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| Sunday, 15 May 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The 'coathanger' of Australia
Referred to as the 'Coathanger' by locals, the bridge is one of the world's largest and widest (not longest) steel arch bridges. The top of the bridge is at 134 metres above the harbour while the height to the aircraft beacon on top was 141 metres above sea level. Although the proposal for a bridge linking the northern and southern shores of the harbour was brought up as early as 1815, the actual plans didn't materialise for a long time. The designs submitted in 1900 were all deemed unsuitable and the plans were again shelved. Serious plans were made for the bridge after World War I and a general design was prepared by Dr J.J.C. Bradfield and officers of the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Public Works. The NSW Government then called for worldwide tenders for the construction of the bridge in 1922, and the contract was handed over to Dorman Long and Company of Middlesbrough, England. Construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge started in 1924 and it took 1,400 men eight years to build, at a cost of 4.2 million sterling pounds. Six million hand-driven rivets (the largest rivet weighed 3.5 kilos and was 395 millimetres long), 53,000 tonnes of steel and 95,000 cubic metres of concrete were used in the construction. The bridge was 1149 metres long while the deck was 49 metres wide. In 1932, 96 steam locomotives were positioned in various ways to test the load capacity of the bridge.The Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened on March 19, 1932 by NSW Premier John T. Lang and Captain Francis De Groot of the New Guard party, who slashed the ribbon with his sword. It now has eight traffic lanes and two electric overhead rail lines, one in each direction. Initially, two of the eastern lanes were tram tracks; they were converted into traffic lanes in the 1950s, when Sydney abandoned its tram system. When the bridge opened, crossing it cost a horse and rider three pence and a car, six pence. Now, the bridge is closed for horses and riders. There is a special bicycle lane and people can walk across the bridge for free. Cars going southbound have to pay about 3.30 Australian dollars while the northbound trip is free. The average daily traffic, which was around 11,000 vehicles in 1932, is about 160,000 today. The top of the bridge arch rises and falls about 180 millimetres due to temperature changes. Well-known Australian celebrity, Paul Hogan, the star of the Crocodile Dundee movie, was one of the painters contracted to give the bridge another 270,000 litre coat of paint during recent years. BridgeClimb, the programme to climb the monument, was launched in 1998. The programme provides opportunities for foreigners and locals alike to climb the bridge. Safety precautions taken include a blood alcohol reading of all climbers and a climb simulator, which shows participants, the conditions to be expected at the top. ************ The towering giant of Taipei
At one time, the tallest building in the world was the Empire State Building in New York, USA. Later, the honour belonged to its neighbour, the World Trade Center, which was soon overtaken by the Petronas Towers of Malaysia,which we had featured as the world's tallest building in a recent issue. Now, the latest to claim this title is the Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan. The 508 metre tall building in the Xin Yi district has 101 storeys above ground and five storeys below. World-renowned architect C.Y. Lee has designed this building to reflect a Chinese style. The exterior of the building resembles bamboo segments, with eight storeys to each segment, as the number 'eight' signifies prosperous growth. The building also holds the honour of having the world's fastest elevators. These elevators can transport passengers to the observatory on the 89th floor in just 39 seconds. Their speed is one kilometre per minute. A unique mechanism has been installed by the constructors, at a cost of four million US dollars, to prevent the building from swaying during typhoons and earthquakes. The huge building is almost a miniature city with the headquarters of many business, financial and securities companies as well as entertainment and shopping areas, supermarkets, health clubs and restaurants. Many international brand names are available at the shopping outlets in the building. Although the Taipei 101 claims to be the world's tallest building at the moment, it may not hold this title for long. A new construction in Shanghai, China is soon expected to surpass it in the highest stakes. However, all these will be overshadowed by a towering complex that is currently in the design stages, in Dubai. The world's skyline keeps changing so fast, that it will be difficult for anyone to predict where the tallest building in the world will be in five years' time. |
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| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of Australia's most well-known
landmarks and is located close to the Sydney Opera House, which the Junior
Observer has already featured. 
Being home to the tallest building in the world is a distinction that
will be gladly enjoyed by any country. Most countries have now entered a
race to produce the world's tallest building, and are currently putting up
constructions which surpass each other in height. 
