Civil engineers are changing and molding the world around us, so it’s no wonder that their creations and innovations are truly spectacular. Not only are the finished products of these engineers’ hard work often impressive, but they help save lives. Making accessible roads and bridges can alter the entire dynamic of an ecosystem for the better. Civil engineers have a heavy weight on their shoulders because they know what they create, will affect the livelihood of a community.
This weight also makes for a very rewarding profession because of the difference you can make. These differences can be seen and manifested in different structures around the world. Some admire them for their beauty, and others see the beauty in these pieces because of the impact. Either way, it is undeniable that civil engineers create magnificent things, so let’s take a look at some of them.
One of the stereotypes that follows engineers is the thought that they only build bridges. Which of course is 100 percent not true, but on the other hand, civil engineers do create some breathtaking bridges. An example of one of these creations is Millau Viaduct which is located in Millau France. Millau is a beautiful village in southern France, that has the Millau Viaduct which holds the world record for the tallest bridge.
The bridge is 343 meters tall and supports a road that is over the Tran river. This record-breaking bridge was built by the same construction company that was behind the Eiffel tower (Eiffage). The main reason why this landmark is a tourist attraction isn’t it’s height or the people behind it, it’s the breathtaking view of the valleys and river that surrounds it.
71 percent of the world is covered by water, that leaves less than 30 percent of the surface area for us to live on. Or does it? Well, building land on the water is not a new concept and is referred to as “Land reclamation“. The fact is that this idea has been around for centuries, but when it comes to doing this the most effectively the Palm Islands of Dubai, United Arab Emirates has got the rest of the world beat.
The Palms Islands literally looks like a palm tree from an aerial view and contains many luxury resorts. Surrounding this palm tree mass of land floating in the ocean, there is nearly a 7-mile long crescent. The Palm Islands is one of the most famous land reclamation projects in the world, because of its size and beauty. Who wouldn’t want to escape the world for a bit, and live it up on a literal palm tree island?
Clearly the world is made up of more water than land, so instead of building on top of it, why not try going underneath it? Well, France and the United Kingdom had the same thought all the way back in 1802, when they drafted the first plan for “The Channel Tunnel”. The goal behind this tunnel was to go underneath the seas and connection northern France and southern England. This ambitious idea was spearheaded by Eurotunnel, a company that transports passengers all around Europe. This, in theory, is a great idea, but in practice took until 1988 to begin construction. Then it wasn’t till 1994 when it opened for services. This monster of a tunnel is 50.45 km long making it the longest undersea tunnel. In fact, the Channel Tunnel is actually made up of three tunnels, two rail tunnels, and a service tunnel. This is a massive accomplishment in the history of civil engineering, because this innovation changed the way goods and services could be delivered and how people could travel.
Clearly civil engineers create some amazing things that really change the world, whether that is through positive social change or visual appearance. These are the people who are the minds behind the cities and communities we live in, and the wonders we travel from near and far to visit. Next time you are walking around your hometown/city it is worth thinking about the people who created the world around you.