Do Look Down
theEdge
Here’s a winning formula to take tourists to new
heights: Build glass skywalks. Last year a burst of
construction projects in China hoisted walkways
alongside dramatic cliffs, atop skyscrapers and
across gaping canyons. Although their dizzying
views differ, these attractions present teams with
similar risks regarding safety and compliance with
government regulations.
Project managers must be diligent because “
Chinese legislation and government inspections are
always behind the latest construction technologies
and techniques,” says Michael Lo, project manager
and founder of EPC Solutions, Beijing, China. (He
has worked on bridge construction projects in the
country.) Translation: While a skywalk team might
select a cutting-edge material, such as a new type
of glass, that choice could complicate compliance
with current regulations. —Ambreen Ali
Coiling Dragon Cliff Skywalk
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China’s Hunan province
opened this 1.6-meter ( 5.2-foot) wide glass platform along a cliff
with a 300-meter (984-foot) drop-off in August. The team was
worried about threats to visitor safety from above, though; stones
could fall from the upper reaches of the cliff. So before completing the construction project, workers removed loose stones to
mitigate the risk. But on 13 September, a tourist on the skywalk
was injured by falling debris loosened when another tourist
climbed the cliff to take photos.
Jinmao Tower Walkway
Jinmao Hotel and Jinmao Hotel Investments and Management took a more daredevil approach with an open-air
glass walkway project near the top of an 88-floor Shanghai skyscraper. Visitors are harnessed to the building as
they lean out toward a 1,116-foot (340-meter) drop. The
world’s tallest transparent, fenceless walkway was slated
to open in July, but unexpected government safety inspections caused the team to miss that date, according to a
Jinmao statement.
ST
R
/
S
TRI
N
G
ER
/
GE
TT
Y
I
MA
G
ES
