Can you turn a skyscraper into a magnet?

[Sir John Galt]

TL;DR

Assistance with conceptualizing stupid question greatly appreciated.....

Curious to know if possible to create an electromagnetic field around a skyscraper if you run sufficient current through the structural members (ie interconnected column and beam network).

Thanks in advance to any takers...

 

[Baluncore]

Welcome to PF.

AC or DC ?
Either way, every floor will need to be driven with a separate supply, so the columns are equipotentials.

There will be big problems due to high resistance at the joints where the beams are joined. Either the beam was painted to protect it from the weather, or it is now rusty.

It is conceptually possible, but not practical. Why might you want to do that ?

 

[Sir John Galt]

Thanks Baluncore, and my apologies for delayed response.

It's primarily a conceptual question relating to magnetic fields and the effects of compression of this magnetic field.

Lets say I have a 150 ft skyscraper and am looking to apply a electromagnetic field that would ionize Nitrogen in the air, one of the byproducts being Tritium (for which the decay looks low energy). Normally cosmic radiation (low intensity high velocity) produces this substance in nature, but I'm curious if a lower frequency and high intensity would result in same (except more of it). Besides the possibility of creating this radioactive biproduct of the ionization, let's say the structure then undergoes a controlled demolition.

As the height of the building compresses, does the same occur with the magnetic fields frequency? Creating even more tritium? I wasn't sure if the potential energy of the field at a given height would be converted in that manner...

 

[jbriggs444]

ionize Nitrogen in the air, one of the byproducts being Tritium

Wait, what? A chemical interaction (ionization) resulting in a nuclear change?!

But you're not doing that with a cosmic ray gamma. Or an electrostatic field. You're going to do it with a magnetic field?! Wow, that's one powerful magnetic field you've imagined.

I do not think that a controlled demolition is a problem that you need to worry about. An uncontrolled demolition is certain.

 

[Baluncore]

Building an implosion bomb to demolish a skyscraper is not going to be an easy way to make tritium. We already have too many nuclear weapons on Earth today.

 

[bob012345]

You would do better to just collect tritium from the environmental inventory.

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/265429846.pdf