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Renowned photographer Carol M. Highsmith and writer Ted Landphair take a fresh look at some of the most remarkable structures ever built in America. Many of the sights included, such as Hoover Dam, were built to serve a critical function; for others, like the St. Louis Arch or Mount Rushmore, the function was purely aesthetic or commemorative. But all are notable for their scale and the technological genius that went into constructing them. Travel-pictorial wizards Highsmith and Landphair turn themselves here to the wonder of industrial America. The "can-do" American spirit resonates behind every one of the sights included. A tribute to some of the most enterprising, ingenious, and visionary minds of the last century, this volume also reminds us of the lives lost and risks taken to get the job done. The fantastic oversize full-color photos of marvels like the Washington Monument, Brooklyn Bridge, and the 7.7-mile long Flathead Tunnel in Montana--the world's seventh longest railroad tunnel--are an unforgettable chronicle of American engineering at its best.
Presents a detailed study of Machu Picchu's construction. Tells as much about the practical challenges of building a city as it does about the mysterious Inca.
Engineering wonders of the world are featured in six thematic chapters that focus on overcoming distance (roads, canals, bridges, railroads, pipelines), height and depth (towers, tunnels, skyscrapers), public spaces (sports arenas, exposition halls), the need for protection (on land and from water), responding to the spirit (pyramids, temples, domes, Gothic cathedrals), and harnessing nature's power (wind, solar, hydroelectric). Abundantly and lavishly illustrated. Lacks a bibliography. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Discover the awe-inspiring world of America's most iconic bridges with "Engineering Marvels: Famous Bridges of the United States." This comprehensive travel guide takes you on a captivating journey across the country, showcasing the engineering brilliance and historical significance of these architectural wonders. From the majestic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to the historic Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, this book provides detailed descriptions, stunning photographs, and fascinating stories behind each bridge's construction. Learn about the innovative techniques and visionary engineers who brought these monumental structures to life. Perfect for travel enthusiasts, history buffs, and engineering aficionados, this guide not only highlights the beauty and grandeur of these bridges but also offers practical travel tips, nearby attractions, and insights into the best times to visit. Whether you're planning a road trip or simply want to explore from the comfort of your home, "Engineering Marvels: Famous Bridges of the United States" will inspire you to appreciate the incredible feats of human ingenuity that span the nation's rivers and valleys.
In every age, science and technology have played an important role in advancing human civilization. From architecture to engineering, communication to transportation, humans have invented and developed extraordinary wonders. Engineers take the discoveries of scientists and mathematicians to make practical things, from roads and bridges to weapons and vehicles. Electronic engineers design and build everything from television sets to computers. Chemical engineers research new uses for plastics and other materials. Other engineers design new energy sources and nonpolluting factories. In this book, we’ll explore seven wonders of modern engineering that allow people to travel beneath the ocean, bring power to entire cities, and land on the moon. We’ll also see engineering wonders that cut though a continent and design engines too small to see. Along the way, we’ll see advancements in materials, technology, and construction techniques, and we’ll learn the stories of how and why these engineering feats became important to the world.
John Roebling was one of the nineteenth century's most brilliant engineers, ingenious inventors, successful manufacturers, and fascinating personalities. Raised in a German backwater amid the war-torn chaos of the Napoleonic Wars, he immigrated to the US in 1831, where he became wealthy and acclaimed, eventually receiving a carte-blanche contract to build one of the nineteenth century's most stupendous and daring works of engineering: a gigantic suspension bridge to span the East River between New York and Brooklyn. In between, he thought, wrote, and worked tirelessly. He dug canals and surveyed railroads; he planned communities and founded new industries. Horace Greeley called him "a model immigrant"; generations later, F. Scott Fitzgerald worked on a script for the movie version of his life. Like his finest creations, Roebling was held together by the delicate balance of countervailing forces. On the surface, his life was exemplary and his accomplishments legion. As an immigrant and employer, he was respected throughout the world. As an engineer, his works profoundly altered the physical landscape of America. He was a voracious reader, a fervent abolitionist, and an engaged social commentator. His understanding of the natural world, however, bordered on the occult and his opinions about medicine are best described as medieval. For a man of science and great self-certainty, he was also remarkably quick to seize on a whole host of fads and foolish trends. Yet Roebling held these strands together. Throughout his life, he believed in the moral application of science and technology, that bridges--along with other great works of connection, the Atlantic Cable, the Transcontinental Railroad--could help bring people together, erase divisions, and heal wounds. Like Walt Whitman, Roebling was deeply committed to the creation of a more perfect union, forged from the raw materials of the continent. John Roebling was a complex, deeply divided yet undoubtedly influential figure, and this biography illuminates not only his works but also the world of nineteenth-century America. Roebling's engineering feats are well known, but the man himself is not; for alongside the drama of large scale construction lies an equally rich drama of intellectual and social development and crisis, one that mirrored and reflected the great forces, trials, and failures of nineteenth century America.
The harrowing story of five men who were sent into a dark, airless, miles-long tunnel, hundreds of feet below the ocean, to do a nearly impossible job—with deadly results A quarter-century ago, Boston had the dirtiest harbor in America. The city had been dumping sewage into it for generations, coating the seafloor with a layer of “black mayonnaise.” Fisheries collapsed, wildlife fled, and locals referred to floating tampon applicators as “beach whistles.” In the 1990s, work began on a state-of-the-art treatment plant and a 10-mile-long tunnel—its endpoint stretching farther from civilization than the earth’s deepest ocean trench—to carry waste out of the harbor. With this impressive feat of engineering, Boston was poised to show the country how to rebound from environmental ruin. But when bad decisions and clashing corporations endangered the project, a team of commercial divers was sent on a perilous mission to rescue the stymied cleanup effort. Five divers went in; not all of them came out alive. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and thousands of documents collected over five years of reporting, award-winning writer Neil Swidey takes us deep into the lives of the divers, engineers, politicians, lawyers, and investigators involved in the tragedy and its aftermath, creating a taut, action-packed narrative. The climax comes just after the hard-partying DJ Gillis and his friend Billy Juse trade assignments as they head into the tunnel, sentencing one of them to death. An intimate portrait of the wreckage left in the wake of lives lost, the book—which Dennis Lehane calls "extraordinary" and compares with The Perfect Storm—is also a morality tale. What is the true cost of these large-scale construction projects, as designers and builders, emboldened by new technology and pressured to address a growing population’s rapacious needs, push the limits of the possible? This is a story about human risk—how it is calculated, discounted, and transferred—and the institutional failures that can lead to catastrophe. Suspenseful yet humane, Trapped Under the Sea reminds us that behind every bridge, tower, and tunnel—behind the infrastructure that makes modern life possible—lies unsung bravery and extraordinary sacrifice.