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hello everyone do you know the Three
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Gorges Dam has a massive shiplift that
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allows ships weighing more than 3,000
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tons to safely raise 113 M to bypass the
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elevation yes that's the impact of this
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massive water filled structures that is
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estimated to reduce transit times and
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cutting shipping costs by up to
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25% but how do these massive ship lifts
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work and what makes them essential in
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the modern world join us as we explore
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the fascinating world of shiplift and
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discover how they are revolutionizing
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trade transport and Engineering ship
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lifts are engineering Marvels that are
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transforming River navigation and making
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the impossible possible but you might be
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wondering why one has to lift these
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ships at all well your this questions
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brings us to our favorite topic dams yes
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dams are considered one of the greatest
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achievements of human engineering they
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provide critical benefits such as
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generating hydroelectric power
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controlling floods and storing water for
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agriculture and daily use however with
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their benefits come significant
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challenges particularly for River
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navigation when a dam is constructed it
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creates an artificial barrier in the
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river dividing it into two distinct
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sections the Upstream Reservoir where
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water levels rise dramatically and the
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downstream flow which is significantly
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lower the difference in elevation can
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range from a few meters to hundreds of
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meters depending on the Dam's size and
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purpose for ships traveling along these
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Rivers this elevation difference becomes
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an insurmountable obstacle effectively
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cutting the river in half and disrupting
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navigation this disruption is not just
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an inconvenience it can have
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far-reaching economic and social
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consequences rivers are vital arteries
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of trade connecting communities
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Industries and Nations when a river is
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split the flow of goods and servic is
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interrupted affecting local economies
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and global trade networks communities
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that depend on these Rivers for
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transportation and livelihood face
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isolation and industries relying on
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efficient shipping routes incur higher
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delays to address these challenges
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Engineers have historically turned to
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Locks as a solution locks are
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essentially large water filled Chambers
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with Gates on either side a ship enters
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the lock and the water level inside is
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adjusted I either raised or lowered so
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the vessel can move to the next section
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of the River locks date back to ancient
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times with the first notable example
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being the grand Canal's double gate lock
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in China constructed during the 10th
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Century over the centuries this simple
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yet effective technology allowed rivers
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with elevation changes to remain
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navigable however locks have their
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limits especially when dealing with the
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enormous elevation differences created
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by modern Mega dams for example a dam
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with a height equivalent to a 30-story
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building would require multiple locks in
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succession to overcome the elevation
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difference this multilock system
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consumes vast amounts of space costs
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millions of dollars to construct and
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takes hours for ships to Traverse in an
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age of Rapid globalization and
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increasing trade demands this
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inefficiency was no longer acceptable a
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new solution was needed one that could
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handle extreme elevations quickly and
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efficiently ship lifts were developed as
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the next evolutionary step in River
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navigation technology unlike locks which
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rely on a step-by-step process a
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shiplift can handle massive elevation
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changes in a single operation imagine an
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elevator but on a scale so large it can
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carry ships weighing thousands of tons
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the concept of ship lifts is both simple
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and ingenious a ship enters a water
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filled chamber essentially a Giant
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this chamber is then lifted or lowered
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using a system of counterweights cables
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and Motors the beauty of the design lies
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efficiency thanks to Archimedes
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principle the chamber's weight remains
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constant whether it contains just water
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or a ship as well making the lifting
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process surprisingly energy efficient
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one of the most iconic examples of this
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technology is the shiplift at the Three
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Gorges Dam in China this engineering
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2016 can lift ships weighing up to 3,000
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tons to a height of 113 M 370 ft in just
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40 minutes this is a dramatic
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Improvement compared to the traditional
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five-stage lock system which takes 3 to
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4 hours by reducing transit times and
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cutting shipping costs by 25% the Three
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Gorges Dam shiplift has transformed
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trade along the Yi River one of the
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busiest Waterway in the world let's now
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have a look at gubatan shiplift a
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Marvel as impressive as the three
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gorgees Dam lift is it's not the tallest
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shiplift in the world that title belongs
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to the goatan shiplift another
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engineering Masterpiece in China the
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gatan lift elevates ships to an
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astonishing height of 199 M 653 ft
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equivalent to a 60-story building
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to manage this incredible feat the
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system utilizes three interconnected
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lifts each designed to handle different
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elevation changes the first lift is
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variable in height adjusting between 72
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and 79 M depending on Downstream water
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levels the second lift at 127 m is the
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tallest single boat lift in the world
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finally the Upstream lift adjusts up to
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47 m depending on Reservoir levels
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what truly sets gubatan apart is its
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elevated Canal system spanning 2.3 km
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1.4 Mi and suspended over 100 m above
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the ground this network of aqueducts and
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tunnels allows ships to appear as though
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they are floating over mountains this
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breathtaking design has made gubatan not
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just a practical solution for River
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navigation but also a global icon of
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engineering while China leads the world
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in shiplift Innovation other countries
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have also made significant
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contributions in Russia the crask dam
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shiplift has been in operation since
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1976 this unique system uses an
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underwater sled to move ships weighing
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up to 1,500 tons across an elevation of
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101 M 331 ft it remains a vital Link in
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Russia's River Transportation Network in
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Belgium the stpy boat lift connects two
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major river basins and can lift boats
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1,350 tons to a height of 73 M 240 ft
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this structure has revolutionized trade
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routs in the region saving time and
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energy Scotland's ferk wheel is perhaps
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the most visually striking shiplift in
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the world this one of a kind rotating
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lift connects two canals with a height
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difference of 35 m 115 ft its innovative
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design combines functionality with
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Elegance making it a major tourist
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attraction as well as a practical
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navigation tool even in the United
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States new projects like the mobile
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shiplift on the Gulf Coast aim to
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enhance ship building and maritime
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operations once completed it will be the
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largest shiplift in North and South
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America let's now explore how shiplift
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work the core of every shiplift lies in
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its counterweight system by balancing
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the weight of the water filled chamber
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with massive counter weights the lift
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reduces The energy needed to move the
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chamber steel cables powerful Motors and
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advanced computer systems work in
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harmony to ensure smooth and precise
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operation for example the Three Gorges
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Dam lift uses 256 steel cables each
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capable of supporting 460 tons and is
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powered by four Motors each generating
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320 KW of energy these components work
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together to lift ships with Incredible
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efficiency overcoming friction and
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maintaining stability even in changing
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conditions so you see that the ship
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lifts are not just solutions to
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engineering challenges they are symbols
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of human Ingenuity and the Relentless
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pursuit of progress from The Towering
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Heights of the guo batan lift to the
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rotating Elegance of the full Kirk wheel
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these structures redefine what's
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possible they demonstrate that with
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creativity determination and Technical
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expertise we can overcome even the most
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daunting obstacles thank you for joining
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us on this journey into the world of
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shiplift if you found this video
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inspiring don't forget to like share and
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subscribe for more stories about the
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wonders of modern engineering until next
