Impressive Civil Engineering Projects That Changed Our World

Whether you’re aware of it or not, the benefits of civil engineering largely shape your environment in everything from road planning to city skyscrapers and malls. However, while much of the work performed by civil engineers often goes unnoticed, there are some stand-out projects which have become famous around the world and remain a true testament to human endeavor and ingenuity.

The Palm – Jumeirah – Dubai – United Arab Emirates. Image credit: Eslam Tawakol via Unsplash, free license

Below are just a few examples of civil engineering ventures that are rightly lauded and have brought tremendous advantages to the citizens that use them and admire them. 

Dubai’s Palm Islands

Dubai has famously never shied away from building the ambitious but its Palm Island project must surely be one of the most awesome examples of inventive civil engineering ever. Located in the Persian Gulf at Jumeirah off the coast of Dubai, the Palm Islands are an archipelago of three man-made artificial islands, so large they can be seen with the naked eye from space.

The islands (named Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel and Deira Island) are built in the shape of a palm tree and between them host hotels, restaurants, and other attractions, while also housing 4,000 luxury villas and over 5,000 apartments. Before their construction, civil engineers were responsible for collecting field data to assess their viability and work out the cost of construction using an estimated seven million tons of rock sourced from the local Al Hajar mountain range. 

Ship moving through the Panama canal. Image credit: Rikin Katyal via Unsplash, free license

The Panama Canal

Taking ten years to build, the Panama Canal first opened in 1914 and remains one of humankind’s (and civil engineering’s) greatest achievements. Commissioned by then President, Theodore Roosevelt, the canal effectively links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as it traverses the Isthmus of Panama, effectively dividing North, and South America.

Before its construction, vessels were forced to make the often-treacherous journey around Cape Horn to the south. However, with the inauguration of the 48-mile canal, journey times and distances were significantly slashed by avoiding the long 15,000-mile trek around the Cape.

It is estimated around 14,000 ships per year now travel the canal accounting for around 5% of global trade. 

Hoover Dam near Boulder City Nevada, 45 minutes from Las Vegas. Image credit: David Lusvardi via Unsplash, free license

The Hoover Dam, USA

Located in the Black Canyon on the Colorado River, the Hoover Dam is another example of hugely aspiring and enterprising civil engineering. The dam itself towers 726ft from base to crest and is estimated to weigh an equally impressive 6,600,000 tons.

Taking five years to build between 1931 and 1935 (with further features added until 1936), the construction saw an average of 3,500 laborers working per day (peaking at 5,218) with a total of 21,000 men working on the project from start to finish.

The UK’s High Speed 2 (HS2) Rail Project

Although still under construction, the High Speed 2 (HS2) train line construction in England has the potential to change UK rail travel forever. Promising speeds of up to 224 mph, HS2 will link eight of the UK’s largest cities, cut journey times from London to Birmingham to just 45 minutes and serve an anticipated 30 million people.