Structure

The CN Tower seen when looking directly up from the ground level.

The CN Tower consists of several substructures. The main portion of the Tower consists of a hollow concrete pillar containing the elevators, stairwells and power and plumbing connections. On top is the 102 m (335 ft) metal broadcast antenna, carrying TV and radio signals. There are two main visitor areas, the main seven-story pod located at the 330 m (1,100 ft) level, and the SkyPod at 447 m (1,465 ft), just below the antenna. Microwave antennas ring the lower portion of the main pod, protected in a large white donut-shaped radome.

The Sky Pod, situated high above the main observation floor, is the highest public observation deck in the world. From its top, it is possible on a clear day to see approximately 100-120 km (62-74 mi) away and even see an outline of the city of Rochester across Lake Ontario in the United States, or the mist rising from Niagara Falls.

At 342 m (1,122 ft) is the Glass Floor and Outdoor Observation Deck. The Glass Floor is 23.8 m² (256 sq ft) and can withstand a pressure of 4,100 kPa (600 lbs/sq in). The glass floor consists of thermal glass units that are 64 mm (2½ in) thick, consisting of a pane of 25 mm (1 in) laminated glass, a 25 mm (1 in) airspace and a pane of 13 mm (½ in) laminated glass. Some people experience vertigo by walking out on the glass floor and looking down at the ground below.

At 346 m (1,136 ft) is the Horizons Cafe and the Lookout Level, and at 351 m (1,150 ft) is the 360 Restaurant, which completes a full revolution once every 72 minutes.

The structure's microwave receivers for distant signals are housed at 338 m (1,109 ft), and the top of the transmission antenna is at the apex of the tower.

A metal staircase with 1,776 steps reaches the Lookout level, reaching 2,579 steps by the SkyPod, and is the tallest metal staircase on earth. These stairs are intended for emergency use and are not open to the public, except for thrice per year for charity stair-climb events: around Earth Day in the spring by the World Wildlife Fund and in the fall by the United Way's Toronto chapter. The average climber takes approximately 30 minutes to climb to the base of the radome (the white ring around the bottom of the main pod), but the fastest climb on record is 7 minutes and 52 seconds in 1989 by Brendan Keenoy, an Ontario Provincial Police Officer. The fastest record for a woman belongs to Chrissy Redden, who climbed the stairs in 2000 in 11 minutes and 52 seconds. In 2002, Canadian Olympian & Paralympic Champion Jeff Adams climbed the stairs of the CN Tower in a specially designed wheelchair.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20