Greatest Road - The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road

Just have a look What they have created in a desert...

The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the greatest driving road in the world. Stretching for 7.3 miles and climbing nearly 4,000 feet, it boasts 60 corners and a surface so smooth that it would flatter a racetrack. It could easily be described as the eighth wonder of the world, but almost nothing is known about its creation.

The road is cut into the Jebel Hafeet mountain, the highest peak in the United Arab Emirates , the oil-rich Persian Gulf state. The mountain spans the border with Oman and lies about 90 minutes' drive southeast of the thriving city of Dubai . It looks down upon a dusty, desert landscape that belies a nation of astonishing wealth.

Madeira Airport, an Airport on Pillars

Madeira Airport, also known as Funchal Airport and Santa Catarina Airport, is an international airport located near Funchal, Madeira. The airport controls national and international air traffic of the island of Madeira.

The airport's runway with a length of 2781 meters, which 1000 meters of the runway is supported by 180 pillars, each pillar about 70 meters tall.

The airport was once infamous for its short runway which, surrounded by high mountains and the ocean, made it a tricky landing for even the most experienced of pilots. The original runway was only 1600 meters in length, but was extended by 200 meters 8 years after the TAP Air Portugal Flight 425 incident of 1977 and subsequently rebuilt in 2000, almost doubling the size of the runway, building it out over the ocean. Instead of using landfill, the extension was built on a series of 180 columns. Look at the cars parked below the runway.

For the enlargement of the new runway the Funchal Airport has won the Outstanding Structures Award, given by International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE). The Outstanding Structures Award is considered to be the "Oscar" for engineering structures in Portugal.

The 5 Smallest Countries in the World

1. Vatican City:
Size: 0.17 sq. mi. (0.44 km)
Population: 783 (2005 census)
Location: Rome, Italy

2. Monaco:

Size: 0.8 sq. mi. (1.96 km)
Population: 35,657 (2006 estimate)
Location: French Riviera on the Mediterranean

3. Nauru:

Size: 8 sq. mi (21 km)
Population: 13,005 (2005 estimate)
Location: Western Pacific Ocean

4. Tuvalu:

Size: 9 sq. mi. (26 km)
Population: 10,441 (2005 estimate)
Location: South Pacific

5. San Marino:

Size: 24 sq. mi. (61 km)
Population: 28,117 (2005 estimate)
Location: North-central Italy near the Adriatic coast

Have You ever heard about Aeroplane Crossing ... ?

We have heard about railway crossing or bus crossing or even ship crossing under the bridges. But have u ever heard about Aeroplane crossing ... ?

See the picture where the vehicles wait for the aeroplane to cross the road. This is in Germany where the runway crosses a road.

And this is in Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, Netherlands, where planes cross over a tunnel between terminals and runways :

Solar-powered SkyLifter carries 150 tons of anything to anywhere

While hoping to go beyond the modern day helicopters limited load-bearing capacity, Australian firmSkyLifter is busy evolving a solar-powered airship for carrying up to 150-ton loads more than 1,200 miles. Just the perfect machine to support disaster relief operations, the solar blimp could ship payloads of equipment, freight, pre-constructed buildings and other loads at a speed of 45 knots (50 mph).

Where the vehicles disc-like shape offers immunity against different wind conditions, the specially designed Voith-Schneider propellers (measuring 500ft across) and strategically placed cockpit help the vehicle in keeping steady. Aside from using it for disaster relief, the developers hope to use the vehicle as luxury airborne cruise ships.

SkyLifter uses (bio)diesel fuel and solar collectors to generate electricity that powers the cycloidal propellers and aircraft systems. Sun-facing aerostar design offers ample space for large arrays of solar collectors. One level of the pod contains (bio)diesel engines, drive-train and water recovery systems. So flaunting a minimal environmental footprint, the aerial crane keeps delivering the goods without noise.
Skylifter looks forward to release a full-sized prototype, nearly 150ft wide, in three years or so.

Emma Maersk - The Largest and Fastest Cargo Ship

What a ship.... no wonder 'Made in China' is displacing North American goods big time with this floating continent transporting goods across the Pacific in 4 days no less!

 

This is how Wal-Mart gets all it's stuff from China . Get a load of this ship! 15,000 containers and a 207' beam! And look at the crew-size: 13 people for a ship longer than a US aircraft carrier which has a crew of 5,000 men and officers.
Think it's big enough? Notice that 207' beam means it cannot fit through the Panama or Suez Canals . It is strictly transpacific. Check out the cruise speed: 31 knots means the goods arrive 4 days before the typical container ship (18-20 knots) on a China-to-California run. So this behemoth is hugely competitive when carrying perishable goods.
This ship was built in five sections. The sections floated together and then welded. The command bridge is higher than a 10-story building and has 11 cargo crane rigs that can operate simultaneously.

Additional info:
Country of origin - Denmark
Length - 1,302 ft
Width - 207 ft
Net cargo - 123,200 tons
Engine - 14 in-line cylinders diesel engine (110,000 BHP)
Cruise Speed - 31 knots
Cargo capacity - 15,000 TEU
Crew - 13, with room for 30
First Trip - Sept. 08, 2006
Construction cost - US $145,000,000+
Silicone painting applied to the ship bottom reduces water resistance and saves 317,000 gallons of diesel per year.

The ship was built at the Odense Steel Shipyard in Denmark. In June 2006, during construction, welding work caused a fire within her superstructure. It spread rapidly through the accommodation section and bridge, which delayed the ship by six to seven weeks. Emma Mærsk was named in a ceremony on 12 August 2006. The ship is named after Emma Maersk, Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller's late wife.

Ark Hotel - Most Unique Dome Shaped Hotel

The Ark project was designed by Russian firm Remistudio with the assistance of the International Union of Architects program Architecture for Disasters Relief. The dome-shaped hotel is constructed with wooden arches, steel cables and a self-cleaning plastic layer instead of glass. The slinky-like Ark hotel can be adapted to suit both land and water. It is built to stay afloat in the event of floods or rising seas. The 14,000 square metre shell-like construction of arches and cables distributes the weight evenly, meaning it can withstand earthquakes. Daylight is filteredthrough to internal rooms due to the hotels see-through structure, reducing the need for lighting.

Designed as:an integrated energy system with an uninterruptible power supply using alternative energy sources, the hotel uses solar panels and a rainwater collection system to provide inhabitants with power and water. It would be built around a central pillar connecting to roof-top wind generators and heat pumps, as well as to energy storage and thermal conversion units below. There will also be a tornado energy generating spiral at the top of the pillar.

The World's Most Beautiful and Amazing Structures

1-Taj Mahal, Agra, India

According to legend, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan wanted to build the most beautiful mausoleum on earth to express his love for his favorite wife. Or, perhaps he was simply asserting his political power. The Taj Mahal may have been designed by Ustad Ahmad Lahori, an Indian architect of Persian descent. Persian, Central Asian, and Islamic elements combine in the great white marble tomb. The Taj Mahal is just one of many architectural wonders in a land of majestic tombs and erotic temples.

 2-The Forbidden City, Beijing, China

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China and now houses the PalaceMuseum. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, and the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government.

3-The Millenium Dome, London, England

The Millennium Dome, designed by Sir Richard Rogers, 1996/99. The Millennium Dome was one of the UK's most controversial public projects.The new millennium officially started in Greenwich, England on 1st January 2001; The World's biggest dome was built on the Meridian Line (The Prime Meridian of the World) in Greenwich to celebrate this historic event.

4-Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

Famous for its impressive size, remarkable architecture and beautiful mosaics and frescoes, the massive ochre-coloured domed structure known as Hagia Sophia is one of Istanbul's most popular attractions. It was commissioned as a cathedral in the 6th century and remained the most important church in Christianity for over 900 years. In the 15th century Mehmet II conquered the city and converted it into a mosque, adding the minarets and fountains. It functioned as such for the next 481 years until the founding of the secular Turkish Republic in 1934 when it was declared a museum. Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest Byzantine buildings in the world, and the vast interior, with its huge soaring dome, is extraordinary. The interior contains different features from its time as a cathedral and then as a mosque, including incredible Byzantine mosaics, icons and marble columns, a mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca), and Islamic calligraphy inscriptions on the dome from the Ottoman period.

5-Burj-Al-Arab, Dubai

Considered one of the world's most luxurious hotels from the day it opened, The Burj Al Arab is a futuristic architectural marvel towering over the Gulf. Its design is stunning - the Burj Al Arab is shaped like a billowing spinnaker sail. Its height is staggering - the hotel measures 332 meters (1053 feet), making it one of the world's highest buildings.
The Burj Al Arab (means "The Arabian Tower" in Arabic) is built on a tiny man-made sea island, a mere football kick from the Dubai mainland. A short causeway links the hotel to the Dubai mainland. The skyscraping Burj Al Arab is firmly rooted. Its foundation pillars reach 40 meters (120 feet) underneath the seabed.