Link

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps0DSihggio

 

As the United States and China battle over the finer points of currency manipulation at the G-20 summit, American negotiators may want to take note of this startling testimonial to the productivity of Chinese workers: A construction crew in the south-central Chinese city of Changsha has completed a 15-story hotel in just six days. If nothing else, this remarkable achievement will stoke further complaints from American economic pundits that China's economy is far more accomplished than ours in tending to such basics as construction.

 

[Related: China sets record with new supercomputer]

 

Meanwhile, it's easy to imagine the disorientation of Changsha residents who'd gone away, or who just hadn't recently ventured into the downtown neighborhood of the new Ark Hotel: "Honey, I don't remember a hotel there, do you?"

 

The work crew erected the hotel -- a soundproofed, thermal-insulated structure reportedly built to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake -- with all prefabricated materials. In other words, a crew of off-site factory workers built the sections, and their on-site counterparts arranged them on the foundation for the Ark project.

 

[Video: How safe is a home built in a week?]

 

Despite the frenetic pace of construction, no workers were injured -- and thanks to the prefab nature of the process, the builders wasted very few construction materials. Below is a time-lapse video that shows the hotel being built from the ground up in less than a week:

 

 

It's really amazing. China's work ethic is insane (good and bad at times.) and they are advancing very fast. I'm betting they might become the world's strongest power in a decade or two at this pace. Awesome and crazy.

Wow imagine coming back from a 1 week holiday to find that building planted there all of a sudden :o

 

I like the time lapse, the first part looks like the 'tetris' game, then near the end of the construction it's like the 'guess who' game, when people flip the cards down

 

Enjoyed watching that :D thanks!

I'm just thinking human stress errors. Maybe it's me who's pessimistic.

Bit faster than our buildings lol.

Extermely exterme makeover the hotel edition? :P Thats very cool. :D

Gotta wonder how many people did that - if they're really more efficient, or if they're able to pack in more man-hours from their higher and denser population.

I'm guessing its a little bit of both.

 

Prefabrication goes a long way - I remember watching a documentary about ships the US built for WWII to take supplies over to Europe, one ship was completed in just one day. I'll search for that in a little bit.

 

EDIT:

 

They're called liberty ships. They produced an average of one a day. The fastest ship was produced in 4 days, 15 hours, and 29 minutes.

 

Permanente Metals Corporation (Kaiser) No.2 Yard in Richmond, California won the competition. The keel for the SS Robert E. Peary was laid at 12:01 AM on November 8, 1942 and 250,000 parts weighing about 14,000,000 pounds were assembled in 4 days, 15 hours and 29 minutes. On November 12, 1942, she was launched.

http://www.usmm.org/peary.html

Hardly surprising.

 

China is VASTLY over populated so jobs can be very low waged and people will still take them. This means for same budget as in say uk or usa they can hire like 10 times as many workers to build the darn thing, so of course they progress faster.

Heck you can even see in that video theres like swarms of workers everywhere.

Guys, it's a prefab- it's supposed to be built (assembled, really) this fast. It like putting together a lego set compared to making each lego block, shipping it all, and then assembling the set. No comparison, and while it is cool, it's really not all that out of the ordinary.

 

Our work progress prevails over the Capitalist pigs! Long live the Chairman!

I must admit, that was darn cool. In fact, i'd like to see another video like that.

That's crazy.

Guys, it's a prefab- it's supposed to be built (assembled, really) this fast. It like putting together a lego set compared to making each lego block, shipping it all, and then assembling the set. No comparison, and while it is cool, it's really not all that out of the ordinary.

 

This. While a six day build time is quite quick, it's not unheard of. When you consider that the construction was likely done as a publicity stunt, there is nothing really unusual here.

Guys, it's a prefab- it's supposed to be built (assembled, really) this fast. It like putting together a lego set compared to making each lego block, shipping it all, and then assembling the set. No comparison, and while it is cool, it's really not all that out of the ordinary.

 

This. While a six day build time is quite quick, it's not unheard of. When you consider that the construction was likely done as a publicity stunt, there is nothing really unusual here.

This. If they'd built that as they normally did the construction time would be comparable to that of other countries.

 

And china a world power? Not any time soon. The one child policy has effectively screwed them for the future as they're going to face massive aging and a plummeting population.

My god... thats awesome. But as someone said above me, you have to worry about human error. It's cool that they built it in six days, but something that is done fast is not always done right.

My god... thats awesome. But as someone said above me, you have to worry about human error. It's cool that they built it in six days, but something that is done fast is not always done right.

 

 

Nothing in China is done right. While I am half kidding, the kind of material we buy from the Chinese are generally just shoddy. I read somewhere (I'ma find the link somewhere) that there are Chinese sheet rock accidents all the time where it just collapsed. Please do not extrapolate this where "so ur sayin everything the chinese make is bad?!" No. It's just very low quality. I WILL not be suprised if it just collapses soon.

Guys, it's a prefab- it's supposed to be built (assembled, really) this fast. It like putting together a lego set compared to making each lego block, shipping it all, and then assembling the set. No comparison, and while it is cool, it's really not all that out of the ordinary.

Probably a publicity stunt more than anything.

 

If it's a prefab, it probably isn't going to fall apart unless the materials themselves were [cabbage]. Of course that's just a guess. No idea if it works the way I think it does.

 

The point of prefabricated buildings is that they're cheap and stable for the amount of work it takes to get them set up, right?

My god... thats awesome. But as someone said above me, you have to worry about human error. It's cool that they built it in six days, but something that is done fast is not always done right.

 

 

Nothing in China is done right. While I am half kidding, the kind of material we buy from the Chinese are generally just shoddy. I read somewhere (I'ma find the link somewhere) that there are Chinese sheet rock accidents all the time where it just collapsed. Please do not extrapolate this where "so ur sayin everything the chinese make is bad?!" No. It's just very low quality. I WILL not be suprised if it just collapses soon.

 

The issue with Chinese wallboard was that the material contained hazardous chemicals with a nasty tendency to corrode home fixtures and cause health problems.

Guys, it's a prefab- it's supposed to be built (assembled, really) this fast. It like putting together a lego set compared to making each lego block, shipping it all, and then assembling the set. No comparison, and while it is cool, it's really not all that out of the ordinary.

 

This. While a six day build time is quite quick, it's not unheard of. When you consider that the construction was likely done as a publicity stunt, there is nothing really unusual here.

This. If they'd built that as they normally did the construction time would be comparable to that of other countries.

 

And china a world power? Not any time soon. The one child policy has effectively screwed them for the future as they're going to face massive aging and a plummeting population.

 

Which is what they intended to achieve with the policy in the first place. Also what you are saying is a worldwide phenomenon, the growth rates of populations are shrinking as well as the old living longer.

 

I would say this is more of an issue in Germany then in China

 

You're correct in saying that it is an issue mostly everywhere - but it will be worse in China then it will be anywhere else. Germany has some immigration, China, not so much. Also, the one child policy accelerates the decline.

 

I don't think people realize just how serious this is - the economy requires a certain demographic structure to function properly - increasingly many countries are becoming top-heavy age wise which has the potential to collapse the economy completely as the workforce shrinks but the dependents multiply.

 

I was going to post a topic about this anyway, got it half done but forgot about it...maybe in a few days.

Its a shame we can't do this with are limitless supply of people living on unemployment benefits who have have the technical advantage to do stuff like this but better and faster.

 

 

DEPENDENCY RAWKS!

Day 12: Public denied access to structure - huge amounts of lead found in the paint.

Day 16: Chinese government outlaws national news crews from the surrounding area.

Day 18: All workers from the project have gone missing.

Day 20: Wall panels fall off - were attached with gorilla glue.

Day 27: Screws recalled to factory - made with radioactive materials.

Day 30: Metallic frame collapses.

 

And they will call it the Happy One Month Great Tower.

Day 12: Public denied access to structure - huge amounts of lead found in the paint.

Day 16: Chinese government outlaws national news crews from the surrounding area.

Day 18: All workers from the project have gone missing.

Day 20: Wall panels fall off - were attached with gorilla glue.

Day 27: Screws recalled to factory - made with radioactive materials.

Day 30: Metallic frame collapses.

 

And they will call it the Happy One Month Great Tower.

 

It's interesting that people are so determined to knock this project. I would like to revisit this in a few years. Yes, I'm sure there will be some problems, but such issues are essentially inherent into the construction of any building, no matter the size or speed at which is was assembled.

 

My theory is that people are insecure, and fearful about their position in the world. There are several Indians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Pakistanis, any number of people, that could all do your job, and likely better than you, if they were given the chance. However, they will not get that chance, for merit of their poverty, skin colour, or nationality. With greater globalization (which is inevitable, whatever the left/right would like to say) there will be greater equality. It's not going to be a leveling up for us, no matter the value that Thomas Friedman wishes to place on skilled labor and "roll-up-your-sleeves" work ethic.

 

It has actually been surprisingly easy for me to reconcile with the fact that I will not be able to take from the world as much as the members of the previous generation did. I hope that I'm never so greedy as to turn my back on the principles of equality, or so sure of my country's superiority over others to wait, fascinated, with the sadistic hope that my pretensions of superiority will be confirmed.

Day 12: Public denied access to structure - huge amounts of lead found in the paint.

Day 16: Chinese government outlaws national news crews from the surrounding area.

Day 18: All workers from the project have gone missing.

Day 20: Wall panels fall off - were attached with gorilla glue.

Day 27: Screws recalled to factory - made with radioactive materials.

Day 30: Metallic frame collapses.

 

And they will call it the Happy One Month Great Tower.

 

It's interesting that people are so determined to knock this project. I would like to revisit this in a few years. Yes, I'm sure there will be some problems, but such issues are essentially inherent into the construction of any building, no matter the size or speed at which is was assembled.

 

My theory is that people are insecure, and fearful about their position in the world. There are several Indians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Pakistanis, any number of people, that could all do your job, and likely better than you, if they were given the chance. However, they will not get that chance, for merit of their poverty, skin colour, or nationality. With greater globalization (which is inevitable, whatever the left/right would like to say) there will be greater equality. It's not going to be a leveling up for us, no matter the value that Thomas Friedman wishes to place on skilled labor and "roll-up-your-sleeves" work ethic.

 

It has actually been surprisingly easy for me to reconcile with the fact that I will not be able to take from the world as much as the members of the previous generation did. I hope that I'm never so greedy as to turn my back on the principles of equality, or so sure of my country's superiority over others to wait, fascinated, with the sadistic hope that my pretensions of superiority will be confirmed.

The joke's on you - I don't have a job to steal.

 

My problem with China is that every country bumpkin and his dog will tell you "China's gon' rule the world one day". Maybe it's a great place, maybe it isn't, but I am inclined to believe the latter from the information I've been given. A country so stifled by its government cannot succeed. I get very annoyed hearing everybody running their mouths about the amazing country that the US owes tons of money to, without bothering to find real information first.

Day 12: Public denied access to structure - huge amounts of lead found in the paint.

Day 16: Chinese government outlaws national news crews from the surrounding area.

Day 18: All workers from the project have gone missing.

Day 20: Wall panels fall off - were attached with gorilla glue.

Day 27: Screws recalled to factory - made with radioactive materials.

Day 30: Metallic frame collapses.

 

And they will call it the Happy One Month Great Tower.

 

It's interesting that people are so determined to knock this project. I would like to revisit this in a few years. Yes, I'm sure there will be some problems, but such issues are essentially inherent into the construction of any building, no matter the size or speed at which is was assembled.

 

My theory is that people are insecure, and fearful about their position in the world. There are several Indians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Pakistanis, any number of people, that could all do your job, and likely better than you, if they were given the chance. However, they will not get that chance, for merit of their poverty, skin colour, or nationality. With greater globalization (which is inevitable, whatever the left/right would like to say) there will be greater equality. It's not going to be a leveling up for us, no matter the value that Thomas Friedman wishes to place on skilled labor and "roll-up-your-sleeves" work ethic.

 

It has actually been surprisingly easy for me to reconcile with the fact that I will not be able to take from the world as much as the members of the previous generation did. I hope that I'm never so greedy as to turn my back on the principles of equality, or so sure of my country's superiority over others to wait, fascinated, with the sadistic hope that my pretensions of superiority will be confirmed.

The joke's on you - I don't have a job to steal.

 

My problem with China is that every country bumpkin and his dog will tell you "China's gon' rule the world one day". Maybe it's a great place, maybe it isn't, but I am inclined to believe the latter from the information I've been given. A country so stifled by its government cannot succeed. I get very annoyed hearing everybody running their mouths about the amazing country that the US owes tons of money to, without bothering to find real information first.

 

You're saying that now, but was not America ruled by a supposedly inferior government? Freedom is a process, and the Chinese are much closer than they were 50 years ago. And the fact that the US does owe massive amounts of money to China is also a pretty good estimation of their political and economic influence, particularly when the Republicans are slowly managing to re-regulate industry: goodbye environmental protection, hello Chinese ownership of America.

Chinese ownership of America? I highly doubt that. We owe them $772billion. I would venture to say that we would go to war with them before we let them "own" us. Seems to be the nature of the way problems are solved around here.

Chinese ownership of America? I highly doubt that. We owe them $772billion. I would venture to say that we would go to war with them before we let them "own" us. Seems to be the nature of the way problems are solved around here.

 

That number is almost certainly lowball. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/02/chinas-debt-to-us-treasury-more-than-indicated/

 

I didn't (and do not) mean that they would "own" the USA in the sense of direct control over government, but once regulations are removed, and the public sector is painfully disemboweled and fed to private industry, what's to stop China from slowly controlling the market? (I'm not saying that this would necessarily be a bad thing, just that it is a sign of increasing Chinese importance on the world stage.)

The price of oil would stop China from slowly controlling the market.