A Lot of Concrete!

We hardly give a thought to the concrete, but it is really everywhere. Here are some of the largest concrete structures in the world today:

Giant dams built from concrete

Three Gorges Dam, China

Number one goes to the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in central Hubei province. It is the largest structure made of concrete today in the world at 607 feet high and 7575 feet long. It took 12 years to build between 1994 and 2006. The hydroelectric plant has 32 turbines generating 22,500 MW – the most in the world. It contains a whopping 144,309,356,753.51 lbs of concrete.

Skyscrapers and their concrete foundations

Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Not in the same league as the Three Gorges Dam but still a respectable 848,878,569.099 lbs weight in concrete. At one time, the Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world and have some of the toughest foundations made of concrete that extend 120 meters below ground. For your concrete needs, consider Derby Ready Mix Concrete at a site like Best Mix, a leading Derby Ready Mix Concrete supplier.

Grand Coulee Dam, Washington State

This dam is located on the Columbia River in Washington State, USA. This is the largest concrete structure in the United States with a whopping 47,749,419,512.94 lbs of concrete used in its construction.

American concrete landmarks

The Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas

Another United States building makes the list, this is the largest 5 diamond rated hotel resort on the planet and is built of an impressive 85,183,118lbs on concrete.

The Pentagon, Washington DC

United States Department of Defence buildings should be designed with a lot of concrete to supply it with super-strong fortress walls. This iconic building is made using 1,764,507,448.36lbs of concrete.

Summary

This article looks at some of the largest concrete structures in the world, including China’s Three Gorges Dam, the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State, the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, and the Pentagon, highlighting the huge quantities of concrete used to build each one.

Questions this article raises

• How much concrete went into building the Three Gorges Dam?
• Why do skyscraper foundations like the Petronas Towers need so much concrete?
• Which is the largest concrete structure in the United States?