Brown, Jeff L. “Georgia Aquarium Incorporates Numerous Habitats.” Civil Engineering (08857024) 76.2 (2006): 13-15. Business Source Complete. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.

Jeff Brown, in an article for Civil Engineering titled Georgia Aquarium Incorporates Numerous Habitats, discusses the infrastructure of the Georgia Aquarium.

When the Georgia Aquarium was being built both the guests and the animals were kept in mind. The exterior of the building was created to resemble a sort of ship. The entrance was carefully planned to make sure that it immediately attracts guests. “As visitors enter, they walk between two large windows; behind the windows, numerous fish swim in the same direction, as if to beckon the newcomers inside.” The inside of the aquarium is divided up into five galleries: “River Scout, an exhibit of freshwater species from around the world; Cold Water Quest, featuring a variety of marine mammals, including five beluga whales; Ocean Voyager, which mimics the vastness of the open ocean; and Tropical Diver, which houses a living coral reef.” The structure of the aquarium greatly revolved around the animals. The shape, size, and location of the tanks were very important. “For example, to provide a more natural environment for the fish, none of the tanks are rectangular.”

The building is divided up into two parts, each serve a purpose. The bottom part of the aquarium “which includes the gigantic tanks that make up the major exhibits, is constructed of cast-in-place concrete. Above the tops of the tanks, however, spans as long as 160 ft (49 m) were required in order to provide easy access to the animals during day-to-day operations. Structural steel was used for this upper part of the building.”

The largest exhibit is the Ocean Voyager therefore it consist of the largest animals in the aquarium. The exhibit consist of 6.2 million gallons of water and whale sharks (largest inhabitants). Due to the large amounts of water the glass of the tanks are required to be a certain thickness and material to ensure safety.

The aquarium makes sure that its structure is inviting to the public, but its main concern is to make sure that the animals are well accommodated. The article discusses all the dimensions of tanks, what they are made from, and the rest of the infrastructure of the aquarium.The article is directed more towards people that know about infrastructure, and are interested in learning more about how the aquarium is specifically made. It allows the public to learn about the thought process that went along with the making of the aquarium, and how every single material and object was carefully picked.