The Top 5 Wonders of the Engineering World

There are the seven wonders of the ancient and modern world, architectural wonders of the world and wonders of nature, but what are actually the greatest wonders from the engineering sector? Which ones would you like to see live?

Discover our selection:

Characteristic: The world’s longest cable-stayed bridge

The Millau Viaduct in southern France is the world's longest cable-stayed bridge at 2460 m with the highest pier (270 m). It spans the river Tarn that used to be a bottleneck which often caused accidents and traffic jams. The viaduct is officially one of the 18 outstanding attractions in the Midi Pyrenees region. People can marvel at the construction from numerous viewpoints in the locations of Brunas, Peyre, St. Martin du Larzac, Luzencon, Beffroi and Soulobres.

Source: Atout France

Characteristic: The world’s largest flood barrier

The historic centre of Venice is extremely vulnerable to flooding. The MO.S.E project was launched to ensure that it is protected. The project involves a flood barrier that will be installed at the three openings of the Venetian Lagoon. A total of 78 moveable barriers will prevent storm surges from reaching the lagoon. The barriers comprising steel doors are only raised if there is a weather warning and separate the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. The doors disappear back into special boxes in the seabed after the surge. A remarkable construction.

Source: Konstruktionspraxis / Consorcio Venezia Nuovo

Characteristic: The world's largest steel construction

The Chinese National Stadium in Beijing is also known as the “Bird’s Nest” because of its shape. It was originally built for the Summer Olympics in 2008 and will be used again for the Winter Olympics in 2022. It consists of two separate structures: an inner concrete bowl for the seats and an outer steel frame that gives it its bird’s nest design. The outer shell is made up of 42,000 tons of steel, a framework consisting of thousands of prefabricated components, which makes it the world’s largest steel construction. It is also one of the world’s most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly stadiums, as it is heated by underground geothermal pipes in the winter and underground water tanks store rain water for irrigation.

Source: Wikipedia

Characteristic: The world’s largest artificial island

The Palm Islands in Dubai are two of the world's largest groups of artificial islands. As the name suggests, the group of islands are shaped like a palm tree. At this time, only the “Palm Jumeirah” is complete. This is home to luxury hotels, holiday homes, villas, several apartment blocks and an amusement park. Approx. 200 million cubic metres of sand and stones were required for landfill operations. An outstanding project that was delayed due to issues with reinforcing the sand and the water circulation being too low.

Source: Wikipedia

Characteristic: The world's longest underwater tunnel

The Channel Tunnel is the only direct connection between France and England. The total length is 50 km with 38 km of this running undersea under the Strait of Dover. The lowest point is located 75 m below sea level. You can pass through the tunnel in just 35 minutes as a train passenger or in your own car on the train. 11 tunnel boring machines were used to build the tunnel that was selected by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the seven modern wonders of the world.

Source: Eurotunnel