5 Smart Skyscraper Safety Features You Should Know

Skyscrapers are among some of the tallest buildings in the world, so one of the top priorities has to be the unique ways they can keep occupants safe.

From sophisticated fire alarms to rumored parachute drops, what is true and what is not?

Here is everything we learned about the amazing and sometimes high-tech safety features found in skyscrapers:

1. Most Feature Automated Fire Extinguishers

As expected, skyscrapers all feature a sprinkler system that is programmed to automatically go off when the smoke alarm is triggered.

However, they will not go off on every floor and room and only affect the areas where smoke is detected.

Since sprinkler systems can sometimes be unreliable for larger buildings, you will be pleased to know that most skyscrapers also feature an automated extinguisher.

By law, all buildings need to have a fire extinguisher on every floor and be close enough for someone to reach them.

However, manual fire extinguishers need someone to pull and spray the pin. The good news is that the automated extinguishers that are featured in skyscrapers do not need a person to control them!

How do They Work?

These extinguishers are installed directly into the ceiling and connected to the fire alarm system.

When the alarm is triggered, the system will locate the problem and automatically trigger the above extinguisher.

Once triggered, these extinguishers use condensed high-pressured foam that will cover the fire and completely extinguish it without anyone needing to do anything.

2. Do Skyscrapers Have Parachutes In Case Of Emergency?

Rumors have circulated about skyscrapers using parachutes to help people safely escape during an emergency. But, there is only a little bit of truth behind this, while the rest remains a myth.

After the events of 9/11, many companies tried to create parachute systems that would allow people to jump to safety. While the companies behind this initiative were well-meaning and hoping to find a solution, they were too many factors that weren’t considered.

The first and most major issue was that the parachute could not open up fully if other buildings were too close. Since skyscrapers are usually found in large cities, controlling how close other buildings are is almost impossible.

Cost Issues:

Skyscrapers can fit thousands and thousands of people, and the cost of offering parachutes to even just 10% of occupants was far too high versus the risk that people take using them.

However, don’t count parachutes out just yet. To this day, there are still companies working hard on designing parachutes that can be safely deployed in an emergency.

3. Manually Control-Stop Elevators

Most skyscrapers use a hybrid elevator that not only works with electricity but also can be manually maneuvered in case of an emergency.

Combining high-tech features with the classic stop-brake engineering first developed in 1852 by Elisha Otis makes these skyscraper elevators some of the safest in the world.

Once power is no longer running to the elevator, users can open the floor where a foot pedal brake is and a series of ropes attached to a pulley system.

Working together, people can control the speed and the stopping of an elevator to quickly get to the ground level where they can escape from. But, plenty of safety features are built into this classic Otis System, so not all the stress is put on a person.

Along the side of the elevator shaft is a series of stop-points, rails, and buffers that help to control not only the speed but also the mechanism that will stop the elevator from falling into a complete freefall when it is being manually operated.

Are Apartments Safer Than Houses? (Check out our 12 Main Reasons why!)

4. Smart Tech Helps to Predict Potential Risks

Engineers have been developing smart tech that is built into large structures like high-rise buildings. Most notably, smart tech is being used in windows.

Smart-scan windows are a new technology that is installed into the glass of a window that collects and studies data.

While this may seem like a futurist dream, these types of windows are currently being used in some of the most high-tech skyscrapers around the world.

Smart windows use IoT sensors, also known as the “Internet of Things,” which collect data emitted by the building to create a graph of trends to spot safety problems to develop creative solutions.

Along with collecting data, these windows also keep your privacy safe in a few ways. After all, privacy is an important part of being safe.

Smart glass technology prevents people from scanning your personal data, which can help keep your privacy and personal information out of the wrong hands.

Lastly, this smart technology is also customizable when paired with personal devices.

One of the coolest ways you have control is to change the tint on your windows to make your home more eco-friendly and protect your privacy from peeping eyes.

Read These 5 Reasons Why 2nd-Floor Apartments Are Safer (Explained)

5. High-Tech Security Systems To Keep You Safe

Skyscrapers have some of the most advanced security systems in the world that do much more than just use a key to get in.

Each permanent occupant will get a card that holds all the important data. With this entry card, you get a time stamp of when you enter and leave and will also be alerted if someone isn’t supposed to gain entry.

The best part about the security features of a skyscraper is that they can be completely controlled remotely.

With this special technology, the security team can control everything from the temperature of each building area and lock the building down with a press of a button.

For example, in the case of a safety emergency, the security can control which doors open and which do not, essentially creating their own lockdown system that helps control the flow in which people can move.

Skyscrapers have taken a page from the high-rise book and created their own high-tech version of a doorman. This helps to give occupants not only peace of mind that their safety is always a top priority but also allows them to be alerted to any potential dangers.

Sources:

Freefall Impossible: The Safety of Elevators in Skyscrapers

7 Building Technologies That Help To Better Manage Security