Engineering achievements that leave you in awe?

oxygene · 15 Mar 2013 at 21:10

The perfect use of heat to provide movement through the stirling engine. I still love that thing. And to see it in action in modern times in coolers is very cool

Suarez7 · 15 Mar 2013 at 21:14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(aircraft)

The Geezer · 15 Mar 2013 at 21:17

Rolls-Royce Trent aero engine

Doomedspeed · 15 Mar 2013 at 21:19

these things:

I see them being built everyday and still wonder how they fly, incredible. The amount of throught, effort and material research is outstanding.

LOAM · 15 Mar 2013 at 21:28

The Pantheon Rome. Built in 126AD and used more or less everyday. The inner dome has a diameter of nearly 44m and to this day is still the world's largest unreinforced dome. An unbelievably complex construction considering its nearly 1900 years old.

Makhaira · 15 Mar 2013 at 21:36

philip2009 said:
Submarine communications cables. To think the first cable across the Atlantic was laid around 1860 is amazing.

Wow, I had no idea they went back that far!

Quite a few things in this thread that I didn't realise, loving it already

.

philip2009 · 15 Mar 2013 at 21:52

Makhaira said:
Wow, I had no idea they went back that far!

Sometimes part of the 19th century Atlantic cables come up on eBay as collector's pieces(not reclaimed from the sea, but what I presume was spare cable with a certificate of authenticity). It's worth reading "The Victorian Internet" to understand the impact the electric telegraph system had across the world.

Something Else · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:00

big_white_dog84 said:
The national grid. I know how much effort goes into installing cables and building overhead lines today and I am amazed by how much they achieved in the 60s and 70s to get the grid built. Most of these assets are still in service now.

exactly this!

the amount of money it cost and the quality i see everyday when i go to work is outstanding. they really built the stuff to last.

for example, recently the buchholtz (safety trip for transformers) blew on a 2002 132/33kv transformer, it was one of two at a primary site in service. we had replaced GT1 which was installed in the 50's. so GT2 and this other transformer(cant remember the name of it now) were taking up the load of GT1, the 2002 transformer tripped and had to be replaced and yet the one from the 50's is still happily buzzing away working flawlessly despite having to hold down the workload of 2 other transformers for 4 days while an emergency one was brought in.

they dont build them like they used to.

Spook187 · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:04

big_white_dog84 said:
The national grid. I know how much effort goes into installing cables and building overhead lines today and I am amazed by how much they achieved in the 60s and 70s to get the grid built. Most of these assets are still in service now.

Aye and now we are paying even more for our power, which doesn't even come this country :rolleyes:

Nix said:
CERN's Large Hadron Collider.

SDK^ · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:09

Spook187 said:
Aye and now we are paying even more for our power, which doesn't even come this country

The transmission line cost makes up less than 4% of your energy bill. That is approx £20 per household per year.

Something Else · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:12

Spook187 said:
Aye and now we are paying even more for our power, which doesn't even come this country

so blame your energy supplier and not the distributor.

the distributors get their money from the government and its all invested back into the network.

the more the distributors agree to invest back into the network the more money that can get from ofgem

PermaBanned · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:18

Of course deserves a mention.

Housey · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:29

PapaLazaru · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:30

The Concorde.

An insane engineering feat years ahead of it's time. When will supersonic travel be available again? To think they went into service the year I was born (1976) is pretty crazy.

I fully remember the lazy summer days when I was a kid living near the flight path of Heathrow. As soon as that roar could be heard all the kids came running outside to point at the sky.

Housey · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:31

Spook187 · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:46

Spook187 · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:47

Double post.

Ahleckz · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:50

Please tell me you did that on purpose...

bainbridge · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:55

Spook187 said:

The Voyagers are no1 for me, I can't believe we haven't built anything to explore outside the heliosphere.

dl8860 · 15 Mar 2013 at 23:45

First hand, an offshore gas platform. I was an offshore engineer for 3 months before very luckily having the chance to visit a platform. All the pictures and drawings in the world can't prepare you for how hostile and remote some offshore platforms are. 120km from shore in 200ft of water, just goes to show the value of them hydrocarbons.

Otherwise, Roman viaducts. Something along the lines of being 20 miles long but maintaining an almost perfect incline with a 15cm drop from one end to the other.