Ken Boddie

5 years ago · 1 min. reading time · 0 ·

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Bridge over Troubled Waters?

Bridge over Troubled Waters?

wre OMG IAAT CHO BR ICG —r———Look at these impressive features:
  • 55 km long;
  • includes a 6.7 km long underwater tunnel;
  • 2 artificial islands; 
  • 400,000 tons of steel;
  • 8 years to build; 
  • $20 billion 'monetary' price tag; 
  • engineered to resist earthquakes and typhoons. 
Where else but China would you find this monstrous sea serpent, winding its way across busy sea traffic lanes to connect the islands of Hong Kong and Macau with the city of Zhuhai in the mainland's Guangdong Province?

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) opened to its first public travellers last month (24 October 2018) who, according to the China Daily, gave it "high praise".  Would we expect anything else from this 'infrastructure superpower'?

Here's a map for those of you who may be familiar with the general area around the former Brit-leased expat playground of Hong Kong and the gambling glitzy casino-strewn Macao, both areas that have fascinated me on earlier trips to there.
eeaae3f9.jpg

You'll see some impressive footage and some more facts and figures in this video below from Australia's ABC.
We can only assume that today's Honk Kongers, of whatever ethnic origins, will be somewhat concerned about the improved access which this megamonstrous commuter link affords the potential myriads of mainland Chinese into their historically westernised and consumeristic domain.

For those of you who are eager for more details on the engineering aspects of this structure, try looking at the following links, from which much of the above summary has been taken:

china-opens-worlds-largest-sea-bridge  

worlds-largest-bridge-over-water  

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06d646b5.jpgWhen not researching the weird or the wonderful, the comical or the cultured, the sinful or the serious, I chase my creative side, the results of which can be seen as selected photographs of my travels on my website at:

http://ken-boddie.squarespace.com

The author of the above, Ken Boddie, besides being a sometime poet and occasional writer, is an enthusiastic photographer, rarely leisure-travelling without his Canon, and loves to interact with other like-minded people with diverse interests.

Ken's three day work week (part time commitment) as a consulting engineer allows him to follow his photography interests, and to plan trips to an ever increasing list of countries and places of scenic beauty and cultural diversity.


#China #Hong Kong #Troubled Waters #Zhuhai #Macau
Comments

Ken Boddie

4 years ago #20

#27
No architects were harmed in the building of this bridge, Claire L Cardwell 😂

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #19

#23
Bullseye, Pascal Derrien! 👍

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #18

The title says it all …:-)

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #17

Natural resonance is a powerful thing, Bill King. I still remember in my army days when we had to change step while marching across a bridge, at the half way point, presumably as a throw back from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse in 1940. I think that it's safe to say, thought, that Qin Shi Huang's warriors are unlikely to be the cause of collapsing today's engineering structures, but if anyone needs to stop their 'brought to life' advance, then The Rock's your man. Great concept, nevertheless! Give me a call when you finish the script. I'll talk to old mate Peter Jackson. Perhaps he can collaborate with Steven Spielberg? 🎥 😂

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #16

Nǐ hǎo, Ms Jennifer, Xièxiè nǐ

Lada 🏡 Prkic

5 years ago #15

#16
Ken, I understand what you are saying. I am just trying to separate a marvellous engineering achievement from its controversy. Just like the Hoover Dam that had a major impact on the development of the Southwest of the US. Officially, 100 workers were killed at the dam site, although the real numbers were much higher. I agree with you about the impact of the passing of time on the collective memory regarding technological marvels that stood the test of time. The Chinese consortium (CRBC) carries out works on the Pelješac Bridge in Croatia for which 85% of the eligible costs are from the EU funds. They've got a contract through a public procurement process. Except for the Chinese, the bridge contractor will surely have to import the labour force from the surrounding countries. The consortium is obliged to respect Croatia's Labour Act (which should apply to Chinese workers as well), collective bargaining agreement and rigorous environmental codes. We'll see how it works.

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #14

Of course construction is dangerous, Lada, but I have seen Chinese and some other Asian contractors performing first hand, over the years, and have frequently been less than impressed by either the safety record or the attitude to OHS to which I have been exposed. What I'm trying to get across here is, albeit perhaps too subtly at first, that these huge construction projects are unlikely to be commenced, never mind completed, in many western countries these days, due to OHS requirements, over-procrastinated environmental considerations and deliberations, and, of course, the unpredictable interactions with unions. Take the Three Gorges Dam as another example. I find it hard to believe that this could have taken place anywhere else but in the Yangtze and China, except perhaps in Russia, assuming that the Russian coffers would have been able to afford it in recent years. We can certainly admire the 'progress' achieved by Chinese engineers as they accelerate their already enviable country-wide infrastructure programmes, but at what real cost to communities and the environment? Mind you, I suspect that, with passing years, we may tend to forget these real costs (even though they are likely to have been considerably understated by the Chinese press) and that greater society's collective memory may eventually be softened by these outstanding achievements.

Lada 🏡 Prkic

5 years ago #13

#8
Ken, construction is a dangerous industry. It is the sector most at risk of accidents. One in five deaths of workers in the EU and United States were construction related. My husband worked at tunnel and dam construction sites and had the first-hand experience of all the hazards at work that occurred despite all the safety measures. Almost every large-scale construction project is a reminder of human pain, not to mention an extensive impact on local ecosystems. About Chinese mega-projects, it's about 200 projects outside China, which are either in the phase of preparation or construction and include railroads, buildings, highways and bridges. There are reasonable doubts about using such construction projects to secure China's impact on developing countries.

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #12

#11
yes, Franci\ud83d\udc1dEugenia Hoffman, beBee Brand Ambassador, impressive indeed, but if you peruse my comments below, what will be the real cost?

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #11

#10
“when darkness comes”, Debasish, “and pain is all around”, I doubt this bridge will “ease” minds.

Debasish Majumder

5 years ago #10

excellent buzz Ken Boddie! it is suppose to be troubling water too, i guess, as the aquatic life surely would be jeopardized. however, enjoyed read and shared. thank you for the buzz sir.

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #9

#6
I guess we've all 'missed the boat', Pak Paul (Paul Walters).

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #8

#4
Indeed, Lada \ud83c\udfe1 Prkic, the achievement is impressive at face value, but at what real cost economically, wrt OHS, environmentally (see my comments in #7 below) and socially (ie the fallout on Hong Kong society). As I said, where else but in China could this possibly happen. When the State comes first, the people second, and the environment last, then lots of things can be done quickly, as we see time and again within this highly achieving nation. 😟

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #7

#3
Mind you, Randall Burns, it came at a cost! Chinese 'reported' figures stated 10 workers were killed and 600 injured, plus a 40% decline 'reportedly' occurred in the population of the endangered Chinese white dolphin, all as a spin-off for the typical bold 'complete at all costs' infrastructure 'success' which is a recurring feature of this nation. 😟 I'm not passing judgement here, as it sure ain't easy controlling 1.4 billion people and a hyperbolically rising middle class.

Paul Walters

5 years ago #6

Ken Boddie Oh those clever Chinese!!! Oh how I shall miss the ferry which was one of the best crossings anywhere.

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #5

#2
Nor, Manjit, do they have any sustainable objectors or unions with which to contend. I have been mind blown seeing what this nation can do at first hand in my limited trips there. Democracy, or at least what we call democracy, comes with heavy shackles.

Lada 🏡 Prkic

5 years ago #4

Ken, every time I read about engineering feats like this make me proud of my profession. The stats about the bridge are truly amazing, and the most amazing is the speed of construction. Eight years for such a megastructure is a marvellous achievement, but the original deadline was SIX years. For comparison, the construction of a 40,000-square-metres building at my University lasted for 8 years due to many different reasons. China takes the lead in many fields including the construction industry. Great post title, also. The bridge over troubled (economic) waters. When I saw your post this morning, I said to myself that I should finish all my draft with construction topics. :)

Randall Burns

5 years ago #3

It is quite the accomplishment

CityVP Manjit

5 years ago #2

China is on a kind of mega-city and mega-infrastructure binge https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/06/china-cities-growing-numbers-are-stunning/ plus global aspirations like One Belt One Road https://www.vox.com/2018/4/6/17206230/china-trade-belt-road-economy they don't seem to recognize the word "unsustainable". It feels like everything is doable and the Hong Kong - Macau connecting bridge is just one small dimension in many jaw dropping investments.

CityVP Manjit

5 years ago #1

China is on a kind of mega-city and mega-infrastructure binge https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/06/china-cities-growing-numbers-are-stunning/ plus global aspirations like One Belt One Road https://www.vox.com/2018/4/6/17206230/china-trade-belt-road-economy they don't seem to recognize the word "unsustainable". It feels like everything is doable and the Hong Kong - Macau connecting bridge is just small dimension to their jaw dropping investment.

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