The Cost of Mega Structures: Are They Really Worth It?

[Pengwuino]

http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?loc=img222&image=86zg.jpg

Now... that monster also known as the first mobile skyscraper.. costs a small fortune... or well, a large fortune... very large... $100,000,000.

Now I must ask with things like these... why are they built? Now I could hear things like "they are more efficient" or "they boost profits" etc etc... but I think to myself... $100,000,000. I mean, does this thing really replace more then $100,000,000 worth of equipment and do a faster and better job? I've also seen huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge ships and they say its more efficient and cost effective... and of course, I think "How can something whose cost is some countries GDP's be cost effective?". I've also seen ships that could actually move entire oil rigs. Now... this stuff is just absolutely awe inspiring to see and supposedly there all "worth it". Now are these things really worth it or are people really putting a value on sheer shock and awe?

 

[Maxwell]

Man, I would love to attack and take over a small country with that machine.

 

[Jelfish]

How is that a skyscraper? And that circular blade thing looks way too big to be usable, unless it's like a huge lawn tiller. It looks cool though.

 

[Jelfish]

Oh that's its name. Gotcha.

 

[Pengwuino]

Oh that's its name. Gotcha.

It's not really a name, it just looks like it to me :P Its 317 feet tall.

 

[Jelfish]

Us east-coasters think of something much more specific when hearing the word "skyscraper"

 

[inha]

why are they built?

DUHH! because it looks cool. and to fuction as a first line of defense vs. godzilla.

 

[Pengwuino]

DUHH! because it looks cool. and to fuction as a first line of defense vs. godzilla.

Sounds like those Germans are well-prepared! I know I wouldn't take that thing on if i were a giant green lizard.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Now I could hear things like "they are more efficient" or "they boost profits" etc etc... but I think to myself... $100,000,000. I mean, does this thing really replace more then $100,000,000 worth of equipment and do a faster and better job?

I suspect the savings is tied to time. If you put that thing to work for a year is can probably do what would take 20 years worth of work done by pre-existing methods. They have to figure out what the other equipment would cost them, if they used conventional means, over the time conventional means would take. Taking inflation into account, this probably comes out to way more than they spend with this machine.

It's very unlikely it would ever have to be used against Godzilla, though. Statistically, non-Japanese nations are about 90% more likely to be attacked by some other giant mutation which Godzilla is then later called into take care of.

 

[SpaceTiger]

Now... that monster also known as the first mobile skyscraper..

Hm. My first thought was that it must have a weakness to lightning magic.

Sad.

 

[edward]

I wonder if it comes with automatic, air conditioning, power windows, and traction control.

Actually those monsters are used in open pit strip mining. There goes the neighborhood.

 

[Astronuc]

That is the big earthmover built by Krupp. It was being moved from one mine site to another. Along the way, it would appear that the bucket wheel was engaged and that big machine scooped up a large bulldozer. See -
www.up.ac.za/organizations/movup/images/minefun/WhereismyDozer.pps[/URL] (save target as) and then watch.

Some more BIG stuff - [PLAIN]http://www.up.ac.za/organizations/movup/mine.php?SessionID=

 

[tribdog]

These machines are built by companies, not governments. Yes they are cost effective or they wouldn't be built.
I had a job at a gold mine one summer. The mine was brand new and hadn't started mining yet. They bought one of those monster shovels, which showed up in several pieces. They bought it used and my job was to take a putty knife and scrape the grease off of the pieces. I would climb into these huge boxes and gears and go home every day black from head to toe. I did get quite a few naps in though, no one wanted to climb in and check on me.

 

[Pengwuino]

These machines are built by companies, not governments. Yes they are cost effective or they wouldn't be built.
I had a job at a gold mine one summer. The mine was brand new and hadn't started mining yet. They bought one of those monster shovels, which showed up in several pieces. They bought it used and my job was to take a putty knife and scrape the grease off of the pieces. I would climb into these huge boxes and gears and go home every day black from head to toe. I did get quite a few naps in though, no one wanted to climb in and check on me.

It's built by a german manufactorer called Krupp. Sounds like a peaceful job with nice privacy :D

 

[tribdog]

yeah, well the mine I worked at was called "Marigold" and it was peaceful

 

[fourier jr]

that big earthmover is spectacular, like something out of sci-fi

every so often there's a show on tv here on big machines like those. i saw a big excavator that works in Canada's tarsands that has the biggest bucket in the world. i think i could fill up a terex titan dumptruck in 2 dumps or something. another one was a machine that traveled along a railway, tore it up, levelled/graded the path & laid down new rails as it moved along. it could do 1/4 mile in 8hrs or something ridiculous like that.

 

[FredGarvin]

That german machine was on a Discovery chnnel show once. It was something like Monster Machines or something like that. Pretty impressive especially when they showed just one of the buckets next to one of those huge dump trucks mining companies use. Truly impresssive.