Notable Innovative Structures Around the World

Everyday, scientists, engineers, researchers, plain ol’ desk jockeys (like the guy who invented “white out”), etc., are coming up with new and increasingly creative innovations, in an attempt to create a life even more devoid of effort than it already is. Some of these innovations are very helpful and have amounted to even bigger and better innovations that benefit the masses. Others, however, are seemingly created simply to prove that any idea can be shaped into something even more outrageous and ridiculous than before, while still benefiting society. The field of Civil Engineering, like every other conceivable field of study, is not immune to this phenomenon. The following is an exposé of a few different Civil Engineering-related innovations around the world.

Taipei 101

Currently the seventh tallest building in the world, Taipei 101, in Taipei, Taiwan, incorporates some

baffling and creative engineering concepts that make it very unique. Taiwan is a country that lies on many faults, making it very prone to earthquakes. Similarly, typhoons are very likely to occur, being that Taiwan is an island directly adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. This makes constructing buildings, much less skyscrapers, very difficult in this region of the world. The soil under the structure, by itself, took eight months of analyzing just to make sure it could carry a structure of this size. Additionally, another 15 months were expended simply creating the foundations.

Thanks to some very skilled engineers, Taipei 101 is still standing in its disastrous environment. One of the reasons why is due to the implementation of a “double stair step” design, similar to the fluting of Greek columns. In the early stages of development, wind simulators proved the initial design would not suffice, so they strived to come up with a better design. Because of this, dangerous oscillations from high winds have been reduced by 30-40%, even under extreme conditions.

Another baffling engineering element of Taipei 101 is its “tuned mass damper.” This is essentially a giant pendulum that was integrated into the building’s design. With a diameter of 18 feet and a weight of nearly 730 tons, it is the largest in the world. Being hydraulically controlled, it swings in the opposite direction of the building’s sway, preventing it from swaying too much. It is Taipei 101’s secret weapon in disaster prevention.

Hong Kong International Airport

When it comes to airports, there is no stranger sight than the Hong Kong International Airport. Unlike all, this one was not constructed on existing land like you would expect. In an attempt to expand a previous airport that consisted of only one runway, and due to a shortage of land to build on, engineers found a solution. Completed in July 1998, this Airport was built on a 12.98 square kilometer (5 square mile) man-made island. This involved excavating over 200 million tons of rock from the mountainous islands beneath, which was then used to fill the sea gaps between them, just one of the many major challenges associated with this project.

In the interest of preventing damage from the ocean’s tides, the airport’s terminal was literally nailed to the bedrock by concrete piers/piles, each weighing 25 tons. Additionally, since Hong Kong suffers about eight typhoons each summer, the airports glass windows were actually designed to break under high wind speeds. This allows for the pressure in the building to equalize, preventing it from toppling over.

In terms of its connectivity to the city, the airport utilizes both underwater tunnels and suspension bridges. Pre-cast concrete structures, weighing 35,000 tons, were placed 50 feet under water to make the tunnels. They span about one mile and contain six lanes for traffic. In the areas with a large water gap where tunnels would not have been feasible, suspension bridges were erected. These bridges needed to withstand dangerously high winds, and, in turn, were stiffened with 1000 ton fabricated deck stations. Additionally, 3-foot diameter cables were used to suspend the bridges.

Slauerhoffbrug (Flying Drawbridge)

In many areas of the world where rivers and canals are very abundant, it is common knowledge that drawbridges are used, in order to make way for water traffic. However, in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, a few engineers decided to take that idea to the next level. Hence, the Slauerhoffbrug (English: Slauerhoff Bridge) was born.

Better known as the Flying Drawbridge, this marvel was created and opened in 2000. It is a fully automatic movable bridge that allows for water traffic to move very easily, while only holding up road traffic for a short period of time. The 15X15 meter (~49X49 foot) roadway is raised and lowered about 10 times a day, very efficiently in fact. This is because it only utilizes one pylon (upright structure used for support) instead of using hinges. Below is a short video showing the Flying Drawbridge in action.