Glass walkway over China canyon cracks with tourists on it

[webfact]

Glass walkway over China canyon cracks with tourists on it

BEIJING (AP) — A glass walkway that hugs a cliff above a scenic canyon in central China was closed after cracks developed while dozens of tourists were walking on the newly built structure.

Only one of the three layers of glass that make up the walkway was damaged so there was no safety threat, the management bureau of the Yuntaishan scenic area in Henan province said on its microblog Thursday.

The walkway was supporting dozens of tourists when the cracks appeared with a loud bang Monday. A single pane of the 68-meter (223-foot) section shattered into coin-sized segments, according to footage on state broadcaster CCTV.

Postings to China's Weibo messaging service described the fears of tourists who heard the panel crack, but there were no indications of mass panic or injuries.

The structure hugs a cliff side roughly 120 meters (394 feet) above a canyon in the remote mountain area renowned for its scenery. It opened on Sept. 20, and the problem occurred at the height of China's weeklong Oct. 1 National Day holiday.

The post on the management bureau's microblog said the cracks formed due to external force but wasn't specific. It added that the walkway can support weights of more than 800 kilograms per square meter (175 pounds per square foot).

A glass walkway above London's Tower Bridge had a similar problem in November when a falling bottle shattered the top layer of one pane, which was designed to be easily replaceable if damaged.

Such walkways have grown popular in China as scenic areas compete to attract increasingly affluent Chinese tourists. The world's highest and longest glass skywalk is located in Hunan province's Zhangjiajie, known as the model for the planet Pandora in the film "Avatar." The structure stretches 430 meters (1,410 feet) at a height of 300 meters (984) above the canyon floor.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-10-09

[petedk]

I have always been wary about Chinese made products.

Not along ago we saw the escalator and now this.

I was on the Chinese made BTS when the water poured in through the air con vents (it didn't come through the doors). I have also noticed that one or two seats on the Chinese BTS are showing small cracks in them.

I hope the Thai navy doesn't buy those submarines.

Chinese products are still not up to scratch.

[stevenl]

I have always been wary about Chinese made products.

Not along ago we saw the escalator and now this.

I was on the Chinese made BTS when the water poured in through the air con vents (it didn't come through the doors). I have also noticed that one or two seats on the Chinese BTS are showing small cracks in them.

I hope the Thai navy doesn't buy those submarines.

Chinese products are still not up to scratch.

Stories like this only confirm people's opinions already made, while ignoring other messages.

[lee b]

What a shock, not ! Don't know how it lasted this long to be honest !

[NongKhaiKid]

I've heard two news reports on this, one said a heavy object was dropped and the other reported it was a heavy flask.

Some Chinese made flasks are made of metal but never the less it doesn't say much for the quality of the glass supposed to be taking the weight of people.

[Usernames]

Tofu bridges all over China. Why should this one be any different?

[Soutpeel]

I've heard two news reports on this, one said a heavy object was dropped and the other reported it was a heavy flask.

Some Chinese made flasks are made of metal but never the less it doesn't say much for the quality of the glass supposed to be taking the weight of people.

What about the one that cracked in london when somebody dropped something on it a similar manner....was that chinese glass as well ?....or maybe pilkertons ? Edited October 9, 2015 by Soutpeel

[Steely Dan]

I think there's a basic misunderstanding of what the causeway is intended for. A group of severely constipated people could walk down the causeway when 'ping' one of the glass sheets supporting them shatters. Problem instantly solved with no flushing necessary either.

[Kasset Tak]

Anything like this should be made of multilayer safety/security glass. I have worked with 20mm thick securityglass that had higher security specs than 5mm armor plate. And as they said in the article, it was 1 out of 3 layers that cracked so it was working as it should.

[Publicus]

The government does spectacular projects like this all over the place and of various kind yet cannot set up or run an economy or financial system that is viable and it continues to run a dictatorship.

Contradictions exist in any society but this is characteristic of the transparent nonsense there. Two steps forward and three steps back. Always.

[MiKT]

I have always been wary about Chinese made products.

Not along ago we saw the escalator and now this.

I was on the Chinese made BTS when the water poured in through the air con vents (it didn't come through the doors). I have also noticed that one or two seats on the Chinese BTS are showing small cracks in them.

I hope the Thai navy doesn't buy those submarines.

Chinese products are still not up to scratch.

Water in the air-con vents would be a maintenance problem. It is quite ridiculous to slate all Chinese products because of that and you can't equate train airconditioning with a glass bridge. I don't agree with Chinese politics, nor with buying their submarines, but they now have the biggest railway network in the world and even the US are going to buy their high speed trains. I have walked on the glass floor of the highest building in Shanghai and felt perfectly safe. Had somebody fallen through the bridge it would be worrying. But they did not and it was safe enough.

[kurtramsbottom]

I've heard two news reports on this, one said a heavy object was dropped and the other reported it was a heavy flask.

Some Chinese made flasks are made of metal but never the less it doesn't say much for the quality of the glass supposed to be taking the weight of people.

What about the one that cracked in london when somebody dropped something on it a similar manner....was that chinese glass as well ?....or maybe pilkertons ?

Pilkertons!?!?

[MAJIC]

I've heard two news reports on this, one said a heavy object was dropped and the other reported it was a heavy flask.

Some Chinese made flasks are made of metal but never the less it doesn't say much for the quality of the glass supposed to be taking the weight of people.

What about the one that cracked in london when somebody dropped something on it a similar manner....was that chinese glass as well ?....or maybe pilkertons ?

Doubful it would have been "Pilkingtons" glass!

[taotoo]

I've heard two news reports on this, one said a heavy object was dropped and the other reported it was a heavy flask.

Some Chinese made flasks are made of metal but never the less it doesn't say much for the quality of the glass supposed to be taking the weight of people.

What about the one that cracked in london when somebody dropped something on it a similar manner....was that chinese glass as well ?....or maybe pilkertons ?

Doubful it would have been "Pilkingtons" glass!

Could have been "Pilkington".

Edit: Link to commercial site removed

Edited October 11, 2015 by Scott

[Soutpeel]

I've heard two news reports on this, one said a heavy object was dropped and the other reported it was a heavy flask.

Some Chinese made flasks are made of metal but never the less it doesn't say much for the quality of the glass supposed to be taking the weight of people.

What about the one that cracked in london when somebody dropped something on it a similar manner....was that chinese glass as well ?....or maybe pilkertons ?

Doubful it would have been "Pilkingtons" glass!

Woopsie i spelt it wrong

[Soutpeel]

I've heard two news reports on this, one said a heavy object was dropped and the other reported it was a heavy flask.

Some Chinese made flasks are made of metal but never the less it doesn't say much for the quality of the glass supposed to be taking the weight of people.

What about the one that cracked in london when somebody dropped something on it a similar manner....was that chinese glass as well ?....or maybe pilkertons ?

Pilkertons!?!?

Sure you know a lot about glass kurt given the number of windows you have washed as a rope access /scaffolder

[sirineou]

i was always wondering how the glass over the China canyon walkway was doing. And now I know, any reports on the glass in other places on China??