A glass bridge in China was given the ultimate strength test on June 25 when 30 people took turns to smash it with sledgehammers.
Media outlets reported that the test was administered to refute claims that the bridge was not safe for use due to its inability to support the weight of people walking on it.
According to 9News, the bridge, which is located 300m above a canyon at the Tianmen Mountain National Park and spans 430m in the Zhangjiajie province, Hunan, consists of 99 panes of three-layered glass.
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30 citizens and tourists struck the glass panes with sledgehammers that weighed 5.5kg, resulting in cracks. However, South China Morning Post reported that a two-tonne vehicle subsequently managed to drive across the bridge successfully.
9News also reported that the bridge cost 250 million yuan (S$51 million) to build.
Reuters, Sina Weibo
Glass bridges appear to be something of a trend in China at present. In October last year, a glass bridge in the Yuntai Mountain area in the Henan province cracked, causing panic.
According to a Weibo user, there had been a loud ‘crack’ as he reached the end of the bridge. The bridge had also shook beneath his feet.
Yuntaishan over-cliff glass bridge cracked in C China Oct. 5, causing panic among visitors http://t.co/t1tnM4GMZc pic.twitter.com/gEsqZDs4oj
— People’s Daily,China (@PDChina) October 6, 2015
The bridge, which was suspended about 1,080m above a canyon, reportedly consisted of three layers and had the ability to support up to 800kg per sq m, according to officials.
Not all bridges have been mired in controversy. A glass bridge constructed over a canyon along the Wuling mountain ranges in the Chongqing earlier this year has attracted many tourists.
This was the second glass bridge in Chongqing. A glass bridge was built early last year at the Grand Canyon Skywalk – suspended at a height of 718m above ground.
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