10 Biggest Modern Engineering Achievements
Engineers design marvels that can make us gasp in awe. Whether it’s a bridge, tunnel or railway that connects cities or an spacecraft that sends humans to the moon.
The Millau Viaduct is a cable-stayed bridge that spans a gorge valley in southern France. Designed by Norman Foster and Michel Virlogeux, the structure is breathtaking.
1. The Panama Canal
One of the two most vital artificial waterways in the world, the Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It opened on August 15, 1914 and shortens shipping routes between the East and West coast of the United States by 13,000 km.
Construction began in 1881 by a French team led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, who had previously developed Egypt’s Suez Canal. The work was slowed by engineering problems and worker mortality from tropical diseases including yellow fever and malaria. Lesseps ultimately realized his plan for a sea-level canal was too ambitious and switched to a lock canal.
2. The Three Gorges Dam
The dam provides shipping lanes, generates hydroelectricity and prevents devastating floods. It took 17 years to complete the entire project which consists of three stages, from 1992 to 2009.
Beijing argues the Three Gorges Dam will bring jobs and economic opportunity to the interior of China, which lags behind coastal areas in development and prosperity. But human rights groups say the dam will cause over a million people to relocate, submerge ancient temples and burial grounds, and destroy habitats for wildlife and plants.
The dam's reservoir has flooded numerous archaeological sites, and some artifacts could not be moved because of their location or design. Some plants and animals are disappearing as a result of the project, but long-term data is needed to determine whether decreases in populations are due to the dam or natural fluctuation.
3. The Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel, or the Chunnel as it’s often known, was a project that realized centuries of dreaming to reconnect Britain with Europe. But the ambitious project wasn’t without challenges.
One of the first proposals for a tunnel under the English Channel was made by a French engineer in 1802, and several plans were developed over the next two centuries.
But in 1880, it began to look as though the tunnel would become a reality when engineers dug a pilot tunnel from Abbots Cliff in England and a tunnel from Sangatte on the French side.
4. The International Space Station
The space station enables scientists from all over the world to conduct experiments in microgravity. Many of those experiments help benefit people on Earth.
For instance, the ISS’s research into protein crystal growth helped create a glove that helps astronauts and auto workers avoid hand fatigue. Similarly, a device developed on the station to measure body temperature has now made its way into hospitals and medical devices used by doctors and surgeons.
ISS crew members have also aided the next generation of engineers through educational downlink programs that connect them with thousands of students worldwide.
5. The Trans-Siberian Railway
A railroad that spans almost the entire length of Russia is a huge engineering achievement, and one that was no small feat to build. Starting in 1891 and completed in 1916, the Trans-Siberian Railway opened Siberia to colonization and exploitation the same way American rails opened the American West to pioneers and cowboys.
The nationalist bent of the Russian Empire ensured that the project would be funded solely from within Russia, with construction workers recruited from across the country, including exiled prisoners and soldiers. Despite epic costs and harsh terrain, it was finished in just 12 years.
6. The High Line in New York
Whether it's a bridge that connects two continents or a stadium that hosts Olympic athletes, engineering marvels all share one thing in common: they are built to solve a problem. High Line located in New York.
The 1.5-mile-long public park reclaims an abandoned elevated railroad. It features lush vegetation and a variety of landscapes that reflect the city's diverse heritage. It also serves a practical purpose: it cuts down traffic congestion, making the city more livable. This is just one example of how engineers are improving people's lives worldwide.
7. The Great Wall of China
Few cultural landmarks symbolize the sweep of a nation’s history like the Great Wall of China. It was built by a succession of emperors over 2,000 years.
The first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, commanded the linking of separate walls built by previous states into one single massive structure. He also made it a requirement for watchtowers to be positioned along the wall.
This monumental feat took a huge amount of time and resources. Many died during its construction. However, some question whether the benefits outweigh the costs.
8. The Danyang Kunshan Grand Bridge
The Danyang Kunshan Grand Bridge is one of the longest bridges in the world and was built to carry trains on China’s premier high-speed railway. It cost 8.5 billion dollars to build and took four years to complete.
The bridge has a 5.6 mile section that stretches across the open waters of Yangcheng Lake. This portion of the bridge is held up by 2000 pillars and steel cables. The bridge can withstand powerful typhoons, magnitude 8 earthquakes, and even direct hits from navy vessels that weigh 300,000 tons.
9. The Trans-Siberian Pipeline
In 1982, an explosion burned a section of the new Trans-Siberian Pipeline in Siberia. It was caused by US software that had been hacked by French intelligence officials, according to Thomas Reed’s book At The Abyss.
Western European governments supported the pipeline because it would help them diversify their energy supplies, boost economies stricken by unemployment, and support businesses that could not afford to import oil from the Middle East. The project’s history parallels central features of strategic competition with China today: entangling allies economically with a rival, denying hard currency revenue to a security competitor, and preventing the transfer of critical Western technology to an adversary.
10. The Great Wall of China
Back in the day, when China was getting invaded by armies, the best way to protect yourself was to build a wall. And so the Great Wall was born.
The Wall stretches over many provinces and municipalities today. It consists of many different walls, towers and trenches. It mainly follows the crest lines of mountains and rivers.
The wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is said that you can see it from space! Sadly, many parts of the Great Wall are now in ruins.
