Making Skyscrapers Safer

Klemencic says engineers seeking good models of such a balance can look to England, where ongoing tension over Northern Ireland have forced a heightened vigilance against terrorist acts. In many of England's newer buildings, says Klemencic, the lower steel beams are reinforced in concrete. Steel is strong, but can bend under intense temperatures. Concrete holds up longer against heat, but can crack and break under extreme temperatures. Using both adds some protection against collapse during prolonged fire.