Civil Engineers are not proud people. For the most part they don't look to get recognized for the work they do. This past year though, they built some masterpieces to truly be proud of.
I came across this article of some of the feats of construction in 2011. These projects, either commissioned or completed in 2011, comprise everything from high rises to tunnels to bridges, and are located mainly in the Eastern Hemisphere. Most people will recognize the Burj Khalifa from the movie Mission Impossible 4 (off topic: why doesn't Tom Cruise ever age?). This past year brought the planning stages of new record holder, the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia. The tower will be over 1 km in height.
My favorite of these mega structures has to be the Capital Gate of Abu Dhabi. This mixed business/residential takes pride in its design "to provide no symmetry". The tower leans at an 18 degree angle; no two floors or rooms are alike; low emissivity glass was used in the whole tower (it's one the most sustainable design elements possible)... the list goes on and on. The building was completed this year, and the Hyatt hotel inside the tower opened on December 21, 2011.
There are many more structures on this list, all of which are unique, and all of which are inspiring. One thing does sadden me; none of the projects on this list comes from the United States. Whatever the reason, I hope to see projects like these come from the U.S. this year.
On a personal note, this is my first post of the year, and my first post on this blog. I hope to show readers what I see as the beauty of Structures. While my posts will focus on the South Florida "scene", I want to show you all projects from around the world and how they relate to me and the engineering community. Whether its building bridges or collapsing towers, I'll try to cover everything that catches my eye in this crazy world of Civil Engineering.
Original Story: "Construction Sector In 2011: A Year That Made Civil Engineers Proud", by Niranjana Sridharudu
Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean.
No comments:
Post a Comment