The evolution of manufacturing techniques and product design has resulted in a world full of incredibly impressive constructions feats. Let’s take a look at some of the world record holders.
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- World’s Longest Bridge
At over 164km long, including 9km of over-water section, China’s Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge is part of the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway.
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- World’s Longest Suspension Bridge
A suspension bridge is one where the deck is hung below suspension cables. The longest of these in the world is the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan. It links Kobe, the sixth-largest city in Japan, to Awaji Island, and stretches 1,991m.
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- World’s Longest Canal
Started in the 5th century BC and completed around the year 600, the Grand Canal of China measures 1,776km and runs south from Beijing to the city of Hangzhou.
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- World’s Tallest Building
Completed in January 2010, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is currently the tallest building (and man-made structure) in the world at 828m. Originally named Burj Dubai, the name was changed to honour UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who helped bail Dubai out of the financial trouble it faced as a result of its lofty construction aspirations.
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- World’s Tallest Twin Towers
Standing at 451 metres apiece, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are the tallest twin towers in the world. They’re famously linked by a skybridge between the 41st and 42nd floors which is 170m above the ground.
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- World’s Highest Capacity Stadium
The Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea holds 150,000 people. Unfortunately, it’s location in North Korea makes it a tad hard for the average curious tourist to drop by for a visit.
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- World’s Tallest Rollercoaster
At 139 metres, the Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, USA is the world’s tallest rollercoaster. Reaching speeds of 206 km/h, it was once the fastest in the world as well, until the UAE’s Formula Rossa was launched in 2010 at a cool 240 km/h.
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- World’s Longest Tunnel
Not only is the Delaware Aqueduct the longest underground tunnel in the world, but it also carries half of New York City’s water supply — a pretty epic task.
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- World’s Longest Road
The Pan-American Highway is considered the longest road in the world, linking Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina — despite the fact that there is a small section of swamp and forest in Panama known as the ‘Darien Gap’ where the road is not linked.
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- World’s Longest Railway
Running 9259 km in length and linking Moscow with the far reaches of eastern Russia — passing through Mongolia and China too — the Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway in the world.
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- World’s Deepest Mine
Getting a guernsey for Africa in this list of construction feats, the TauTona Mine at Carletonville, South Africa is home to the world’s deepest mining operations, reaching 3.9km underground.
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- World’s Tallest TV Tower
Standing 628m tall, the KVLY-TV mast is actually the second tallest structure in the world. Situated in Blanchard, North Dakota, USA, it was actually runner-up to the Warsaw Radio Mast in Poland until that structure collapsed in 1991.
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- World’s Tallest Church
Located in Ulm, Germany, the Ulm Minster was the tallest structure built before the 20th century. These days, at a “measly” 160 m high, it has to settle for the title of world’s tallest church.
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- World’s Longest Structure
Stretching for 8851 km, The Great Wall of China is the longest man-made structure in the world. Despite it’s phenomenal scope, the belief that the wall can be seen from space is actually a myth.
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- World’s Highest Capacity Jet
To end this list, we’ll move away from land-based constructions and focus for a moment on transport. The world’s highest capacity jet is the Airbus A380. Used by Qantas, among other international airlines, its floor space measures 478 metres squared and seats 853 people in an economy-class setup.
While manufacturing technology improvements such as those in steelmaking, engines and plastic injection moulding over the last few centuries have led to larger, taller and faster constructions, in the 21st century the rate of innovation is moving extremely rapidly — as a result, this list could be outdated in just a few short years!
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