Pavements in the sky: the skybridge in tall buildings

Since the World Trade Center Towers collapsed in full view of the watching world (FEMA, 2002), the improved safety of tall buildings has become of prime importance globally (Pearson, 2001). International groups such as the UK-based ‘Safety in Tall Buildings Working Group’ (Roberts, 2002), and Arups High Rise (Wainwright, 2002) which are considering these safety implications have made recommendations for improvement in three general areas: structural systems , especially with respect to progressive collapse fire proofing , to structure and fabric evacuation systems, concentrating specifically on vertical evacuation systems such as elevators and stairs.