7 Record-Setting Engineering Wonders of the Modern World

EFIFFEL TOWER , FRANCE: Would you believe that the tallest bridge in France reaches higher than the Eiffel tower, or that a single dam in China can hold back 1.4 trillion cubic feet or water? Each of the projects depicted here has set at least one world record for its height, scale, daring or ingenuity. From Venice to Boston, Egypt to England, here are seven amazing engineering wonders of the modern world.

VENICE-ITALY : The Venice Tide Barrier Project will be the largest flood prevention project in the world. The project has been debated in one form or another for over 40 years as a way to protect this historical city-on-the-water for future generations. With Venice slowly sinking, and the water around it slowly rising, and floods always a fear, Italians have known for a long time that something needs to be done. Finally, the Prime Minister of Italy approved the second phase of the plan, including 80 hinged barriers, each approximately 6,500 square feet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O-1rjyebFU

ZHANIGJIAJIE-CHINA : The Bailong Elevator is the world’s largest exterior elevator. At over 1,000 feet tall, this elevator looms high midway up a cliff overlooking a valley far below. Moreover, the elevator is mostly glass, affording passengers a dizzying view to the depths below. There is some concern, however, about the elevator’s long-term impact on the surrounding natural environment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ab_XNmkgic

MILLAU-FRANCE: The Millau Viaduct is the highest bridge in the world. At almost 1,000 feet high (taller than the even the Eiffel Tower) and over 8,000 feet long it sometimes sits above the cloud line, as shown in the beautiful photographs above. The engineered wonder of the bridge itself is nearly as amazing as the view of the valley below.

MORE,NORWAY TO EASINGTON,BRITAIN: The Langeled Pipeline is slated to be the longest underwater gas pipeline in the world. It will ultimately supply 20% of Britain’s gas needs, connecting England to the largest gas field in Europe via 750 miles of complex underwater terrain. Engineers have had to account for subzero temperatures an stormy waters in addition to developing techniques for installing the pipeline in the first place. They are able to lay an amazing 8 miles of pipe per day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6ioHuJOm3I

YANGTZE-CHINA: The Three Gorges Dam has drawn fire from people around the world for its role in raising water levels and displacing millions of Chinese residents in the area. As a work of engineering, however, it is unparalleled. It will be the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, 600 feet high and holding 1.4 trillion cubic feet of water behind 100 million cubic feet of concrete. This engineering wonder will also eventually provide as much as 10% of China’s vast power needs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P6SLyDl40o

BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS: The so-called Big Dig is a massive tunneling project in the heart of Boston, and is the most massive and expensive construction project in the history of the United States (at 15 billion dollars). Disaster and scandal have haunted this endeavor from the beginning, including accidents, deaths and even arrests for criminal negligence. Engineers were forced to navigate a maze of subways, pipes and utility lines in the course of the project, all with minimum disturbance to the bustling streets of Boston above.

MUBARAK,EGYPT: The Toshka Project is an amazing attempt to convert a half million acres of desert landscape into arable land. The Mubarak Pumping Station is at the center of this effort, and will channel millions of cubic feet of water per hour. It will ultimately redirect 10% of the country’s water from the Nile and will increase the inhabitable land in Egypt by as much as 25%.

Contribution of Civil Engineering to modern life

Many do not realize the importance of civil engineers within the society. By developing the infrastructure 

for our society, they are basically giving shape to the history of our nations. One might ask how this 

might be possible. By giving shape to the society, civil engineers are essentially building the backbone 

for the world to relax on. Only by going deep into the duties that civil engineers do can one understand 

the importance of their job and their many responsibilities.

Civil engineering has played a critical role in increasing the health and quality of life in the last 50 years,

From developing better water supplies, municipal sewer systems, wastewater treatment plants to the 

design of buildings to protect us from natural hazards and provide health care, to improved agriculture 

through water resource development and distribution projects to rapid and dramatic changes in 

transportation systems, civil engineers have developed the basic infrastructure on which modern society

depends. Civil engineers were the first engineers and continue to be dedicated to technology 

development for the common good and the general public.

Our work has helped reduced the death rate dramatically which is one of the principal reasons that 

population has been able to grow so dramatically in the last 150 years. And as Don Roberts (retired vice

president of CH2MHill) has pointed out, the improvements in transportation alone have enabled rapid

migration of large numbers of people all over the world and increased the volume of raw materials and

finished products in international trade 800 times in the last century. Economic output has increased 

over 20 times, fossil fuel 30 times and industrial production 100 times in the last century. Along with this

growth has come some undesirable environmental, health and social impacts, particularly in the last half century.