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[[Image:480px-Manhattan at Dusk by slonecker.jpg|right|thumb|The Empire State Building was the world's tallest building from 1931 to 1972.]]

[[Image:480px-Manhattan at Dusk by slonecker.jpg|right|thumb|The Empire State Building was the world's tallest building from 1931 to 1972.]]

The '''Empire State Building''' is a privately owned office building completed in 1931 during the [[Great Depression]] as the tallest building in the world, a distinction it enjoyed for decades until it was surpassed by the [[Sears Tower]] in [[Chicago]].  To this day the Empire State Building is considered by a random poll of Americans to be their favorite piece of American architecture.<ref>http://www.aia.org/press2_template.cfm?pagename=release_020707_150Buildings</ref>  It is also considered the most fire-proof building in America.<ref>http://vincentdunn.com/wtc.html</ref>  

The '''Empire State Building''' is a privately owned office building completed in 1931 during the [[Great Depression]] as the tallest building in the world, a distinction it enjoyed for decades until it was surpassed by the [[Sears Tower]] in [[Chicago]].  To this day the Empire State Building is considered by a random poll of Americans to be their favorite piece of American architecture.<ref>http://www.aia.org/press2_template.cfm?pagename=release_020707_150Buildings</ref>  It is also considered the most fire-proof building in America.<ref>http://vincentdunn.com/wtc.html</ref>  

The Empire State Building contains steel reinforced by concrete, making it extremely fire-proof.  Deputy Chief Fire Department of New York (F.D.N.Y.) Vincent Dunn (ret.) wrote:<ref>''Id.''</ref>

The Empire State Building contains steel reinforced by concrete, making it extremely fire-proof.  Deputy Chief Fire Department of New York (F.D.N.Y.) Vincent Dunn (ret.) wrote:<ref>''Id.''</ref>

:The more mass the more fire resistance. The best fire resistive building in America is a concrete structure. The structures that limit and confine fires best, and suffer fewer collapses are reinforced concrete pre WWII buildings such as housing projects and older high rise buildings like the empire state building, The more concrete, the more fire resistance; and the more concrete the less probability of total collapse. The evolution of high- rise construction can be seen, by comparing the empire state building to the WTC.  My estimate is the ratio of concrete to steel in the empire state building is 60/40.  

:The more mass the more fire resistance. The best fire resistive building in America is a concrete structure. The structures that limit and confine fires best, and suffer fewer collapses are reinforced concrete pre-WWII buildings such as housing projects and older high rise buildings like the empire state building, The more concrete, the more fire resistance; and the more concrete the less probability of total collapse. The evolution of high- rise construction can be seen, by comparing the empire state building to the WTC.  My estimate is the ratio of concrete to steel in the empire state building is 60/40.  

In 1945, a B-25 bomber crashed into the 79 floor of the Empire State Building in heavy fog, killing 14 persons and igniting a fire.  But there was only $1 million in damage and the structure of the building easily survived the impact and the resultant fire.  Deputy Chief Dunn noted:<ref>''Id.''</ref>

In 1945, a B-25 bomber crashed into the 79 floor of the Empire State Building in heavy fog, killing 14 persons and igniting a fire.  But there was only $1 million in damage and the structure of the building easily survived the impact and the resultant fire.  Deputy Chief Dunn noted:<ref>''Id.''</ref>

== References ==

== References ==

[[Category:Buildings]]

[[category:United States]]