What is the largest engineering structure of our time? Detailed answer

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What is the largest engineering structure of our time? Detailed answer

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What is the largest engineering structure of our time?

The "Great Artificial River", "the eighth wonder of the world" is the name of the fresh water distribution system that went into operation in the summer of 2001 across the territory of Libya.

This gigantic aqueduct is the largest engineering structure of our time, far exceeding in scale, for example, the Channel Tunnel. A system of huge pipelines, covering an area equal to the area of all of Western Europe, carries fresh water from underground sources from the south to the north of the country, to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, where settlements are mainly concentrated.

In the 1960s, almost simultaneously, large reserves of oil and fresh water were discovered in Libya - both deep underground. Two huge underground seas of clean fresh water have been discovered here. One extends under the territories of Libya, Egypt, Sudan and Chad (it is this basin with a volume of two-thirds of the Black Sea that is currently used), the other - under the territories of Libya, Tunisia and Algeria (exploitation of these reserves in the project).

The construction of a huge water pipeline began in 1983, its main part was completed in 2001. Water enters it from 1300 wells, many of which are 500 meters or more deep and are located on an area of 13 square kilometers. The total depth of these wells is 70 times the height of Mount Everest (8846 meters). Through the collector pipes, water enters concrete pipes with a diameter of 4 meters, stretching for thousands of kilometers. Tanks with a volume of 4-24 million cubic meters have been built closer to the places of water consumption, and water pipes of local cities and towns begin from them.

During the construction of the giant system, 155 million cubic meters of soil had to be removed and transferred (12 times more than during the creation of the Aswan Dam), and this at temperatures that at times reached 58 degrees Celsius. From the building materials that went into business, it would be possible to build 16 pyramids of Cheops. One concrete used for pipes would be enough to pave the road from Tripoli to Bombay. Water brought from the south of the country is used in the north for domestic and industrial needs, but 85-90 percent is used to irrigate fields. Up to 6 million cubic meters of water can be supplied per day.

According to calculations, underground reserves will last for half a century, and during this time, experts hope, it is possible to develop other options for extracting water, for example, desalination of sea water. True, geologists fear that as the underground layers are emptied, the earth may begin to sink above them and a huge pit will form in place of the desert.

Author: Kondrashov A.P.

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

What do fish eat?

If you've ever been on a fishing trip, you must be convinced of anything but what you offer them as bait. City boys often fish with bread on a hook. Village boys use worms for this. Trout fishermen take flies for this purpose. And some fish are tempted by the sight of another fish on the hook. Since there are thousands of species of fish, it is impossible to describe everything they eat. But the struggle for existence under water is so intense that the fish are accustomed to not being too picky about food.

Some fish are vegetarians and do not eat any living creatures, but most of them are predators, that is, they eat other fish or marine animals and insects. It is curious that many fish are happy to eat small crustaceans or shell animals. Although fish are very different, they still have a few things in common. For example, most often fish have an elongated, pointed shape that allows them to move quickly in the water.

Most fish use their tail as propulsion and control their movement with both their tail and fins. They breathe with gills, through which water constantly passes from the mouth.

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Three-dimensional printing, that is, the production of three-dimensional objects from a computer model using a special printer, is a very interesting technology. Today it is used not only for designing machine parts or making individual prostheses: sculptors and museum workers have also begun to be interested in the possibility of creating small editions of works of art.

As a result, there are more and more students who come to learn how to work with such equipment. This means that the need for consumables is increasing, and they are expensive.

“We are now spending up to $4000 a quarter to buy branded clay for such a printer. This is too much for our budget. In fifteen years of operation, we have spent so much money on consumables that the initial cost of a printer - $ 20 - seems now just ridiculous " says Mark Gunter of the University of Washington.

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