Foo - Sears Tower unveils 103rd floor glass balconies

Source (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j-naIx2ZJPF816zgNIy2Dds8ieZwD995T18O0)

CHICAGO (AP) — Visitors to the Sears Tower's new glass balconies all seem to agree: The first step is the hardest.
The balconies are suspended 1,353 feet in the air and jut out four feet from the building's 103rd floor Skydeck. Their transparent walls, floor and ceiling leave visitors with the impression they're floating over the city.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/media/ALeqM5jhBkedaQqSThks3ZRC0AwdV3y5Sg?size=l

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/media/ALeqM5heNJesPi4DFIVOvS_VG8nsPqKTmw?size=l


All I can say is not just no, but hell naw.
No way, no how.

Get to feel the building swaying too.
I wouldn't even walk by one of those things.

Something similiar to ( a glass walk) this has been built overlooking the Grand Canyon.. I'd do neither.

Four feet isn't very far.


The balconies can hold five tons, and the glass is an inch-and-a-half thick, officials said.

1.5" glass can support five tons?

Havent you seen the star trewk movies? It's secretly transparent aluminum, the government doesn't want us to know. It can evidently support sea water and humpback whales.

since I'm acrophobic, I'd never be there.

Whose read the report a small asteroid passed thru the hand of a German teenager.. Anyone completed studies on the ability of the glass balcony to withstand metrorite impacts.? Could happen.?
..
A YOUNG boy will be his mates' hero for a long time after survivng a direct hit by a meteorite, travelling at nearly 50,000 kilometers per hour.

Fourteen-year-old Gerrit Blank was hit in the hand by a pea-sized meteorite that left him in severe pain and with a three-inch scar

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25630575-13762,00.html

since I'm acrophobic, I'd never be there.

You're afraid of acrobats too? :P

Whose read the report a small asteroid passed thru the hand of a German teenager.. Anyone completed studies on the ability of the glass balcony to withstand metrorite impacts.? Could happen.?
..
A YOUNG boy will be his mates' hero for a long time after survivng a direct hit by a meteorite, travelling at nearly 50,000 kilometers per hour.

Fourteen-year-old Gerrit Blank was hit in the hand by a pea-sized meteorite that left him in severe pain and with a three-inch scar

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25630575-13762,00.html

I'll accept that he was hit by shrapnel from the meteorite hitting the ground, but I'm not buying that something moving at >45,000 feet a second wouldn't have vaporized the kid's arm.

You're afraid of acrobats too? :P

I much prefer gymnasts

1.5" glass can support five tons?

The loads on the windows at major aquariums are actually a lot more than that. Look at the picture of this balcony though. It's suspended from steel framework over your head, so it doesn't impede the view.

This is probably some sort of polycarbonate rather than real glass, which has a yield strength of over 8000 psi. A slice of that sort of material less than an inch wide will support five tons. It could also be tempered or layered glass.

However, there will be stress concentrations around the fasteners, plus a designed-in factor of safety, so the structure sees nowhere near that much stress. A professional engineer had to place his career on the line to sign off on the design in order for it to get built. It's probably far safer than your front porch.


Whose read the report a small asteroid passed thru the hand of a German teenager.. Anyone completed studies on the ability of the glass balcony to withstand metrorite impacts.? Could happen.?
..
A YOUNG boy will be his mates' hero for a long time after survivng a direct hit by a meteorite, travelling at nearly 50,000 kilometers per hour.

Fourteen-year-old Gerrit Blank was hit in the hand by a pea-sized meteorite that left him in severe pain and with a three-inch scar

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...-13762,00.html

Meteors that small don't have enough energy to maintain any meaningful velocity by the time they reach the ground. Drag slows them down to terminal velocity, which depending on density and size is usually about 100-200 mph. It's probably about like getting shot by a BB gun.

It's also the only recorded case in the entire history of the world of a person getting hit directly by a meteor. Likewise, damage to buildings from meteors is extremely rare and generally not very severe.

The biggest risk is probably from the guys who have to the wash the windows from the outside.


I'd walk out on it with little more consideration than a second glance. Same for the transparent walkway over the edge of the Grand Canyon, except I guess that's on private land and they charge an arm, a leg, and a couple barrels of crude oil to see it.

I'd go out there. Looks WAY cool. I'd go onto the Grand Canyon glass bridge, too. The CN Tower in Toronto has a glass floor section, and the ground is so far away that it doesn't even look 3D. I think I remember a glass floor on part of the Eiffel Tower, too. There's also a scenic overlook in Norway that I want to visit that looks kind of like a logging trough that drops away over a cliff -- there's only a couple glass panes to block things from falling overboard.

I'd like to see more balconies like that. It definitely is something new and interesting to go see.

I'd be okay with the heights aspect, but me visiting would actually require me to set foot in Chicago, which is about as unlikely as a thing can be.

Who cleans the outside part?

I would like to go (being under 10 min away from Sears Tower) but I'm slightly afraid of heights so we shall see.

I don't do heights...or swaying buildings.

I got on the observation deck on one of the Twin Towers in 2000...scariest experience I've had. Never again.

I would like to go (being under 10 min away from Sears Tower) but I'm slightly afraid of heights so we shall see.

Pictures please.

Who cleans the outside part?

They retract for the robot window washers. Seriously.

I'd be okay with the heights aspect, but me visiting would actually require me to set foot in Chicago, which is about as unlikely as a thing can be.

Why's that? Are you wanted there? :lol:

It would be a fun place to do the nasty at noon....a nooner don't ya know.

No effing way! No... negative... never...

I did not see the roll of paper towels to clean up after people pee themselves after walking out there.

No. Way.

Looks like fun. Finally a reason to visit Chicago...or not.

I would do it in a trice and tap dance on the glass floor, as well.

They retract for the robot window washers. Seriously.

That's kind of fun. It will be more fun in 10 years when the seals on the windows need replacing, but that's part of the cost of such a novelty.

all we have are glass floors at the CN tower.

Source (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j-naIx2ZJPF816zgNIy2Dds8ieZwD995T18O0)

CHICAGO (AP) — Visitors to the Sears Tower's new glass balconies all seem to agree: The first step is the hardest.
The balconies are suspended 1,353 feet in the air and jut out four feet from the building's 103rd floor Skydeck. Their transparent walls, floor and ceiling leave visitors with the impression they're floating over the city.**** the hell out of that ****.

Chicago's skyline looks just fine from the ground.

Besides, what's wrong with looking out windows? Why do you have to stand on the windows, too?

I could look out the usual windows fine. There is no way in hades you could get me out onto a glass floor at that height.

I like to keep my feet on terra firma. The more firmer, the less terror.

I'd be okay with the heights aspect, but me visiting would actually require me to set foot in Chicago, which is about as unlikely as a thing can be.

Don't like Chicago Michigander.

A professional engineer had to place his career on the line to sign off on the design in order for it to get built.

There's always other careers.

http://blogs.dailyrecord.com/photojournalist/files/2009/05/hindenburg.gif

Four feet isn't very far.



1.5" glass can support five tons?

as long as it's not all in one spot, i would say yes.

I am afraid of heights too. Which is why I would do it.

I would probably throw up after, but I would do it.

all we have are glass floors at the CN tower. CN Tower Introduces Glass-Floor Elevator
(http://gocanada.about.com/b/2008/04/14/cn-tower-introduces-glass-floor-elevator.htm)

I am not a fan of heights, but when I was at the Sear's Tower (before the new glass stuff) everything was so far down that it all looked fake and it didn't bother me one bit.

I wouldn't be caught dead out there, however, seems an awesome place to grow a potted garden!

looks awesome. I would love to sit out there and have a glass of wine.
Or meditate.

Why's that? Are you wanted there? :lol:


It's pretty much the heart of un-free, crooked politician occupied america. It's also flat, ugly, and boring as hell.

It's pretty much the heart of un-free, crooked politician occupied america. It's also flat, ugly, and boring as hell.

You have an upside down flag in your sig and you're going to get patriotic on us? :lol:

You have an upside down flag in your sig and you're going to get patriotic on us? :lol:

Do you even have any idea what an upside down flag means?

I don't do heights...or swaying buildings.

I got on the observation deck on one of the Twin Towers in 2000...scariest experience I've had. Never again.
I did that too. Super fun. Youre up there like a million people before you, so you may as well assume its stable and play with the fear.
.

Do you even have any idea what an upside down flag means?

It means your boat is in distress. Is your boat in distress?

the one in the grand canyon is bigger, they should have gone bigger, if i was anywhere close to either 2 of those i would be there so cool

When they put the observation deck on Babel II, I'm there!
.

I would diarrhea all over the glass. Heights have never been my thing.

It means your boat is in distress. Is your boat in distress?

Incorrect. It is a general sign of extreme distress, a fact you can look up in US federal law. I have a lot of reasons for putting up a symbol of extreme distress, but they shouldn't be talked about in foo, because foo has become too timid and soft to discuss such things as reality in our country. Better to discuss in P and R if someone wants to make further issue of it.

Incorrect. It is a general sign of extreme distress, a fact you can look up in US federal law. I have a lot of reasons for putting up a symbol of extreme distress, but they shouldn't be talked about in foo, because foo has become too timid and soft to discuss such things as reality in our country. Better to discuss in P and R if someone wants to make further issue of it.

Dude, you make me lol.

I can't buy a bazooka or Vulcan mini-cannon, so this must be the New World Order predicted in Revelation! I'm gonna hang a flag upside down!

Early last century a British gunboat, entering one of the Chinese Treaty Ports, noticed that no flag was flying on a merchant ship anchored in the harbour. As the gunboat anchored, an upside down Red Ensign was hoisted on the merchant ship. An armed boarding party sent to investigate, took over the ship that had been captured by Chinese pirates. The English Chief Engineer of the merchant ship had been able to hoist the ship's ensign by persuading his captors that the gunboat's captain would become suspicious if there was no flag flying. He successfully gambled that the pirates would not appreciate the significance of it being upside down.
David Prothero, 30 April 2000

Nowadays, neither the international nor U.S. inland rules of the road recognize the inverted ensign as a distress signal and I believe the editions published by the U.S. Coast Guard specifically discourage its use, as it may not be recognized by non-U.S. vessels. The correct visual signals for a ship in dire distress are the signal flags N-C (NOVEMBER CHARLIE), an orange flag with a black square and circle on it, any rectangular flag above a round day-shape, and various arrangements of lights or flares.
Joe McMillan, 13 September 2002

I can't buy a bazooka or Vulcan mini-cannon, so this must be the New World Order predicted in Revelation! I'm gonna hang a flag upside down!

That's pretty far from why I have that in my signature line, but the point is, take it to P and R and make a thread if you want.

I can't buy a bazooka or Vulcan mini-cannon, so this must be the New World Order predicted in Revelation! I'm gonna hang a flag upside down!

:lol: :beer: