1. A clear piece of land with stable ground and a good location is found.
2. A hole is dug to bedrock level to support the building; this could be up to
200-plus feet deep.
3. The footings (which are like big pads that spread out the weight) are placed
at the bottom of the hole. The footings must be placed on stable ground, which
is often bedrock.
4. Concrete is poured over the footings.
5. The vertical support beams are constructed and placed using large cranes.
These are used to support the vertical load.
6. The horizontal steel girders are then placed between the vertical beams.
These are used to bind the building together.
7. The outside walls, which act like curtains, are then placed and the building
is finished off.
Please understand that the actual construction process happens in
gradual succession. As the vertical beams are constructed, the horizontal ones
are constructed right after, and then the outer skeleton is built. The
separation between the vertical horizontal beam placements are usually only one
or two floors. The outer skeleton is usually two-thirds the height of the
finished building
