There are many mind-boggling engineering marvels of the modern world that amaze us. But the combination of sheer size, serenity, and picturesque outlook make some of these wonders stand out. Here are 5 of these wondrous achievements of engineering:
1. The Skywalk, Grand Canyon
The Horseshoe shaped transparent walkway bridge is located in the Grand Canyon. The floor is entirely made of glass. Combined with the height effect of 1219 meters above the Colorado River, a walk there is not advisable for height phobics. The cantilever bridge was completed in 2007 and extends 21 m from the cliff edge so, the majority of the construction is just hanging in the air. Despite that, it can hold a maximum weight of 71 million tons that is equivalent to 71 Boeing 747s. 83,000 pounds of glass along with a million pounds of steel were used to construct this beautiful piece. The project was completed entirely on the site and the drilling alone took a year to complete.
2. Millay Viaduct, France
Completed in 2004, it has the highest road bridge deck in all of Europe. At the same time, the height of the bridge is unparalleled in the world as it is a staggering 342 meters, much higher Eiffel tower itself. It is 270 meters above the Tarn River at the highest point, and the rest of the height is covered by the high-rise suspension towers. The bridge was built as a gateway between France and Spain. It took 320 million euros to complete.
3. Kansai Airport, Japan
The overcrowded nature of Japanese cities in general and Japan as a whole becomes clearer as a whole artificial island was created for an airport in Osaka. Yes, an entire island! It was completed in 1994 at the cost of a whopping 20 billion dollars. It took a 10,000 strong workforce to excavate 21 million cubic meters of the landfill and carve out a 2.5×4 Km patch for the runway. It is still counted as the world’s most expensive civil engineering project.
4. Burj Khalifa, UAE
The well-known Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world along with being the tallest free standing structure at 828 meters. Such was the astronomical size of the building that it had to be subjected to several unorthodox structural tests. The high-speed winds associated with the region posed a significant set of problems, so the structure had to undergo not one but forty wind tunnel tests. Not only on the structure but also on the cranes being used for construction too.
5. Palm Islands, UAE
These jaw-dropping islands were finished in 2008. They consist of a hundred million cubic meters of sand and rock. Apart from the addition, 210 million tons of rock was reclaimed from the sea to adjust these islands. The rocks used in the construction took away material from 16 quarries. Such was the monstrous nature of the development that the stone used could have made a small wall three times around the globe itself. The sheiks do know their luxuries.
