Throughout the years, humanity has had a fascination with building structures more and more challenging, functional, and useful for a common good. Mankind keeps overcoming its natural limitations thanks to the outstanding work of scientists and engineering that push the boundaries further and further. This is possible thanks to civil engineering.
There are several examples of fascination civil engineering projects, and the American Society of Civil Engineers has even chosen the 7 Wonders of the Modern World. However, we gathered three civil engineering projects that are both outstanding and astonishing. In our list, you will find the Bailong Elevator, the Venice Tide Barrier Project, and the Channel Tunnel.
The Bailong Elevator, China.
Also known as the Hundred Dragons Elevator, this Guinness World Records structure is 326m high, and took three years to complete. The Bailong Elevator is the highest outdoor elevator, and it goes up to the top of a cliff with breathtaking views. Even when half of the structure goes through the inside of the mountain, the remaining 171.4 meters that go above ground give visitors an amazing view of rock formations.
The constructions began in 1999 and finished in 2002, with a total cost of almost $30 million dollars. Each car can take up to 50 people per trip, for a total of 4,000 people per hour. It was built around certain controversy, as protestors stated the elevator project will damage the region. However, supporters stated that it would benefit the region, as hotels in the area have been demolished, and the inner structure of the mountain strengthened.
The Venice Tide Barrier Project, Italy.
Venice is one of the most beautiful and touristic cities in Italy. What makes it so attractive for the 20 million tourists that visit every year is its enchanting canals. However, the city suffers from an intense flood problem that has become worse every year. In order to stop this from happening, the Consorzio Venezia Nuova designed a project called Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico, or Experimental Electromechanical Module. The Venice Tide Barrier Project, it intends to protect the city from sea tides causing floods in the future.
The construction of this ambitious project began in 2003 and should finish by 2022. It consists of a series of controllable walls and floodgates around Venice’s lagoons inlets. These walls rise manually and prevent high sea tides from flooding the city. It is a very complex challenge for civil engineering. The Tide Barrier requires 23,00 tone of concrete foundations built within the lagoon, with its corresponding gates set on top. It works in a similar way the London’s Thames Barrier works and has data from the International Network for Storm Surge Barrier Managers available for further development.
The Channel Tunnel, England, and France
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognized it as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. It links England with France and is considered the longest undersea tunnel in the world. It has 50.45 km long from beginning to end, and its undersea section reaches 38km long. On average, the tunnel is 40m below the sea, but its lowest point below sea level reaches 115m deep. It also reaches a speed of 160 kmph, which translates to 99 mph, which allows passengers and goods to reach their destination in 33 minutes, approximately.
Carrying over 50,000 passengers a day, it is also the largest passengers train in the world. It also carries 6,000 cars and 54,000 tons of freight, according to The Guardian. The construction of this project began in 1986 and finished in 1994 and cost of almost $20 billion dollars. Its construction needed a total of 11 tunnel boring machines, each with an estimated weight of 450 tonnes. It consists of two rail tunnels and one service tunnel, each with a length of about 50km. Besides, everything is automated and controlled at a radio control center.