Civil Engineering Wonders of the World

First Wonder: The Channel Tunnel

The Channel Tunnel, or Chunnel, is a 50.5 km long rail tunnel beneath the English Channel connecting England and France. The tunnel consists of three seperate tunnels, two single direction rail tunnels with a service tunnel between them. Watch a video of the Eurostar train entering the Channel Tunnel.

Second Wonder: CN Tower

The CN Tower is a communications and tourist tower located in downtown Toronto. The Tower stands 553.3 meters tall, holding the record for tallest free-standing structure from 1975-September 2007. The tower serves as the signature icon of Toronto's skyline, bringing millions of international visitors annually. Click here to view a video about the CN Tower.

Third Wonder: The Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is an art deco skyscraper standing 102-stories tall in New York City. In 2007, The Empire State Building was ranked number one on the List of America's Favorite Architecture according to the AIA. Click here to view a video showing the view of Manhattan from the Empire State Building.

Fourth Wonder: Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County. Although the bridge was the longest in the world when completed in 1937, the span length has been surpassed by eight other bridges. Despite this, the Golden Gate Bridge has become an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco and the United States. Click here to view a video of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Fifth Wonder: Itaipu Dam

The Itaipu Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Parana River located on the border between Paraguay and Brazil. The installed generation capacity of the plant is 14 GW, supplying 93% of the energy consumed by Paraguay and 20% of the energy that is consumed by Brazil. Click here to view a video of the Dam.

Sixth Wonder: Netherlands North Sea Protection Works

In order to prevent another disaster, the North Sea Protection Works was developed to stop the North Sea from flooding as it did in 1953. Dunes along the entire seashore were raised by as much as 5 meters and dams were put up to connect islands in the Zeeland province. These dams have proved effective in preventing history from repeating itself. Click here to view a video of the Oosterscheldekering dam in Zeeland.
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Seventh Wonder: The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a major ship canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The building of the Panama Canal had an enormous impact on shipping between the oceans, cutting sailing times to less than half. Click here to view a video of a cruiseship sailing through the Panama Canal.