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World's longest glass bridge set to open in China next year

By Colin Jeffrey
May 20, 2015
World's longest glass bridge set to open in China next year
An artist's concept of people walking across the glass bridge high above the Zhangjiajie canyon in China
An artist's concept of people walking across the glass bridge high above the Zhangjiajie canyon in China
View 10 Images
An artist's concept of people walking across the glass bridge high above the Zhangjiajie canyon in China
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An artist's concept of people walking across the glass bridge high above the Zhangjiajie canyon in China
The glass bridge spans 370 m (1,214 ft) across the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon
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The glass bridge spans 370 m (1,214 ft) across the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon
Dizzyingly high at about 400 m (1,312 ft) above the canyon floor, the glass bridge will carry up to 800 people at a time
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Dizzyingly high at about 400 m (1,312 ft) above the canyon floor, the glass bridge will carry up to 800 people at a time
The glass bridge is touted to be a "Wonder of the World" by Hunan Province
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The glass bridge is touted to be a "Wonder of the World" by Hunan Province
A bungee jump will also be possible at the bridge's highest point
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A bungee jump will also be possible at the bridge's highest point
An artist's concept of people walking across the glass bridge high above the Zhangjiajie canyon in China
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An artist's concept of people walking across the glass bridge high above the Zhangjiajie canyon in China
The glass bridge spans 370 m (1,214 ft) across the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon
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The glass bridge spans 370 m (1,214 ft) across the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon
Dizzyingly high at about 400 m (1,312 ft) above the canyon floor, the glass bridge will carry up to 800 people at a time
8/10
Dizzyingly high at about 400 m (1,312 ft) above the canyon floor, the glass bridge will carry up to 800 people at a time
The glass bridge is touted to be a "Wonder of the World" by Hunan Province
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The glass bridge is touted to be a "Wonder of the World" by Hunan Province
A bungee jump will also be possible at the bridge's highest point
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A bungee jump will also be possible at the bridge's highest point
View gallery - 10 images

In a bid to attract more tourists to the region, Hunan Province in China has commissioned the architectural firm of Haim Dotan to produce a completely transparent glass bridge spanning 370 m (1,214 ft) across the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. Dizzyingly high at about 400 m (1,312 ft) above the canyon floor, the span is claimed to be capable of holding up to 800 people at a time.

China seems to be enamored with terrifyingly high, world-beating glass structures. New Atlas recently detailed the world's longest glass-bottomed cantilever skywalk in Longgang National Geological Park, Chongqing, for example, which extends 26.64 m (87.4 ft) over a straight drop of 718 m (2,356ft), making it some 5 m (16 ft) longer than the Grand Canyon Skywalk in Arizona. The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon glass bridge continues this trend of oneupmanship.

Funded as part the Tourism investment cooperation meeting at the Central China Expo in 2012, and slated for opening some time next year, the glass bridge is touted as a "Wonder of the World" by Hunan Province.

Set to be constructed between the summits either side of the canyon, the deceptively fragile-looking structure will also have an added thrill for those that find the idea of walking across a sheer drop on a see-through bridge too tame: A bungee jump. To be located in the middle of the structure, the bungee jump is also said to be another world-first for Hunan province as the highest bungee on the planet, at around 60 m (197 ft) or so higher than the current highest commercial bungee of 233 m (764 ft) on the Macau Tower.

Sources: Haim Dotan, China Glass Network

View gallery - 10 images

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7 comments
Colin Jeffrey
Colin discovered technology at an early age, pulling apart clocks, radios, and the family TV. Despite his father's remonstrations that he never put anything back together, Colin went on to become an electronics engineer. Later he decided to get a degree in anthropology, and used that to do all manner of interesting things masquerading as work. Even later he took up sculpting, moved to the coast, and never learned to surf.

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7 comments
JonathanPDX
It's all fun and games till the earthquake hits, and that region is known for some pretty good ones. I wonder what kind of steps they've taken in case one occurs?
While it's nice to look at, I think I'll do so...from afar.
logicalthinker
Made in China, eh? I'll just leave this right here...
http://gizmodo.com/5304233/entire-new-13-story-building-tips-over-in-shanghai/
Jay Finke
There is no way in hell, you could get me on that thing !
Douglas Bennett Rogers
Looks like it is all glass which would be revolutionary. Flaw free glass has 3 M psi tensile strength and specific gravity of 2.2. Bridge steel has 50 K psi tensile strength and specific gravity of 7.8. This steel is ductile with 20 % elongation for the first cycle. Glass has no ductility but, at 3 M psi, has 30% ELASTIC elongation! There is no limit to the number of sub 30 % cycles. The strongest macro glass has been chemically strengthened at 100 K psi tensile strength, 1 % elastic elongation. E-glass fiber, at 600 K psi, has 6 % elastic elongation.
Les LaZar
I've been on the Grand Canyon Skywalk. It is pretty exciting! The structures is quite solid, with NO perceptible flex or bounciness. If you close your eyes, you might be walking on any ground-supported sidewalk.
That skywalk has more steel structure under the glass walkway than shown in the illustration. As I recall, there are cross-beams at each point where the glass floor plates come together. Also, they are VERY strict about what you can take with you: You must wear special shoe covers and you may not carry ANY lose articles that could be dropped (such as cameras, purses, wallets, keys, etc.) and chip or scratch the glass (they do provide free lockers to hold all of your belongings).
christopher
It's kinda funny - out of the monster crowds at he shanghai tower, only the tourists were out on the glass floor - all the Chinese were *way* to scared to go near it.
KapilMahajan
incredible bridge