Engineering the Panama Canal : a centennial retrospective : proceedings of sessions honoring the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal at the ASCE Global Engineering Conference 2014, October 7-11, 2014, Panama City, Panama

Proceedings of sessions honoring the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal at the ASCE Global Engineering Conference 2014, held in Panama City, Panama, October 7-11, 2014. Sponsored by the History and Heritage Committee of ASCE. The history of the Panama Canal began nearly 500 years ago with the discovery by the Spanish of the isthmus between the oceans. Almost 400 years with several failed attempts would pass before the canal finally opened to boat traffic in August, 1914. This collection of nine papers presents the lives and experiences of the engineers and planners who struggled for decades to get the canal accepted, funded, built, and launched in order to ensure its successful operation during the last 100 years. Topics include: early British and French efforts to construct a canal; building the canal and the Gatun Dam; lives of the engineers who worked on the canal; and the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition celebrating the completion of the canal. This collection will be of interest to engineers, students, historians, and anyone interested in the building of this engineering landmark.