When UAD described the 1726 ft long bridge they recently constructed in China as ‘a transparent corridor in the air‘, they clearly weren’t joking. Smashing all world records to stand alone as ‘the world’s longest glass-bottomed bridge’ it offers 99.15% visible transmittance with three layers of 4.5 cm thick ultra-clear tempered laminated glass. The world’s longest suspension glass bridge contributes heavily to China’s obsession with glass-bottomed bridges and is located in the picturesque Huang Chuan three gorges scenic area in Lianzhou. Not one to fear a challenge, the designers at UAD have created this mammoth of a bridge in the area that is frequented by typhoons in summer; however, the suspension bridge displays excellent wind resistance performance due to the large span and flexible structural system. This modern-day marvel has undergone several stages of wind tunnel testing and finite element simulation’ they have perpetually analyzed the main frequency and modes of vibration and identified design parameters such as critical flutter velocity and the reasonable degree of enclosedness of guardrails, which provided strong support for optimizing the design and the maintenance of the bridge in the future. Furthermore, wind-resistant cable systems are fixed to concrete anchors that contribute heavily to enhance lateral sustainability and wind resistance performance of the bridge. This incredible place is now Instagram-ready and has already attracted a large number of tourists. It will surely pump life into the local tourism industry that is heavily hammered due to the pandemic. UAD’s innovatively built landscapes will certainly contribute to the economic development of the area while giving the world a way to immerse in its awe-inspiring natural beauty.
For those who love challenging themselves to reach new heights (pun intended), the world’s longest suspension glass bridge stands ready for your exploration at a height of 201 meters, with a width of 8.8 meters; spanning a length of 526.14 meters, it has made its way to the Guinness World Records.
[Via: Designboom]
