Fazlur Khan’s Big Idea

Fazlur Khan was an Asian American. He was born in a place that is now called Bangladesh. He moved to the United States as a young man. He got a job as an engineer. He designed buildings. Khan had a big idea. It changed how people build tall buildings. He designed tall buildings in Chicago. 

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Khan wanted to find a better way to build tall buildings. He looked at a plant called bamboo. He noticed it was shaped like a tube. He knew the shape made the bamboo strong. He thought about how that shape could help hold up a tall building. 

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Khan and his team used this idea to build the Sears Tower in Chicago. It had 110 stories. It was the tallest building in the world in 1973. Today it is called the Willis Tower. It is not the tallest building in the world today. But it is still the tallest building in Chicago.  People still use Khan’s idea to build tall buildings today. 

What Do You Think? Ask an adult to help you find pictures of some of Khan’s buildings. Which one is your favorite? 

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