London Millennium Footbridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

London Millennium Footbridge - Essay Example The bridge is a natural expression of structural engineering and architecture but a city center footbridge is equally about people and the environment; in short, a piece of public architecture. The bridge gives the pedestrians unique views of London, free from traffic and high above the Thames. In September 1996, a competition was organized by a London-based newspaper the Financial Times and London Borough of Southwark to design a new Footbridge across the River Thames. The idea behind the competition was to get the best design in every aspect, therefore, the teams participating in the design were structured to have an engineer, an architect, and an artist. More than 200 teams participated and the competition was won by Arup (engineer), Foster (architect) and Sir Anthony Caro (Sculptor). The height restrictions and the view of the bridge required an innovative design which was provided in the form of a design which included some unusual practices; the suspension design had supporting cables below the deck level. This innovative design was given the name ‘blade of light’ by its designers. A modular design in which several structural members and components can be repeated in the structure, thus reducing the fabrication costs. This can also simplify the maintenance after the construction and allows easy execution of the construction phase. A major issue was the provision of planning advice for gaining the necessary approvals to construct a new river crossing in the heart of London. Moreover, ways of generating the finances for the bridge were also to be considered while designing the bridge. The bridge design is a shallow suspension bridge in which the view behind the bridge is facilitated by keeping the suspension cables below the bridge deck. The bridge is supported on two river piers through two groups of four 120mm diameter locked coil cables which span from one bank to the other.

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Relations - Essay Example Each of these actors behaves in a certain way when they participate in international politics both individually and together. International relations comprises of the study of the behaviour of these actors (Mingst, 2010). There have been many key issues in the last 25 years that have been very significant with respect to international relations. This paper discuses two main issues, namely, armed conflicts and human rights. The paper describes why these issues have been very significant when it comes to international relations. It also identifies the major sub-issues, developments, controversies and problems regarding the issue. The paper also points out how the two issues have been linked to each other in international relations and then proposes possible solutions or resolutions to the issues. Armed Conflicts Armed conflicts across the globe have been one of the most significant issues that have affected the whole world. It has been the most important issue when it comes to Internat ional Relations. ... t of the armed conflicts in the recent times, mainly in the Middle East, have been internal conflicts which have been triggered due to issues of religion, ethnicity, identity and possession (competition) of resources. Mineral and oil wealth has been one of the main reasons for armed conflicts. On the international front, global terrorism has lead to major armed conflicts. One of the most prolonged armed conflicts has been the Israel-Palestine conflict. It will be discussed in detail later. An armed conflict leads to numerous sub-issues and problems. It has a profound effect on the population of the region. It becomes a major hindrance to the development of the region. The resources that could have been invested in the developmental activities such as education, business development, tourism, etc are diverted towards developing armaments. The direct and most immediate impact of armed conflicts are the disruption of food supplies, loss of human life, psychological distress, gender-base d violence, physical injuries, health hazards, etc. The effect that armed conflict has on children is very damaging as it influences their emotional, physical and mental development. These issues and problems become an interest of international politics. Global powers and organizations such as UN are required to resolve the issues and restore world peace. Global economic relations are also affected by armed conflicts as they affect trade, tourism, etc. International relations of numerous countries are affected by armed conflicts as questions of support and interests are raised. An example of this is the troubled alliance between US and Pakistan as a result of differences on support to Afghanistan and Taliban. Hence, armed conflicts anywhere in the world are very sensitive and gas an effect