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Sunday, December 21, 2014

The Top Ten Construction Failures In The World. The Last One Is Simply Terrifying.

We like to think that because they’re built by people with skills and know-how, the bridges we use and buildings we occupy are safe. After all, if there was anything dangerous about it, it wouldn’t have been approved to be built right?
Leaning-Tower-of-Pisa_shutterstock_85100518


Although it poses no imminent risk to human safety today, this iconic tower is the most obvious example of a construction error. The tower began to tilt during construction, after it had been built with an inadequate foundation on soil that could not support the weight of the enormous structure. In the 19th and 20th century, attempts to fix the tower succeeded in decreasing the angle of incline from 5.5 degrees to a 3.9 degree angle


9. Tacoma Narrows Bridge
TacomaNarrows


Built in 1940, the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge was the third largest suspension bridge in the US at that time, spanning nearly 6000 feet. It opened on July 1st 1940, and several months later, in November of the same year, 40 mph winds caused the bridge to collapse and crash into Puget Sound.

Amazingly, not a single person was killed. However, the collapse of the bridge influenced the study of bridge aerodynamics for years, and was influential in changing how bridges were built.
8. The Hubble Telescope
hubble


If there was one thing you think would be double checked to make sure everything was attached correctly, you’d think it would be something that was being shot into space. But you would be wrong!


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