Engineering the Impossible

Hong Kong has a total population (at least during 2004, when the documentary was released) of more than 7million was thought to double that number by 2050. There would not be enough space in Hong Kong to accommodate this population. Where would people live? The only way to get space would be to go up. The Millennium Tower would be the tallest structure and would cost $10B billion and construction would last 10 years. The obstacles the construction of the Millennium Tower would face are 1.) Where to put it? The only answer to this was to go up. Skyscrapers used to reach only the height of five stories since buildings then were only made of stone and concrete. The buildings had to be wide enough to support its weight. This changed when Henry Bessimer invented the steel converter in 1856. Steel was a better option to make buildings since it is ten times stronger than stone and definitely lighter than it is. The second problem encountered was earthquakes. Skyscrapers have to sway in order to decrease the pressure applied to it. The Millennium Tower was shaped in a cone so that the wind pressure applied to it will not b equal. This is so that the building would not topple over. Another big idea was the Freedom Ship, thought of by Norman Nixon, which would be a mile long, cost $11 billion and weigh about 3 million tons. Similar to the Millennium Tower, it was met with hesitance. One of the problems they encountered was overcoming peoples impressions that something this big could not be built. Since the project would be costly, they needed to convince potential investors that the Freedom Ship would yield returns and is economical. What they decided was to create a floating city, complete with amenities like restaurants, shopping centers, docks, etc as well as staterooms in order to yield profits. Another problem they encountered was where to build it. They decided to build it In the Bay of Trullo since the Ship was too heavy to create on land then transfer to the water. A third problem they encountered was that there are no testing centers that could provide them information. Their computers could not even make sense of it because of its sheer size. The Freedom Ship would have to rely on its captain and crew for any disasters like tsunamis. The Gibraltar Bridge is also another out of there idea since it plans to connect Africa to Europe. Construction would last 10 years and the project would cost $15 billion. But unlike other bridges, the bridge would have to be taller than any skyscraper built in order to connect the base of the bridge with the bottom of the strait. They also used very strong cords in order to direct the tension of the roads to the three towers. Even then, these big ideas were considered far too optimistic. That people who dream big are called mad. However, people have a natural desire to push forward and if we put our hearts and minds to it, nothing is impossible. People are naturally curious beings, and being so helps people like Norman Nixon, David, Nelson, Andy Miller, and others continually look at old ideas in new ways. By being scientific, as well as economical, they are able to figure out problems beforehand and look for alternative solutions. Of course, having the power to be able to create great things come at a cost. Since these ideas like the Millennium Tower, Freedom Ship, and Gibraltar Bridge need many materials, people should also

think about its effects to the environment. Materials needed like wood, steel, metals would need to be purchased from several countries to accommodate the building needs. And trees dont just grow overnight! The need for a lot of wood could lead to the denudation of forests, which will affect the ecosystem. This does not mean we shouldnt dream big. People need to be able to consider at least the adverse effects of their work so that catastrophic events like extinction of specie would be avoided.