Construction records have been continuously made and broken in recent years as architects, engineers and developers push the boundaries of the industry to create some awe-inspiring structures.
Here are eight world records that have set the standard for future innovations:
Standing at 829.8 metres tall, with 163 stories and an additional 46 maintenance levels, Burj Khalifa in Dubai has stood as the tallest man-made structure in the world since 2010, a record previously held by the KVLY-TV mast.
The skyscraper – which has a total floor area of over three million square feet – currently holds over a dozen world records, which include the building with the most floors, highest observation deck and highest restaurant.
The structure cost almost £1 billion to manufacture.
Chinas Sidu River Bridge holds the record for the worlds highest bridge, with the biggest drop distance from the bridge deck to the ground below.
Opened to traffic in 2009, the 1,222 mile-long suspension bridge was built to accommodate the new Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway.
At 496 meters high, the £65 million bridge sits impressively across the wide mountain belt which separates the Sichuan Basin from the lowlands of eastern Hubei.
Despite the impressive height of the Sidu River Bridge, the Milau Viaduct in France holds the record of the worlds tallest bridge, with one mast reaching 343 metres above the structures base.
The £300 million structure was opened in 2004 and is highly regarded as one of the greatest feats of engineering of all time.
The Delaware Aqueduct still holds the record for being the worlds longest tunnel, despite being constructed during the Second World War.
Built to transfer water between reservoirs in New York City, the 85-mile tunnel still continues to provide approximately half of New Yorks water supply, transporting nearly 5 billion litres per day.
With an electricity generation capacity of 3.6GW, Chinas Jinping-I Dam stands at 305m tall, making it the tallest dam in the world.
Completed in 2014, the Jinping-I sits across the Yalong River.
The dams primary purpose is to supply energy for expanding industrialization and urbanization in the region, whilst improving flood protection and protecting from erosion.
Another Chinese phenomenon is Three Gorges Dam, which has stood as the worlds largest operating hydroelectric facility in terms of installed capacity (22,500MW) since 2012.
The power station generated nearly 100 TWh of electricity in 2014. The 181 metre tall dam took 14 years to construct, opening officially in 2008.
Based in Washington, Boeings Everett Factory contains a usable floor area of over 4 million square feet, making it the largest usable space in the world.
The aircraft assembly site is home to the Boeing 747, first introduced in 1968 and still widely-used today.
Whilst the title of the most famous leaning tower belongs to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the furthest leaning tower is Abu Dhabis Capital Gate skyscraper, which was completed in 2011.
Standing at 160 metres tall, the skyscraper was built to lean at 18°, in comparison to the Leaning Tower of Pisas 4° tilt.
Integrity Software Systems,
First Floor, Landmark House East,
Alpha Court,
Lincoln,
United Kingdom,
LN6 3TA
Phone: 0345 340 3040
Visit Integrity Software's website
Abloy UK is proud to announce its Aperio E100 and SMARTair solutions have successfully achieved PAS 24 certification.
Posted in Access Control & Door Entry Systems, Architectural Ironmongery, Articles, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Regulations & Accreditations, Building Services, Doors, Facility Management & Building Services, Health & Safety, Retrofit & Renovation, Security and Fire ProtectionFor architects and designers looking to avoid traditional skirting boards, architraves and cornices, Renderplas offers its range of PVC plasterboard shadow gap beads for dry lining systems.
Posted in Articles, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Floors, Interior Design & Construction, Interiors, Posts, Render, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, WallsMembers of the MCRMA, the trade association for the metal cladding and roofing industry, had an exclusive opportunity to explore and discuss the changes affecting the construction sector at the first of the association’s roadshow events hosted by Siderise at its HQ and manufacturing facility in South Wales.
Posted in Articles, Building Associations & Institutes, Building Industry Events, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Regulations & Accreditations, Building Services, Cladding, Exhibitions and Conferences, Health & Safety, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, Seminars, WallsThe latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report shows builders’ merchants’ value sales were down -2.1% in January compared to the same month in 2023.
Posted in Articles, Bathrooms & Toilets, Bathrooms, Bedrooms & Washrooms, Bricks & Blocks, Building Associations & Institutes, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Services, Building Systems, Civil Engineering, Concrete, Cement, Admixtures, Doors, Drainage, Drainage Services, Facility Management & Building Services, Glass, Glazing, Hard Landscaping & Walkways, Interior Design & Construction, Interiors, Kitchens, Landscaping, news, Paints, Paints, Coatings & Finishes, Pipes & Fittings, Plumbing, Posts, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, Site Preparation, Sustainability & Energy Efficiency, Timber Buildings and Timber Products, Waste Management & Recycling, Windows