From impressive skyscrapers and bridges suspended in the air to underground tunnels and intricate sewer systems, civil engineering—the discipline responsible for carrying out all kinds of infrastructure necessary for the development of society in the most economical and sustainable way possible—is not always appreciated.
Sometimes, his projects result in imposing works that can be admired from hundreds of meters away, earning the respect of locals and tourists alike. More often, however, his commissions consist of projects that go unnoticed by the public but fulfill an essential function.
With the aim of recognizing both types of works, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) selected the seven wonders of 20th-century civil engineering in 1997. Their selection was intended to emulate the one made by the Greek authors to recognize the seven wonders of the ancient world and anticipated the arrival of the internet and mass voting, which ultimately led to the creation of the seven wonders of the modern world, natural wonders , and wonder cities.
“The original wonders were amazing sites to behold, but today’s modern wonders are more than impressive. They are functional, operational masterpieces that have revolutionized civil engineering and benefited humanity. The Seven Wonders of the Modern World are a tribute to the universal human desire to triumph over the impossible,” said Charles A. Parthum, president of the ASCE, in announcing the list.
Founded in 1852, the ASCE is the oldest engineering association in the United States and currently represents more than 150,000 professionals from 177 countries. However, North America is clearly overrepresented in its selection: three of the seven civil engineering projects chosen are from the United States or Canada, compared to one each from Panama, Brazil and Paraguay, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and France.
Specifically, the North American works that finally appeared on the list —voted by the members who were part of the association at that time— are the Golden Gate (1937), the San Francisco suspension bridge that, with a length of 1.6 kilometers, set a record that remained unbeaten for three decades; the Empire State Building (1931), the iconic 443-meter-tall building in New York built in just thirteen months; and the CN Tower (1976), the broadcasting tower in the city of Toronto with a revolving restaurant at its top.
The list of the seven wonders of civil engineering is completed by the Panama Canal (1914), the maritime passage that revolutionized navigation and which to this day remains one of the busiest passages in the world; the Itaipu Dam (1984), the second largest hydroelectric dam in the world located between Brazil and Paraguay; the Channel Tunnel (1994), the underwater connection that links England and France at a depth of thirty meters; and the Delta Works (1997), a sea protection system that protects the coast of the Netherlands.
Subsequently, the ASCE produced a new list in 2021 in which, "in no particular order," it added the Burj Khalifa (2009, United Arab Emirates), the Leaning Tower of Pisa (1372, Italy), the Eiffel Tower (1889, France), St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg (1858, Russia), the Three Gorges Dam (2006, China), Kansai International Airport (1994, Japan), the Sydney Opera House (1973, Australia), and the Washington Monument (1865, United States).
Source: https://elordenmundial.com/
Photo: comprarenpanamá.com
