Technology

China’s Record-Breaking 300-Meter High Glass Bridge Is in Final Stages of Production

June 3, 2016 | Kelly Tatera

The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge
Photo credit: Screen grab from Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Official Channel

Don’t look down.

Zhangjiajie, a scenic national park in the mountainous Hunan province of southern China, is set to become the home of a record-breaking glass bridge constructed over the Tianmenshan National Forest Park. The breathtaking area is said to have inspired the land of Pandora’s “floating Hallelujah mountains” in the 2009 film “Avatar.”

The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge will stretch 1,410 feet (430 meters) long and 20 feet (6 meters) wide, with a glass sky-walk that hovers about 985 feet (300 meters) above the ground.

For reference, the Grand Canyon Skywalk in the US spans just 69 feet (21 meters) long over a 718-feet (219 meter) drop.

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When completed, the glass bridge will hold an impressive 10 world records, one of which will be the world’s highest bungee jump for those on the brave side. If that’s not daring enough, the bridge is also set to feature three of the world’s highest swings.

“It’s true that we will have a swing on the bridge,” Joe Chen, the vice general manager of the Zhangjiajie Canyon Tourism Management Company, told Inhabitat, “and it’s not a swing but three swings, including one giant swing which has a total length of about 150 meters to 170 meters.”

While the swinging and bungee jumping isn’t recommended for the faint-hearted, the engineers of the bridge have worked to ensure that the bridge itself will be safe.

Wan Tianbao, a chief engineer on the project, told China Daily that over 70 glass balls, each weighing 1,650 pounds (750 kilograms), were installed on the bridge to counter any vibrations that may undermine the structure. He also says the glass has passed wind, slippage, and temperature resistance tests.

Further, the bridge has undergone over 100 safety tests to ensure that it could hold the weight of 800 people, and the bridge’s designer, Israeli architect Haim Dotan, says the bridge will also serve as a runway for fashion shows.

The bridge was supposed to open in May, but heavy rainfall forced the date to be pushed back.

“I can’t really give you a very accurate date for the opening. I can tell you the bridge is 99 percent complete,” said Chen. However, he speculates that the bridge may open sometime in late June or early July.

Have a look at the striking structure in the video below:

 

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