They Cut Through a Mountain to Build This Insane Bridge

Bright Side

To connect two remote provinces separated by a massive gorge, engineers in China literally blasted a tunnel straight through a solid karst mountain just to anchor the cables of an insanely high suspension bridge. Our latest mega infrastructure video explores the mind-bending civil engineering behind this extreme construction project, breaking down how workers suspended thousands of tons of steel hundreds of meters above a raging river. We dive deep into the specific challenges of building these record-breaking Chinese bridges, from navigating unpredictable canyon winds to pouring massive concrete pylons on sheer cliff faces. Click to watch now and see exactly how human ingenuity conquered some of the most unforgiving mountain terrain on the planet!  Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00Picture a mountainous landscape covered with winding roads.

00:04It looks beautiful, but traveling along such routes takes far too much time.

00:09Do you know what they did in China, in the province of Guizhou?

00:13They simply blew up a massive mountain range and built a bridge.

00:17But this is not just a bridge.

00:19It's a true marvel of engineering.

00:22So let's take a drive across it.

00:25Locals say there's not a single flat piece of land in Guizhou.

00:29More than 90% of the region consists of mountains and hills.

00:33All of this is beautiful and picturesque, but it creates serious logistical problems.

00:38It's one thing to come here as a tourist and enjoy the views,

00:42and quite another to live here and drive to work every day.

00:46People had to take long routes along winding roads and steep slopes.

00:50A car trip could take around 2 hours.

00:53But engineers built a bridge that reduced this travel time to just 120 seconds.

01:00They literally split a mountain in half, creating a V-shaped cut through the rock.

01:06Then they laid a road through the mountain range and led it onto a high bridge spanning a massive canyon.

01:12The entire route is constructed so precisely that drivers barely notice the moment when the road through the mountain ends

01:20and the bridge begins.

01:22Its total length is 9,500 feet.

01:25That's roughly one-third of the height of Mount Everest.

01:28But the length is not as impressive as the height.

01:32The Huajang Canyon Bridge is considered the highest bridge in the world.

01:37Just imagine driving at a height of about 2,000 feet above the ground.

01:41That's almost six times higher than the Statue of Liberty.

01:44But this isn't just a road.

01:47It's also a major tourist attraction.

01:49So what can the tourists do on the bridge?

01:52Just walk and enjoy the view?

01:54Well, that's only a small part.

01:55There's a panoramic glass elevator that connects the highway with the base of the canyon.

02:01You can have lunch in a special two-story cafe located inside one of the bridge towers, offering an incredible

02:09view.

02:10There's an artificial waterfall and a glass pedestrian walkway in the lower part of the parking area.

02:16But the coolest part is the extreme activities, like a platform for bungee jumping.

02:22You hook yourself to a bungee cord and leap into the abyss.

02:26Ah, no thanks.

02:28And for true adrenaline lovers, professional base jumping competitions are held here too.

02:34You leap from an enormous height with a parachute or a wingsuit and soar through the canyon at an incredible

02:40speed, like a hawk.

02:42It sounds amazing, and you probably already want to come here and post a few photos.

02:48But how did they build it?

02:50And how safe is it?

02:52From the outside, it looks like a thin metal strip suspended at a terrifying height.

02:58The entire structure is supported by steel cables and panels, with a total weight of about 22,000 tons.

03:05In fact, the amount of steel used to build this bridge is three times greater than that used to construct

03:11the Eiffel Tower.

03:12The main cables of the bridge are anchored directly into solid rock, so the bridge won't collapse.

03:18But if something does go wrong, the builders will know immediately.

03:23Fiber-optic sensors are installed within the cables.

03:26In real time, they monitor tension and expansion in the steel.

03:30This means the bridge is under constant observation.

03:34If strong winds or other factors cause any issues, engineers will detect them in advance and fix the problem.

03:40But the most impressive part is that during construction, scientists took all turbulence zones into account.

03:48How did they manage that?

03:50Well, there's a phenomenon called the Venturi effect.

03:53When wind passes through a narrow space, such as a canyon or tunnel, it accelerates.

03:59In Guizhou province, this effect is very common.

04:03Wind gusts in the Wajang Canyon can reach speeds comparable to a high-speed train.

04:08So how did they manage to build a bridge under these conditions?

04:13Well, before construction began, engineers created a mock-up and tested it in a wind tunnel.

04:19Using special instruments, they studied wind directions and compiled a unique airflow map

04:25that allowed them to predict all turbulence zones.

04:28With this information, they moved on to the actual construction.

04:33Now, let's see another impressive bridge in China.

04:36This is the Si-Dou River Bridge, which spans the Si-Dou River, obviously.

04:40It was opened in 2009 and became part of an expanding highway system that connects the entire country.

04:48Of course, it's not as long or as tall as the Huajang Bridge.

04:52It's supported by two H-shaped towers, located on both sides of the roadway.

04:57Because of the suspension cables that dip down and rise again in the middle,

05:02the bridge looks, well, fragile.

05:04But don't judge by appearances.

05:06Engineers designed this structure to withstand a load of more than 43 million tons.

05:12That's equivalent to the weight of 430 massive aircraft carriers.

05:17So driving across it is completely safe.

05:20But do you know what the coolest part of this bridge is?

05:24To stretch the first pilot cable from one side to the other,

05:27across a distance of more than 5,000 feet, builders used a rocket.

05:33You know those heist movies where the thieves release a grappling hook or a harpoon

05:37to cross from one building to another?

05:40The workers did something like that here.

05:42You probably had no idea that bridges could be built this way.

05:47Okay, let's now move from high-tech giant bridges to something much simpler and more dangerous.

05:54Think back to cartoons and movies about Mowgli and Tarzan.

05:58Remember how they swung through dense jungles, climbing vines and trees?

06:03Well, you can relive that experience if you travel to Ghana,

06:07where the Kakoum Canopy Walk is located.

06:10So this is a series of rope bridges right inside a real jungle.

06:15Two Canadian engineers and several locals created this attraction in 1995 to draw tourists.

06:22At first glance, these bridges look like the vine and wood rope bridges you've seen in adventure movies.

06:27However, they are reinforced with steel cables, aluminum, and wooden planks.

06:32And they also have protective mesh barriers to present accidental falls.

06:37Good thing!

06:39The bridges hang from trees at a height of more than 130 feet.

06:43And their total length is about 1,000 feet.

06:46So you can truly feel like Tarzan.

06:50Meanwhile, the bridge at El Caminito del Rey in Malaga, Spain, runs between two cliffs.

06:57Only 3 feet wide, it's suspended 328 feet above the river.

07:02It's a very narrow path.

07:04You'll probably feel dizzy during the crossing.

07:07But don't worry, the bridge is equipped with high railings.

07:10It was originally built so workers at hydroelectric power stations could cross the mountainous terrain.

07:17Eventually, it became a local landmark.

07:20A small but incredibly cozy and picturesque bridge.

07:23You look at it, and you immediately want to walk across this stunning path.

07:28Me?

07:28Not so much.

07:29I don't like heights.

07:31Well, we started this video with one of the most technologically advanced bridges in the world.

07:36Let's finish with one of the most dangerous and extreme.

07:40Oh, goody.

07:41It's called the Husseini Suspension Bridge and is located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region in northern Pakistan.

07:48In this area, residents were cut off from the rest of the country because of the mountainous terrain and lack

07:54of roads.

07:56Welfier locals could travel here by plane, but for everyone else, only pedestrian crossings were available.

08:03Then a highway was built here, along with several fragile wooden bridges.

08:08And the most famous of them is the Husseini Bridge.

08:12If you find yourself at the very beginning of it, you will probably think twice before crossing this path.

08:19Now it looks much better, but in the past, this bridge had many planks missing.

08:24And strong winds shook the structure from side to side.

08:28There were no safety nets or high railings.

08:31In 2011, the bridge was destroyed by monsoon rains.

08:35After that, it was completely reconstructed.

08:38Now it consists of steel cables and sturdy wooden planks.

08:42And nearby, there are ziplining and sky-cycling stations.

08:46It's become a popular tourist attraction.

08:49So, if you enjoy testing your nerves and are a fan of Indiana Jones, you will definitely like this place.

08:57Me, I'll just watch you.

09:00To build an underwater structure, you'll need some interesting engineering.

09:04A large bridge over a river or bay has its foundation rooted underwater.

09:08It's even more complicated with undersea tunnels.

09:11Underwater construction is challenging.

09:14Engineers need to deal with water pressure and corrosion from saltwater.

09:17There's also a problem of finding suitable materials.

09:20The most typical of them are concrete, steel, and acrylic glass.

09:25Concrete doesn't care about water currents and doesn't get damaged by saltwater.

09:29Steel provides underwater constructions with a strong structure.

09:33And acrylic glass is tough, long-lasting, and resistant to sunlight.

09:37It's also transparent.

09:38That's why it's often used to make windows in underwater buildings.

09:42Anyway, when the water is shallow, it's not that hard to build something there.

09:46However, constructors create a temporary foundation.

09:48Then, on top of it, they build several piers supporting the upper structure.

09:53But if the waters are deep, engineers have to use other methods.

09:56Depending on which one they choose, water is either extracted or diverted during the construction process.

10:02One such method involves using a set of large driven piles.

10:06Those are long, thin columns made mostly of steel, but their interior is partially hollow.

10:12With the help of a huge hammer, they get driven into the waterbed, like nails are driven into a piece

10:17of wood.

10:18After that, these steel columns get filled with concrete through a special tube.

10:22The concrete displaces the water that was in the pile before.

10:26Concrete has the ability to set, even when it's surrounded by water.

10:30That's why driven piles eventually turn into a stable foundation for overwater and underwater constructions.

10:36Driven piles are a very cost-effective way of building something that has to be fixed in place.

10:41They prevent things from being moved by the water current.

10:44Another way to build underwater structures is coffer dams.

10:47They are built temporarily and allow workers to create a dry space for the construction.

10:52The water gets pumped out of this enclosure, and the coffer dam works like a dam.

10:57A completed coffer dam looks like a massive pit with high walls surrounded by water.

11:02Coffer dams are made of rocks, steel, and even dirt.

11:05These constructions can be built fast and removed even faster.

11:08But the process of putting up a coffer dam is complicated and challenging for engineers.

11:13They have to make sure the structure won't flood or collapse.

11:17The simplest way to build a coffer dam is to pile up loads of dirt.

11:21But in this case, workers usually have to somehow make the construction stronger.

11:25It helps to protect it from the damage caused by water.

11:28Once the coffer dam is ready, pumps extract the water from its interior.

11:32Sometimes, it's too expensive to build a very deep and strong coffer dam.

11:36In this case, constructors use several powerful pumps that get rid of excess water when it seeps through the coffer

11:42dam walls.

11:43If a coffer dam starts to fail, this process is slow and, luckily, predictable.

11:48On the construction site, there are not only main but also backup pumps.

11:53In case of emergency, they can kick into overdrive.

11:56Then, the water is kept out for the time the personnel needs to evacuate.

12:00Coffer dams are most often used during the construction of dams and bridges.

12:04But when a large ship, like a modern cruise liner, needs to be repaired, engineers use coffer dams too.

12:10Such vessels are too massive to be hauled ashore.

12:13And a coffer dam makes a perfect dry lock.

12:16The ship gets isolated from the water, and mechanics can repair it wherever it sits.

12:21Also, when a cruise ship needs to be expanded, engineers construct a coffer dam around it.

12:26Then they pump out all the water from the inside, creating a dry working place.

12:31The ship gets cut into two parts, and the process of its lengthening begins.

12:36There are several main types of coffer dams—braced, cellular, rock-filled, or earthen.

12:41For each of them, engineers need to figure out the best depth at which the wall should be put into

12:46the ground.

12:47It depends on the type of soil and the water reservoir itself.

12:51Braced coffer dams are mostly used during shallow water construction.

12:54Such a structure is actually a wall of sheet piles.

12:57Those are parts with interlocking edges.

13:00Usually, they're made of steel, but the material can also be reinforced concrete or timber.

13:06Sheet piles create something like a box around the needed area.

13:10Cellular coffer dams are also made of sheet piles, but in this case, the piles have a special shape.

13:16After being connected, they form cells that get filled with soil or clay.

13:20The cells, in turn, create a watertight wall.

13:23Thanks to its structure, it's exceptionally stable.

13:26Rock-filled coffer dams are used when there's a lot of rock at the construction site.

13:31They're built over the soil.

13:32This prevents the water from seeping into the coffer dam, and the rocks serve as reinforcement.

13:38Earthen coffer dams are built in areas where the water is less than 10 feet deep.

13:42They're created from the materials that are at hand—clay, sand, and even soil.

13:47There are also single-walled and double-walled coffer dams.

13:51The first type is used when the area of the construction isn't large and the depth is more than 20

13:56feet.

13:56Such coffer dams are typically necessary for building bridges.

14:00Timber or wooden sheets are put into the sea or riverbed.

14:03After that, iron or steel sheets are added on the inside.

14:07On both sides of the wall, workers place half-filled bags of sand.

14:11Finally, the water gets pumped out and the coffer dam is ready for use.

14:15The double-walled coffer dam is used for large construction areas and when the water is very deep.

14:21Such construction sites need more powerful supports.

14:24This stronger coffer dam has two walls, which provides it with extra stability.

14:29Two piles get pushed into the waterbed with some space in between.

14:32The deeper it is, the bigger the space between the walls.

14:35Then they get attached to each other.

14:38After that, this space gets filled with soil.

14:40Coffer dams aren't cheap.

14:42This means that if one is used for a project, there are no other available options.

14:47For example, it's the best way to construct permanent dams.

14:50When the Hoover Dam was built, several coffer dams were put up to divert the water from the Colorado River.

14:56As soon as the project is finished, the water is pumped back into the coffer dam.

15:00And its walls, whatever they are, get removed.

15:04One more way of underwater construction is caissons.

15:07They are watertight structures that are put into the water.

15:10Even open, they remain dry inside.

15:13Workers can keep digging down until they reach some solid surface.

15:16That's where the caissons will be placed upon.

15:19What's so different about caissons is that they eventually become parts of the foundation for, let's say, a bridge or

15:25a dam.

15:25And even though you might not think of a bridge or a dam as an underwater construction,

15:30most of their crucial elements are underwater.

15:32For example, a large bridge wouldn't be able to hold its weight without massive supporting towers, and they stand in

15:39the water.

15:40There are several types of caissons—open, pneumatic, and box.

15:44Open caissons have no bottom.

15:46They're actually just vertical walls that allow builders to dig at the bottom of them.

15:50Pneumatic caissons keep the water from seeping through by using compressed air.

15:54This helps to maintain equal pressure inside and outside the construction.

15:59When workers dig out some materials, these get sent up through a special muck tube.

16:03When the caissons reaches the bedrock, workers fill it with concrete.

16:08Unlike others, a box caissons has a floor, and workers lower it onto a foundation that is constructed in advance.

16:15During the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, engineers used two massive caissons.

16:19Thanks to them, they reached the bedrock and created the foundation for the towers of the bridge.

16:25And then, there's also off-site construction.

16:28That's when things are not only built, but also assembled away from the site.

16:32In this case, engineers often use modular construction.

16:35That's when factory-produced building units are delivered to the site.

16:39There, they get assembled, like a giant Lego set.

16:42Structures are then usually floated to the site on huge barges.

16:46Or they get towed there.

16:47After that, they're lowered in place.

16:50Some sink under their own weight.

16:52Others can only reach the seafloor after getting loaded with additional weights.

16:56This method of construction is rather expensive.

16:58And still, it's much more cost-effective than building right underwater.

17:02The latter needs skilled engineers and unique tools.

17:05And don't forget about the risks.

17:07But what about underwater tunnels?

17:09How on earth are they constructed?

17:11Modern tunnels are usually built with the help of massive tunnel-boring machines.

17:15They even have a nickname, moles.

17:18Even though such a mechanism has an exorbitant price, several million dollars, it needs little time to create a long

17:25tunnel.

17:25The machine moves forward very slowly.

17:28It has a special circular plate with rotating disc cutters.

17:31They can easily chew through solid rock.

17:33The rock is then dropped onto an outboard conveyor belt.

17:37Another mechanism uses this rock to construct the tunnel's lining in the mole's wake.

17:42This way, the mole not only excavates the tunnel, but also reinforces the walls that will later support it.

17:49This method, and 11 huge tunnel-boring machines, was used to build the 32-mile-long channel tunnel.

17:56And the whole process took only three years.

17:58Cut and cover is another method of creating a tunnel underwater.

18:02First, workers dig a trench in the ocean floor or riverbed.

18:06Then, they put concrete or steel tubes there, made in advance.

18:10After the tubes get covered with a thick layer of rock, the sections are connected.

18:14All workers have to do is pump out the water.

18:17That's how the Ted Williams Tunnel, connecting Logan Airport with South Boston, was built.

18:22There, they used 12 enormous steel tubes, more than 300 feet each.

18:27And the tubes contained already fully constructed roads.

18:31That's it for today.

18:32So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.

18:37Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the bright side.

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