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On May 1st 1931, the then US President Herbert Hoover first turned on the lights of the famous building. Remarkably, architect William F. Lamb sketched out the preliminary building design in just two weeks. And the construction process was equally as speedy – as the entire project took just over a year to complete.  9 1932: Construction workers on an iron girder at the Empire State Building construction siteCredit: Getty Images9 Construction workers celebrate the completion of the ironwork on the Empire State BuildingCredit: Getty Images9 1930: A workman sweeping the highest sidewalk in the world, the 81st story of the Empire State BuildingCredit: Getty ImagesThe taskforce of around 3,400, which was largely made up of immigrants from Europe and Mohawk workers, laboured in terrifyingly perilous conditions. Official accounts state that five workers lost their lives during the construction of the building. This isn’t surprising when you notice the lack of harnesses or hard hats in these stark images. 9 Men heat their bread and coffee on a rivet heater on the Empire State Building site - which towered hundreds of metres into the skyCredit: Bettmann
9 1930: Steel worker stands precariously close to the edge on the Empire State Building during construction
Work foreman William Starrette spoke about the gruelling work of the brave builders. He said: “Building skyscrapers is the nearest peacetime equivalent of war. “In fact, the analogy is startling, even to the occasional grim reality of a building accident where maimed bodies, and even death, remind us that we are fighting a war of construction against the forces of nature.” 9 1930: Members of a derrick gang fix a beam during the construction processCredit: Getty Images9 The lack of harnesses, hard hats or safety precautions is one of the reasons why five men died during the construction processCredit: BBC9 1930: Aerial photo of the Empire State Building under constructionCredit: BettmannWorkers risked their safety for around £3.10 per day, which was twice the average wage for manual labour at the time. This fee added to the enormous expense of erecting the Empire State Building, which was estimated to be at around £31.6million. The 102-story skyscraper remained the tallest building in the world for almost 40 years, until it was beaten by the original World Trade Center’s North Tower in 1970. Currently, Dubai’s Burj Kaliha is the loftiest structure, soaring almost 450 higher than the Empire State Building. How many years will a skyscraper last?According to Bill Baker, the structural engineer behind the Burj Khalifa, the typical building is designed to withstand winds from a 700-year storm, while larger skyscrapers are designed to withstand events that occur just once every two millennia.
What is the life of Empire State Building?The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in New York City. Its name is derived from the nickname for the state of New York. It stood as the world's tallest building for more than 40 years, from its completion in 1931 until the construction of the World Trade Center North Tower in 1972.
Do skyscrapers have a life expectancy?Concrete Skyscrapers: 100-300 years (due to the strength of reinforced steel and concrete, the edifice may last up to 2-3 centuries before crumbling down back to earth due to natural elements, chemical processes and natural or artificial conflagrations.
How long will glass skyscrapers last?Wear and tear must also be taken into consideration, says Steve Mudie: “The façade systems can last as long as the building, typically 60 years. However, the glass units have a service life of between 25 to 30 years.
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What is the life expectancy of the Empire State building?
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