Build with Strength Video: The evolution of Chicago’s modern architecture

Build with Strength, a coalition of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), released a new video looking back at Chicago’s construction development in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the use of non-combustible materials in the city ever since.

Concrete does not burn or melt, and will retain its structural stability even at the highest temperatures. Following the devastation of their city, Chicago’s design, build and code communities worked together to ensure such a catastrophe would never happen again.

Exemplifying the ascendance of concrete is Chicago’s Aqua Tower. Completed in 2010, the 82-story architectural icon features distinct concrete slab “waves” of exterior balconies, providing occupants with unmatched views of the city.

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