Kabale University
issn 2948-1546
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Springer
record_format Article
series Discover Civil Engineering
spelling doaj-art-660e9a5dc0404826996155c72eec6eec2025-08-20T03:43:34ZengSpringerDiscover Civil Engineering2948-15462025-07-012112410.1007/s44290-025-00299-5Mega-tall buildings: current trends, challenges and future prospectsTanmoy Konar0Department of Civil Engineering, West Bengal Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation LimitedAbstract This paper focuses on mega-tall buildings that are distinguished from other skyscrapers by their height, which is 600 m or more. The construction of mega-tall buildings is a twenty-first-century phenomenon, representing the pinnacle of modern building engineering. The construction of the first mega-tall building, Burj Khalifa, was commenced in 2004 and was completed in 2010. Since then, three mega-tall buildings have been completed worldwide, and only a few are under construction. Thus, despite rapid urbanization across the world, the development of mega-tall buildings remains limited. This disparity highlights the need for a comprehensive study on the topic, which is currently lacking in the existing literature. The present study aims to fill the gap. It presents case studies of completed mega-tall buildings, examining key engineering aspects while analysing current trends, prevailing challenges, and future prospects in the field. Additionally, it investigates ongoing and proposed mega-tall building projects. The study identified two principal findings: (i) the construction of mega-tall buildings entails significant financial investment, necessitating robust economic justification, which may be challenging in volatile market conditions; and (ii) the development and operation of such structures are further complicated by critical issues, including structural complexities, fire safety, environmental sustainability, structural health monitoring, and maintenance, all of which demand innovative and expensive solutions. This study also underscores the transformative potential of emerging technologies, including eco-friendly materials, renewable energy systems, advanced vibration control mechanisms, artificial intelligence, and robotics, in advancing the sustainable development of future mega-tall buildings.https://doi.org/10.1007/s44290-025-00299-5Tall buildingMega-tall buildingUltra mega-tall buildingsSkyscraperUrbanizationSustainability
spellingShingle Tanmoy Konar
Mega-tall buildings: current trends, challenges and future prospects
Discover Civil Engineering
Tall building
Mega-tall building
Ultra mega-tall buildings
Skyscraper
Urbanization
Sustainability
title Mega-tall buildings: current trends, challenges and future prospects
title_full Mega-tall buildings: current trends, challenges and future prospects
title_fullStr Mega-tall buildings: current trends, challenges and future prospects
title_full_unstemmed Mega-tall buildings: current trends, challenges and future prospects
title_short Mega-tall buildings: current trends, challenges and future prospects
title_sort mega tall buildings current trends challenges and future prospects
topic Tall building
Mega-tall building
Ultra mega-tall buildings
Skyscraper
Urbanization
Sustainability
url https://doi.org/10.1007/s44290-025-00299-5
work_keys_str_mv AT tanmoykonar megatallbuildingscurrenttrendschallengesandfutureprospects