Ever stop to look at a flawless piece of engineering and think… “How on earth did they do that?” Man has always been a problem solver and has had the ability to overcome adversity – this includes nature! No matter what Mother Nature has thrown at mankind, he has found a way to overcome. As the world has changed and technology has improved, the globe is full of the greatest engineering feats that man has been able to assemble. Bridges, tunnels, or harnessing the elements. We have created structures to conquer them all. Here are some of the greatest.
The Panama Canal
Built to shave off the 16,000 Km journey around South America. The Panama Canal is truly a remarkable piece of engineering. It took nearly 34 years to build and connected the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. The result changed the world forever in terms of commerce. A journey that took months was shortened to just a twelve-hour journey. It was considered one of the most dangerous and difficult engineering projects ever conceived.
Millau Viaduct
The Viaduct is considered an engineering triumph. Developed and designed by Michel Virlogeux and Norman Foster the viaduct stretches across the valley of the River Tarn outside Millau in the South of France. The highest towers of the structure reach up to 1,125 feet, this makes it the tallest cable bridge in the world – it is even taller than the Eiffel Tower. The bridge took only three years to complete and was completed in December 2004.
The Large Hadron Collider
It has a 17-mile circumference and is housed in a 574-foot tunnel. This piece if engineering excellence is used to try and answer some of the biggest questions in science. It is the largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. Hadron Collider contains superconducting magnets, were two beams send atomic particles at high speeds around the collider to crash into each other. This lets scientists observe the new particles created.
Channel Tunnel
This 23-mile tunnel connects the UK with mainland Europe. The tunnel starts at Folkstone and goes under the Channel and comes up again in Coquelles, France. Construction began in 1988 and the project was completed in 1994. The journey takes 20 minutes and up to seven million people travel through the tunnel each year. So, as you chill out on the Eurostar – you can read, listen to music, or play games like the slots at Lucky VIP as you make your way to France.
Empire State Building
Even today… this iconic building still endures as a classic piece of engineering. It is central to the New York skyline is located on the intersection of 5th Avenue and West and West 34th Street. It took 13 months to construct and the time it was the tallest building in the world and remained so for the next 40 years. It has become a major symbol of all things American and has become entrenched in popular culture forever.
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