• Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Gift Guides
  • Best of 2017
  • Jobs
Menu

Construction Junkie

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Construction News, Technology, Safety, and Tools

Construction Junkie

  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Gift Guides
  • Best of 2017
  • Jobs

China Unveils World’s Longest and Highest Glass Bridge and Closes it 13 Days Later

September 14, 2016 Shane Hedmond
 via  Youtube

via Youtube

If you’re afraid of heights, you might have a new worst enemy. Tucked away in the beautiful Avatar mountains, where the movie of the same name was filmed, stands the newest and current record holder for the world’s tallest and highest glass bridge, boasting incredible views of the surrounding landscape.

Spanning a length of 1410 feet (430 meters) and standing 984 feet (300 meters) off the ground, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge is not only the highest and longest glass bridge, but also the 11th highest of any bridge throughout the world.  China, by the way, is the apparent king of high bridges, they currently claim 12 of the 15 highest bridges in the world, with the other three spots held by Papa New Guinea, Mexico, and the United States (4, 5, and 14, respectively).

When the bridge opened in August, many people were understandably scared to walk on a glass bridge that high in the air, especially after a different glass walkway that stands 3,500 feet high, also in China, cracked just a year previously, after a sharp object was dropped on it.  To help ease the worries of their visitors, volunteers were encouraged to smash the glass panels with a sledgehammer to prove its strength.  A car filled with passengers was also driven on the bridge and you can watch both tests in the video below, shared by ODN:

So, after proving its strength in such a dramatic fashion, it was a little shocking to find out that the bridge had to be closed just 13 days after it was opened.  Park officials had set a limit of 8,000 people per day on the bridge and since its opening, the volume of visitors had gotten out of control, with around 80,000 people actually trying to visit the bridge daily.  While a spokesperson for the bridge told CNN that there were no problems with the bridge and that there haven’t been any accidents, there has not been an official date announced for its re-opening.  It appears that some additional work may be needed for the bridge to be able to meet the demand.

You can watch video of the incredible bridge, shared by the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Official Channel, below:

Featured
Apr 17, 2018
[VIDEO] Silo Demolition Goes Opposite Way and Lands on Adjacent Building
Apr 17, 2018

Demolitions by implosion seems like the easiest way to knock down a structure, but there is so much preparation that goes into it that even the slightest mistake can have a huge impact.  When smokestacks are demolished correctly, it can be a thing of beauty, like when these two silos in Scotland hit each other midair or when this asbestos filled stack was precisely demolished to fall into a pool of water. Things didn’t go so smoothly for demolition crews in Denmark last week, however.

Apr 17, 2018
Apr 9, 2018
[VIDEO] Massive Crane Collapses on Florida Job Site, Narrowly Missing Several Workers
Apr 9, 2018

Crane collapses on construction jobsites are usually pretty terrifying, especially when the jobsite is full of workers.  A construction site in St. Petersburg, Florida got extremely lucky when a large construction crane collapsed and narrowly missed several running workers.

Apr 9, 2018
Mar 27, 2018
Video Catches Moment Multiple Cranes Collapse at Australian Site
Mar 27, 2018

This video is a bit of a throwback, but I recently came across it on the interwebs for the first time and thought it was worth a share. 

Mar 27, 2018
Mar 26, 2018
[VIDEO] Demolition Reduces Frankfurt Kentucky’s Tallest Building to Rubble in Seconds
Mar 26, 2018

It’s been a while since we have shared a demolition video on Construction Junkie. We recently discussed a very high profile demolition project, the tallest voluntary demolition on record, which is schedule to start next year and how it is expected to happen, but no videos. Between the cold weather in most of the country and the general lack of interesting demolitions happening, it’s good to finally be back to feeling normal around here. 

Mar 26, 2018
Mar 19, 2018
The Latest on the Florida Bridge Collapse
Mar 19, 2018

Last Thursday, every construction professional’s worst nightmare happened.  Lives were lost, both construction workers and civilians, by way of the catastrophic collapse of FIU’s under construction pedestrian bridge.  We shared what we knew as of late Thursday night, but since this is not only a tragedy directly related to construction, but also a huge learning opportunity for the entire industry, I wanted to make sure we continued to follow and update on the story as it develops.

Mar 19, 2018
Mar 16, 2018
At Least 6 Killed After Under Construction Walking Bridge Collapses onto Open Street Below
Mar 16, 2018

Terrible tragedy struck Florida International University’s (FIU) campus yesterday when a newly installed pedestrian bridge collapsed onto the road below, killing at least 4 and severely injuring many more.

Mar 16, 2018
Feb 13, 2018
[VIDEO] Watch 1,500 Chinese Construction Workers Replace Train Tracks in 9 Hours
Feb 13, 2018

It’s pretty amazing the work that can get done when a lot of resources and money are thrown at one project. Past examples of this include a gigantic sinkhole that was repaired in Japan in just under a week, the complete emergency rebuild of Atlanta’s I-85 overpass that was completed a month ahead of schedule, and this video of 116 excavators working side by side to demolish a 1,640 foot long overpass overnight. 

Feb 13, 2018
Feb 6, 2018
Video Demonstrates the Importance of Wearing a Hard Hat and the Dangers of Falling Objects
Feb 6, 2018

When anyone sees a hard hat, they typically immediate associate it with construction.  It’s the ultimate symbol of safety on the job site.  We all know we should wear them, but it’s easy to get annoyed with the minor inconvenience that they cause and forget about the extreme consequences that could result if a falling object catches us when we aren’t wearing one.

Feb 6, 2018
Jan 12, 2018
The 18 Craziest Construction Videos of 2017
Jan 12, 2018

Cameras are EVERYWHERE these days.  They’re on sites documenting the full construction process of your project, they’re on projects taking 360 degree progress footage, and most importantly, they’re in your pocket on your smartphone.  Having a camera in your pocket at all times can be a good or bad thing, especially for employers, because not only can it make lives much easier for communication and documentation purposes, but it also gives people the chance to show the world when things go absolutely terribly.

Jan 12, 2018
Jan 11, 2018
[VIDEO] Crane Collapses While Lifting Concrete Wall
Jan 11, 2018

With cranes being on many construction sites, it’s easy for workers to get complacent.  Hundreds or thousands of construction materials can be lifted by cranes throughout the project, but all it takes is one time for a disaster to occur.

Jan 11, 2018
In Construction Videos, News Tags world's highest bridge, world's longest bridge, world's highest glass bridge, construction, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, china glass bridge, avatar mountains glass bridge, why did the glass bridge in china close down, china glass bridge reopen date, china glass bridge closed
← Strike Fear into Your Jobsite Lunch with This Tactical SporkWatch 116 Excavators Work Side by Side to Demolish a 1,640 foot long Overpass Overnight →

Congratulations to our 2017 Best Construction Podcast Award Winner, The Lien Zone!

The Lien Zone

Subscribe

Sign up with your email address to receive the latest articles from Construction Junkie in your inbox!

We respect your privacy.

Thank you!

View our content by category!

  • Construction Videos
  • Crazy Construction Videos
  • Funny Construction Videos
  • Green Building
  • Law
  • MEP
  • News
  • Project Management
  • Reviews
  • Safety
  • Technology
  • Tools
Summary Block
This is example content. Double-click here and select a page to feature its content. Learn more
Featured
Latest Article

 Subscribe in a reader

Newsletter | Contact | Advertise

© 2015 Construction Junkie, LLC | All Rights Reserved

ConstructionJunkie.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.