The world's longest and highest glass bridge was put to the test yet again over the weekend in a public safety demonstration in preparation for its grand opening. Spanning the scenic Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in China's Hunan province, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Bridge is 1,410 feet (430 meters) long and stands 984 feet (300 meters) over the canyon floor. It was designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan and is constructed of steel and thick layers of glass sandwiched together, which gives visitors a stunning view of the canyon below. Unfortunately, since the glass bridge at Yuntai Mountain Geological Park cracked back in October 2015, tourists have been leery of glass bridges.
According to Mashable, the owners of the bridge are understandably eager to prove to tourists that the bridge is completely safe. To that end, the park organized a number of public safety showcases to prove the bridge's sturdiness and safety. The latest showcase involved both sledgehammers and a fully loaded Volvo XC90.
First, the showcase organizers invited twenty volunteers to attack one of the glass panels with sledgehammers. Once they were fitted with safety harnesses and properly tied off, the volunteers had a whack at the glass. The top layer of glass developed a matrix of fine cracks, but no real structural damage was caused. Then, to really drive the point home, organizers ran a black Volvo XC90 loaded with eleven passengers across the bridge without incident. The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Bridge is scheduled to open in July.
Related Video:
According to Mashable, the owners of the bridge are understandably eager to prove to tourists that the bridge is completely safe. To that end, the park organized a number of public safety showcases to prove the bridge's sturdiness and safety. The latest showcase involved both sledgehammers and a fully loaded Volvo XC90.
First, the showcase organizers invited twenty volunteers to attack one of the glass panels with sledgehammers. Once they were fitted with safety harnesses and properly tied off, the volunteers had a whack at the glass. The top layer of glass developed a matrix of fine cracks, but no real structural damage was caused. Then, to really drive the point home, organizers ran a black Volvo XC90 loaded with eleven passengers across the bridge without incident. The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Bridge is scheduled to open in July.
Related Video:
Sign in to post
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Continue