The Olympics is a celebrated event around the world. When a nation earns the right to host these games of endurance, skill, and most importantly, positive competition, it becomes their burden to build venues and an atmosphere that is not only welcoming to all, but state of the art and environmentally friendly.For the Games to be held in London this Summer, 2012, there have been several obstacles to overcome as well as the post-Olympics plan that needed to be in place before any construction could begin. As a result, some of the engineering feats that will be completed by the time the games begin are unique in their own right.

The Site Itself

The location of the main Olympics events spans over 640 hectares on the west side of London. When the Games have come to an end, the site will be converted into a public park as well as new housing venues for the residents of the city. This, in itself, is a modern marvel as most previous Olympic Games sites are relegated to remain as tokens of the pride of the host city. Due to the temporary nature of these Olympic venues, the desire to be able to dismantle them and recycle the materials became an important aspect of the engineering from the beginning.

The Stadium

The main stadium venue, where the introduction ceremonies, award ceremonies, and most of the track and field competitions will take place, will be located on an island surrounded by water on three sides. The stadium, though, will be a permanent structure for events well into the future, though while 80,000 seats are required for the Olympics, more than 55,000 of them will be able to be removed once the Games have come to an end. This is important for maintenance, upkeep, and practicality of the venue in the future.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the stadium as far as construction is concerned is that only 10,000 tons of steel are being used in its creation. This makes it one of the lightest and most economical stadiums ever constructed for an Olympic Games. More than 30 buildings were demolished in order to build the stadium, but the crushed concrete from them was used as a platform under the stadium to give it a strong, lasting foundation.

When it comes to the Olympic Games in modern times, the games themselves have become an economic boon to the host city, and while this is vital to the vitality of the city and its residents, engineering takes centre stage in the preparation, design, and immediate as well as future plans for the location of the games themselves.