Editing Tower block (section)

{{Short description|Tall building; as opposed to a low-rise building}}
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{{Distinguish|Skyscraper}}
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[[File:GatewayVueNB.jpg|thumb|right|A newer high-rise tower in downtown [[New Brunswick, New Jersey|New Brunswick]], [[New Jersey]], U.S., known as the ''Hub City''. High-rise towers often anchor [[central business district]]s. ]]
[[File:Vilnius_CBD.jpg|thumb|right|High-rise towers in [[Vilnius Central Business District]], [[Lithuania]]]]
[[File:Majakka, Kalasatama, Helsinki (July 2019).jpg|thumb|The ''[[Majakka]]'' high-rise building in [[Kalasatama]], [[Helsinki]], Finland]]

A '''tower block''', '''high-rise''', '''apartment tower''', '''residential tower''', '''apartment block''', '''block of flats''', or '''office tower''' is a tall [[building]], as opposed to a [[low-rise building]] and is defined differently in terms of height depending on the [[jurisdiction]]. It is used as a [[apartment building|residential]] or [[office building]], or has other functions, including [[hotel]], [[retail]], or with multiple purposes combined. Residential high-rise buildings are also known in some varieties of English, such as [[British English]], as '''tower blocks''' and may be referred to as '''MDUs''', standing for '''multi-dwelling units'''.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=EDSW8ZXByAcC&pg=PA13 BICSI] McGraw-Hill Professional, 2002, {{ISBN|0-07-138211-9}}</ref>{{full citation needed|date=August 2019}} A very tall high-rise building is referred to as a [[skyscraper]].

High-rise buildings became possible to construct with the invention of the [[elevator]] (lift) and with less expensive, more abundant building materials. The materials used for the [[structural system]] of high-rise buildings are [[reinforced concrete]] and [[steel]]. Most [[North American]]–style [[skyscraper]]s have a [[steel frame]], while residential blocks are usually constructed of concrete. There is no clear difference between a tower block and a skyscraper, although a building with forty or more stories and taller than {{convert|150|m|ft}} is generally considered a skyscraper.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/547956/skyscraper|title=skyscraper |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=19 September 2012}}</ref>

High-rise structures pose particular design challenges for [[Structural engineering|structural]] and [[Geotechnical engineering|geotechnical]] engineers, particularly if situated in a [[seismic activity|seismically active]] region or if the underlying soils have geotechnical risk factors such as high [[compressibility]] or [[bay mud]]. They also pose serious challenges to firefighters during emergencies in high-rise structures. New and old building design, building systems such as the building [[Standpipe (firefighting)|standpipe]] system, [[HVAC]] systems (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), [[fire sprinkler]] systems, and other things such as stairwell and [[elevator]] evacuations pose significant problems. Studies are often required to ensure that pedestrian [[Wind engineering#Wind comfort|wind comfort]] and wind danger concerns are addressed. In order to allow less wind exposure, to transmit more daylight to the ground and to appear more slender, many high-rises have a design with [[Setback (architecture)|setbacks]].

[[Apartment building]]s have technical and economic advantages in areas of high [[population density]], and have become a distinctive feature of housing accommodation in virtually all densely populated [[urban area]]s around the world. In contrast with [[low-rise]] and single-family houses, apartment blocks accommodate more inhabitants per unit of area of land and decrease the cost of [[municipal infrastructure]].