Longest, Biggest, Widest...Challenge

[Flying High]

Here is the H J Heinz factory in my home town of Wigan. It is the largest food processing plant in Europe... Here is a challenge of national pride... to find the biggest, longest, tallest.... bridges, buildings, towers... etc
The main Heinz plant is in USA... but I can't find it...
And for a geological starter... Ben Nevis in Scotland... Britains highest mountain.
Why do I get the feeling Britain is going to loose so badly in this challenge.

[Gridlock]

Macrihanish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Machrihanish) runway, now unused but still fairly lengthy - apparently was used for B52, SR-71, U2 and 'others'. I'm at work so unable to verify, but I'm fairly sure it's the longest runway in Europe.

Unfortunately quite lo-res though.

I'm sure I can come up with more x-est stuff in the UK too..

#lock

EDIT: Turns out Boscombe down has a longer runway, but only by a dozens of metres - Macrihanish is 3,049m and Boscombe Down is 3.1Km. See "longer.kmz"

[shrinkingman]

Seems it's nowhere near the longest runway. Madrid Barajas airport is 4350 metres.

[Flying High]

The longest suspension bridges in the world are.....
1. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge Japan. 1,991m completed in 1998
2. Great Belt East Bridge Denmark. 1,624m completed in 1998
3. Humber Bridge England 1,410m completed in 1981
Well 3rd place isn't bad.... USA comes in at No.6 with Verrnazza Narrows.
Statistics found here... http://www.kkr.mlit.go.jp/en/topics_akashi.html so if they're wrong.... wasn't me.

[thecrisp]

How about the longest fault?
It's only 52 miles... ;)

[BradG7]

Here are just a few of many for the USA, so don't get me started, because I won't stop :happynope A List of the World's Tallest Structures( TV towers etc.) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World%27s_Tallest_Structures) :spin:
Somebody should keep count of each country, and we should limit the classifications to something more specific.

[Flying High]

Get you started ?.... think you'd better start again... The sears tower is the 3rd tallest building... http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001338.html probably not counting the add on ariels as a way of cheating ;)

Here is the (at the moment) tallest building.. the Taipei 101 in Taiwan... looks like its still under construction.

[BradG7]

Infoplease.com is not a reliable source according to the ISEF judges, but this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Tower#Which_is_the_tallest.3F) is.

[Flying High]

Okay.... we'll have to agree to disagree here... I'm in the 'the roof is the top of the building' school.. and would not count a giant phone ariel slapped on top, just reason to take the prize... As it says on your link... they split it into different categories... I still reckon Pavement to roof is the true measure of a building. All they need to do in Taiwan is get a bigger ariel... (Think i have my old cb ariel here somewhere... will stick it on ebay). :)

[BradG7]

That cool with me, because opinions make this world great. ;)


They also get us killed in some places :lol:

[Highlander739]

Sears used to be the biggest, until Petronas Towers were built. Sears claims the record for the highest OCCUPIED floor (103, the observation deck) as so much of the extra height of Petronas is antennae, etc. Ya get a great view across lake Michigan from there.

Oh, by the way, doesn't the Hancock have the fastest elevators (in the US at least)? Sure I heard something like that when I was there in July

[Highlander739]

Although it is classed as a suspension bridge, the construction of a double cantilever bridge is far different. Is this the longest one of it's kind? Of course, only us Scots would over-engineer something to this extent!!

http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst1053.html

[shrinkingman]

Southend pier, 2158 metres.

http://www.southendpier.co.uk/

[cermo]

Holloman Air Force Base, home to the world's longest rail test track (nearly ten miles). Set the world land speed record for a railed vehicle at 6,453 mph in 2003.

[Monkey boy]

Not so much a ,"look what I've found" but this really facinated me.

The biggest temperature variation recorded in one day is 56°C (100°F), in a fall from 7 to -49°C (44 to -56°F) at Browning, Montana, USA on January 23–24, 1916. The town is located on a native American reservation, inhabited by the Blackfeet tribe. It has a population of around 1,170 and is close to the Glacier National Park.

That's a BIG drop.

[Monkey boy]

Tallest Building
The world's tallest free-standing tower is the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, which rises to a mighty 553.34 m (1,815 ft 5 in). The 185-storey, reinforced concrete building was designed by the Australian architect John Andrews. Work began on the 130,000-tonne building on February 12, 1973 and was finished on April 2, 1975. The tower includes a 416-seat restaurant, which revolves in a "Sky Pod" at 351 m (1,150 ft). Two million people visit the CN Tower every year.

C/O the Guinnes Book of World Records

[Monkey boy]

Not got a kmz file for this yet, but there are several types of mines can be found around the world. Mines that might be considered the world's deepest are either open-pit or vertical shaft mines. Vertical shaft mines hold the record for being the deepest mines in the world. Most are located in South Africa due to its abundance of diamond and gold deposits. As of 2003 the deepest mine is the East Rand mine at 3585 meters, but as technology improves and the search for natural resources continues many mines are constantly being deepened. In the next few years, the Western Deep mine will reach 5 km.

Many problems arise when digging so deep into the Earth. The most obvious is the heat. For example, at 5 km the temperature reaches 70 degrees Celsius and therefore massive cooling equipment is needed to allow workers to survive at such depths. Another problem is the weight of the rock. For example, at 3.5 km the pressure of rocks above you is 9,500 tones per meter squared, or about 920 times normal atmospheric pressure. When rock is removed through mining this pressure triples in the surrounding rock. This effect coupled with the cooling of the rock causes a phenomenon known as rock bursts, which accounts for many of the 250 deaths in South African mines every year.

[Flying High]

Thanks to every one who has contributed a post for this challenge... there are some really good ones...
To keep it going... The Highest Mountain in the World at roughly 5.5 miles above sea level.... Mount Everest.
(Be sure you have your terrain option checked on GE browser)

[martin]

Mount Everest is the highest.
But Mauna Kea in the tallest, with a total height of 10203 meters (33400 ft)!

http://home.comcast.net/~igpl/Mountains.html

[Flying High]

Yes this I'm afraid to say is British... The worlds biggest fabric building (tent)... otherwise known as the Millenium Dome.

That is fact.... but it is also probably the worlds biggest waste of tax payers money... the worlds crapest idea.... Worlds most expensive tent... So thats at least 3 world records, not bad considering it only cost £750'000'000.... No thats not a typo.. Seven hundred and fifty million pounds (GB).

Sure we could have had something better for that kind of dosh !

[Acman3192]

This bridge, known locally as "The Big Bridge" is the widest bridge in North America located in Lockport, New York, USA.

[needgirls69]

I'm pretty new to this, but i think i found what has to be the biggest train i've ever seen, tallying in at a whopping 104 carriages, i'm british so i don't usually see trains as long as this and the logistics of a train to have the power to pull this many carriages is mind boggling, anyway, here it is!

[needgirls69]

It Is Official, its Groom Lake, and for people that are pretty dumb, AREA 51
Measured in at 7,342 meters, thats a lot of concrete.

[McMaster_de]

The longest straight road without any curve. Be prepared to get a fixed steering wheel.

[shrinkingman]

It Is Official, its Groom Lake, and for people that are pretty dumb, AREA 51
Measured in at 7,342 meters, thats a lot of concrete.

I'm curious about your 'pretty dumb' claim. Searching for Groom Lake on Wikipedia turns up a page entitled 'Area 51'. It seems to be the commonly accepted name for that area, so what's dumb about calling it that? I agree some claims about what goes on there are pretty wild but that's nothing to do with the name. Maybe you just like insulting people? (http://www.googleearthhacks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5168)

[Flying High]

This 'London Eye' is the largest observation wheel in the world... and more use than the huge tent just down the river.

Still... Being for the people of Britain... the people in government should realise that Britain... and England... does not stop outside of London.... but we won't get into politics..

Any how... here's the spot....

[Flying High]

How could I have forgotten about this.. in my home town.

The steam engine in Trencherfield Mill, Wigan.. is the largest working, mill steam engine in the world.

[needgirls69]

I'm curious about your 'pretty dumb' claim. Searching for Groom Lake on Wikipedia turns up a page entitled 'Area 51'. It seems to be the commonly accepted name for that area, so what's dumb about calling it that? I agree some claims about what goes on there are pretty wild but that's nothing to do with the name. Maybe you just like insulting people?

I was referring to people that don't read up on the paranormal and other activities of the unknown, theres a lot of "pretty dumb" people out there, take a look around, it might just open your eyes, or are you "pretty dumb"?

[shrinkingman]

I was referring to people that don't read up on the paranormal and other activities of the unknown, theres a lot of "pretty dumb" people out there, take a look around, it might just open your eyes, or are you "pretty dumb"?

There's no need for this mate, you don't know me or anything about me so lay off the insults ok? You wouldn't get away with saying stuff like that to my face so don't hide behind internet anonymity.

[Highlander739]

It Is Official, its Groom Lake, and for people that are pretty dumb, AREA 51
Measured in at 7,342 meters, thats a lot of concrete.

Of course, us dumb people can see that nothing remotely like the length of that runway is in use so it can hardly be the longest runway. And anyway, according to various other posts here and OFFICIAL data, the longest runway is at Denver International Airport

Please lay off the insults, it ain't big and it ain't clever

[McMaster_de]

Why must the longest runway build up with concrete/asphalt?

The longest official runway is at Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA (34°53′ N 117°51′ W) - 11,905 m (39,060 ft), based in Rogers lakebed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwards_Air_Force_Base
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/edwards.htm

By the way, the Area 51 runway is abandoned. Only a small part of it is active. Look at the marks!


Some of the longest runways include:


* Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA (34°53′ N 117°51′ W) - 11,905 m (39,060 ft) dirt
* Area 51 (Lincoln County, Nevada) (37°14′ N 115°49′ W) - 5506 m (18,067 ft)1 asphalt/concrete
* Moscow, Russia Zhukovsky Aerodrome (55°33′ N 38°09′ E) - 5403 m (17,726 ft) concrete
* Jih Ko Tse, China (29°21′ N 89°19′ E) - 5000 m (16,404 ft) concrete
* Embraer Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil (21°46′ S 48°24′ W) - 4967 m (16,295 ft) asphalt
* Upington, South Africa (28°24′ S 21°16′ E) - 4900 m (16,076 ft) asphalt
* Denver International Airport, Colorado, USA (39°52′ N 104°40′ W) - 4877 m (16,000 ft) concrete
* Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA (34°54′ N 117°53′ W) - 4576 m (15,013 ft) concrete
* Qamdo Bangda, China (Tibet) (30°33′ N 97°06′ E) - 4200 m (13,779 ft) concrete2

[shrinkingman]

From Wikipedia re Area 51:

The much more enigmatic, older runway is exactly six miles (9656 m) long. It is composed of 12,500 ft of concrete, 11,080 ft of asphalt, and 5560 ft and 2540 ft of now dismantled asphalt on the north and south ends, respectively. At least three sets of old runway markings are found, suggesting that the full six-mile length was probably never used in its entirety. Currently only a 6,600 ft (2011 m) stretch of the concrete section is marked for use, forming runway 14R/32L.

[Flying High]

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Great Britain.

The bells have the highest and heaviest peal in the world.

There are two pipe organs in Liverpool Cathedral. The Grand Organ is the largest in the UK and probably the largest operational organ in the world.

Look here for more information on the cathedral.... I've been in it... Its awesome... the pic on GE does not do it justice..

http://www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/cathedral/facts.asp

[Flying High]

Still in Liverpool... The Royal Liver Building was of the first sky scrapers ever built. Although not tall by todays standards... Its construction was revolutionary, and groundbreaking.

The clock towers on the Liver building house the largest clock faces in Britain..

(Yes... even bigger than Big Ben)

[macsmurray]

Hi,

First post, but here it is. Europe's largest glass structure. In Glasgow.

55 51 24.92N 4 15 09.37W

[Satri]

The Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı in Turkish) in Istanbul

The_Grand_Bazaar_Istanbul (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grand_Bazaar%2C_Istanbul)

[Satri]

Kuleli Military High School

Kuleli (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuleli)

[Captain Hornblower]

And what is the Military High School? Longest, biggest, widest? :confused:

[Satri]

Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ararat)

[Satri]

And what is the Military High School? Longest, biggest, widest? :confused:


I knew some geek would question this;
If you look at the first thred my friend, you will see
"Here is a challenge of national pride... to find the biggest, longest, tallest.... bridges, buildings, towers... etc "
Therefore it fals on the " National Pride.. buildings...etc" bit.

Howzat?

[ZoSo689]

Some of the longest runways include:


* Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA (34°53′ N 117°51′ W) - 11,905 m (39,060 ft) dirt
* Area 51 (Lincoln County, Nevada) (37°14′ N 115°49′ W) - 5506 m (18,067 ft)1 asphalt/concrete
* Moscow, Russia Zhukovsky Aerodrome (55°33′ N 38°09′ E) - 5403 m (17,726 ft) concrete
* Jih Ko Tse, China (29°21′ N 89°19′ E) - 5000 m (16,404 ft) concrete
* Embraer Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil (21°46′ S 48°24′ W) - 4967 m (16,295 ft) asphalt
* Upington, South Africa (28°24′ S 21°16′ E) - 4900 m (16,076 ft) asphalt
* Denver International Airport, Colorado, USA (39°52′ N 104°40′ W) - 4877 m (16,000 ft) concrete
* Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA (34°54′ N 117°53′ W) - 4576 m (15,013 ft) concrete
* Qamdo Bangda, China (Tibet) (30°33′ N 97°06′ E) - 4200 m (13,779 ft) concrete2[/QUOTE]

I would just like to add one more runway. I grew up here in the 60's and 70's. This was a B-52 SAC Wing base in NE Montana. The runway is apx 15,600' long from end to end of the actual runway.(using the Google measuring tool)

[BradG7]

The World's Largest Stove for World's Fattest City :lol:
Detroit, Michigan

[thecrisp]

Here is the Stockport viaduct which is Western Europe's biggest brick structure. It's 111 feet (33.85 metres) high, and eleven million bricks were used in its construction.

[Flying High]

Good one... and next to that is one for another thread looking for buildings with its name on the roof !... you can't miss that one.

[SpiderX22]

I just uploaded the World's Largest Cow: http://www.googleearthhacks.com/dlfile16789/Worlds-Largest-Cow.htm

[Flying High]

I just get error page not found ?

[memmetch]

yeah me too was it deleted?

[robtek00]

OK here's my two penneth for this thread.Emley Moor transmitter is the tallest free standing structure in the UK at 1265ft. And, if you're a real anorak for transmitters, http://tx.mb21.co.uk/emley/emley-early.asp has plenty more info about it.

[tizerist]

not sure what the difference is between a normal bridge and a suspension bridge is, but this one is 23.87 miles long

pontchartrain Causeway.louisiana

[salcom]

Vatican City