Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Walt Disney


The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media.

Media Networks

Media Networks comprise a vast array of broadcast, cable, radio, publishing and digital businesses across two divisions – the Disney/ABC Television Group and ESPN Inc. In addition to content development and distribution functions, the segment includes supporting headquarters, communications, digital media, distribution, marketing, research and sales groups.
The Disney/ABC Television Group is composed of The Walt Disney Company’s global entertainment and news television properties, owned television stations group, as well as radio and publishing businesses. This includes the ABC Television Network, ABC Owned Television Stations Group, ABC Entertainment Group, Disney Channels Worldwide, ABC Family as well as Disney/ABC Domestic Television and Disney Media Distribution. Hyperion publishing and the Company’s equity interest in A&E Television Networks round out the Group’s portfolio of media businesses.

Parks and Resorts

When Walt Disney opened Disneyland on July 17, 1955, he created a unique destination built around storytelling and immersive experiences, ushering in a new era of family entertainment. More than 55 years later, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (WDP&R) has grown into one of the world’s leading providers of family travel and leisure experiences, providing millions of guests each year with the chance to spend time with their families and friends making memories that will last forever.
At the heart of WDP&R are five world-class vacation destinations with 11 theme parks and 43 resorts in North America, Europe and Asia, with a sixth destination currently under construction in Shanghai. WDP&R also includes the Disney Cruise Line with its four ships - the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy; Disney Vacation Club, with 11 properties and more than 500,000 individual members; and Adventures by Disney, which provides guided family vacation experiences to destinations around the globe.

Disney History

For more than nine decades, the name Walt Disney has been preeminent in the field of family entertainment. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to today's global corporation, The Walt Disney Company continues to proudly provide quality entertainment for every member of the family, across America and around the world. To learn more about the history of The Walt Disney Company, click through the timeline below.
 

SIGIRIYA the 'Mount of Remembrace'



The Archeological Wonder of Sri Lankan City Planning, Arts, Gardenscaping, Engineering, Hydraulic Technology and Defense of the 5th Century AD



Sigiriya History

The Sigiriya Rock Fortress of Sri Lanka is situated in Matale district near to Dambulla. It can be reached along Colombo- Habarana highway and turning towards East from Inamaluwa. Then proceeding about 10 km from Inamaluwa and passing Kimbissa township one arrives at Sigiriya.
Before Sigiriya became a Kingdom, the Sigiriya Rock base and the places such as Pidurangala which were endowed with many Caves and a temple had been dwelled by Buddhist monks from around 3rd Century BC. It is also found that these areas had been inhabitant by people prior to King Kassapa's rein. Many Caves also have Brahmi Inscriptions dating back from 3rd Century BC to 1st century AD.
After King Mahanama who ruled Anuradhapura from 410- 432 AD, a Prince named Dhatusena became the King of Anuradhapura in 459 AD, defeating the Indian invader 'Pandu'. The King Dhatusena was the ruler who constructed Kala Wewa or the Kala Wewa Tank, by building a dam across Kala Oya , which is a small river type. The man made 54 mile long Yoda Ela, which takes water from Kala Wewa to Tissa wewa is considered as an Irrigation engineering wonder even at the present day. It has a gradient of just 6 inches per mile along the first 17 miles , which means the level different is just over 8 feet even after the 17 th mile along the canal. During his rein the famous full relief Aukana Buddha statue also was constructed out of a rock which stands 42 feet high.
He had two sons from two queens. Mugalan [ also called as Moggallana ] from the head queen and Kassapa's [ also called as Kashyapa ] from a companion queen. Prince Kashyapa, with the help of the general of the army of King Dhatusena, named Migara, got his father killed and became the King. Prince Mugalan, fearing for his life, escaped to India. The Buddhist Bhikkus and the people were against his conduct and favoured Price Mugalan for the rulership. Fearing that Mugalan will come with an army from India to avenge him at a later day, King Kassapa decided to make Sigiriya as his kingdom. During his rule of eighteen years from 477 AD to 495 AD Sigiriya Kingdom was created. It is believed that he sought the refuge of Sigiriya rock for his safety fearing for his life.
After 18 years, Prince Mugalan came with an army from India to fight with King Kassapa. During the battle Kassapa killed himself thus Mugalan became the King. He went back to Anuradhapura and ruled the country from there and handed over Sigiriya back to the Buddhist priests. Sigiriya as a Kingdom was abandoned in around 1150 AD and was almost forgotten for the next seven centuries Though King Kashyapa is not regarded in high esteem in Sri Lankan history due to his dubious conduct, he is credited as a ruler with unsurpassed imagination put into reality to create a Sri Lankan style marvel of high calibre art and engineering skills that could even challange the outer world structures at that time, which definitely is amazing even in the 21st century with whatever is remaining as ruins of Sigiriya.

Landmarks of Sigiriya

The Rock itself has its unique identity on its shape not found anywhere else in the island and can be recognized miles away from the distance.
Sigiriya was rediscovered during the rule of the British, by Major H. Forbes in 1831. Climbing of the Sigiriya summit was achieved by A.H.Adams and J.Bailey in 1853.
Sigiriya being a fortress, had been well designed for its defenses by having ramparts and moats built around it. There are several approaches to the inner city and the most prominent is the Western entrance. From the summit of the rock, the land areas up to distances of tens of miles can be watched making it hard for the enemy to make a surprised attack to the kingdom.
King Kassapa had reverted his fortress to an ecological wonder by having Royal Pleasure Gardens, Water Gardens , Fountain Gardens and Boulder Gardens made inside the inner city as well as at the palace premises on the Rock summit.
The most renowned is the Sigiriya Rock Paintings or Frescoes of Sigiri Damsels locally called as ' Sigiri Apsaras' painted on a Western Rock face cavity about 100 meters high from the rock base .There now remains around 21 paintings of Sigiriya Damsels but there had been around five hundred paintings during King Kassapa's' time along several other places of the same Western Rock face.


The Sigiriya Frescoes

The Sigiriya Paintings are found on about the halfway height of the Sigiriya western rock face, or about 100 meters from the base of the rock. These are found on the rock face cut inside to create a depression about 70 feet lengthwise. A spiral iron staircase takes the visitor about 44 feet from the gallery below and an iron platform runs throughout the length of the frescoed rock depression. There are around 21 paintings in this area and it is believed to be the Fresco-Lustro method used for these paintings. All these paintings are of young and old female figures and there are no two similar figures among them. These figures are popularly called as 'Sigiri Apsara' [ Celestial nymphs ] or Sigiri Damsels. 





APPLE


Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer, Inc., is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Cupertino, California that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software and personal computers. Its best-known hardware products are the Mac line of computers, the iPod music player, the iPhone smartphone, and the iPad tablet computer. Its consumer software includes the OS X and iOS operating systems, the iTunes media browser, the Safari web browser, and the iLife and iWork creativity and productivity suites.
The company was founded on April 1, 1976, and incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. on January 3, 1977. The word "Computer" was removed from its name on January 9, 2007, the same day Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, reflecting its shifted focus towards consumer electronics.
Apple is the world's second-largest information technology company by revenue after Samsung Electronics, and the world's third-largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia. Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the world from 2008 to 2012. However, the company has received criticism for its contractors' labor practices, and for Apple's own environmental and business practices.
As of May 2013, Apple maintains 408 retail stores in fourteen countries as well as the online Apple Store and iTunes Store, the latter of which is the world's largest music retailer. Apple is the largest publicly traded corporation in the world by market capitalization, with an estimated value of US$415 billion as of March 2013. As of Sept 29 2012, the company had 72,800 permanent full-time employees and 3,300 temporary full-time employees worldwide. Its worldwide annual revenue in 2012 totalled $156 billion. In May 2013, Apple entered the top ten of the Fortune 500 list of companies for the first time, rising 11 places above its 2012 ranking to take the sixth position.






Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Gorilla Glass


Gorilla Glass is the registered trademark for an alkali-terminological sheet toughened glass manufactured by U.S. glassmaker Corning Inc. Engineered for a combination of thinness, lightness, and damage-resistance, it is used primarily as the cover glass for portable electronic devices including mobile phones, portable media players, laptop computer displays, and some television screens. It is manufactured through immersion in a molten alkaline salt bath using ion exchange to produce compressive residual stress at the surface. This prevent cracks from propagating - for a crack to start, it will first have to overcome this compressive stress.


The Technology

Corning® Gorilla® Glass provides outstanding performance and durability, with distinct advantages over other materials.

DAMAGE RESISTANCE:

Gorilla Glass is chemically strengthened through an ion-exchange process that creates a deep compression layer on the surface of the glass substrate. This layer acts as “armor” to reduce the introduction of flaws.

THINNER FORM FACTOR:

Depending on application and manufacturer specifications, Gorilla Glass can be produced in thicknesses ranging from 0.4 mm to 2 mm. Even at 0.4 mm, Gorilla Glass retains a performance advantage over many other cover materials.

OUTSTANDING SURFACE QUALITY:

 Corning’s proprietary fusion process gives Gorilla Glass the same superior surface as all of our high technology display substrates. This extraordinarily precise, highly automated process produces glass with exceptionally clean, smooth, flat surfaces and outstanding optical clarity.

COMPATIBILITY WITH TOUCH SCREENS:

Gorilla Glass is an ideal cover sheet for touch screens. It’s tough enough to handle the surface pressures intrinsic to these devices, and exceptionally thin to enable more sensitive and accurate responses.


Making

FUSION PROCESS

Corning’s proprietary fusion manufacturing process is at the core of our leadership in glass technology and the cover glass industry. This extraordinarily precise, highly automated draw process produces a thin sheet cover glass with pristine surface quality, outstanding optical clarity and inherent dimensional stability – qualities essential for cover glass for consumer applications.
The process begins when raw materials are blended into a glass composition, which is melted and conditioned. The molten glass is fed into a trough called an “isopipe,” overfilling until the glass flows evenly over both sides. It then rejoins, or fuses, at the bottom, where it is drawn down to form a continuous sheet of flat glass that so thin it is measured in microns. The glass is untouched by human hands or anything else that will introduce flaws into the surface.
This same fusion process is at the heart of Corning’s industry-leading LCD glass. The composition of Corning® Gorilla® Glass enables a deep layer of chemical strengthening through an ion-exchange process where individual glass parts are cut from the “mother sheet” and undergo an ion-exchange process.


ION-EXCHANGE PROCESS

Ion exchange is a chemical strengthening process where large ions are “stuffed” into the glass surface, creating a state of compression. Gorilla Glass is specially designed to maximize this behavior. The glass is placed in a hot bath of molten salt at a temperature of approximately 400 degrees C. Smaller sodium ions leave the glass, and larger potassium ions from the salt bath replace them. These large ions take up more room and are pressed together when the glass cools, producing a layer of compressive stress on the surface of the glass. Gorilla Glass’ composition enables the potassium ions to diffuse far into the surface, creating high compressive stress deep into the glass. This layer of compression creates the surface that is more resistant to damage.
Corning’s innovations don’t end on the manufacturing floor. One of Corning's greatest strengths is our focus on developing the technology behind the glass. Our research has delivered such life-changing innovations as the glass envelope for Edison's light bulb, the glass envelope for cathode ray picture tubes (CRTs) and liquid crystal displays (LCD's), as well as the first low-loss optical fiber capable of use in telecommunications. We continue to investigate new glass compositions and process innovations at our three major research facilities: Sullivan Park in Corning New York; Corning Technology Center in Shizuoka Japan; Corning Research Center Taiwan in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Scientists in these facilities work closely with the Gorilla Glass commercial, engineering, and manufacturing staff to anticipate industry trends and deliver new or improved glass technologies that add value to customers’ products and processes. Through this ongoing process, Corning Gorilla Glass continues to lead through glass technology innovation in the fast-paced consumer electronics industry.


Testing

 

At Corning’s lab in Corning, NY researchers perform device level testing to simulate the kinds of stresses that the cover glass will endure in the field. These studies are aimed at understanding how the cover glass and device interact with one another and how the glass performs under various conditions. Corning researchers also analyze glass failure modes to further understand how glass performs and what causes glass to fail. We use these understandings to continue Corning’s customer focused innovation in the cover glass space.


Corvette ZR1


A luxury sports car carved of power, performance and prestige, ZR1 boasts a handcrafted LS9 638-horsepower supercharged V8 with titanium connecting rods and intake valves and a test track top speed of 205 mph. Experience 0-60 mph in only 3.4 seconds and 1.05g skid pad, or over 1.13g with available ZR1 High Performance Package (PDE), while nestled in a refined and luxurious interior. All while maintaining a fuel efficiency of 21 MPG highway.
ZR1 is the fastest, most powerful car Chevrolet has ever produced, and rivals the world’s best luxury sports vehicles both on and off the track, and was the overall winner of the 2010 Car and Driver Lightning Lap competition, which pitted the ZR1 against the fastest cars in the world. And because it’s Corvette, it’s the only truly American sports car in the competitive class.

Performance

 638-horsepower/205-mph

ZR1 is powered by a 6.2-liter LS9 aluminum block V8 equipped with a 4-lobe Eaton® Twin Vortices Series™ supercharger with intercooler, and is handcrafted by our own skilled craftsmen at the GM Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan. It delivers an SAE-certified 638 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 604 lb.-ft. of torque at 3800 rpm. The engine employs lightweight titanium intake valves and connecting rods and contains a high-performance dry-sump oil system, which distributes pressurized oil from an external reservoir to protect vital components under high-g driving conditions.

It goes on the scale before it goes on the car

ZR1 engineers were passionate about maintaining a favorable power-to-weight ratio. So they specified high-strength, lightweight materials wherever possible including magnesium and carbon fiber. One example is the aluminum frame structure (the same one used on the C6.R race car), which weighs 138 lbs. less than an equivalent steel structure. Result: a power-to-weight ratio of 5.2 lbs. per horsepower.

A tire for performance enthusiasts

The Michelin® Pilot® Sport Cup summer-only tires deliver powerful performance cornering, race-like reflexes, and consistent performance lap after lap. It’s everything Michelin has learned through its extensive Motorsports experience combined in one tire to achieve 1.13g skid pad and 8% more grip than standard PS2 tires, which amounts to 3 seconds saved per lap at Virginia International Raceway. Available with the PDE Package.

Brembo® Carbon Ceramic stopping power

The ZR1 offers massive stopping power, thanks to its Brembo® Carbon Ceramic Brake rotors that weigh almost 50% less than equivalent cast-iron units. Besides reducing overall mass, they are capable of operating at 1,000° Celsius (as hot as molten lava) without warping. The system employs 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers engaging vented, cross-drilled rotors.


Dial up your suspension

The standard Magnetic Selective Ride Control™ stiffens suspension capability for twisty roads while providing a more compliant ride for city driving and freeways. Here’s
how it works. An electromagnetic coil resides inside each damper piston. When an
electrical current is applied — variably controlled by a microprocessor — ferrous particles
in the shock fluid instantly bond, making the fluid more flow resistant, effectively
stiffening the shock’s damping. Conversely, when the electromagnetic field is reduced,
the fluid flows more freely, allowing easier suspension movement. There are two cockpit settings: Tour and Sport.

Exterior

 Show off what you’re made of

The ZR1 6.2-liter LS9 supercharger is a thing of pure engineering beauty. That’s why we like to show it off. The Carbon Fiber hood includes a window above the supercharger allowing for easy viewing and a powerful incorporation into the exterior design. Combined with its visible Carbon Fiber elements such as the roof, roof bow, splitter and rockers, the aggressive and chiseled style of ZR1 reflects its roots in racing.

Classically aggressive exterior

Rounded fenders and a lean, grounded body frame are classic Corvette design elements that have been the foundation of its exterior design for 60 years. It’s what makes a Corvette unmistakable and irresistible. Honor the Corvette heritage with the 60th Anniversary appearance package, which boasts an Arctic White exterior and a Blue Diamond leather-wrapped interior with sueded-microfiber accents.

Your distinctive mark

Individuality is a trademark of both Corvette and Corvette owners. And now more than ever, owners can personalize their 2013 Corvette ZR1 by selecting the brake caliper color of their choice—available in Dark Gray Metallic, Red, Silver, Yellow or standard Blue. Owners also have the option to select headlamp colors, available in grey, silver or black. This along with extensive dealer-installed Genuine Corvette Accessories, your Corvette can truly be yours.

 

Interior

Interior refinement at every touch

ZR1 provides a premium driving environment with such options of rich leather appointments on the instrument panel upper, door panel uppers, console cover and sport seat surfaces with the available Custom Leather-Wrapped Interior Package on the 3ZR trim level. This option also gives you the opportunity to personalize your ZR1 with available contrasting stitching in Red, Yellow and Blue.

Excellence is found in details

The Corvette ZR1 interior has been refined for driving support and comfort. The new seat design includes large bolsters on the seatback and cushion areas for support, especially in high-performance driving but extremely enjoyable in day-to-day driving. Optional microfiber seat inserts complement the new design even further, as does the revised steering wheel featuring model-specific badging, streamlined switch trim, wrapped spokes, better hand placement and thumb grips.



Technology

Technology for your comfort and convenience

Corvette is born of modern technology options such as Magnetic Selective Ride Control™ and Brembo® Carbon Ceramic Brakes, but Corvette also includes modern technology features that keep you connected to your life. For even more convenience, the Technology Package included on 3ZR brings together many of the most popular infotainment features such as navigation radio, Head-Up Display, Bose® premium audio system, SiriusXM Satellite Radio services for one year, Bluetooth® wireless technology for select phones and a USB port.

Performance Traction Management

Fully integrating the Magnetic Selective Ride Control™, Traction Control and Active Handling systems, Performance Traction Management (PTM) enhances race-track performance and consistency. PTM manages the vehicle’s acceleration based on conditions and the driver’s selection, and offers five different modes to optimize performance based on driving styles and conditions.

Head-Up Display

Keep important reading within sight with your eyes focused safely on the road ahead of you while driving with the standard Head-Up Display, including g-force meter. Utilizing proven technology, the display appears on the front windshield as if hovering above the front bumper to make it easier to read while driving. For various driving styles, the display includes two modes — track and street, which also includes helpful Turn-by-Turn Navigation through the navigation system.

Safety

Protection is great, prevention is better

Our philosophy on safety emphasizes prevention with important features such as Active Handling, run-flat tires and four-wheel antilock brakes, but in the event of a collision Corvette is engineered for safety before, during and — thanks to OnStar® — after, to help keep you protected.

Before

Active Handling and four-wheel antilock brakes help you stay on the road and in control to help avoid accidents in the first place, while standard high-intensity discharge xenon headlamps shed 900 lumens of light onto the road for excellent visibility. And if there’s ever a loss of tire pressure, the run-flat tires enable safe function for some distance at a moderate speed until the tire can be repaired.

During

In the event of a collision, Corvette is designed to help keep you and your passengers protected with frontal and side-impact air bags. to help protect you in the event of a collision.

After

OnStar® with Directions & Connections® and Automatic Crash Response. uses built-in sensors that can automatically alert an Advisor, who is immediately connected into your vehicle and can request emergency help be sent to your exact GPS location — even if you’re unable to respond. Standard for the first six months.




 

 

 

 

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel


 The Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel (CBBT) is a 23-mile-long (37 km) fixed link crossing the mouth of the United States' Chesapeake Bay and connecting the Delmarva Peninsula's Eastern Shore of the state of Virginia with Virginia Beach and the metropolitan area of Hampton Roads, Virginia.
The bridge–tunnel originally combined 12 miles (19 km) of trestle, two 1-mile-long (1.6 km) tunnels, four artificial islands, four high-level bridges, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) of causeway, and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) of approach roads—crossing the Chesapeake Bay and preserving traffic on the Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake shipping channels. It replaced vehicle ferry services which operated from South Hampton Roads and from the Virginia Peninsula from the 1930s until completion of the bridge–tunnel in 1964. The system remains one of only ten bridge–tunnel systems in the world, three of which are located in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Since it opened, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel has been crossed by more than 100 million vehicles. The CBBT complex carries U.S. Route 13, the main north–south highway on Virginia's Eastern Shore, and, as part of the East Coast's longstanding Ocean Highway, provides the only direct link between the Eastern Shore and South Hampton Roads regions, as well as an alternate route to link the Northeast and points in between with Norfolk and the Carolinas. The bridge–tunnel saves motorists 95 miles (153 km) and 1½ hours on a trip between Virginia Beach/Norfolk and points north and east of the Delaware Valley without going through the traffic congestion in the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area. The $12 toll is partially offset by some savings of tolls in Maryland and Delaware on I-95.
Financed by toll revenue bonds, the bridge–tunnel was opened on April 15, 1964. It was officially named the Lucius J. Kellam Jr. Bridge–Tunnel in August 1987 after one of the civic leaders who had long worked for its development and operation. However, it continues to be best known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel. From 1995 to 1999, at a cost of almost $200 million, the capacity of the above-water portion was increased to four lanes. An upgrade of the two-lane tunnels was proposed but has not been carried out.
The CBBT was built by and is operated by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel District, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia governed by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission. The CBBT's costs are recovered through toll collections. In 2002, a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) study commissioned by the Virginia General Assembly concluded that "given the inability of the state to fund future capital requirements of the CBBT, the District and Commission should be retained to operate and maintain the Bridge–Tunnel as a toll facility in perpetuity."

Construction

In the summer of 1960, the Chesapeake Bay Ferry Commission sold $200 million in toll revenue bonds to private investors, and the proceeds were used to finance the construction of the bridge–tunnel. Funds collected by future tolls were pledged to pay the principal and interest on the bonds. No local, state, or federal tax funds were used in the construction of the project.
Construction contracts were awarded to a consortium of Tidewater Construction Corporation and Merritt-Chapman & Scott Corporation. The steel superstructure for the high-level bridges near the north end of the crossing were fabricated by the American Bridge Division of United States Steel Corporation. Construction of the bridge–tunnel began in October 1960 after a six-month process of assembling necessary equipment from worldwide sources.
The tunnels were constructed using the technique refined by Ole Singstad with the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, whereby a large ditch was first dug for each tunnel, into which was lowered pre-fabricated tunnel sections cable-suspended from overhead barges. Interior chambers were filled with water to lower the sections, the sections then aligned, bolted together by divers, the water pumped out, and the tunnels finally covered with earth.
The construction was accomplished under the severe conditions imposed by nor'easters, hurricanes, and the unpredictable Atlantic Ocean. During the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962, much of the partially completed work and a major piece of custom-built pile driver barge called "The Big D" were destroyed. Seven workers were killed at various times during the construction. In April 1964, 42 months after construction began, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel opened to traffic and the ferry service discontinued.

One of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World

Following the CBBT's opening in 1964, it was selected by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as "One of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World" in a worldwide competition that included more than one hundred major projects.
The individual components of the bridge–tunnel are not the longest or the largest ever built. However, the total project was unique in the number and different types of major structures included in one crossing – including trestles, tunnels, artificial islands, bridges, causeway, and approach roads – and that it was built under adverse conditions and for adverse conditions.
The CBBT is no longer on the ASCE list, having been replaced by a more recent engineering wonder.

Future

While there has been planning work done to expand tunnel capacities as well, the facility currently continues to utilize only the original two-lane tunnels.
Plans to replace the two-lane tunnels with new and deeper four-lane versions were postponed indefinitely in 2005 at the direction of the Virginia General Assembly. Debate centered around the facts that while greater bay shipping and security would be enhanced by replacing the existing tunnels, the traffic counts and substantial cost estimates dictate that improvements for other water crossings in the Hampton Roads area may become higher priorities. The estimated cost of replacing the tunnels was $900 million. In 2012, it was reported that permitting and design work for a parallel Thimble Shoal tunnel is scheduled to start in fiscal year 2017, with construction to begin in 2021. The estimated cost for just one tunnel is about $1 billion (planning for a parallel Chesapeake Channel tunnel is not included in the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel District's planning horizon, which extends out to 2031).
Despite Virginia's deepening unmet transportation needs in the years since, the finances of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel Commission have been kept separately as recommended to the General Assembly in a 2002 report of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC). The study concluded that "given the inability of the state to fund future capital requirements of the CBBT, the District and Commission should be retained to operate and maintain the bridge–tunnel as a toll facility in perpetuity.

Tourism

The CBBT promotes the bridge–tunnel as not only a transportation facility to tourist destinations to the north and south, but as a destination itself. For travelers headed elsewhere, the bridge–tunnel can save more than 90 miles (140 km) of driving for those headed between Ocean City, Maryland, Rehoboth Beach, Fenwick Island, and Wilmington, Delaware (and points north) and the Virginia Beach area or the Outer Banks of North Carolina, according to the CBBT district. Unlike the Interstate highways that travelers would avoid by taking the bridge–tunnel, however, the roads in the shortcut have traffic lights.
On the Delmarva peninsula to the north of the bridge, travelers may visit nearby Kiptopeke State Park, Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge, Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, campgrounds and other vacation destinations. To the south are tourist destinations around Virginia Beach, including First Landing State Park, Norfolk Botanical Garden, Virginia Beach Maritime Historical Museum, Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, and the Virginia Aquarium and Maritime Science Center.
Drivers may stop at both the scenic overlook at the north end of the bridge and at Sea Gull Island, near the south end. At Sea Gull Island, passing ships may include U.S. Navy warships, nuclear submarines, and aircraft carriers, as well as large cargo vessels and sailing ships. The CBBT authority runs a restaurant and gift shop on the island. Fishing is encouraged from the 625-foot-long (191 m) pier, which is open 24 hours a day, year-round. Restrooms, fish-cleaning stations, and a certified fish weighing station are at the pier. Bluefish, trout, croaker, flounder, and other species have been caught from the pier. Since birds use the habitat created by the bridges and islands of the CBBT, birders have travelled to the bridge–tunnel to see them at Sea Gull Island and the scenic overlook at the north end.

Dimensions

Among the key features of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel are two 1-mile (1.6 km) tunnels beneath Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake navigation channels and two pairs of side-by-side high-level bridges over two other navigation channels: North Channel Bridge (75 ft or 22.9 m clearance) and Fisherman Inlet Bridge (40 ft or 12.2 m clearance). The remaining portion comprises 12 miles (19 km) of low-level trestle, 2 miles (3.2 km) of causeway, and four man-made islands.
The CBBT is 17.6 miles (28.3 km) long from shore to shore, crossing what is essentially an ocean strait. Including land-approach highways, the overall facility is 23 miles (37 km) long (20 miles or 32 kilometres from toll-plaza to toll-plaza) and despite its length, there is only a height difference of 6 inches (152 mm) from the south to north end of the bridge–tunnel.
Man-made islands, each approximately 5.25 acres (2.12 ha) in size, are located at each end of the two tunnels. Between North Channel and Fisherman Inlet, the facility crosses at-grade over Fisherman Island, a barrier island which is part of the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The columns that support the bridge–tunnel's trestles are called piles. If placed end to end, the piles would stretch for about 100 miles (160 km), roughly the distance from New York City to Philadelphia.

The Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge

 

As early as the 1960s, officials identified the US 93 route over Hoover Dam to be dangerous and inadequate for projected traffic volumes. From 1998–2001, officials from Arizona, Nevada, and several federal government agencies collaborated to determine the best routing for an alternative river crossing. In March 2001, the Federal Highway Administration selected the route, which crosses the Colorado River approximately 1,500 feet (460 m) downstream of Hoover Dam. Construction of the bridge approaches began in 2003, and construction of the bridge itself began in February 2005. The bridge was completed in 2010 and the entire bypass route opened to vehicle traffic on October 19, 2010.

The bridge was the first concrete-steel composite arch bridge built in the United States, and it incorporates the widest concrete arch in the Western Hemisphere. At 840 feet (260 m) above the Colorado River, it is the second-highest bridge in the United States, following the Royal Gorge Bridge. It is also the world's highest concrete arch bridge. The Hoover Dam Bypass project was completed within budget at a cost of $240 million; the bridge portion cost $114 million (2010 prices).

In 1935, the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO, later AASHTO) authorized a southward extension of U.S. Route 93 from its previous southern terminus in Glendale, Nevada to Kingman, Arizona by way of Las Vegas and Boulder City, crossing the Colorado River on the newly-constructed Hoover Dam (also known then as Boulder Dam). At the time, Clark County, which now has a population of nearly 2 million, was sparsely populated, with a population of less than 9,000 at the 1930 U.S. Census. Development in and around Las Vegas in the latter half of the 20th century made Las Vegas and its surrounding area a tourist attraction, and US 93 became an important transportation corridor for passenger and commercial traffic between Las Vegas and Phoenix. In 1995, the portion of US 93 over Hoover Dam was included as part of the CANAMEX Corridor, a high-priority transportation corridor established under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This bridge is a key component of the proposed Interstate 11 project.
Through traffic on US 93 combined with pedestrian and tourist traffic at Hoover Dam itself led to major traffic congestion on the dam and on the approaches to the dam. The approaches featured hairpin turns on both the Nevada and Arizona sides of the dam, and the terrain caused limited sight distances around curves. In addition to traffic safety considerations, officials were also concerned about the safety and security of Hoover Dam, specifically the impact a vehicle accident could have on the dam's operation and the waters of Lake Mead. Officials first. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the dam, began work on the "Colorado River Bridge Project" in 1989, but the project was put on hold in 1995. In 1997 the Federal Highway Administration took over the project and released a draft environmental impact statement in 1998. From 1998–2001 state officials from Arizona and Nevada as well as several federal government agencies studied the feasibility of several alternative routes and river crossings, as well as the feasibility of modifying the roadway over the dam, restricting traffic over the dam, or doing nothing.
In March 2001 the Federal Highway Administration issued a Record of Decision indicating its selection of the "Sugarloaf Mountain Alternative" routing. The project called for approximately 2.2 miles (3.5 km) of highway in Nevada, 1.1 miles (1.8 km) of highway in Arizona, and a 1,900-foot (580 m) bridge that would cross the river 1,500 feet (460 m) downstream (south) of Hoover Dam. Design work began in July 2001. Security measures implemented following the September 11 attacks prohibited commercial truck traffic from driving across Hoover Dam; commercial vehicles were required to follow a 23-mile (37 km) detour to a river crossing between Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City, Arizona.

Design
Project design was by the Hoover Support team, led by HDR, Inc. and including T.Y. Lin International, Sverdrup Civil, Inc., and other specialist contributors.
The bridge has a length of 1,900 feet (579 m) and a 1,060 ft (320 m) span. The roadway is 900 ft (270 m) above the Colorado River and four lanes wide. This is the first concrete-and-steel composite arch bridge built in the United States. It includes the widest concrete arch in the Western Hemisphere and is also the second highest bridge in the nation, with the arch 840 ft (260 m) above the river. The twin arch ribs are connected by steel struts.
The composite design, using concrete for the arch and columns with steel construction for the roadway deck, was selected for schedule and cost control while being aesthetically compatible with the Hoover Dam. Sean Holstege in The Arizona Republic has called the bridge "an American triumph”. USA Today called it "America's Newest Wonder" on October 18, 2010.
Pedestrian access is provided over the bridge to tourists who wish to take in a different view of the nearby dam and river below, but the dam is not visible for those driving across it. A parking area is provided near the bridge on the Nevada side at what was a staging area during construction. A set of stairs and disabled access ramps lead to the sidewalk across the bridge.

Construction
Work began in 2003 on the approaches in both states and the construction contract for the arch bridge was awarded in October 2004. The largest obstacle to the project was the river crossing. The bridge and the bypass were constructed by a consortium of different government agencies and contractors, among them the Federal Highway Administration, the Arizona Department of Transportation, and Nevada Department of Transportation, with RE Monks Construction and Vastco, Inc, constructing the Arizona Approach, Edward Kraemer & Sons, Inc, the Nevada Approach and Las Vegas Paving Corporation undertaking the roadway surfacing on both approaches. The bridge itself was built by Obayashi Corporation and PSM Construction USA, Inc., while Frehner Construction Company, Inc. was responsible for completing the final roadway installations. A permit problem between Clark County and the subcontractor Casino Ready Mix arose in May 2006 over the operation of a concrete-batch plant for the project, and this caused a four-month delay.
Construction required hoisting workers and up to 50 short tons (45 t) of materials 890 feet (270 m) above the Colorado River using 2,300 ft (700 m)-long steel cables held aloft by a "high-line" crane system. High winds caused a cableway failure in September 2006, resulting in a further two-year delay. The approach spans, consisting of seven pairs of concrete columns—five on the Nevada side and two on the Arizona side—were completed in March 2008. In November 2008, construction worker Sherman Jones died in an accident.
The arches are made of 106 pieces—53 per arch—mostly 24 ft (7.3 m) cast in place sections. The arch was constructed from both sides of the bridge concurrently, supported by diagonal cable stays strung from temporary towers. The twin arch spans were completed with the casting of the center segments in August 2009. That same month, the two halves of the arch were completed, and were 38 inches (9.5 mm) apart; the gap was filled with a block of reinforced concrete. The temporary cable stays were removed, leaving the arch self-supporting. By December, all eight of the vertical piers on the arch had been set and capped, and at the end of the month the first two of thirty-six 50-short-ton (45 t) steel girders had been set into place.
By mid-April 2010, all of the girders were set in place, and for the first time construction crews could walk across the structure from Arizona to Nevada. Shortly thereafter, the pouring of the bridge deck began. The bridge deck was fully paved in July, and the high-line cranes were removed from the site as the overall project neared completion The Bridge was completed with a dedication ceremony on October 14, 2010. and a grand opening party on October 16. It was opened to bicycle and pedestrian traffic on October 18 and to vehicular traffic on October 19, a few weeks earlier than estimated. The building of the bridge was featured in episode 5x02 of the TV series Extreme Engineering. The filming of this episode took place before the start of work on the arch.
When the bridge opened to traffic, the roadway over Hoover Dam was closed to through traffic, and all visitor access to the dam was routed to the Nevada side; vehicles are still allowed to drive across the dam to the Arizona side following a security inspection, but must return to the Nevada side to return to US 93 The former US 93 route between the dam and its junction with the present US 93 route has been re-designated as Nevada State Route 172.