The World’s first Ferris Wheel was designed and built for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, IL in 1893 by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. Since then, the wheels have been a staple of many state fairs across the United States and many other places throughout the World. Much like tall buildings, the past few years has shown us that having the tallest Ferris Wheel is a strong source of pride for a city or country. The current record holder for tallest Ferris Wheel is the High Roller in Las Vegas, Nevada, topping out at 550ft and opened in March of 2014. The record won’t last much longer as there are two Ferris Wheels currently under construction that will be taller: the Dubai Eye and the New York Wheel. The Dubai Eye, which is getting very close to completion, is planned to reach a staggering 850 feet tall (260 meters) and the New York Wheel is expected to peak at 630 feet tall (192m). The original wheel designed by Ferris Jr. topped out at 264 ft (80.4m).

Though the New York Wheel may not be the tallest in the World once it’s complete thanks to the massive Dubai Eye, it will still hold the United States record until the next competitor shows up. At 630 feet, it will surely give tourists and New Yorkers some excellent views of the iconic city. It also gives all of us construction nerds a chance to get a detailed look inside the construction process. In the video below, by silive.com, you’ll be able to see a continuous pour of more than 4,000 cubic yards of concrete across roughly 420 trucks. In addition to the concrete, the foundation has over 900 tons of steel reinforcement bars carefully placed throughout. That gigantic foundation will be expected to withstand the weight of two legs, which each weigh 110 tons on top of the weight of the wheel and the 1,440 person capacity. This project is being carried out by Gilbane Building Company and is expected to be completed in 2017.

Record breaking or not, this an impressive attraction. Enjoy the video below:

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Feb 24, 2021

Crane Collapses on Jobsite in Syracuse, NY, No Injuries Reported

Feb 24, 2021

On Tuesday morning, February 23, the Syracuse Fire Department responded to a call about a collapsed crane on a construction site near the university. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

Feb 24, 2021

Feb 2, 2021

[VIDEO] Need to Get Some Heavy Equipment Up a Mountain? Try a Cable Car System

Feb 2, 2021

Remote jobsites with difficult terrain pose some substantial logistical challenges when it comes to getting equipment and materials on site. I’ve seen several different methods used in the past, such as heavy equipment carrying blimps, cargo planes, helicopters, and the Fat Truck, but I recently came across a new method: a cable car.

Feb 2, 2021

Jan 26, 2021

[VIDEO] A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Recent Record Breaker for World’s Tallest Demolition

Jan 26, 2021

In November of last year, the 546 foot tall Mina Plaza in Abu Dhabi officially broke the world record for tallest demolition by explosion, supplanting Hudson Department Store in Detroit, Michigan, which held the record for 22 years.

Jan 26, 2021

Jan 22, 2021

[VIDEO] Helicopter Drops Cooling Tower During Lift to Roof

Jan 22, 2021

If you need to get some heavy mechanical equipment on the roof of your project, you could use a boring old crane – or you could gas up the bird and make that equipment take literal flight. Alright, so cranes aren’t actually boring, but some times a helicopter makes more logistical sense, either because it reduces total lift time or, in some cases, makes economical sense. Either way, there are some important safety precautions to take in case something goes wrong.

Jan 22, 2021

Jan 5, 2021

Top 7 Demolition Videos of 2020

Jan 5, 2021

2020 was a stressful year, so let’s decompress a little bit by reviewing some of the most fun demolition videos from the past year. A demolition that broke a 22 year old record highlights the bunch and I also stretch what the definition of “demolition” is a little bit, because I think the video is so cool. Don’t @ me.

Without further ado, here are the top 7 demolition videos from 2020:

Jan 5, 2021

Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Plant 2020

Dec 7, 2020

[VIDEO] Nuclear Power Plant Site Utilizes 2 of the World’s Largest Cranes, and 55 Other Tower Cranes

Dec 7, 2020

2 years ago, crane manufacturer, Sarens, unveiled what is considered to be the world’s largest crane, by both size and lifting capacity. Big Carl, as the huge crane was nicknamed, began work a few months later on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in England. Now, the jobsite boasts an abundance of crane activity, a true site to behold, and it was captured on aerial footage for you to enjoy.

Dec 7, 2020

Dec 1, 2020

[VIDEO] New World Record For Tallest Building Demolished By Explosives

Dec 1, 2020

Back in 1998, the Hudson Department Store in downtown Detroit, Michigan was demolished by explosives. That building stood 410 feet tall across its 29 floors, making it, at the time, the tallest building to ever be taken down by implosion. The dust cloud covered many city blocks and the 20,000 unsuspecting people that came to watch the event. That record was just recently broken by a building over 100 feet taller than it.

Dec 1, 2020

Nov 11, 2020

[VIDEO] Check Out This Excavator Free Fall Down a Huge Underground Access Shaft

Nov 11, 2020

Excavators aren’t typically meant to be dropped down to a lower level, but certain circumstances require it sometimes. The machines are obviously extremely heavy, so a large crane and proper rigging is required for it to happen safely. As a construction firm in Hong Kong, China recently found out, though, it’s a little tougher than it seems.

Nov 11, 2020

building in shanghai walks to new location.JPG

Nov 4, 2020

[VIDEO] Watch an 85 Year Old, 5 Story Building be Relocated 200 Feet with a ‘Walking Machine’

Nov 4, 2020

Usually, when a new development is going to go into a spot where a building already exists, that existing building gets blown into smithereens and its remaining rubble hauled away. BUT, there is apparently a different way to handle the situation now, which is by politely asking the building to walk away and to find a new home – well, kind of.

Nov 4, 2020

Nov 3, 2020

[VIDEO] CAT Creates Gigantic PAC-MAN Game Played with Remote Controlled Skid Steers

Nov 3, 2020

CAT is no stranger to finding extremely creative and expensive ways to show off their construction equipment. In years past, they’ve created a giant Jenga game with 600 pound blocks and the world’s first moving golf course on the backs of their dump trucks. Now, they’re showing off some of their new technology with the release of the biggest PAC-MAN game you’ve ever seen.

Nov 3, 2020