Series Philosophy & Mission
Unique Characteristics
Great Projects from the Past
History in Business
Visions of the Future Taken from the Past
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Project Example 1
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Lessons from the Past that Assist the Projects of Today to Shape the World of Tomorrow
Great Projects from the Past
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Introduction - Why List these Great Projects? This page is dedicated to great and memorable projects of the past. The lists are all subjective and based on the preference of the authors of the site. If you have a project that you think should be listed please let us know. So How do you Define a Great Project? A project that is successful beyond all expectations, a ground breaker, a catalyst for change, and for other projects to follow in its footsteps. It is recognized as a great achievement, or a clear first in achieving a specific objective. Criteria used for Determining a Great Project A project has to be discernable as a project, rather than a program, with a clear objective upfront, predefined by a degree of planning, and led by a recognized leader (project manager). It has to be brought in an specific time frame, and has likely faced many challenges along the way (like the lack of key resources or physical obstacles) for it to be an achievement. |
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Project Categories |
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Great Structural Projects (historical)
This category covers ancient wonders and structures like the pyramids, buildings, and towers including the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The list is very subjective as few of these wonders (the project output) remain today, and the details about the projects are scant and only now coming to light through archaeology (see Giza Pyramid). The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World include:
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The most astonishing fact about these projects is the scale of the deliverable (the construct itself) considering the main resource available was human capital:
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Great Projects Related to Transportation
This category covers structures related to transportation like routes (canals, roads, rails) and structures like bridges and tunnels. There is a clear evolution in scale and scope of these structures over time, sometimes in very short periods like that of the First Industrial Revolution.
Canals
Although canals have been around for thousands of years they became a primary form of transport at the outset of the industrial revolution in the UK (circa 1750). Through a relatively short period of time canals transformed commerce in the UK. Initially, built using laborers, the advent of mechanized equipment like steam shovels changed the approach. Within a century canal building had evolved to the point were significant canals were attempted in strategic locations around the world. Notably, this included the Suez Canal, then the Panama Canal at a huge cost, and the Kiel Canal.
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Railways
Although fixed tracks vehicles had been around for hundreds of years railways became feasible when new production techniques allowed the creation of robust cast iron tracks. Railways became a primary form of transport well into industrial revolution in the UK (circa 1820). With the Liverpool and Manchester Railway the main objective was to reduce the costs of transporting raw materials and finished goods between Manchester, the centre of the textile industry and Liverpool, the most important port in the north of England.
Middleton Railway in UK first commercial steam locomotive, 1812
Darlington Railway in UK, first railway in service, 1825 Liverpool and Manchester in UK, first railway between two cities 1830 Trans-Siberian railway, longest transcontinental railway in the world 1891-1925
The Trans-Siberian Railway, despite the enormity of the project, length of 9,289km (5,772 miles) was completed in 12 years to provide a continuous route from Moscow to Vladivostok across 8 time zones. It was driven by fear of military invasion coming from the East (Japan).
Bridges
Tunnels
Firth of Forth Bridge, cantilever railway, Scotland, 8,276 ft, 1890 Brooklyn Bridge, suspension roadway, NY, USA, 3,460 ft, 1893 Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA, 4,200 ft, 1937 The Millau Road Bridge in France, 300 m (984ft) high, 2.5 km (1.5 m) long, 2005 
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The Atlantic Avenue Tunnel, was built in seven months in 1844. Many railways had long tunnels and were also underwater. British engineer Brunel built a footway tunnel under the Thames in 1843, after an 18 year struggle with flooding. Also a submarine telegraph cable was laid across the Straits of Dover in 1851. A 5-mile tunnel was started in 1857 through the peaks of the Alps.
By the end of 19th century engineers had much more experience of major tunneling works and major tunnel constructions continued with the expansion of the London underground (under construction below circa 1898). Today the system length is 408 km (253 mi) with 12 lines, 275 stations, and a daily ridership of 2.67 million.
After many false starts engineers began boring trial tunnels on the Channel, from both sides in 1881. Both the French and English sides had improved tunnel boring machines. Tunnel construction was abandoned by the English with a fear of a French invasion amongst the British military. |
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Great Structural Projects (modern, post 18th century)
This category covers structures like the buildings, dams, towers, and statues.
Buildings
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Dams
Hoover Dam in Arizona/Nevada, USA, 1931-1936 High Dam in Aswan, Egypt 1960s Itaipú Dam in Brazil/Paraguay 1984
Towers
Statues
Eiffel Tower in Paris, France 1888 Gateway Arch in St. Louis, USA, 630 ft, 1967 CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, 550 metres, 1976
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Great Engineering Projects
This category covers various machines that pushed emerging technologies to the limit to achieve a first. Typically, there were several competing inventors/scientists who leveraged other inventions and scientific breakthrough before them. Often it was difficult to determine a clear first in achieving a specific objective as there may be several competing projects which created a similar end deliverable simultaneously, for example, the telephone or first powered airplane (flight).
First mechanical computer, 1840-1890 First ocean going iron hull steamship, 1858 First modern iron clad battleship, 1862 First telephone, 1876 First manned powered flight, 1903 First modern luxury transatlantic liner, 1912 First electronic computer, 1943 First jet engine, 1943 First intercontinental weapon, 1943 First atomic weapon, Manhattan project, 1945 First satellite, Sputnik, 1957 First manned lunar landing, 1969
Great Expedition or Journey Projects
This category covers extraordinary journeys.
Alexander the great, 11 years he traveled from Egypt to India, 334-323 BC Leif Ericsson, first to reach North America, circa 1001 Marco Polo, 3.5 years he traveled 5600 mi on the Asian continent in 1272 Ferdinand Magellan first navigator to sail around the world, 1519-1522 Roald Amundsen first to the South Pole, 1911 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first men on Everest 1953 Yuri Gagarin, first man in space, 1961