Sacyr's Blog

170 kilometres long and 500 metres high—these are the mind-blowing dimensions of the enormous skyscraper that Saudi Arabia plans to build to give shape to a futuristic city called The Line. But to successfully construct this city without cars, pollution or accidents, it will have to overcome arduous challenges.

Only 1% of all steel manufactured is lost to landfills. The world's most recycled building material is reused again and again to build all kinds of structures. We can save resources, costs and energy by reusing steel, glass and concrete. While human civilization has been striving for centuries to build ever more colossal structures, such as skyscrapers, it is now seeking ways to give their components a second life.

While skyscrapers make the most of vertical space, they also pose significant safety and economic challenges. China has banned the construction of buildings taller than 500 metres. We investigate the extent to which building height can become an insurmountable handicap.