Monthly Archives: December 2018

Quest for the Tallest Building

From the pyramids of Ancient Egypt to modern day Dubai in the middleastern desert, human beings have been fascinated by seeing the world from a higher level. Certainly the pyramids were a distinct break from the flat desert. In centuries past, the highest buildings were religious structures or churches seemingly a spiritual icon of being closer to heaven, or at least being above the daily toils. If tall buildings do represent some spiritual ambition or a competitive contest, the CN tower has elevated spirits and taken the height game to a new level.

A number of buildings have laid claim to the world’s tallest freestanding structure in the world and each have enjoyed fame and reverence for decades after their construction. At some point, a newer, higher building succeeds the leader but no matter, that building still succeeds in drawing attention. Why do architects and builders to reach for the sky? In a city such as New York the reason may be simply to save on real estate costs and taxes. There were no limits on height in Manhattan and builders were encouraged to build higher.

In other cities such as Kuala Lumpur, there may not have been such a need to build to 1483 feet but the building now symbolizes great accomplishment and ambition to the Malaysian people. In the competitive Asian Rim, it is easy not to be noticed, so the building along with the corresponding notoriety can attract world attention to this country which people would otherwise ignore. The end game of such tall buildings may be to create a groundswell of reverence in the population. Whether it’s the tourism generated dollars or awareness of the country’s economy, such an icon can be an economic and political force. Just the fact a country built it seems to suggest it has the technology and financing to be a trading partner with the world.

CN Tower

When the CN Tower was built in 1974, there were few tall buildings in Canada. When the tower was constructed, it was considered controversial and perhaps a monumental waste of time and money. Canadians were conservative and not particularly interested in ambitious challenges or in being noticed in the world community. 35 years later, Canada is well known around the world and Canadians have a different view of themselves. The CN Tower has attracted over 60 million visitors and hundreds of millions of people around the world have seen its image in magazines and on television. The billion dollar cost seems pitifully small compared to the overall revenue it has generated.

You’ve probably seen pictures of Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia but didn’t know where it was, however many people around the world do. It was featured in a feature length movie starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones called Entrapment. In many ways these towers do create a lot of attention and the collective attention of the public will have an effect on where money is attracted to. Businesses will want to be associated with anything iconic or popular. The CN Tower is still represented on web sites, magazines, and television advertising. The tower coincided with Toronto’s rise to the political and business center of Canada.

If you’ve visited Toronto and been to the CN Tower, you’ve probably stood in awe at how gigantic it is. Could this one tourist attraction shape the opinion of tourists and residents about Toronto and Canada? If the tower didn’t exist, would Toronto be regarded the same way and would people in Toronto have different expectations of themselves?

To say the CN Tower has caused Canada’s amazing economic growth and the change in our culture is of course ridiculous. In fact, it is just an expression of that growth in technological ability and ambition. The glorification of technology in Canada began many decades before and the CN Tower was just another expression of Canadian’s high regard for big construction projects.

Big Ambitions in Toronto

The SkyDome, Eaton Centre, Ontario Place and Casa Loma are more evidence of Canadian’s love for big construction. In the last decade, The CN Tower has fended off a few attempts by rival towers to lay claim to the tallest structure, but has kept its status as the world’s tallest freestanding structure by adding a taller antenna on top.

The Burj Dubai – World’s Tallest Structure

The Burj Dubai already has this tactic in place so that in future, if any building attempts to rival its height, it can add sections for hundreds and hundreds more feet. The Burj Dubai is now the world’s tallest building. It passed the CN Tower during the winter of 2008. It will actually surpass the CN Tower by almost 1000 feet. It is difficult to imagine why anyone would want to live at such a height, but perhaps they will feel they’re a little closer to heaven with a great view to match.

The difference between the Burj Dubai and the CN Tower is that it will have over 200 floors occupied with people in apartments. In the coming decades ahead this new iconic structure will shape views of the Middle East. Another difference is that this building is more about the power of wealth and resourcefulness and less about technology. The country of Dubai will run out of oil money in a few years and to deal with that issue, they’re turning to tourism to make Dubai a place everyone wants to be. It will no doubt become much more than it is already, so it should be respected for how it symbolizes economic innovation. Perhaps Toronto and the CN Tower will take a cue from Dubai’s amazing success and remake itself for a new role in the 21st Century.

Today the CN Tower still entertains 2 million visitors and acts as a visual centerpoint for commuters, residents, and sailors on Lake Ontario. Everyone who flies into Toronto on a commercial airline automatically looks for the CN Tower, even Toronto residents do. It’s that important for getting your bearings.

Some new developments have brought some new excitement for 2008. One of the elevators has a glass floor section to allow riders to see down the elevator shaft. The CN Tower’s stats may not measure up to the Burj Dubai, but the CN tower still has the world’s highest revolving restaurant and the elevator ride is free if you book a full course meal.

In so many ways, the CN Tower represents something higher but it’s not about living at a higher level, it’s about striving for something better. Symbolically, the tower might be more about ambition and a thrill, and for a world of workaholics, that might be much more preferable. In terms of tourism, Toronto doesn’t bake in 45 degree scorching heat and there’s much more to do in the city. The Burj Dubai will have to do a lot more to eclipse Toronto’s CN Towers appeal as a beacon of tourism.

You may be wondering: “What has the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa have to do with business success strategies?”

Well, the first lessons can be learnt from why this building is leaning in the first place.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is appropriately located in Italy’s Field of Miracles for it is indeed a miracle that this monument is still standing.

The answer to the initial question, despite baffling engineers for centuries, is simple.

The tower was built on a poor foundation. The soil upon which it was built was loose, sandy soil – inappropriate to support a monument of such stature.

The leaning actually started early in the construction phase and several attempts were made to rectify the problem. Special construction devices were used, columns and damaged parts were replaced but to no avail. The inclination continued because the underlying cause of the inclination had not been tackled.

In more recent times, concrete was poured into the foundation to help stabilise it but, alarmingly, the building sank further into the ground. It took an international committee, of which a key player was a Professor of Soil Mechanics from the London Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Professor John Burlap, to come up with a viable solution.

After anchoring the building, soil was carefully extracted from the North side causing it to sink on that side. It was a very delicate procedure because it was paramount that the building remained stable during this extraction process. The remedial action was set up so that the building could be carefully monitored and the position soil was extracted was altered where necessary so that the realignment of the building was controlled centimetre by centimetre.

Today, after an investment of $40M the tower still leans because to bring it to a completely vertical position would be out of character for the building. However, it has been shifted by 15 centimetres, restoring it to its 1838 position. This action is expected to prolong the life of this historic landmark for another 300-400 years.

So what business success strategies can we learn from this beautiful yet flawed building.

1. Start with a Solid Foundation

When building your business it’s important to start on a firm foundation that is appropriate for your business.

2. Avoid Overwhelm

Pouring cement into the tower’s foundation almost proved to be its undoing. Similarly, pouring too much ‘stuff’ into yourself and or business without careful consideration can do more harm than good. It’s important to receive strategic, accurate and focused advice.

3. Understand that Less Can be More

Sometimes a subtraction process is more valuable or relevant that an addition process. What can you ‘subtract’ from your business that would significantly boost its performance and multiply its results.

4. Get the Right Advice at the Right Time

Correcting mistakes can be costly. It may seem expensive at the time, but getting the right advice at the start of your project will pay for itself many times over. As Benjamin Franklin said:

“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”

5. Discover what You’re Not Seeing

Learn to look below the surface for solutions to your challenges. The problem with the tower lay not in the structure but in its foundation. Your business problems may lie in the invisible realm such as your mindset and or the mindset of your employees.

6. Be Creative

Think outside of the box when seeking solutions to challenges and learn to look to other industries for solutions that can be adapted to your business.

7. Monitor and Evaluate Your Progress

Don’t press on irregardless if you have evidence that what you are doing is not working. Monitor and evaluate your progress and course correct where necessary.

Construction work on the tower was stopped twice and it has now been determined that had workers not done this the tower would have toppled over before it was completed. Take time out to analyse and evaluate your progress and modify your business strategy where needed.

However, having said all this, if you have an idea that you believe in then action it. The adage that “you don’t have to get it perfect, you just need to get it started” still holds. And, for many, the quest for perfection rather than progress is one of the biggest obstacles to getting a business off the ground.

The need for illumination sources could arise in different indoor and outdoor applications. This calls for the use of towers that can help light up your facility and ensure that your work carries on unhindered. Magnum light towers are a preferred variety for their long-lasting illumination qualities and also for their power-saving features. With the advancement of lighting technologies, there are different towers options available in the market.

Locating a reputable global distributor who can supply the best tower brands is of prime importance. Next, you would need to decide on the type of tower you would need to use. This in this turn depends on your preferred power source. There are various options such as diesel-operated towers and battery operated varieties as well. Each of these energy sources offers certain advantages under different circumstances. And if you need equipment over and above the standard equipment, you always have the option of getting your tower customized through your distributor. There are certain leading distributors that can generate a quote for you in less than half hour so that there are no delays in the fulfillment stage. In addition, your chosen Magnum light towers can also be shipped to your desired location(s).

Certain applications stand to benefit from the use of portable towers. These towers can be easily taken from one location to another over short distances. For unique applications in hazardous and sensitive locations, you could opt for a special range of towers.

• Light-Towers for offshore hazardous locations: Only specially made towers should be used in areas that have a hazardous location rating. These towers are sturdy enough to last in the most demanding conditions. This is mainly possible because of features such as a galvanized mast, frame and skid. They also comprise stainless steel cabinets to resist corrosive offshore environments. In addition, it adheres to several other specifications that make it suitable for offshore locations.
• Green Light-Tower: There are certain indoor and outdoor operations that require the use of environmentally sensitive products. In such situations, environmentally friendly towers can prove to be the best option. These towers offer silent operation and emissions that are close to zero. They are also preferred because of their reduced glare and light pollution as they produce crisp white light. In most cases, these towers are battery operated, which further helps you save fuels. They can be an alternative for electric light towers.

If you need to use towers at different locations around your facility, it is advisable to discuss the pros and cons of towers with your chosen distributor. Since towers are a significant investment, it is advisable to opt for magnum light towers.