An optimally functioning HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system is essential for maintaining a comfortable temperature and healthy indoor air quality in your home. However, after years of continuous use, HVAC systems naturally decline in performance and require repairs or replacement. Learning to spot signs of HVAC dysfunction, understanding the immense value of preventative maintenance, and weighing the pros and cons of repairing aging equipment versus replacing it can help homeowners make the smartest decisions for their needs and budget.
Recognizing When Your HVAC Needs Repair
A few conspicuous warning signs indicate your HVAC may require repair by a professional technician:
Uneven Cooling or Heating in Different Rooms
If certain rooms in your home consistently feel dramatically cooler or warmer than others, this likely signals issues with refrigerant charge or delivery. Low refrigerant levels, leaks in the evaporator coils, or compressor issues can all cause uneven temperatures throughout your home. Faulty ductwork preventing cooled or heated air from reaching certain rooms can also cause this. Any of these issues warrant calling an HVAC company for diagnosis and repairs.
Spiking Energy Bills and High Electricity Usage
Damaged HVAC components, such as broken heat exchangers, faulty compressors, corroded coils, or exhausted motors, must work much harder to cool or warm your home, consuming significantly more energy. This strain will cause your monthly bills to skyrocket. If your bills suddenly seem drastically higher without any change in usage habits, failing equipment likely needs repair.
Unusual Noises From the HVAC System
Emanating clanging, grinding, or screeching noises point to internal HVAC troubles like failing bearings or motors, off-balance blades that need realigning, worn belts causing slippage, or low coolant levels resulting in freezing evaporator coils. Any mechanical odd sounds warrant exploration from a technician. Ignoring conspicuous noise typically exacerbates issues.
Visible Leaking Near the Indoor Unit or External Condenser
Leaking water around your air handler/furnace inside or pooling by the outdoor compressor/condenser signifies ruptured coils, loose fittings, or drain line clogs, resulting in fluid spillover. Left unchecked, leaks can cause expansive water damage or dangerous mold growth. Immediately disconnect electrical connections to malfunctioning units and call for HVAC assessment and confirmation that no dangerous wires were compromised before restoring power. All leaks require urgent repair.
Short Cycling On/Off Instead of Smooth, Continuous Operation
If your HVAC system is rapidly turning on and off repeatedly rather than maintaining consistent heating or cooling cycles, this usually indicates thermostat malfunctions or temperature and pressure control issues. Faulty wiring, dirty electrical contacts, or dying thermostat batteries can all cause inefficient cycling. Left unaddressed, this spikes system wear and utility costs exponentially while delivering uncomfortable intermittent heating/cooling.
Why Consistent Preventative HVAC Maintenance is Essential
Beyond just reacting to repair needs as they arise, establishing consistent preventative HVAC system maintenance is critical for:
Early Identification of Small Issues Before They Become Big Problems
Most major, catastrophic HVAC breakdowns stemming from cumulative wear and tear are avoidable. Technicians can pinpoint minor issues like fraying belts, clogged air filters, low refrigerant levels, dirty coils, and scale buildup through routine maintenance long before these minor issues degenerate into complete compressor, motor, or heat exchanger failures requiring urgent replacement. Just as routine oil changes prevent total engine seizure in cars, early preventative HVAC upkeep mitigates most emergency breakdowns.
Maximizing Energy Efficiency and Minimizing Utility Bills
Various studies confirm that preventatively maintained HVAC units operate far more efficiently than neglected systems, significantly reducing electricity usage and costs. Clean components free of contaminants, leaks, blockages, and general friction translate directly into enhanced performance, sustainability, and savings.
Extending the Lifespan of HVAC Systems, Delaying Replacement Needs
Consistent technical care minimizes cumulative damage from years of continuous operation, dramatically extending the overall lifespan. Well-maintained home HVAC systems easily remain functional for 15-20 years. With preventative tune-ups, commercial units often operate over 25 years before major renovation needs. Preventative maintenance leads to substantial long-term ROI, avoiding premature replacement purchases.
Enhanced Climate and Indoor Air Quality Control
When all components, including refrigerant levels, air filters, and duct integrity, remain in prime shape through regular upkeep, HVAC operates at peak capacity. This translates to maximized humidity modulation, drafting, temperature control, and ventilation regulation, ensuring superior comfort and indoor air purity. Health improved demonstrably with optimized HVAC performance. Typical comprehensive preventative maintenance checkups and tasks performed by technicians include:
Thoroughly cleaning or replacing dirty air filters that restrict airflow and breed contaminants when filthy.
Checking refrigerant charge levels and inspecting components for leaks.
Meticulously examining all ductwork and conduits for any breaches or blockages impeding performance.
Lubricating all moving internal parts to reduce friction related wear.
Double-check that the thermostat and overall system settings match optimal efficiency parameters.
Running full operational tests assessing ventilation rates, coolant pressures, voltage draws, and benchmarking readings to previous checkups.
Skilled technicians possess specialized tools and testing capabilities to holistically gauge system health and isolate deficiencies early when repairs are most affordable. They also confirm that safety cutoff controls function properly to prevent accidental overheating or electrical issues that result in hazards. Do-it-yourselfers need more expertise and diagnostics to conduct such comprehensive assessments. Regular professional maintenance protects your comfort, investment, and safety.
Key Signs Your HVAC System May Need Complete Replacement
While competent repairs can certainly extend functional lifespan, at a certain point, patching up an egregiously outdated HVAC that has exceeded reasonable operational expectations diminishes practical sense. Several clear indicators suggest replacement may be the most prudent choice:
HVAC System Age Exceeds Typical 10-15 Year Lifespan
On average, homeowners replace home HVAC systems every 10-15 years as gradual wear and tear accumulates. While units can operate functionally beyond that threshold with preventative maintenance, efficiency, and cost-benefit analysis merits reevaluation at that stage. Upgrading extremely outdated equipment past its natural lifespan often delivers immense efficiency bonuses and long-term savings from enhanced sustainability. Modern HVAC system lifetime expectancies continue rising with technological improvements as well.
Repair Costs Approaching 50% of Replacement Value
As major components like A-coil evaporators, compressors, and heat exchangers near the culmination of functional lifespan after a decade or more of use, expensive replacements of these core elements may make less sense than holistically upgrading the furnace or AC unit. Once repair bills start approaching 50% of outright unit replacement cost, the math warrants weighing replacement options for vastly improved efficiency, longevity, and warranty coverage.
Sharp Drops in Cooling Capability and Power
Over years of heavy seasonal use, air conditioning output naturally deteriorates as internal components fatigue. No amount of repairs can restore initial cooling power and dehumidification capacity levels in units operating 5-10 years. Suppose your current AC is straining at maximum effort, but you still cannot maintain comfortable indoor temperatures that could easily be achieved with newer models. In that case, replacement may be your best bet to reclaim desired cooling competence – especially with summer heat intensification due to climate change.
Reduced Operational Efficiency Spikes Energy Bills
Independent of acute repair needs, severely outdated HVAC systems operate extremely inefficiently by modern comparisons. If your 10 year old units lack updated sustainable capabilities and refrigerants, replacing them with new ENERGY STAR models can dramatically curb electric bills and environmental impact. With substantial rebates and tax credits on a new air conditioner further offsetting upfront costs, replacement furnishes immediate energy savings benefitting your budget and the planet.
In summary, while regular maintenance enables HVAC systems to operate smoothly for over a decade in many homes, recognizing the right juncture to replace outdated equipment provides optimal efficiency. Watkins Heating’s experts holistically examine your unique home infrastructure to advise whether replacement decisions furnish the greatest practical value and comfort improvements. Partnering with a team this astute ensures ideal outcomes benefitting your family’s peace of mind and budget.
Lone workers operate without direct supervision, often in hazardous or volatile situations. Without support nearby, these isolated staff face immense risks jeopardizing safety. Utilizing lone worker devices introduces reliable protections shielding vulnerable employees. Connected technologies provide real-time monitoring, trigger alerts, summon aid during emergencies, and collect helpful safety insights guiding future precautions. This guide will examine dangers impacting lone workers and how innovative devices now defend them.
The Risks of Lone Working
Working alone invites risks from multiple angles, threatening harm. Understanding exposures informs appropriate protections.
Violence and Aggression
Staff directly facing customers, including late-night retail clerks or enforcement officers, encounter verbal and physical violence more frequently, provoking trauma without backup. Preventative plans combat aggression.
Accidents and Injuries
Laborers in remote fields or isolated facilities handling formidable equipment need more assistance responding to mishaps. Delayed emergency awareness amplifies severities increasing recovery requirements later. Quick alerts improve outcomes.
Medical Emergencies
Those with undisclosed chronic illnesses risk amplified critical episodes going unnoticed for prolonged periods of being alone if health incidents render communication impossible. Proactive monitoring identifies early onset signs, enabling early intervention.
Psychological Stress
Missing social signals reading situational cues otherwise provided via team engagement leaves lone workers more psychologically vulnerable to anxiety or depression. Connecting devices combat isolation, restoring healthier interactions.
Safely realizing the maximum benefits of lone working formats.
The Role of Lone Worker Devices
Specialized connected lone worker devices deliver essential support services safeguarding isolated staff, spreading across industries where operating independently has increased. Solutions showcase innovations preventing harm.
Fall Detection
Tri-axis accelerometers inside devices sense sudden collapsed drops or lack of expected movement patterns, signaling likely injury incidents requiring assistance. Alert systems activation brings responders quicker, mitigating lingering impacts.
GPS Tracking
Built-in GPS pinpoints precise staffer locations during incidents, directing emergency personnel accurately even in vast, remote settings with minimal identifiable landmarks that impede public first responders who lack contextual landmarks.
Two-Way Communication
Instant in-ear audio connections bridge communication gaps, combat loneliness, and establish direct contact channels for summoning help. Some devices enable team engagement, similar to walkie-talkies, keeping morale up.
Man-Down Alerts
When no movement is detected after falls, solutions automatically push man-down signals, escalating emergency systems unless consciously canceled, preventing false alarms. Validation checks maximize the appropriateness of responding.
Environmental Monitoring
Sensors tracking thermal shifts, toxic gas accumulation, moisture ingress, or similar scenarios supply real-time air quality awareness, highlighting rising risks, empowering healthier decision-making, and preventing long-term harm.
Today’s solutions evolve, safeguarding far beyond outdated lone panic buttons and increasing response reliability.
Types of Lone Worker Devices
Various form factors provide tailored options for securing lone staffers. Ideal choices consider job nature and worker preferences, balancing noninvasive utility.
Personal Alarm Devices (PADs)
Basic PAD devices integrate emergency assistance buttons and loud sirens, drawing nearby attention during threats. Their low-cost scalability suits large, dispersed workforces like retail chains or hospitals, where customization seems less necessary.
GPS Tracking Devices
Lightweight clipped devices with battery lives lasting weeks operate via cellular networks, providing outdoor location services and specifically helping manage remote field personnel situations should injuries occur. Rugged designs withstand harsh conditions.
Smartwatches and Wearable Devices
Integrating sensors into ergonomic wrist wearables enables natural adoption by mimicking ubiquitous devices overcoming stigma objections. Health monitors detect physical performance indicators predictive of injury risks like fatigue, while subtle alert buttons request aid inconspicuously during confrontations.
Choosing the Right Lone Worker Device
Selecting appropriate solutions that balance affordability, ergonomic design, and responsive effectiveness ensures user adoption while truly minimizing incidents.
The Industry and Work Environment
Office-based remote staff require entirely different features than field inspectors traversing questionable neighborhoods. Temperature extremes, toxic ventilation, or violence frequencies should guide device durability demands in each industry.
The Nature of Work Tasks
If laborers operate machinery requiring dexterity and tactile sensitivity, rigid wrist devices may impede movements. Therefore, lightweight clip models workout better without interfering. Assess role hindrance factors.
Worker Preferences
Device designs considering comfort and discretion by leveraging discreet wearables often achieve higher voluntary usage over bulky industrial models requiring compliance mandates alone fostering resentment. Inclusive options design matters.
Cost Considerations
Although safety remains priceless, equipping thousands of workers demands balancing expenses. For the largest-scale needs with minimized financial burdens, basic PAD alarm devices offer loud alerts that cost effectively attract nearby aid during disruptive situations.
Determine scale priorities
Diligently evaluating operational elements and gathering staff feedback informs optimum options catering to unique risk profiles and workplace cultures cost-effectively while ensuring user embracement crucial for successful execution guaranteeing fulfilled safeguarding.
Benefits of Using Lone Worker Devices
Adopting Bodytrak lone worker devices provides measurable improvements beyond fostering fundamental injury and crisis prevention by amplifying operational performance.
Enhanced Safety
Automated assistance alerts accelerate emergency response times up to 3 fold, minimizing lasting harmful events like dangerous falls, otherwise leaving workers immobilized for prolonged periods alone. Now receive urgent help faster, boosting survival rates.
Improved Peace of Mind
Stress compounds physical damages, but solutions such as providing two-way voice connections bridging emotional isolation gaps plus escalating automated alerts restore assurance and help hover nearby, reducing anxiety by 50% and improving work satisfaction and retention.
Increased Productivity
Confidence cultivated via preventative protocols and responsive networks enables workers to focus fully on value-added activities without wasting mental energy constantly questioning personal safety. Output directly improves remaining engaged.
Reduced Insurance Costs
Statistical risk reductions achieved through strict lone worker monitoring earn insurance discounts. Quantified harm prevention records illustrate that programs slash exposure to claims-incurring situations by nearly 30%, saving companies thousands annually.
Valuable Data Insights
Collated background analytics gathered from sensors tracking environmental threats identifies previously unnoticed risk patterns like toxicity exposure levels by facility area or client aggression frequencies by region flagging operational vulnerabilities requiring added protections boosting safety. Analytics inform. Threats once accepted as expected job hazards today find resolution through innovative resources defending workers remotely, transforming lone arrangements formerly considered taboo into sustainable formats, achieving expansive operations supporting more people productively.
Applications of Lone Worker Devices
Diverse industries manage remote staff beyond communications range, facing amplified uncertainties, making lone worker solutions providing preventative protections priceless for elevated risk roles, including:
Construction
Remote builders and inspectors monitoring large neighborhoods or accessing high-altitude job sites leverage GPS-enabled devices with fall alerts, guarding injury response and letting teams pinpoint worker positioning on sprawling bulks, improving coordination.
Security
Guards patrolling corporate campuses late at night require extra support to confirm status and control aggressive encounters. Location tracking ensures complete site coverage, while devices log incidents, guiding future patrol planning using data.
Healthcare
Home health aides care for community seniors with undisclosed health histories, risking critical episodes behind closed doors. Vital sign tracking wearables alert supervisors to flagging possible stroke or heart attack cases needing immediate intervention to protect patients.
Utilities & Field Services
The expansive smart grid and infrastructure footprint necessitate community staff roaming neighborhoods alone. Automatic mishap notifications inform managers to reduce outage restoration delays by 50%, preventing long-suffering customers from intensifying frustration.
Transportation & Delivery Drivers
Truckers traversing alone beyond city limits face vehicle breakdown risks and violent truck stop assaults endangering safety. Connected solutions provide direct emergency dispatch assistance while documenting incident analytics, improving enterprise protections, and safeguarding drivers. Today’s innovative resources defend against previously accepted lone worker risks, transforming yesterday’s hazards into tomorrow’s opportunities, safely going where no one has gone before.
Conclusion
As industries aim to meet consumer demands whenever requested by society, expanded lone-working formats bridge critical gaps, enabling 24/7 services supporting modern global lifestyles. However, these emerging isolated operating conditions also amplify staff uncertainty vulnerabilities, negatively impacting psychological health while increasing physical injury exposures requiring mitigation. Purpose-built lone worker devices tailored to address unique role challenges now protect millions working independently by creating reliable connections, bridging communication divides, plus escalating automated alerts reacting faster than humans manually could seeking help during disruptive events. Their responsive assistance capabilities rescue stranded staff within minutes, converting former emergency events into minor incidents through accelerated support response times – saving money, preserving lives, and defending futures brighter.
Construction is among the fastest-growing sectors in the world at present. Worldwide, about $10 trillion is spent each year on construction-related products and services, and in 2022, the spending target was 13 trillion US dollars. Meanwhile, in the USA, around $1.4 trillion is spent each year on construction. For every country, infrastructure is a must for its development. This is economically great for everyone because of its wide range of opportunities. The United States of America has the largest construction market in the whole world. So, we will look at the 15 biggest construction companies in the U.S. or USA as of 2024.
Top 15 Biggest Construction Companies in the U.S as of 2024
1. Bechtel Group INC
💰 Revenue: $21.8 billion.
👷 Employees: 55,000.
🏢 Headquarters: Reston, Virginia, U.S.
📅 Founded: 1898.
👑 Owner: Bechtel family.
Bechtel Group Inc. is the biggest/largest construction company in the United States of America. The company has expertise in construction, project management, engineering, and procurement. Bechtel group was founded in San Francisco, California, and currently, its headquarters is situated in Reston, Virginia.
The biggest construction company in the US was founded by Warren A. Bechtel in 1898. The age of the company is 124 years. The founder Warren A. Bechtel was a cattle farmer from the state of Kansas, Warren moved to the Oklahoma territory of that time for constructing the railroads. Warren in the year 1906 got his first subcontract for the construction of the Orville to Oakland section of the Western Pacific Railroad.
The company was purely focused on the construction of railroads till 1919. In the year 1919, the company ventured into the construction of highways, roads, and bridges all over the Western United States. The company worked for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California during the 1920s on the company’s first Hydroelectric Project.
In the year 1925, W.A. Bechtel Company was formed after the sons of Warren, Stephen, Kenneth, Warren Jr. and his brother Arthur came together. W.A. Bechtel Company started working for the California Standard Oil Company to build the infrastructure of pipelines and refineries.
In 1931, the company along with other construction companies build up a consortium to bid for the construction of the Hoover Dam for the US government. The consortium won the bid and the construction started in the summer of 1931.
The growth of the company during and after World War II increased more and more. The company bid for shipbuilding and came into the shipbuilding sector as well. They worked internationally as well in Venezuela, Jordan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. The construction of the Experimental Breeder Reactor 1 was taken by the company.
The company became the major builder of Nuclear Plants during the 1970s. Over the years, Bechtel Group Inc. has been a part of the construction of some major projects both in the USA as well as internationally. Some of the Major projects are Hoover Dam, Bay Area Rapid Transit, Channel Tunnel, Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and many more as well.
Brendan Bechtel is the present CEO and the Chairman of the Bechtel Group. At present, Consolidated Nuclear Security, Bechtel Jacobs, Bantrel Co., Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, Tube Lines are the subsidiaries of the company. Read Also: Top 10 Tiles Companies in the USA.
2. Fluor Corporation
💰 Revenue: $16 billion.
👷 Employees: 53,000.
🏢 Headquarters: Irving, Texas, U.S.
📅 Founded: 1912.
👨💼 CEO: David E. Constable
Among all the construction companies in the USA, Fluor Corporation is the second-largest company. It is mainly an engineering and construction company. It was founded by John Simon Fluor in the year 1912. Irving, Texas is the place where the headquarters of Fluor Corporation is located. David E. Constable is the CEO of the company.
After the foundation of the company, it had rapid growth due to its work on the construction of oil refineries, pipelines, and other projects related to the oil and gas industry. The work of the company started in California and then in the Middle East and the rest of the world. Fluor Corporation started expanding during the 1960s in fossil fuels and minerals extraction.
The company was restructured in 1980, however, within a few years of that the company again was able to make profits. The restructuring was the reason behind the company having about 30 industries all in different fields. The company had witnessed an increase in revenue after the restructuring but again towards 1997, revenues dipped because of the Asian financial crisis.
The financial crisis again cooled the company to be restructured in 1998 into four parts. The four parts are engineering and construction, equipment rental, staffing and telecommunication, and coal mining.
In 2005, the headquarters of the company was moved to the Las Colinas area in Irving, Texas. In the year 2015, Fluor’s biggest takeover in history they have done when they bought Dutch company Strok for $775 million which was worth of stocks.
Some of the major projects which were compelled by the company in life till now are the first Buddha Tower which was used for cooling water, a gasoline pant for Richfield Oil, the Escondida a copper mine in Chile, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, the Aladdin Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and towards the end of 2012, the company received a contract of $3.4 billion to construct a new Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River.
3. AECOM
💰 Revenue: $13 billion.
👷 Employees: 51,000.
🏢 Headquarters: Dallas, Texas, United States.
📅 Founded: 1990.
👨💼 CEO: W. Troy Rudd
In third place in the list of top 15 construction companies in the USA, comes AECOM. AECOM is a relatively new company when compared to the top two companies as the company was founded in 1990. From its foundation until 2015, AECOM was known as AECOM Technology Corporation.
At present, the global headquarter of this construction firm is in Dallas, Texas. W. Troy Rudd is the CEO of AECOM. The three main services that are provided by the company are Architecture engineering, Building Design, and Construction Management.
When the company first started in 1990, it acquired a large number of companies related to design, engineering, and construction. Some of such companies which are acquired are Maunsell, EDAW, Economic Research Associates, ENSR an environmental management firm, the RETEC Group Inc., architect Ellerbe Becket and Davis Langdon, and many more as well.
AECOM has ever since kept on acquiring majority stakes of many companies and kept on diversifying the services provided by them. In 2000, Metcalf and Eddy came into the hold of the company. Meanwhile, in 2004, the majority stake of the Canadian company UMA Engineering Ltd. was also brought by AECOM. This acquisition of different companies from different niches further helped in the company’s growth.
However, since 2019 the approach of the company has changed and they started selling off some of the companies under AECOM. The first firms to be sold by the company are American Securities LLT and Lindsay Goldberg. Read Also: Top 10 Cement Companies in the USA.
4. Turner Construction
💰 Revenue: $14.5 billion.
👷 Employees: 10,000.
🏢 Headquarters: New York City, NY 10014, U.S.
📅 Founded: 1902.
👨💼 CEO: Peter J. Davoren.
With the slogan “Turner for Concrete“, this company listed its name as one of the most popular as well as the largest companies in the United States of America. The company was founded in the year 1902 by Henry C Turner. Its headquarters is located in Hudson Street, New York City, NY 10014, United States, and currently, Peter J. Davoren is both the president and the CEO. The company mainly works in the field of Construction Management and Consulting.
The first project that Turner Construction took was in Brooklyn to make a concrete vault. During the 1920s, the company became very popular and one of the major construction companies which were building for many large companies. During the World War, The company stopped working on all the commercial buildings and worked for the government to help in building the infrastructure of the war.
In the year 1941, the founder and the president of the company Henry Turner stepped down and became the chairman. Archie Turner the brother of Henry was passed the baton of President. However, in 1946, fully stepped out of the post and Archie became the chairman. For the post of president, Archie Turner appointed Ben Moreell. Sadly in the year 1947, Archie Turner passed away due to a heart attack.
Throughout the 1950s, and the following year, Turner Construction went on going and constructing new buildings all over the United States. This growth of the company resulted in getting listed in 1972 on the American Stock Exchange. During the mid – 1990s Turner Construction built Charlotte, North Carolina’s Bank of America Stadium and the Sports Authority Field at Mile High in 2001. Hochtief, a German company, bought Turner Construction in 1999 for $370 million.
This acquisition of the company added the access of operations in Australia, the United Kingdom, and in the heavy construction field. The company entered Washington, DC. by acquiring J.A. Jones-Tompkins Builders. As of 2016, the Turner Construction company had about 45 locations of offices all over the world. Read Also:List of heavy construction equipment.
If we look at the major infrastructure works done by Turner Construction, they are the staircase of the New York City Subway, the United Nations Secretariat Building in 1952, Madison Square Garden in 1967, John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library in 1977, and many more.
5. Skanska AB
💰 Revenue: $17 billion.
👷 Employees: 33,000.
🏢 Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden.
📅 Founded: 1887.
👨💼 CEO: David E. Constable.
Skanska AB is another largest construction company in the United States. Originally it is a Swedish construction company which is based in Sweden. The company was founded in 1887, in Malmo, Sweden. Rudolf Fredrik Berg was the founder of the company which started as a concrete products manufacturing company.
However, it quickly put its foot in the construction industry and within a decade of existence received its first international construction project. Currently, the headquarters of the company is situated in Stockholm, Sweden. It played a pivotal role in the infrastructure development of Sweden as well.
After its immense growth in the country of its origin, Skanska in the mid-1950s started its expansion internationally. The market of South America, Asia, and Africa were the first to witness the Skanska during the next decade. However, in the United States, the company came in the year 1971, and in this journey, the company has become one of the biggest construction companies in the US as well. It was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1965 and was officially named Skanska.
Skanska’s growth was both substantial as well as acquisition. At the start of the 21st century, they brought Kvaerner’s construction arm. In the year 2011, the company acquired Contractors Inc. in the US state of Evansville, Indiana.
Some of the major constructions which were done by Skanska are Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London in 2001, the Royal London Hospitals (construction was completed in 2015), MetLife Stadium which was completed in 2010, Alaskan Way Viaduct, World Trade Center Transportation Hub in 2015, Moynihan Train Hall which was constructed in 2020.
6. Mcdermott International Ltd
💰 Revenue: $8.3 billion.
👷 Employees: 40,000.
🏢 Headquarters: Houston, Texas, United States.
📅 Founded: 1923.
👨💼 CEO: Lee A Mcintire.
Mcdermott International Ltd. listed its name among the top 10 biggest construction companies in the US. The company was started in 1923 and has completed its 99-year journey. The company was founded by Ralph Thomas McDermott in Bermuda. However, at present, its headquarters is located in Houston, Texas, USA. The company provides services in Energy, Engineering, and Construction fields. It is not only one of the biggest construction companies in the USA but also in the whole world and this is evident when we see there are 54 countries where it has operations.
The first project after Mcdermott International Ltd. was founded was a contract to build a total of 50 wooden drill rings for a wildcatter which was located in Luling, Texas. In 1930, as the growth of oil drilling became very popular, the headquarters of the company was transferred to Luling from Eastland, Texas. Although the headquarters of the company was transferred a couple of years before, in 1932, it was again moved to Houston, Texas. The McDermott family at that time had three different businesses – Elmax Construction, J.Ray McDermott and Co., and Stall & McDermott.
The first construction crew of the company was hired in 1937 which consisted of 6 individuals. Moreover, an office was opened in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1939, the company acquired J.G. McMullen Dredging Company and renamed it Olsen Dredging Company. In 1946, all of the business companies of the family were merged into one which was named as J.Ray McDermott & Co., Inc. of Delaware. Moreover, in 1947, it became the first company to install a steel platform in 20 feet deep water in the Gulf of Mexico for Superior Oil. This meant that the company became a major contracting one in that segment of that time.
The company in 1948 acquired all the assets of the Harry F. Allsman Company. During this journey, the family company was able to cope with the huge demand for construction offshore. Moreover, in 1949, the first vessel for the construction of offshore structures was commissioned by the company. The name of the first vessel was Derrick Barge 4.
In 2010, McDermott international shareholders agreed to join Babcock & Wilcox a US government-based contracting company. In December 2017, McDermott International and CB&I merged together and became an onshore-offshore company. A contract was signed by McDermott with Shell in August 2018 on the Perdido project but in the Gulf of Mexico.
The merging was a total disaster for McDermott as they faced huge losses. This loss forced the company to take loans of about 1.7 billion. Moreover, during the 3rd quarter of 2019, the company showed that it had a loss of about $1.9 billion. However, the worst was to come for McDermott International as on 21 January 2020 announcement of chapter 11 bankruptcy was filled. In June 2020, McDermott got rid of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Read Also: Top 10 Sand & Gravel Producers in the US.
7. DPR Construction
💰 Revenue: $6.8 billion.
👷 Employees: 9,000.
🏢 Headquarters: Redwood City, California, U.S.
📅 Founded: 1990.
DPR Construction company was founded in 1990 by Doug Woods, Peter Nosler, Ron Davidowski. DPR Construction provides services of General Contract and Construction Management. Although DPR Construction is relatively young considering the other companies on the list, there are 30 offices of the company all over the USA and offices located in the continents of Europe and Asia as well. The headquarters of the company is located in Redwood City, California, United States.
DPR Construction was started with an investment of $750,000. One of the most notable works of the early days of the company was a $4.5 million project to improve the tenant for Agro System in Sunnyvale, California for a six-month time period. A $43 million water fabrication work was done by the company for Rockwell International in Los Angeles, California. Another $43 million semiconductor fabrication factory was built by the company for Rockwell International which worked as a groundbreaking achievement for the company.
DPR Construction became famous for its works and moreover for the Building Information Modeling and the likes of sustainable construction safety and self-perform work. In 1999, the company got its first green project. The project was to construct a campus for the company Aspect Communication. The project was designed by William McDonough + Partners and Form4 Architecture. The project was completed in 2001 and was considered the greenest structure of the whole of San Jose, California.
DPR Construction has always prioritized the environment and has worked in making nature-friendly projects. The Sacramento regional office of the DPR Construction was the first privately owned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED). The San Diego regional office became the first building to be LEEDs approved and Net-Zero. Energy status.
In 2014, San Francisco regional office became the city’s first net-zero-energy-designed office building of DPR Construction. Some of the major projects done by the company are Arizona State University, McCord Hall at W. P. Carey School of Business, Clif Bar, Headquarters, the construction of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Sutter Health, Eden Medical Center.
8. Gilbane Building Company
💰 Revenue: $6 billion.
👷 Employees: 2,800.
🏢 Headquarters: Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
📅 Founded: 1870.
👨💼 CEO: Thomas M. Laird, Jr.
The eighth biggest construction company in the United States of America in 2024 is Gilbane Building Company. The company was founded in 1870 by William H. Gilbane. The company is owned by the Gilbane family from its start and the 4th, 5th, and 6th generation of the family have looked after the company. The company provides the services of construction management and facility management.
Gilbane Building Company is not only popular at the national level but also internationally with more than 45 offices all over the world. However, the headquarters of the company is located in Providence, RI, United States. Thomas M. Laird, Jr. is the CEO of the company.
When the company was first founded in 1870, it was named William H. Gilbane and Brother, and carpentry & contracting were the main services were provided. After the early years, the company focused on building houses and later on began to work on houses and with experience started the construction of churches, hospitals, and many other types of buildings.
In the year 1943, the company was awarded the Army-Navy “E” award by the then Under-secretary of Navy, James Forrestal. The company made its first expansion in the year 1970 by forming a sister company named Gilbane Development Company. In 2010, Gilbane Company acquired two more companies, the first one being Innovative Technical Solution, Inc. a specialist in engineering and construction. The other company was W.G Wills, Inc. another construction company.
In 2013, Paul J. Choquette, III who is the fifth generation of the Gilbane family became Senior Vice president of Gilbane Inc. In the year 2015, Gilbane Building company acquiesce Michael McKelvy as the chief operating officer and the president. However, a year later in 2016, McKelvy became the CEO of the company becoming the first person who is not from the family of Gilbane to become the CEO.
Some of the most important buildings constructed by the company are the Lake Placid Winter Olympic Facilities in New York for the 1980 Winter Olympics, Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, Robert F. Kennedy U. S. Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C., Georgia Tech Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions (CNES) Laboratory in Atlanta, George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston and many more.
9. Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
💰 Revenue: $5.9 billion.
👷 Employees: 3,000.
🏢 Headquarters: Greeley, Colorado, United States.
📅 Founded: 1937.
👨💼 CEO: Michael Choutka.
Hensel Phelps Construction Co. ranks ninth on the list of the top 15 construction companies in the United States. The company was founded in 1937 by Abel Hensel Phelps. When the company was founded, it was a small local builder in Greeley, Colorado. The company is a fully employee-owned company. The specializations of the Abel Hensel Phelps Co. are construction, real estate management, and facilities management. Michael Choutka is currently the president and the CEO of the company.
When the company was first founded by Mr. Hensel Phelps, they only work on home building and remodeling. The Hensel Phelps Construction Co. received its first commercial contract in 1945. The project included building grain elevators from wood. The company also entered into the project of educational institutions in 1947 by building Arlington School in Greeley, Colorado.
Joseph Phelps, the son of Hensel Phelps joined the company in 1952 and become a partner of the company in 1955. In 1957, Joseph becomes the general manager and the president of the company after his father’s retirement. In 1958, he built the first logo for the company and introduced helmets for workers who had then 5 years of experience in the company.
The growth of Hensel Phelps Construction Co. kept on increasing as in 1964 they entered the aviation construction industry and built the first phase of the Stapleton International Airport Terminal. The company had its first branch opened in Burlingame, California, in 1967 after which in 1969, the services of the company were diversified by adding development and services.
In the same year, the logo and name of the present were introduced as well. Joseph Phelps retired in 1975 after which in the elections, Robert Tointon was elected as the president and the general manager of the company. In the same year, the company got two more projects from two totally different backgrounds – in healthcare and science & technology as well. In 1985, Jerry Morgensen was elected as President of the company. In 1988, Hensel Phelps implemented Computer-Aided Design (CAD).
Till 1989, the company was privately owned by Phelps however after that, the ownership was transferred to the employees of the company. During the year 1999, Hensel Phelps Construction Co. received its first international project in Curaçao. The expansion of the Prison at Koraal Specht was the project for the company. In the same year, the company reached the mark of $1 billion in revenue.
In 2010, Jeff Wenaas became the president and the CEO of the company and the official Twitter handle of the company was also launched. The company won many awards for its excellence over the years. In 2019, the present CEO of the company Michael J. Choutka was appointed by the board of directors. In 2021, Hensel Phelps Construction Co. acquired Hydro Construction, a company that had its services oriented to water and wastewater treatment facilities. Read Also: Top 10 Tallest Buildings in the U.S.
10. Clark Construction Group
💰 Revenue: $5 billion.
👷 Employees: 4,200.
🏢 Headquarters: Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
📅 Founded: 1906.
The company that acquired 10th place among the 15 biggest construction companies in the US is Clark Construction Group. The company was founded in 1906 making it more than a century old. The company was founded by George Hyman in Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. The company only provides construction services and it is a private company.
The company was an excavation company at first. After that, the company moved into the construction of buildings as there was rapid growth in the county at that time. In 1923, the first project of the company was to construct a school building known as Wheatley Junior High School. During World War II, the company like all other companies in the US worked for the government. The founder of the company passed away in 1959 and his role was taken by his nephew Benjamin Rome.
In 1969, the company was bought by A. James Clark. After buying the company from the Hyman family, the company reached new levels in terms of growth. In 1995, all the construction companies that were under Clark were merged together to form Clark Construction. In 2016, after the death of Clark, his company was bought by Firm Management from Clark enterprise. It means that the parent company had to only look after their private equity, finance, and real estate.
Some of the major works that the company has done are Los Angeles International Airports’ central terminal overhaul, construction of San Antonio International Airport’s new terminal B, Los Angeles Hall of Justice repair and restoration, Pasadena City Hall overhaul, Los Angeles City Hall restoration and overhaul.
11. Swinerton
💰 Revenue: $5 billion.
👷 Employees: 3,600.
🏢 Headquarters: San Francisco, California
📅 Founded: 1888.
👨💼 CEO: Eric Foster.
The eleventh biggest Construction company in the United States is Swinerton Builders. The company was founded in 1888 by Alfred Bingham Swinerton making it one of the oldest construction companies in the US. The company specializes in general construction and green building.
The headquarter of the company is located in San Francisco, California. Swinerton is another company on this list that is owned by employees completely. The construction of commercial buildings is the main speciality of the company and they have worked all over the United States.
The quality of the work which the company provides is visible when we look at the Fairmont Hotel which was among the countable buildings that stood after the fire and earthquake of 1906. The company enters the niche of renewable energy in 2008. From 2008 till now Swinerton Renewable Energy has helped in setting up 3.5 GW of projects.
Moreover, they also provide solutions and long-term maintenance as well. Some of the most famous works done by Swinerton are Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco Center, Levi’s Plaza, Eel River Bridge, Western Sugar Refinery and NASA Substantianabity Base.
12. Suffolk Construction Company
Suffolk Construction Company ranks twelfth in the list of the 15 biggest construction companies in the United States of America. The company was founded in 1982 by Ed Fish in Boston, Massachusetts. After founding the company Ed Fish took a loan of $80000 and he made his son John F. Fish both the CEO and company president as well.
The company grew rapidly and in 1987 its revenue of the company reached $66 million. In 1989 the company expanded to South Florida. The company signed an agreement in 1993 with the Boston carpentry Union, in which Suffolk would use the workers of the union for all the works in Boston only. However again in the year 1999, Suffolk reached an agreement with the carpentry union to use their workers all over New England. The company kept on growing both financially and by men’s power as well when they acquired William A. Berry & Son a contractor in New England who specialize in biomedical and health care construction.
Moreover, in 2011 to expand in California they acquired ROEL Construction. In 2016, Suffolk Construction Company was chosen as the main contractor of Wynn Resorts casino in Everett, Massachusetts. In the same year, the contract for General Electric’s Boston headquarters building was also given to the company. Some of the most notable works done by Suffolk Construction Company are Millennium Tower of Boston, Miami Central, Encore Boston Harbor, 360 State Street.
13. Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC
Brasfield & Gorrie is another largest construction company in the USA. The company was founded by Thomas C. Brasfield in 1921. The headquarter of the company is located in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. At present, M. James Gorrie is Chief Executive Officer and M. Miller Gorrie is the president of the company. The services like General Construction, Construction Management, Design are provided by Brasfield & Gorrie.
At first, when the company was founded the main focus was given to small commercial and remodeling projects. Until 1964 the focus of the same but after the company was acquired by Miller Gorrie the focus of the company was taken towards large commercial, industrial and institutional projects. In 1967, the company’s name was changed into its present name Brasfield & Gorrie. The growth of the company led to its expansion in more directions.
During the later 1960s and early 1970s, the company diversified high-rise and specialty concrete structures. Water and Sewage treatment plants were also added to the services of the company in 1977. Such rapid growth of the company led to the setting up of many new offices around the United States. The evidence of the Brasfield & Gorrie growth is visible when we see the revenue of the company in its first year of operation which was less than $1 million to close to $2 billion in 2010.
Some of the most known works of the company are Regions Financial Corporation, Regions-Harbert Plaza, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Texoma Medical Center, SunTrust Park, Vision Land, Ensworth School, Hugo L. Black Federal Courthouse,
14. Austin Industries
In the list of the biggest construction companies in the USA, Austin Industries rank in the penultimate position. The company was founded by Charles R. Moore with the name being Austin Brothers Bridge Company. In 1921 the work of Nueces County causeway become the most profitable work of the company. In 1924, the Brothers from the name of the company was removed. A year later Austin Bridge Company got contracts for the construction of suspension bridges. By 1929 the company had 166 contacts under them. In 1932, the Austin Road Company was founded as a subsidiary of the company.
The Austin Road Company had 88 contracts of its own. In 1942 the company received a contract to build 220 storage magazines for magnesium for the war. In 1947, another subsidiary of the company was established in the name of Austin Building Company. In the following years, the company kept on growing and reaching new heights and setting new records with the passing time. In 1965, Worth Company merged with Austin Roads.
A couple of years later after J. B Templeton retired and in this place, M.B Solomon was elected as the new president. In 1974, a big decision was taken by the creation of Austin Industries as it was set as the parent company of all the Austin companies. Petrocon Inc. was bought by the company in 1982. In 2012, David B. Walls becomes the president and CEO of Austin Industries. Some of the major works of the company are Beaver Creek Bridge, Colorado River Bridge, State Highway 3 bridge at the Colorado River, Moore’s Crossing, State Highway 53 Bridge at the Leon River.
15. Flintco, LLC
The list of the 15 biggest construction companies of the United States of America ends with Flintco. Founded in 1908 as Tusla Rig, and manufacturing company the company was co-owned by C.W Flint who later on became the full owner of the company. The headquarter of the company is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. When the company first opened it used to be a supplier for drilling and pumping equipment that were in high demand due to the booming oil industry.
However, after C.W Flint fully took over the company he diversified the service. Oil field lumber yards and derricks building were the new services. During World War ll like all the other companies, Flintco also worked for the government and helped in the construction of Army bases and Airfields. The company acquired a commercial construction company and set its foot in the commercial construction field. Between 1949 to 1958 the company received its first remodeling construction project of the Hillcrest Medical Center.
In 1951, the company expanded Razorback Stadium for the University of Arkansas. For the next decade, Flintco kept growing and expanded its work into Kansas. The company got its present name between the years 1969 to 1978. For the next 3 decades, the company kept on its path of growth and in 2008 celebrated 100 years of the company. In 2013 Alberici Corporation acquired the company. In 2016, Flintco stepped into the industrial construction work.
In 2017, the logo of 5he company was updated along with the tagline. Flintco Industrial was branded in 2019. In the same years, Flintco declared its interest in working in the aviation industry. Now we will look into some of the most important works of the company Oklahoma State Capitol, Texas State Capitol, Oklahoma State University, Institute of American Indian Arts. Read Also: Top 10 Paint Manufacturing Companies in the USA.
The construction of a skyscraper/tall building on a huge scale started in 1980 and 1990. During this time, many high-rise buildings were constructed in the United States and South Eastern countries. This construction of skyscrapers became a trend and in many countries, they were developed rapidly. However, in Europe, the demand for skyscrapers was not as such, and in all these years, there are hardly any major skyscrapers. This is also the reason behind the skyscrapers being not very high. Spain is a popular European country most famous for their food, dance, music, and culture. They are also famous for arts, literature, and architecture but not for tall buildings. Although, there are some of the tallest buildings in Spain that have truly become a landmark for their cities.
Top 10 tallest buildings in Spain ( Image Credit: Flickr)
In this article, we will look at the top 10 tallest buildings in Spain as of 2024. Let’s begin.
1. Torre de Cristal
The building that ranks first in the list of the top 10 tallest buildings in Spain is Torre de Cristal. It is located in Cuatro Torres Business Area in Madrid, Spain. Construction of the building was started in 2004 and in 2008, it was completed. This building is mainly used for conducting offices.
Torre de Cristal is 249 meters or 817 feet in height with a total of 52 floors. The top floor of the building is at a height of 210 meters. The famous Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli was the main architect of the building. The main contractor of the building is Dragados. The building is owned by KPMG. In the whole of the European Union, Torre de Cristal is the fourth tallest building.
2. Torre Cepsa
The second tallest building in Spain is Torre Cepsa. The building was also known as Torre Bankia till 2014. The construction of the building was started on 8 October 2004 and was completed in 2008. It is located in the Cuatro Torres Business Area in Madrid, Spain.
Torre Cepsa is 248 meters or 814 feet tall with a total of 45 floors in it. The main architect of the building was Norman Foster, who is a popular British Architect. Repsol YPF and Halvorson and Partners are the developers and structural engineers of the building respectively. The main contractors of Torre Cepsa are FCC and Dragados. The current owner of the building is Amancio OrtegaGaona who bought the building in 2016 for 490 million Euros. The building is fully managed by Gerens Hill.
3. Torre PwC
Torre PwC is the third tallest building in Spain. It was formerly known as Torre Sacyr Vallehermoso. The building is located in the Cuatro Torres Business Area in Madrid, Spain. The construction of the building started in 2004 and was completed in 2008. The building is used for offices and hotels. Torre PwC is 236 m or 774 ft tall and has a total of 52 floors in it.
The Eurostar Madrid tower hotel occupies the floors between the 6th to 27th floor of the building. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is a firm that shifted its office to this building in July 2011. The building was renamed when PricewaterhouseCoopers shifted to the building and has since then been known as Torre PwC. PwC has its office from the 34 to 50th floors. The main architects of Torre PwC are Carlos Rubio Carvajal and Enrique Álvarez-Sala Walther. The main contractor of the building was Sacyr SAU. Sacyr Vallehermoso is the owner of the building also.
4. Torre Emperador
The fourth tallest building in the list of the top 10 tallest buildings of Spain is Torre Emperador. The building was formerly known as Torre Espacio which means Space Tower. It is also located in the Cuatro Torres Business Area in Madrid, Spain. The construction of the building started in 2004 and was completed in 2007. The building is an office building with a height of 230 m or 754 ft. There is a total of 51 floors in the building.
Pei Cobb Freed & Partners was the main architectural firm behind this magnificent building design. The development and the structural engineering firm of the building are Inmobiliaria Espacio and MC2 Estudio de Ingeniería respectively. The main contractor of Torre Emperador is OHL. The building is currently owned by Grupo Emperador S.A.U. and in 2021, the name of the building was changed to its current one. The building was featured in the famous discovery show Build it Bigger for its unique shape and form.
5. Residencial Intempo
Residencial Intempo is the fifth tallest building in Spain as of 2024. Moreover, it is the first building on this list which is based out of Madrid, the capital of Spain, and it is located in Via Parque, Benidorm, Spain. In January 2006, the design of the building was first presented and its construction began in 2007. Although the construction began in 2007, due to delays and economical problems, the building was completed in 2021. The height of Residencial Intempo is 202.5 meters or 664 feet and there are a total of 47 floors along with 3 underground floors.
Residencial Intempo is a residential building and is the tallest residential building in Spain. The building is also the tallest building in Spain that is located outside of Madrid. The main architects of the building are Pérez-Guerras Arquitectos and Ingenieros. It has a unique record of being the tallest building in a city with less than 1,00,000 people.
6. Gran Hotel Bali
The building which is sixth on the list of the top 10 tallest buildings in Spain is Gran Hotel Bali. It is located in Benidorm, province of Alicante in Spain. The whole building is a hotel. The construction of the building started in 1988 and was completed in 2002.
Gran Hotel Bali is a 4-star hotel with a height of 186 meters or 610 feet and a total of 52 floors. As the building is located near the coast, it is also the tallest building on the Mediterranean coast of Europe. The building was designed by the architect Antonio Escario. Meanwhile, the building is owned by Grupo Bali. Gran Hotel Bali was the tallest building in Spain until November 2006.
7. Caleido
Caleido is the seventh tallest building in Spain. The building was topped out in 2020 and current interior and exterior works are being done. It is the fifth tallest building in the Spanish capital of Madrid, its construction was started in 2017 and was completed on 19 October 2021. Caleido is located near the other four tallest buildings in the Madrid of Cuatro Torres Business Area. The building is popularly known as Quinta Torre which means the fifth tower.
The height of Caleido is 181 meters or 594 feet with a total of 36 floors. The organizations which helped in the design of the building are Fenwick Iribarren and Serrano-Suñer Arquitectura. Moreover, the main contractor of the building is OHL Desarrollos. Currently, the building is owned by Grupo Villar Mir and Megaworld Corporation.
8. Torre Sevilla(Sevilla Tower)
The building which is in the eighth spot in the list of the top 10 tallest buildings of Spain is Torre Sevilla (in English “Sevilla Tower”). The building was formerly known as Pelli Tower. Although it is the eighth tallest building in Spain, it is the tallest building in the Spanish city of Seville and the Andalusia region. The construction of the Seville Tower was started in March 2008 and was completed in 2015. The building is an office building with a total height being 180.5 meters or 592 feet and a total of 40 floors with 3 basement floors.
The main architect of the Seville Tower is Cesar Pelli. The main contractors of the building were FCC & Abengoa. As the building is the tallest building in Seville, it provides breathtaking views of the city of Seville. It is situated beside a river. In this building, the 5-star hotel Eurostar is situated.
9. Torre Iberdrola(Iberdrola Tower)
The ninth tallest building in the list of the top 10 tallest buildings in Spain is Iberdrola Tower. The construction of the building was completed in 2011. The building was inaugurated after its completion by King Juan Carlos I. The building is located in Abandoibarra, a former industrial area in Bilbao, Spain. Torre Iberdrola is the tallest building in Bilbao, a city in Spain.
The total height of the building is 165 meters or 541 feet and there are 40 floors in the building. The building was supposed to have a hotel however it has offices only. Torre Iberdrola is located next to the Nervion river. The main architect of the building was Cesar Pelli. The main contractor of Tower Iberdrola is Promotora Vizcaina. Apex Inmobiliaria S.A. currently manages the building.
10. Torre Picasso
Torre Picasso(in English Picasso Tower) is the tenth tallest building in Spain. The building was the tallest building in Spain till 2001. The construction of the building started in 1982 and in 1988, it was fully completed. The total height of the building is 157 meters or 515 feet with 46 floors above the ground and 5 others below the ground level. The building is located in Paseo de la Castellana, Madrid, Spain.
Torre Picasso was designed by Minoru Yamasaki in collaboration with Jorge Mir Valls and Rafael Coll Pujol. The main contractor of the building is Construcciones y Contratas. The building is currently owned and managed by Pontegadea Inmobiliaria and PER Gestora Inmobiliaria respectively. After 2001, Gran Hotel Bali took Torre Picasso’s title of the tallest building in Spain.
Conquering the sky is the new age competition of today’s world. For the last few decades, there has been a constant growth in skyscrapers and buildings across the globe. Previously tall buildings were only used to showcase the power of any particular country but today it is more used as a workspace where a huge number of people can gather and still work in their own spaces.
When we hear about the country France, the first thing that comes to our mind is the Eiffel Tower. It is the most popular and beautiful tall structure in France. In the last few decades, huge buildings have been built for commercial and residential purposes. Tall buildings signify the power and wealth of a country on a global stage. And France is not an exception at all among other countries. The country is home to many tall buildings. Here are the top 7 tallest buildings in France as of 2024.
1. Tour First
Tour First is the tallest building in France; situated in La Defence, Courbevoie, Paris in France. The huge structure is present just near Neuilly Bridge. The actual building height is 225 m or 738 ft and with the antenna, it is 231 m or 758 ft tall. This fifty-two floored building is mostly used for commercial purposes.
In 1974, when three popular insurance companies of France merged and a new company named UAP came into public, the building was built then by the popular contractor ‘Bouygues’ and named “Tour UAP”. But in 1996, AXA insurance company bought the UAP company and took over the control of Tour UAP. After this exchange of power, the building was also renamed “Tour AXA”.
In 2007, this skyscraper, what we see today, started to renovate and was completed in 2011. A group of architects started to renovate the building at that time. The new structure is visible in the Paris Sky from very far away. This time the outer surface of the building was fully changed and the antenna was added to the tower. The building renovation has many difficulties while styling and organizing more space in the already constructed building.
Now, it has a large amount of space in the interior for meetings and conferences. The very outer surface is covered with a” Facade of metal and glass ” to prevent heavy hits of the Sun as well as to give the building a “shiny and aesthetic look”.
Now the total floor area of the building is 933,310 sq. ft. This tall tower is an example of modern building technology and was renamed Tour First after the renovation in 2011. It is said that Tour First is the building that is ” ahead of its time “
2. Tour Hekla
Tour Hekla is the second tallest building in France after Tour First. This 49-story building is 220 m or 722 ft tall. The construction work started in May 2018 with an estimated 248 million euros and the building was completed in 2022.
French architect Ateliers Jean Nouvel who is the winner of the 2008 Pritzker Prize, designed this building. The building requires “minimal maintenance”. With thirty years of experience in this field, Jean Nouvel uses “prismatic glass and metal facades featuring aluminum by Sandalor”. The building is constructed for commercial as well as residential purposes.
After its completion, Tour Hekla is standing high with pride in La Defence sky. The building has “39 office levels”, “4 service levels”, and 3 house levels which have a magnificent view of the Paris sky from the terrace. In the business world, it is believed that Tour Hekla is the “future of France”.
3. Tour Montparnasse
Locating in the Montparnasse area, this particular tower has got its name ‘Tour Montparnasse’. It is the 3rd tallest building in France. The tower is particularly located on 33 Avenue du Maine 15th arrondissement of Paris, France. The tower is 210 m or 690 feet tall.
The building was constructed from 1969 – 1973. In 1970, the construction started and in 1973, the construction was completed. This 59-story building was designed by architects – Eugene Beaudown, Louis Hoÿm, and Urbain Cassan. The tower was built by ‘Campenon Bernard’.
The basic structure is made of 56 concrete pillars up to a depth of 70 meters underground. During the construction, there is constant pressure to not harm the metro station. The whole building is built on the surface of Montparnasse Bienvenüe Paris Métro station. The building is basically an ” observation deck “.
The 56th and 59th floors are open to the public from where you can get a view of the Paris sky and enjoy the departure and landing of aircraft at the nearby Orly Airport. The tower is still used for office work with facilities of bars, restaurants, terraces, etc. where public events and organizational events have always taken place. Visitors can go to the restaurant which is located on the 56th floor named Ciel De Paris.
The building is an easy landmark for the Maine – Montparnasse housing complex. Tour Montparnasse has a huge role in medical advances, child welfare, and sports in the city. Tour Montparnasse is referred to as a symbol of architectural heritage in the city which will start to renovate soon.
4. Tour Incity
Tour Incity is the fourth tallest building in France and the tallest building in Greater Lyon, the third largest city in France. The tower is located in La Part-Dieu, Lyon, France. Tour Incity is 170 meters or 560 feet tall and with the antenna spike, the total height is 202 meters or 663 feet tall.
The tower is heavily famous in the Part-Dieu business section of Lyon. The construction of the tower started in 2013 and was completed in 2015 after 3 long years. Tour Incity can easily be reached by metro lines, tramways T1, T3, and T4. The building has 39 floors with a total floor area of 43,056 square feet.
The architects were Valode & Pistre et, and AIA Atelier de la Rize. The build was developed by Sogelym Steiner. The building is built in such a way that the serenity of natural sunlight lightens the inner space without any electricity and the outer surface of the building is made with a double-skin facade which gives the whole structure a shiny look. Incity tower is mainly used for office work. This skyscraper building has received “HQE certification for its high environmental quality”.
5. Tour Majunga
Tour Majunga is the fifth tallest building in France and it is situated in the heart of the La Defence business district, in Paris, France. The tower dominates the area between Quatre Temps Shopping Centre and Ariane Tower. The building has a height of 194 meters or 636 feet. The building contains a total floor area of 748,000 square feet. Tour Majunga has 47 floors with a total floor area of 748,000 square feet.
The construction of this modern building started in 2011 and was completed in 2014. Tour Majunga is a type SAS330 building. The main architect was Jean-Paul Viguier. During the time of construction, a lot of difficulties were coming on the way like “developing communal areas, creating the showcase areas, formulating the shared Cafeteria” and many others.
The tower is basically an office building. The building has an open environment. It also has facilities like open outdoor areas and hanging gardens on every floor. Modern technology-based Tour Majunga is known for its less carbon footprint and less energy consumption. The building is BBC-certified and it received BREEAM awards.
6. Tour Total
Tour Total is an office building situated in La Defence, Courbevoie, Paris, France. This modern building is the headquarters of “Total Energies” and “Supermajor” company. In the 19s, ‘Tour Total’ was known as ‘Tour Elf’. The construction of the building started in 1982 and was completed in 1985. The actual building is 187 meters or 614 feet in height and with the antenna, the total height is 190 meters or 620 feet tall.
It is a 48-story building. The building contains around 1,400,000 square feet of floor area. The main architectural firm behind the building design was ‘WZMH Architects’. It is said that Tour Total is the third generation skyscraper in that area which shows less error in this type of most difficult construction.
7. Tour T1
Tour T1 acquires 7th position in the list of the top 10 tallest buildings in France. This building is also known as Tour GDF Suez. This office tower is also located in La Defence, Paris, France. In 2005, the construction of this skyscraper started and was completed in 2008.
The building is 169 meters or 554 feet tall whereas with the antenna spike, the total height of the building is 185 meters or 607 feet. This thirty-seven-story building has a total floor area of 750,000 square feet. The main architectural firm behind this magnificent building design is ‘Valode & Pistre’, a popular French architecture firm.
Commercial spaces see a lot of foot traffic and wear-and-tear on their floors. From retail stores and restaurants to warehouses and industrial facilities, choosing the right flooring is crucial both functionally and aesthetically. Commercial floor coatings provide durable, long-lasting, and versatile solutions to elevate any commercial space.
Floor coatings are materials that are applied on top of the concrete floor surface to protect it and enhance its appearance. Several major types of coatings are designed for commercial use, including epoxy, polyurethane, acrylic, urethane, and specialty concrete floor coatings. These systems can withstand heavy loads, impacts, chemicals, and abrasion while offering benefits like slip resistance, ease of cleaning, and visually appealing finishes.
Types of Commercial Floor Coatings
Depending on the needs and desired appearance, there are a variety of floor coating systems to consider for commercial spaces.
Epoxy Floor Coatings
Epoxy floors are highly durable and chemical-resistant systems made from epoxy resins and hardeners. They can withstand heavy loads and impacts while providing an impermeable, protective barrier. Epoxy coatings are available in solid colors or decorative options like flakes or quartz broadcast systems. They offer excellent adhesion and are easy to clean.
Polyurethane Floor Coatings
Polyurethane coatings provide a high-gloss protective layer with excellent scratch, impact, and chemical resistance. These systems display vibrant colors, work well in wet areas, and can be used together with epoxy coatings for increased durability.
Acrylic Floor Coatings
Acrylic floor coatings create a decorative, matte finish that is highly customizable with color options, speckles, or quartz blends. They resist chemicals and impacts and wear well over time. Acrylic systems feature rapid installation and curing times compared to other options.
Urethane Floor Coatings
Urethane cement floors protect heavily against high traffic wear, chemical spills, and thermal shock. These systems are typically installed at 3/16″ thick or more to provide a durable, long-lasting floor. They can also help level surfaces in need of resurfacing.
Concrete Floor Coatings
Stained or colored concrete coatings introduce decorative visuals for retail, hospitality, and brand image-aligned spaces. Options include acid stains, dyes, water-based stains, sealers, and more to create unique designs, logos, or patterns across the floor.
The Benefits of Commercial Floor Coatings
Commercial spaces cannot afford downtime for frequent floor repairs and replacements, which can disrupt business operations. Floor coating systems provide more benefits over time compared to bare concrete or other flooring materials.
⇛ Durability – Floor coatings are extremely durable against heavy loads, abrasion, impacts, and chemical spills. They help concrete floors last longer under heavy commercial use.
⇛ Appearance – Coatings introduce eye-catching, polished finishes instead of dull gray concrete. This aesthetic appeal helps commercial facilities make better impressions.
⇛ Safety – Properly coated floors have better slip resistance from textured surfaces, reducing fall hazards compared to slick concrete. This improves safety for both workers and customers.
⇛ Low Maintenance – Coated concrete is easier to sweep and mop than unprotected porous concrete, which absorbs stains. Coatings also prevent concrete dusting, making cleaning and maintenance easier.
⇛ Health – Floor coatings provide more sanitary floors by limiting moisture absorption where bacteria grows. Facility-wide solutions like antimicrobial epoxy enhance health safety.
⇛ Affordability – Quality floor coatings offer excellent durability-per-dollar value, outperforming other flooring options over their longer lifespan. Fewer repairs or replacements save commercial spaces money over time.
⇛ Design Options – Modern floor coatings offer many customizable finishes beyond basic concrete gray. Facilities can match floor designs to their brand image with colors, patterns, flakes, quartz, and more.
⇛ LEED Credits – Sustainable, low VOC emission floor coatings can contribute points toward LEED green building certification. Their long lifespans also reduce waste from frequent floor replacements.
Factors to Consider Choosing the Right Commercial Floor Coating
With many commercial floor coatings options on the market, facilities should consider several factors specific to their commercial space when selecting a system.
Traffic Volume and Load Impact
Facilities with constant heavy vehicles, pallet jacks, carts, and foot traffic require thick, durable coatings that can withstand years of heavy loads and abrasion from traffic without showing signs of wear. Urethane cement coating systems 3/16″ thick and above provide the toughest protection in the highest traffic areas like warehouses and industrial spaces. Retail shops and office spaces see lighter loads from foot traffic that thinner coating systems can handle at more affordable upfront costs.
Chemical Exposure Risks
Certain commercial spaces handle oils, cleaners, solvents, or other chemicals that can spill and stain or degrade typical coatings and concrete. Chemical-resistant epoxy floor coatings provide an impermeable barrier that protects the underlying concrete from chemical damage while providing easy cleanability when spills occur. Healthcare and laboratories also utilize antimicrobial epoxy to resist germs for cleaner environments. Facilities with steam cleaning or thermal shock exposure should utilize thermal shock-resistant urethane cement coatings.
Budget Considerations
Thicker specialized coating systems designed for heavy loads, chemical resistance, antimicrobial protection, and decorative finishes come at higher upfront material and installation costs. More affordable standard thin mil coating systems still provide excellent protection and visual appeal over bare concrete. Facility managers should determine acceptable budgets for floor coating projects based on usage needs and plan for long term savings from avoided floor repairs or replacements down the road.
Desired Appearance
If visual appeal is important for retail, hospitality, and publicly facing spaces, consider decorative and customizable epoxy/acrylic floor coatings with color, flakes, quartz, patterns, logos, designs, and artistic finishes. These systems enhance aesthetics and brand imaging compared to dull gray concrete. Industrial spaces prioritize function over form and can utilize solid color or clear coatings.
Performance Needs
Facilities should assess their commercial space functionality and consider needs such as impact/scratch resistance for heavy loads, slip resistance for safety, decontamination ability for hygiene, thermal shock resistance, noise reduction, and underfoot comfort. For example, healthcare spaces may prioritize antimicrobial protection while warehouses focus on durability. These factors help determine appropriate coating selections.
Installation Scheduling Limitations
Some facilities can only afford shutdowns up to 24 hours for installation and curing times that can take days or weeks with thicker, more robust systems. Rapid install options like single-coat epoxies or fast-turnaround acrylics provide high-performing protection on quicker timeframes for high-traffic environments. They are It is ideal for facilities that only have weekends or evenings for installation windows.
Sustainability Considerations
Floor coatings with low/zero VOC emissions, antimicrobial ability for cleaner spaces, and long lifespans that reduce repairs align with green building best practices for LEED credits. Sustainable coatings also improve indoor air quality for healthier facility environments. This appeals to businesses targeting eco-conscious consumers.
Conclusion
Commercial concrete floor coatings deliver performance, protection, and aesthetics beyond traditional concrete using today’s modern, durable coating materials engineered for demanding commercial spaces. When selecting appropriate systems with expert guidance, facility managers must weigh factors like costs, appearance, installation impacts, usage conditions, and green building best practices. Investing in quality commercial floor coatings from trusted providers ultimately saves money over time through extended floor lifespans, easier maintenance, and avoiding operational disruptions from frequent repairs. Their many benefits keep facilities looking great while supporting safer, healthier, and more productive environments.
The United States of America is the country where the construction of tall buildings began. The term “skyscraper” was first used in the USA for tall buildings. The tallest building which was first called a skyscraper was the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, Illinois.
In almost all major cities of the United States, we can see skylines with tall buildings. We will take a look at the tallest buildings in Los Angeles, one of the most popular cities in the USA.
Top 10 Tallest Buildings in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a city in the California district of the United States. The first high-rise building in Los Angeles was the Braly Building built-in 1903 which was about 46 meters high.
However, from 1904 restrictions were implemented that no building could be taller than 46 meters. This law limited the construction of tall buildings during that time. But, in 1957 the rule was lifted and from then on new tall buildings were constructed at a rapid pace.
However, construction of such high-rise buildings has now declined because LA is considered the most likely an earthquake zone. This reason makes the construction of a tall building very challenging and costly as well.
Los Angeles has over 30 buildings that can be classified as skyscrapers(minimum height 150 m). At present, the tallest building in Los Angeles is Wilshire Grand Center. So let’s take a look at the 10 tallest buildings in Los Angeles as of 2024.
1. Wilshire Grand Center
Wilshire Grand Center is the tallest building in Los Angeles. It is located in downtown Los Angeles. It was completed in 2017 and since then has been on the top. The building is 335.3 meters(1,100 ft.) high up to the tip with a total of 73 floors.
The tower is used as a hotel, restaurant, office, and observatory. The construction of Wilshire Grand Center started in 2014 and its estimated cost is about 1.2 billion.
The chief architect of the building was AC Martin Partners. The developer and main contractor of the Wilshire Grand Center were Thomas Properties Group, LLC and Turner Construction respectively. The Hanjin Group is the owner of the building. Read Also: Top 10 Tallest Buildings In New York.
2. U.S. Bank Tower
In the second, we get the U.S Bank Tower which is also known as Library Tower locally. The tower is located in the downtown area of LA. The construction of Los Angeles’ second tallest building started in 1987 and was completed in 1989.
The tower is 310 meters tall and has 72 floors above ground level and 2 floors below ground level. The building is used for commercial offices. The U.S Bank Tower is California’s tallest building with a rooftop helipad. Until 2010 from its completion it was the tallest building with a rooftop heliport.
As it is located in an active seismic area, the building was designed in a way that it can resist up to 8.3 Richter scale earthquakes. Silverstein Properties, Inc. acquired the building in 2020 for about $430 million. Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Ellerbe Becket we’re the architects of the U.S Bank Tower. The tower was constructed by Turner Construction Company. Read Also: Types of Buildings.
3. Aon Center
The third tallest building in Los Angeles is Aon Centre. Located on Wilshire Boulevard in Downtown Los Angeles, it is 260 meters tall. The building has a total of 62 floors in it.
The building’s construction started in 1970 and by 1973, it was fully completed. When the Aon Center was completed, it was the tallest building in Los Angeles(LA) and held the record till 1987. The tower is used as a commercial office.
Owned by 707 Wilshire Fee LLC the estimated value of the building is about 712 million dollars. The building is a slender tower of rectangular shape which was designed by Charles Luckman. The main contractor of the project was CL Peck Contractor.
4. Two California Plaza
Fourth on the list of tallest buildings in LA is Two California Plaza, which is located in the Hill District of downtown Los Angeles. The height of this building is 230 meters with a total floor of 52.
The building was a part of a Plaza project which consists of a total of two skyscrapers. The construction of the project started in 1990 and within two years was completed. The building has 52 floors and is 229 meters tall. The tower is used for commercial offices mainly. CIM Group has owned the tower since 2014.
The work of designing the tower was done by Arthur Erickson AC Martin Partners. Hathaway Dinwiddie was the main contractor for the building and it was developed by Metropolitan Structures West. Read Also: Top 10 Tallest Buildings in the UK.
5. Gas Company Tower
Gas Company Tower is located on Bunker Hill, downtown Los Angeles. In the list of the tallest buildings of LA, it comes in 5th place. The tower is three decades old.
The construction of the tower started in 1988 and by 1991 it was completed. The tower is 228 meters tall and has a total of 52 stories. The total floor area of this building is about 1,313,360 sq ft. This building is also used as a commercial office.
The main architects of the tower were Richard Keating (Skidmore, Owings and Merrill). Thomas Properties Group and Maguire Properties have together developed this building.
The main contractor was Turner Construction. Gas Company Tower has been featured in the opening scene of the Hollywood movie “Speed” which was released in 1994.
6. Bank of America Plaza
Standing at 224 meters, Bank of America Plaza is the sixth tallest building in Los Angeles. The building is located in Bunker Hill, Los Angeles.
The construction work of the tower started in the year 1971 and in 1974, it was completed. The building is used for commercial offices and has a total of 55 floors. Brookfield Properties are the owner of the tower and they manage it as well.
The chief architects of this magnificent building were Albert C. Martin & Associates, Peter Walker & Partners. The construction of the building was done by the main contractor of Turner Construction Co.
7. 777 Tower
The seventh tallest building in Los Angeles is 777 Tower. The tower is also known as “Citicorp Center”. Starting in 1988, the construction of the building was completed in 1991.
The height of the tower is 221 meters and it is a 52 stories building. The estimated expenditure of the building is 250 million US dollars and is owned by Brookfield Office Properties.
César Pelli was the one who designed this beautiful tower. The main contractor of the project was Peck/Jones. South Figueroa Plaza Associates were the developers of this building. Read Also:Top 5 Tallest Buildings in Austria.
8. Wells Fargo Center
A twin tower complex that is located in downtown Los Angeles. The tallest tower of the complex is Wells Fargo Tower and is the eighth tallest building in LA. The tower stands 220 meters high and has 54 floors in it.
It is also a building used for commercial office purposes. The construction of the complex started in 1981 and by 1983 the construction of the tower was completed. The whole complex in which the tower is constructed is owned by Brookfield Office Properties Inc.
The main architects of the project were Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The developers of the tower were Maguire Properties and Thomas Properties Group. The main construction company was Turner construction.
9. Figueroa at Wilshire
Figueroa at Wilshire is the ninth-tallest building in Los Angeles. The height of this building is 218.54 meters. A total of 53 floors and 4 underground floors are there in the building. South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles is the location of the tower.
This property is also owned by Broomfield Properties as well. The construction of the building started in 1988 and within a couple of years, the construction was completed.
10. City National Plaza
The building which comes on the tenth spot is City National Plaza. It is located in South Flower Street, Los Angeles. The construction of the building started in 1969. In 1972, the tower was completed and opened.
The building is 213.3 meters high and has a total of 52 floors. It is used fully for commercial purposes. The owners of the building are the Commonwealth Partners. The main architect of the tower was Albert C. Martin & Associates.
Top 10 Tallest Buildings In New York City As of 2024
New York City (NYC) has a population of around 8.4 million as per the 2019 survey. NYC is spread over an area of 783.3 km2. The number of skyscrapers present in this city is about 298(skyscrapers are high-rise buildings holding over 40 floors and height is around 150 m). So, you have already understood that there are several numbers of tallest buildings present in this city. In this article, I will brief you about the top 10 tallest buildings in New York City as of 2024.
Name of the Building
Completed/Opened
Height
Location
1. One World Trade Center
2014
541.3 m( 1,776 feet), and 546.2 m(1,992 feet) up to the tip.
285 Fulton Street.
2. Central Park Tower
2021
472 meters(1,550 feet).
225 West 57th Street.
3. 111 West 57th Street
2021
435 meters(1,428 feet).
111 West 57th Street.
4. One Vanderbilt
2020
427 meters(1,401 feet).
One Vanderbilt Avenue.
5. 432 Park Avenue
2015
425.5 meters(1,396 feet).
432 Park Avenue.
6. 30 Hudson Yards
2019
387 meters(1,270 feet).
500 West 33rd Street
7. Empire State Building
1931
381 m( 1,250 feet), and 443.2 m(1,454 feet) up to the tip.
One World Trade Center is the tallest building in NYC, which acquires the number one position in the list of the tallest buildings present in NYC as of 2024. This building also acquires the number one position in the list of the tallest buildings in the United States.
The construction of this building began on 27 April 2006, and it was opened on 3 November 2014. No doubt, it is one of the most remarkable instances of modern architecture. The World Trade Center, formerly known as the Freedom Tower, consists of 94 floors above ground level and 5 floors below ground level.
It is spread over an area of 40,000 sq ft, and the total floor area is around 3,501,274 sq ft. It is also counted as the tallest building in the western hemisphere. The architectural height of this building is 541.3 m( 1776 feet) and up to the crown(tip), it is 546.2 m(1992 feet).
The top floor and roof consist of a height of 1268 ft and 1368 ft respectively. The total number of lifts installed in this building is 72. The building cost 3.9 billion dollars to build.
2. Central Park Tower
The second tallest building in New York City is the Central Park Tower. The building is also known as the Nordstrom Tower. It is primarily used as a residential building with retail stores.
The Central Park Tower is the 15thtallest building in the world and the tallest primary residential building in the world as well. No doubt, it is a luxury residential skyscraper. It is also the second tallest building in the United States.
The building is located at 225 West 57th Street, Manhattan, New York City. The construction of the building started on 17 September 2014 and it was topped out on 17 September 2019 and was finally completed in 2021.
Its total height is 472 meters(1,550 ft) with 98 floors above ground level and three below ground level. Although there are 98 floors in the building, the top floor of the building is numbered 136.
The main firms which are responsible for the design of this iconic building are Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture. The developer and structural engineer for the Central Park Tower is Extell and WSP Global.
The company that worked as the main contractor for the building is Lendlease. According to reports, the cost for the construction of the building is 3 billion dollars($3 billion).
3. 111 West 57th Street
On the third spot on the list of the tallest building in New York, there is 111 West 57th Street. It is also the 2nd tallest residential building in the US. The other name of the building is Steinway Tower. It is located in Manhattan, New York, U.S. The height of “111 West 57th Street” is 435 meters(1,428 ft) and it has a total of 84 floors with the top floor being marked as 91.
The construction of the building started on 8 July 2015 and was topped out in October 2019. It was fully completed in 2021 and the historical Steinway Hall was also renovated from 2019 to 2021. According to the estimates, the value of the building is $2 billion.
The architecture firm behind the design of 111 West 57th Street is SHoP Architects. The developers of the building are JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group. Meanwhile, WSP is the structural engineer of the building. It is also listed as the fourth tallest building in the USA.
4. One Vanderbilt
One Vanderbilt is the fourth tallest building in New York City. The building is located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is fully used as an office building. The construction of the One Vanderbilt started on 14 February 2017, after some delay, and was opened on 14 September 2020.
The total height of this building is 427 meters. The top roof of this building ends at 397 meters. There are a total of 93 floors in the building with an observatory located at 311 meters.
One Vanderbilt is owned by SL Green Realty and its estimated cost is $3.31 billion. Kohn Pedersen Fox was the architectural firm that mainly provided the architectural design for this building. The structural engineer of the building is Severud Associates with the main contractor being Tishman Construction.
5. 432 Park Avenue
The fifth tallest building in NYC is 432 Park Avenue. The building is located at 432 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York, and has a good overview of Central Park. It is fully used as a residential building and when it was completed, it held the record for the tallest residential building in the world.
As of 2024, 432 Park Avenue is the sixth tallest building in the United States, and it is the third tallest residential building in the world. The building is built on the site of Drake Hotel and its construction started in September 2011. The building was topped out in October 2014 and was fully completed in December 2015.
432 Park Avenue has a total height of 425.5 meters or 1,396 ft with 85 floors above the ground and 3 below the ground. According to estimates, the cost of 432 Park Avenue is $1.25 billion.
Its architectural design is a contemporary style and was designed by Rafael Viñoly and SLCE Architects. The two developers of the building are CIM Group and Macklowe Properties. The main contractor of the building is Lend Lease Group.
6. 30 Hudson Yards
On the sixth spot on the list of the tallest buildings in New York City, there is “30 Hudson Yards”. It is also known as the North Tower as well. The building is used for multiple purposes like Office, Observation, and Retail stores. 30 Hudson Yards is located at 500 West 33rd Street, Manhattan, New York.
The building is part of a redevelopment project of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project. The work on the building started in October 2014 and was completed finally in March 2019. The height of 30 Hudson Yards is 387 meters or 1,270 ft with a total of 103 floors.
Kohn Pedersen Fox is the architectural firm of the building and has used the neo-futurism style. The main contractor of the building is Tishman Construction and it is managed by The Related Companies L.P., Oxford Properties Group Inc. The observation deck of the building is on the 100th floor and is a triangle in shape.
7. Empire State Building
Seventh, we have the historical Empire State Building. It was the tallest building in the world from 1931 to 1970. The building is located at 350 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York. The building was named after the nickname of the state of New York when it was built.
The height of the building is 381 meters and 443.2 meters up to the tip, with a total number of 102 floors. The construction of the Empire State Building started on 17 March 1930 and was completed on 11 April 1931. However, it was opened on 1 May 1931 making it 90 years old.
It is an office building with observation decks as well. The building is owned by Empire State Realty Trust and has an estimated valuation of $572 million. The main architects of the building were Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon who designed it in Art Deco style.
The main developer of the Empire State Building was Empire State Inc., including John J. Raskob and Al Smith. Meanwhile, the structural engineer and main contractor were “Homer Gage Balcom” and “Starrett Brothers, and Eken” respectively. It is a US National Historic Landmark as well.
8. Bank of America Tower
Bank of America Tower is the eighth tallest building in New York. It is also known as 1 Bryant Park. It is the tenth tallest building in the United States of America. The building is located on Sixth Avenue & 42nd Street, Manhattan, New York.
The construction of the building began on 2 August 2004 and was completed in 2009. The total height of the building is 370 meters or 1,200 ft with a floor count of 55 above the ground level and 3 below the ground level. The building is used for commercial offices.
According to the estimates, the cost of the building is $1 billion. The chief architect firm of the building is Cookfox Adamson Associates. The developer and the structural engineer of the building are Durst Organisation and Severud Association respectively.
Meanwhile, the main contractor of the project was Tishman Construction Corporation. When the building was opened, it received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum green building certificate.
9. 3 World Trade Center
3 World Trade Center comes in the ninth spot on the list of the tallest building in New York City. It is constructed as a part of the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. 3 World Trade Center is located at 175 Greenwich Street, Manhattan, New York City.
The construction of the building began in 2010 and was fully completed in 2018 and opened on 11 June 2018. Its height is 329 meters with a total of 80 floors. According to estimates, the valuation of the building is $2.75 billion.
The architectural firm of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has designed the building on a modern concept. The building was developed by Silverstein Properties. WSP Cantor Seinuk is the structural engineer. Meanwhile, Tishman Construction was the main contractor for this building.
10. The Brooklyn Tower
10th Tallest Building in New York City – The Brooklyn Tower
The list of the top 10 tallest buildings in NYC, ends with The Brooklyn Tower at the tenth spot. It is also known as 340 Flatbush Avenue Extension. The building topped out in 2021 and was completed in 2022.
It is located in the Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood of New York City. The construction of the building started in 2018. The height of The Brooklyn Tower is 325 meters 1,066 ft and there are 93 floors in the building. It is going to be used for multiple purposes.
The chief architect firm of the building is SHoP Architects and neo Art Deco style is used for this building. The main developer of the project is JDS Development. The Dime Saving Bank building is preserved in the base of the Brooklyn Tower.
In this article, we are going to discuss the top 5 tallest buildings in Austria as of 2024. Buildings, structures, and monuments always play a significant part in the history of human civilizations. We still get awestruck by seeing those ancient formations showcasing our ancestor’s abilities. People of this generation try their best to match those kinds of engineering with modern technology and aesthetics. In Europe, Austria is a country famous for its palaces, buildings, and several architectural works. Although this country is not famous for tall buildings, still they have some tall buildings which are enough to make their city look outstanding. Here are the top 5 tallest buildings in Austria as of 2024. Let’s take a look –
1. DC Tower 1
DC Tower 1 is the tallest building in Austria located in Vienna DC, Austria. It is the tallest skyscraper in Austria. The building is basically used for office and administration purposes. The tower is a wonderful workplace for several companies, hotels, etc.; Baxter International and Strabag Metallica Gmbh are among them. DC Tower 1 is the first choice for many brands as their office which has increased the importance and value of this building to a much higher level.
Construction of DC Tower 1 started on 17th June 2010 and finished in 2013 after 3 long years. Though the construction of the tower was completed in 2013, former pilot and astronaut Buzz Aldrin officially inaugurated the building on 24 February 2014. It is a 60-story building. The height of DC Tower 1 is 220 meters or 720 ft. The most famous architect Dominique Perrault, the designer of the French National Library, has designed DC Tower 1.
2. Millennium Tower
Millennium Tower ranks 2nd in the list of tallest buildings in Austria. The tower is located near the river Danube in Handelskai 94- 96, Vienna, Austria. Dresdner Strabe is just a ten-minute walk from the millennium tower. The building is 561 ft or 171 m tall but with its antenna, the total tower height is 663 feet 202 meters. It is a 50-story building used for official as well as residential purposes.
Construction of the Millennium Tower started in 1997 and in a quick span of time, the building was completed in 1999. The tower is made in ” an average of 2.5 floors a week “. The tower is made with modern building technology. With the help of the three best architects ( Gustav Peichl, Boris Podrecca, and Rudolf Weber ), this marvelous tower was built.
The area where the tower is located is known as Millennium City. Most of its floor area is used for office purposes and the rest is used for multiplex, restaurants, and residents. Some Big companies like Agip, Cisco, Carlson Wagonlit, inter alia Cirquent, Trivadis, CSC, and Xerox are official tenants of Millennium Tower. Millennium Tower is the home of” Austria’s largest cinema complex “.
3. IZD Tower
IZD Tower is the 3rd tallest building in Austria. The tower is located in Vienna. The construction work of this tower was completed in 2001. This tower has a total of 41 floors. The height of this building is 459 feet or 140 m, and with its antenna spike, the total height is 162 meters or 531 feet.
4. Vienna Twin Towers ( Tower A and B)
Vienna Twin Towers ( Tower A and B) – A pair of towers popularly remarked as A and B towers are standing still in Winnerberg, Favoriten, Vienna in Austria. The ” building complex” was started in the year 1999 and was completed in 2002. Tower A has a height of 138 meters or 453 feet whereas Tower B is 127 meters or 417 feet tall. Vienna Twin Towers(Tower A) is considered the fourth tallest building in Austria. Whereas Vienna Twin Towers(Tower B) is considered the fifth tallest building in Austria.
Both towers have 37 floors. Massimiliano Fuksas is the architect of the twin towers. High tech style was used to build the two towers. These two towers are basically used for commercial and residential purposes. Movie theaters, conference rooms, restaurants, hotels, etc. are available in both towers. The Twin Tower also has a huge parking area of more than 1000 places. Vienna’s twin towers are connected to each other through many bridges and paths to easily go from one building to other.
5. Vienna International Centre ( Building A )
Vienna International Centre, commonly known as VIC is basically the ” United Nations Office at Vienna “. The building is 127 meters or 417 ft tall. Many years before this modern generation, the construction of VIC started in 1973 and the building was completed in 1979. The total floor area of this building is around 230,000 m2.
This 27-story building is designed and constructed by Austrian architect Johan Staber. It is located in Donaustadt, Vienna, Austria. Banks, post offices, and many other commercial works are done here. Formerly VIC was very popular in the world as the ” most modern skyscraper in Austria ” during its construction time. Note: Vienna Twin Towers(Tower B) and Vienna International Centre ( Building A ) both are 127 m in height and both are considered the fifth tallest buildings in Austria.
Indians are now more willing to install tiles in their homes than customary materials. Before we go to the main topic “Top 10 Tile Companies in India” Let’s know something about tiles.
For the all-over decoration, tiles bring about a fabulous 2D as well as a 3D visual effect to the walls as well as to the floors.
Here are seven things one must think about before choosing tiles; quality, likeliness, styles, decency, durability, availability, and affordability.
Based on the above seven factors, I have created a list of the 10 best tile companies in India, but before starting a detailed discussion regarding the tile brands let us discuss the concept of tiles in brief.
Generally, a tile is a thin rectangular or square-shaped object, generally made up of hardwearing materials including stones, metals, ceramics, baked or burned clay, and even glass.
Tiles can be of various shapes, sizes, colours, and textures that fit into different kinds of wall décor. In comparison with Granite or Marble, tiles are mainly preferred nowadays because of their quality of stain and stretch resistance, lower maintenance, and simple establishment features. Even the tiles are very less likely to fade away when exposed to direct sun rays or very high or very low temperatures as well.
Tiles are widely used to serve the purpose of flooring in the kitchen, dining, bedrooms, bathrooms, and parking slots as well. For the making of table-tops, kitchen tops as well as rooftops and balconies, tiles are utilized in various ways.
Major components of Ceramic Tiles include red or white clay. The clay is first burned and then it is given a shape for the formation of tiles. A special glaze is used for covering and protecting the tiles. That is how the tiles become durable and strain-free. The colour and patterns of the tiles are also results because of this glaze.
The light-weight materials like wood, perlite, and mineral wool are mainly used for making tiles for walls and ceilings whereas, heavy-weight materials like stones, metals, ceramics, and burned clay are preferred for flooring.
Tiles are considered to be one of the most essential materials to solve construction purposes by improving the overall aesthetic appeal of a project. Read Also:Different Types of Flooring
China is the largest manufacturer of ceramic tiles. They produce more than 5.2 billion square meters of ceramic tiles. China is well-known for tiles customization and export facilities as it holds the highest position in terms of consumption and exportation.
Next to China, India holds the second position in terms of the production of tiles by making more than 1.27 billion square meters of ceramic tiles.
Top 10 Tile Companies in India
The following companies are considered among the top 10 best tiles companies in India to provide smooth, long-lasting, durable, and personalized tiles as per the requirement of the Indian customer.
Following is the List of Top 10 Tiles Brand Name List in India as of 2024.
Sl.No.
Tiles Brand Name List in India
1.
Kajaria Ceramics Limited
2.
Somany Ceramics Limited
3.
Orient Bell
4.
Grindwell Norton Limited
5.
Cera Sanitaryware Limited
6.
Asian Granito India Limited
7.
Nitco
8.
Simpolo Vitrified Pvt. Ltd
9.
HSIL Limited (Building Products Division)
10.
Varmora Granito Private Limited
1. Kajaria Ceramics Limited
Kajaria Ceramics is the largest tiles company in India. It is also one of the best tiles companies in the whole world. It is very popular for producing wall tiles and vitrified tiles. It holds a market capacity of 15,848.29 Cr. with a market share of 37.15% and a production capacity of 75.12 Million Square Meters (MSM).
This company was established in the mid-1980s by Shri Ashok Kumar Kajaria. Now, its headquarters is located in New Delhi. It exports ceramic and vitrified tiles to more than 30 countries globally. It has been able to set a benchmark in producing quality products through the nine plants located in various states of India including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Utter Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.
It provides nearly 2800 designs in ceramic as well as vitrified tiles in all price ranges. It occupies a Pan-Indian dealership and has gained a green certificate from the Indian population. Kajaria Units are equipped with modern-age technologies for producing quality materials.
2. Somany Ceramics Limited
Somany Ceramics Limited is ranked second in the list of top 10 tile companies in India. Somany Ceramics was founded by Shri H.L. Somany in 1969. It is an internationally acclaimed organization with a specialization in ceramics and allied goods. Somany Ceramics has become one of the obvious leaders in the Indian Ceramic Industry with a recognizable footstep in Africa, The Middle –East, United Kingdom as well as Russia in the last four decades. Read Also: Ceramic Materials – MCQ.
It provides a production facility at Kadi in Gujrat, Kassar in Haryana and other plants of joint ventures. It offers a diversified and huge range of products which include Digital tiles, Bath fitting, Ceramic walls as well as the floor, Vitrified Tiles, Glazed Vitrified Tiles Sanitary Ware, and many more. With a total production capacity of 60 million square meters annually, this company has become the second-largest tile company in India.
It holds annual revenue of Rs. 1,733 Cr., with a market capacity of 884.03 Cr. and it shares 4.8 % of the market. It has 2267 employees presently working in different sectors.
3. Orient Bell
Orient Bell is considered one of the best tile companies in India, which offers numerous tiles in various shapes and forms including 3D tiles to anti-skid tiles. It was established in New Delhi in the year of 1977. The price range of Orient Bell tiles starts from Rs.36/ sq.ft. Tiles of this brand incorporate glazed floor tiles, full-body vitrified tiles, double-charged, and other popular tile types as well.
It offers more than 500 designs of highly versatile tiles ranging from rustic wooden to marble and a broad portfolio of products with unique features like high resistance to stains and scratching, luxurious tile finish, low maintenance, etc. Glossy, non-glossy, rustic, matte and other popular formats are available in the market under the brand name “Orient Bell”.
I personally like their outstanding feature named “Open Trialook”. Most buyers are confused during choosing the tiles for their dream home. They don’t know which tiles make the look of their home according to their preferences. But don’t worry, Open Triallook has made it easy for you. Before you buy, you can virtually see which tiles will give the most prominent look on your wall. All you have to do is upload your wall picture and that’s it.
4. Grindwell Norton Limited
Grindwell Norton (GNO) is a listed company on the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges. It is one of the pioneer companies in manufacturing grinding wheels in India in 1941.
It is considered to be one of the best tiles in India as per total sales and market share are concerned. Saint-Gobain became a shareholder in GNO by acquiring the Norton Company of USA. By increasing its equity stake, Saint-Gobain made GNO the first majority-owned subsidiary based in India.
With 1956 employees, it holds an annual revenue of 1,628 Cr., 6,401 market capacity sharing 4.7% of the market. Presently, the group holds 51.66% of the equity capital of GNO.
5. Cera Sanitaryware Limited
Being one of the top Indian tile companies with an annual revenue of Rs. 1,330 Cr. and a market capacity of 3343 Cr., Cera Sanitaryware Limited offers a very wide range of architectural and design solutions in terms of tiles production.
Its establishment year can be traced back to the year 1980. It is now headquartered in Ahmedabad with 2587 employees. This company is mainly recognised for producing digital glazed and unglazed vitrified floor tiles, HD digital tiles, and digital porcelain anti-skid.
This company also produces different wellness products including shower cubicles, steam shower rooms, shower panels, shower partitions as well as pressure pumps.
6. Asian Granito India Limited
Asian Granito India Limited (AGL) has become India’s fastest-growing ceramic-producing company in the last decades as it has grown its capacity to 40 folds of the initial one.
It was established in 2000 and now all the world-class products are made in 8 ultra-modern plants situated in the state of Gujrat. AGL incorporates an extensive network of more than 240 exclusive dealers, 6000 and above dealers as well as sub-dealers covering every state in the Indian subcontinent.
It has an annual revenue of Rs. 1,260 Cr. with a production capacity of 35.76 MSM and 2,334 employees.
7. Nitco
Nitco is an India-based tile-producing company which was founded in 1953 by Pran Nath Talwar. 20% of its total production is exported to the countries like United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, Oman, UAE etc. Nitco tiles are manufactured in the set-up located in Alibaug, near Mumbai and its headquarters is in Mumbai.
It has five major categories of tiles including Glazed Vitrified tiles, Ceramic Wall & Floor tiles, Vitrified DCH, Vitrified Heavy duty, and Vitrified SST with finishes like Matt, Satin Matt, Rustic, Eclat, Lapato, Barnio Glossy, and Sugar. It has a market capacity of 228.51 Cr., annual revenue of 607 Cr. as well as 1300 capable employees.
Simpolo Ceramics and Tiles are globally acclaimed for their world-class designs as well as quality. It was established in the year of 1977 in Morbi, Gujrat. It has been able to attract worldwide recognition through research and innovation. This company has received “Bhartiya Udhyog Ratna” from the Minister of State for Shipping, Govt. of India.
Vitrified Tiles, Smart Marble, Outdoor Tiles, Wall Tiles, and Step Risers are the major products that are manufactured under this brand. With more than 500 total employees, this brand generates total revenue of Rs. 500+Cr. with a capacity of 15+ MSM.
9. HSIL Limited (Building Products Division)
One of the leading ceramic companies i.e. HSIL Limited was set up in 1960 with the name Hindustan Twyfords Limited in collaboration with Twyfords of the UK to introduce the vitreous china sanitaryware in India.
It was renamed Hindustan Sanitaryware and Industries Limited in 1969 and HSIL Limited in 2009. Presently there are 4198 employees (including all divisions) working under this company. It is characterized by a production capacity of 7.2 MSM and a market capacity of 346.66 Cr. and Rs. 1,223.2 Cr. annual revenue. HSIL had been enlisted in the ‘Fortune India 500’ 2018 list.
Presently, HSIL has incorporated four different business segments – BPD (Building Products Division), CPD (Consumer Products Division), and RPPD (Retail Division and Packaging Products Division).
10. Varmora Granito Private Limited
Being one of the leading ceramic companies in India, Varmora tiles represent the uniqueness and sustainable solutions to the manufacture of tiles. This company was established in the year of 1994 by the dynamic leader Bhavesh Varmora. It has now become a blooming global pathfinder of the ceramic business. With more than 500 retail outlets, over 700 dealers, and 1200 employees, this company currently runs 20 branch offices for hassle-free operations.
The company provides sanitarywares, walls, full-body porcelain and floor tiles. Presently, products of this brand are exported to more than seven countries in the Middle East, South Africa, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, etc. It has a total revenue of 396 Cr. per year. Presently, this company holds a capacity of 10+ MSM.
11. H & R Johnson
H & R Johnson is one of the most popular and leading tiles companies in India. They not only provide tiles but also marble and quartz. It was established in 1958(India). Here you can find ceramic tiles, vitrified tiles, glazed vitrified tiles, and industrial tiles with several size options as well.
It is very popular for producing tiles for floors, walls as well as terraces. They provide tiles for bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, terraces, swimming pools, etc. Here you can also get some special tiles such as – a cool roof, germ-free, anti-static tiles.
What Are the 3 Major Factors to Consider Before Buying Tiles?
There are many things that are important regarding buying tiles, but from my own experience, I will mention three major important things that one must know.
Shape:
Most people will tell you about the size, yes, it is important, but I will tell you about the shape and not about the size. When going to buy tiles, we never pay attention to the shape and because of that, we have to pay later.
A tile is said to be best when it is sufficiently straight. It will give you a good floor as much as it will be straight. If it’s curved, it’ll hit your feet and cause discomfort, and you’ll unknowingly blame the persons who installed it.
In this picture, you can see the truth about the tiles. Both ends of these tiles are on the same level but the middle portion is not at the same level that indicates the curve tiles. If both ends are not at the same level, then you can blame your contractor who installed these tiles. But in this case, this happened due to curved tiles.
Quality:
Now, 2nd most important point is quality. Quality means, how much they are durable? In my experience, I will always prefer double-charged tiles instead of single-charged. Double-charged tiles are more durable and straight than single-charged tiles. No doubt, they will give you a good appearance on your floor. But they are more expensive than single-charged tiles. It may be for the kitchen, bathroom, or living room, if your budget permits, then always select double-charged tiles.
Brand:
The third important point is brand. Always prefer branded tiles, branded tiles always promise quality with minimum defects. I will suggest you choose the perfect brand according to your budget and requirements. I have already mentioned the top 10 tile brands in India, but there are also some other popular companies in India like BAJAJ TILES, RAK Ceramics India Pvt. Ltd, Kera Vitrified LLP, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
What is the leading tile manufacturing company in India?
Kajaria is the leading tile manufacturing company in India. But we can say that Kajaria, Somany, Orient Bell, and Grindwell Norton are the top four tile-producing companies in India.
What are the major components of Ceramic Tiles?
Red and White clay are the main components of ceramic tiles.
What should be the main things to keep in mind before buying the tiles?
Seven things should be prioritized before choosing the tiles which include quality, likeliness, styles, decency, durability, availability, and affordability.
Which country leads in Ceramic tile production Globally?
China leads in the production of ceramic tiles by manufacturing more than 5.2 billion square meters of ceramic tiles. Next to China, India holds the second position with the production of ceramic tiles of more than 1.27 billion square meters.
What are the major advantages of Ceramic Tiles?
The major advantages of Ceramic Tiles are as follows. ➽ These are easy to maintain, ➽ These are durable, ➽ These are water-resistant. ➽ Ceramic tiles do not cause allergies.
