Technical achievement
Skywalk protrudes 20 metres (65 ft) beyond the edge of the canyon. The walls and floor are built from glass 10.2 cm (4 inches) thick. The glass on both edges of the floor is tinted and can be used as a "safe zone" by scared visitors. The Skywalk is capable of holding 70 tons of weight (the equivalent of 800 people weighing 80 kg (175 lb.) each), however the permitted capacity is limited to 120 persons. Visitors are provided with shoe covers to protect them from slipping and to prevent the glass floor from being scratched. However, quite a few light scratches were visible already in September 2007.
Construction began in March 2004. It was rolled onto the edge of the canyon on March 7, 2007 after passing several days of testing to replicate weather, strength and endurance conditions of its final destination. The structure was built to withstand up to 100 mph (160 km/h) winds and a magnitude 8 earthquake.[2] Tuned mass dampers were used to minimize vibration from wind and pedestrians.
