The period of over 125 years from the beginning of the 19th century saw the creation of some of the world's most remarkable feats of engineering. These are now celebrated as great wonders of the world - revealing as much about human creativity and the determination of the human spirit as they do of technological endeavour.
The Industrial Revolution changed the world in countless ways - and produced many technical wonders in the process. Seven of the most notable are described here, each one proving that human creativity is as much alive in the modern world as it was in ancient times.
The Great Ship
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's colossal ship, the Great Eastern, is the only wonder described here that has not survived to the 21st century. In the early 1850s, Brunel hoped the ship would be his masterpiece, and that it would provide an enduring link to even the most farflung parts of the empire.
'... his concept became the blue print for ship design for years to come.'At a time when most ships moored in the Thames were built to traditional designs in wood, and powered by sail, Brunel's 'Great Ship' was almost 700 feet long, a floating island made of iron. His vision was that it should carry 4,000 passengers, in magnificent style, as far as the Antipodes - without needing to refuel.
The Brooklyn Bridge
That same year, a brilliant engineer, John Roebling from Germany, won the contract to build the largest bridge in the world, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. It was to stretch 1,600 feet, in one giant leap, across the wide and turbulent East River that separates New York from Brooklyn.
'At the time such a bold design seemed almost miraculous ...'The foundations were to sink 70 feet below the river. The two mighty towers would dwarf much of New York. At the time such a bold design seemed almost miraculous, and all to be built out of a new material - steel.
The Bell Rock
Robert Stevenson's Bell Rock Lighthouse was created off the east coast of Scotland between 1807 and 1811, when the world was very different from how it is today. Stevenson, the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, had dreamed for years of making his mark on the world, by bringing light to the treacherous Scottish coast. He aimed to take on the most dangerous place of all, the Bell Rock, a large reef 11 miles out to sea, dangerously positioned in the approach to the Firth of Forth.
'... the oldest offshore lighthouse still standing anywhere in the world.'In 1799, over 70 ships went down in a violent storm that raged along the coast, yet still the authorities opposed his plan. How could anyone build a lighthouse 11 miles out to sea, on a rock that was submerged by up to 16 feet of water for most of the day? Battling against the odds, Stevenson did eventually build his lighthouse, and to this day it shines out across the North Sea, the oldest offshore lighthouse still standing anywhere in the world.
The Sewer King
In the summer of 1858, while the Great Eastern was being fitted out for her maiden voyage, London was in the grip of a crisis known as the 'Great Stink'. The population had grown rapidly during the first half of the 19th century, yet there had been no provision for sanitation.
'... sewage was everywhere, piling up in every gully and alleyway ...'Three epidemics of cholera had swept through the city, leaving over 30,000 people dead. And sewage was everywhere, piling up in every gully and alleyway, in the cellars of houses in poor districts - and even seeping through cracks in floorboards.
The Panama Canal
With the growth in travel and trade, by the late 19th century shipping had become big business. Having completed the building of the Suez Canal in 1869, a Frenchman, Vicomte Ferdinand de Lesseps, dreamed of an even bolder scheme: the Panama Canal.
'The extravagant dream eventually stole over 25,000 lives ...'Lesseps decided he would cut a path across the isthmus of Panama,and thus unite the great oceans of the Atlantic and Pacific. He knew that the long journey around South America's Cape Horn would then become unnecessary for ships carrying cargo across the world, and the world itself would seem a smaller place. Once out in the tropical heat of Panama, however, the French found themselves facing impenetrable jungle, dangerous mudslides and deathly tropical diseases, as the project proved to be an undertaking of nightmare proportions.
The extravagant dream eventually came true, but in the process it stole over 25,000 lives, and 25 years had to elapse before the oceans were finally united.
The Line
By the middle of the 19th century, the benefits brought by the host of advances of the industrial age were gradually beginning to reach America, which soon developed a spectacular achievement of its own - the Transcontinental Railway, reaching right across the continent.
'... they battled against hostile terrain, hostile inhabitants, civil war and the Wild West.'With two teams, one building from the east and the other from California in the west, they battled against hostile terrain, hostile inhabitants, civil war and the Wild West.
Yet in 1869, the two teams' tracks were joined, shrinking the whole American continent, as the journey from New York to San Francisco was reduced from months to days.
The Hoover Dam
As pioneers explored and found their way across the vast continent of America, they were frequently stopped by poor or hostile environments such as the desert regions of Arizona and Nevada.
'Some 60 storeys high, and of a larger volume than the Great Pyramid at Giza ...'In the early 1900s, however, engineers began to realise that even here it would be possible to make the desert bloom, by building a dam across the Colorado River. Some 60 storeys high, and of a larger volume than the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Hoover Dam was soon to break all records.
At the height of the depression of the 1930s, poverty-stricken workers on the dam, earning just a few dollars a day, died from horrific explosions, carbon monoxide poisoning and heat exhaustion as it slowly came to fruition. The chief engineer, Frank Crowe, did nevertheless get it built ahead of schedule and under budget - notching up one more extraordinary piece of evidence for the ingenuity and tenacity of man.
Showing posts with label Engineering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Engineering. Show all posts
Thursday, May 22, 2014
* Seven Wonders of the Industrial World (2003)
The period of over 125 years from the beginning of the 19th century saw the creation of some of the world's most remarkable feats of engineering. These are now celebrated as great wonders of the world - revealing as much about human creativity and the determination of the human spirit as they do of technological endeavour.
The Industrial Revolution changed the world in countless ways - and produced many technical wonders in the process. Seven of the most notable are described here, each one proving that human creativity is as much alive in the modern world as it was in ancient times.
The Great Ship
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's colossal ship, the Great Eastern, is the only wonder described here that has not survived to the 21st century. In the early 1850s, Brunel hoped the ship would be his masterpiece, and that it would provide an enduring link to even the most farflung parts of the empire.
'... his concept became the blue print for ship design for years to come.'At a time when most ships moored in the Thames were built to traditional designs in wood, and powered by sail, Brunel's 'Great Ship' was almost 700 feet long, a floating island made of iron. His vision was that it should carry 4,000 passengers, in magnificent style, as far as the Antipodes - without needing to refuel.
The Brooklyn Bridge
That same year, a brilliant engineer, John Roebling from Germany, won the contract to build the largest bridge in the world, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. It was to stretch 1,600 feet, in one giant leap, across the wide and turbulent East River that separates New York from Brooklyn.
'At the time such a bold design seemed almost miraculous ...'The foundations were to sink 70 feet below the river. The two mighty towers would dwarf much of New York. At the time such a bold design seemed almost miraculous, and all to be built out of a new material - steel.
The Bell Rock
Robert Stevenson's Bell Rock Lighthouse was created off the east coast of Scotland between 1807 and 1811, when the world was very different from how it is today. Stevenson, the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, had dreamed for years of making his mark on the world, by bringing light to the treacherous Scottish coast. He aimed to take on the most dangerous place of all, the Bell Rock, a large reef 11 miles out to sea, dangerously positioned in the approach to the Firth of Forth.
'... the oldest offshore lighthouse still standing anywhere in the world.'In 1799, over 70 ships went down in a violent storm that raged along the coast, yet still the authorities opposed his plan. How could anyone build a lighthouse 11 miles out to sea, on a rock that was submerged by up to 16 feet of water for most of the day? Battling against the odds, Stevenson did eventually build his lighthouse, and to this day it shines out across the North Sea, the oldest offshore lighthouse still standing anywhere in the world.
The Sewer King
In the summer of 1858, while the Great Eastern was being fitted out for her maiden voyage, London was in the grip of a crisis known as the 'Great Stink'. The population had grown rapidly during the first half of the 19th century, yet there had been no provision for sanitation.
'... sewage was everywhere, piling up in every gully and alleyway ...'Three epidemics of cholera had swept through the city, leaving over 30,000 people dead. And sewage was everywhere, piling up in every gully and alleyway, in the cellars of houses in poor districts - and even seeping through cracks in floorboards.
The Panama Canal
With the growth in travel and trade, by the late 19th century shipping had become big business. Having completed the building of the Suez Canal in 1869, a Frenchman, Vicomte Ferdinand de Lesseps, dreamed of an even bolder scheme: the Panama Canal.
'The extravagant dream eventually stole over 25,000 lives ...'Lesseps decided he would cut a path across the isthmus of Panama,and thus unite the great oceans of the Atlantic and Pacific. He knew that the long journey around South America's Cape Horn would then become unnecessary for ships carrying cargo across the world, and the world itself would seem a smaller place. Once out in the tropical heat of Panama, however, the French found themselves facing impenetrable jungle, dangerous mudslides and deathly tropical diseases, as the project proved to be an undertaking of nightmare proportions.
The extravagant dream eventually came true, but in the process it stole over 25,000 lives, and 25 years had to elapse before the oceans were finally united.
The Line
By the middle of the 19th century, the benefits brought by the host of advances of the industrial age were gradually beginning to reach America, which soon developed a spectacular achievement of its own - the Transcontinental Railway, reaching right across the continent.
'... they battled against hostile terrain, hostile inhabitants, civil war and the Wild West.'With two teams, one building from the east and the other from California in the west, they battled against hostile terrain, hostile inhabitants, civil war and the Wild West.
Yet in 1869, the two teams' tracks were joined, shrinking the whole American continent, as the journey from New York to San Francisco was reduced from months to days.
The Hoover Dam
As pioneers explored and found their way across the vast continent of America, they were frequently stopped by poor or hostile environments such as the desert regions of Arizona and Nevada.
'Some 60 storeys high, and of a larger volume than the Great Pyramid at Giza ...'In the early 1900s, however, engineers began to realise that even here it would be possible to make the desert bloom, by building a dam across the Colorado River. Some 60 storeys high, and of a larger volume than the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Hoover Dam was soon to break all records.
At the height of the depression of the 1930s, poverty-stricken workers on the dam, earning just a few dollars a day, died from horrific explosions, carbon monoxide poisoning and heat exhaustion as it slowly came to fruition. The chief engineer, Frank Crowe, did nevertheless get it built ahead of schedule and under budget - notching up one more extraordinary piece of evidence for the ingenuity and tenacity of man.
The Industrial Revolution changed the world in countless ways - and produced many technical wonders in the process. Seven of the most notable are described here, each one proving that human creativity is as much alive in the modern world as it was in ancient times.
The Great Ship
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's colossal ship, the Great Eastern, is the only wonder described here that has not survived to the 21st century. In the early 1850s, Brunel hoped the ship would be his masterpiece, and that it would provide an enduring link to even the most farflung parts of the empire.
'... his concept became the blue print for ship design for years to come.'At a time when most ships moored in the Thames were built to traditional designs in wood, and powered by sail, Brunel's 'Great Ship' was almost 700 feet long, a floating island made of iron. His vision was that it should carry 4,000 passengers, in magnificent style, as far as the Antipodes - without needing to refuel.
The Brooklyn Bridge
That same year, a brilliant engineer, John Roebling from Germany, won the contract to build the largest bridge in the world, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. It was to stretch 1,600 feet, in one giant leap, across the wide and turbulent East River that separates New York from Brooklyn.
'At the time such a bold design seemed almost miraculous ...'The foundations were to sink 70 feet below the river. The two mighty towers would dwarf much of New York. At the time such a bold design seemed almost miraculous, and all to be built out of a new material - steel.
The Bell Rock
Robert Stevenson's Bell Rock Lighthouse was created off the east coast of Scotland between 1807 and 1811, when the world was very different from how it is today. Stevenson, the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, had dreamed for years of making his mark on the world, by bringing light to the treacherous Scottish coast. He aimed to take on the most dangerous place of all, the Bell Rock, a large reef 11 miles out to sea, dangerously positioned in the approach to the Firth of Forth.
'... the oldest offshore lighthouse still standing anywhere in the world.'In 1799, over 70 ships went down in a violent storm that raged along the coast, yet still the authorities opposed his plan. How could anyone build a lighthouse 11 miles out to sea, on a rock that was submerged by up to 16 feet of water for most of the day? Battling against the odds, Stevenson did eventually build his lighthouse, and to this day it shines out across the North Sea, the oldest offshore lighthouse still standing anywhere in the world.
The Sewer King
In the summer of 1858, while the Great Eastern was being fitted out for her maiden voyage, London was in the grip of a crisis known as the 'Great Stink'. The population had grown rapidly during the first half of the 19th century, yet there had been no provision for sanitation.
'... sewage was everywhere, piling up in every gully and alleyway ...'Three epidemics of cholera had swept through the city, leaving over 30,000 people dead. And sewage was everywhere, piling up in every gully and alleyway, in the cellars of houses in poor districts - and even seeping through cracks in floorboards.
The Panama Canal
With the growth in travel and trade, by the late 19th century shipping had become big business. Having completed the building of the Suez Canal in 1869, a Frenchman, Vicomte Ferdinand de Lesseps, dreamed of an even bolder scheme: the Panama Canal.
'The extravagant dream eventually stole over 25,000 lives ...'Lesseps decided he would cut a path across the isthmus of Panama,and thus unite the great oceans of the Atlantic and Pacific. He knew that the long journey around South America's Cape Horn would then become unnecessary for ships carrying cargo across the world, and the world itself would seem a smaller place. Once out in the tropical heat of Panama, however, the French found themselves facing impenetrable jungle, dangerous mudslides and deathly tropical diseases, as the project proved to be an undertaking of nightmare proportions.
The extravagant dream eventually came true, but in the process it stole over 25,000 lives, and 25 years had to elapse before the oceans were finally united.
The Line
By the middle of the 19th century, the benefits brought by the host of advances of the industrial age were gradually beginning to reach America, which soon developed a spectacular achievement of its own - the Transcontinental Railway, reaching right across the continent.
'... they battled against hostile terrain, hostile inhabitants, civil war and the Wild West.'With two teams, one building from the east and the other from California in the west, they battled against hostile terrain, hostile inhabitants, civil war and the Wild West.
Yet in 1869, the two teams' tracks were joined, shrinking the whole American continent, as the journey from New York to San Francisco was reduced from months to days.
The Hoover Dam
As pioneers explored and found their way across the vast continent of America, they were frequently stopped by poor or hostile environments such as the desert regions of Arizona and Nevada.
'Some 60 storeys high, and of a larger volume than the Great Pyramid at Giza ...'In the early 1900s, however, engineers began to realise that even here it would be possible to make the desert bloom, by building a dam across the Colorado River. Some 60 storeys high, and of a larger volume than the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Hoover Dam was soon to break all records.
At the height of the depression of the 1930s, poverty-stricken workers on the dam, earning just a few dollars a day, died from horrific explosions, carbon monoxide poisoning and heat exhaustion as it slowly came to fruition. The chief engineer, Frank Crowe, did nevertheless get it built ahead of schedule and under budget - notching up one more extraordinary piece of evidence for the ingenuity and tenacity of man.
Friday, May 9, 2014
* The 800 Million Pound Railway Station (2007)
St Pancras station sits at the end of a massive £5.8 billion railway line - the first major British line to be built for over a century. This new series tells the story of the architects, engineers and spin doctors who entered a frantic two year race to make the Royal Opening on time. There were huge financial incentives, but many personal reputations at stake.
Episode 1: The Devil in the Detail
This episode tells the story of architect Alastair Lansley, whose expensive artistic vision unnerved the engineers.
Episode 2: Deadline
The engineers and builders are about to hit the biggest deadline on the project so far. The tracks which bring the trains into St Pancras must be moved from the east to the west side of the station, over the course of a single weekend. If they fail, the entire £5.8 billion project will be thrown off-schedule.
Meanwhile, Chief Architect Alastair Lansley receives some terrifying news that may prevent him from seeing the project through.
Episode 3: The Inspections
Engineers race to finish the base build of the station. Huge bonuses are at stake and if the engineers don't meet their deadline they could incur penalties of £50,000 a day until their work is finished. For 30 year old engineer Claire Clarr this is the biggest project of her career and a series of gruelling inspections will determine whether or not work on her section is signed off as complete. To add to the pressure Claire's boss Mark Allison delivers news which will change the course of her working life.
Episode 4: The Icon Men
With the base build complete, St Pancras must start its face lift. Commercial Director Mike Luddy dreams of creating a new style of station and of transforming St Pancras into a luxury destination in its own right.
Instead of fast food outlets he wants to install gastro pubs and fine dining. The highlight will be the longest champagne bar in Europe and a nine metre high bronze statue which he hopes will be an iconic centrepiece for the station.
Episode 5: The Sharp End
A team of spin doctors and marketing gurus have to sell Commercial Director Mike Luddy's vision for St Pancras station. They need to convince press and public that a place synonymous with prostitution, drugs and violent crime has been transformed into the chic destination station for Europe.
But deadlines are slipping and the picture looks very different on the ground. The builders are behind schedule, the 60 shops may not finish work on time and there are critical problems with the cherry on the St Pancras cake - a 9 meter statue specially commissioned for the station. And with the station opening in just a few weeks time and Eurostar already selling tickets from their new destination will St Pancras be ready in time?
Episode 6: The Unveiling
The culmination of 11 years work and £5.8 billion of public and private money.
While the builders and engineers labour 7 days a week to try and finish major construction works Head of Marketing Jon Teeman is planning an enormous opening ceremony. A 1,000 seat arena is being erected and Her Majesty the Queen has agreed to open the station. With an invitation list boasting the great and the good and the eyes of the world's media upon them the opening night has to be a success.
Meanwhile the station is still not finished and the builders must complete works in order for Eurostar to start running. With an expected 50 million passengers per year due to start travelling from the station on November 14th the deadline must be hit at all costs.
Episode 1: The Devil in the Detail
This episode tells the story of architect Alastair Lansley, whose expensive artistic vision unnerved the engineers.
Episode 2: Deadline
The engineers and builders are about to hit the biggest deadline on the project so far. The tracks which bring the trains into St Pancras must be moved from the east to the west side of the station, over the course of a single weekend. If they fail, the entire £5.8 billion project will be thrown off-schedule.
Meanwhile, Chief Architect Alastair Lansley receives some terrifying news that may prevent him from seeing the project through.
Episode 3: The Inspections
Engineers race to finish the base build of the station. Huge bonuses are at stake and if the engineers don't meet their deadline they could incur penalties of £50,000 a day until their work is finished. For 30 year old engineer Claire Clarr this is the biggest project of her career and a series of gruelling inspections will determine whether or not work on her section is signed off as complete. To add to the pressure Claire's boss Mark Allison delivers news which will change the course of her working life.
Episode 4: The Icon Men
With the base build complete, St Pancras must start its face lift. Commercial Director Mike Luddy dreams of creating a new style of station and of transforming St Pancras into a luxury destination in its own right.
Instead of fast food outlets he wants to install gastro pubs and fine dining. The highlight will be the longest champagne bar in Europe and a nine metre high bronze statue which he hopes will be an iconic centrepiece for the station.
Episode 5: The Sharp End
A team of spin doctors and marketing gurus have to sell Commercial Director Mike Luddy's vision for St Pancras station. They need to convince press and public that a place synonymous with prostitution, drugs and violent crime has been transformed into the chic destination station for Europe.
But deadlines are slipping and the picture looks very different on the ground. The builders are behind schedule, the 60 shops may not finish work on time and there are critical problems with the cherry on the St Pancras cake - a 9 meter statue specially commissioned for the station. And with the station opening in just a few weeks time and Eurostar already selling tickets from their new destination will St Pancras be ready in time?
Episode 6: The Unveiling
The culmination of 11 years work and £5.8 billion of public and private money.
While the builders and engineers labour 7 days a week to try and finish major construction works Head of Marketing Jon Teeman is planning an enormous opening ceremony. A 1,000 seat arena is being erected and Her Majesty the Queen has agreed to open the station. With an invitation list boasting the great and the good and the eyes of the world's media upon them the opening night has to be a success.
Meanwhile the station is still not finished and the builders must complete works in order for Eurostar to start running. With an expected 50 million passengers per year due to start travelling from the station on November 14th the deadline must be hit at all costs.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
* Strip the City (2012)
How does Toronto's CN Tower stay protected from frigid -32 C weather and savage snowstorms? What stops Dubai's super-tall skyscrapers - balanced on unstable sand - from toppling over? And how can San Francisco survive - sitting on the edge of a major earthquake fault? What lies beneath major metropolises is revealed when STRIP THE CITY peels back their buildings, roads, and rivers to explore the secret technology and infrastructure that keeps them running. This six-part original-Canadian series uses stunning CGI animation to go beneath Toronto, London, Rome, Dubai, Sydney, and San Francisco.
Ancient City Rome
Ancient Rome is the prototype of all modern cities. 2,000 years ago it was the biggest in the world - home to a million people. It has survived better than any ancient city on earth and today is home to 3 million citizens. How did Rome become the "Eternal City?" This film strips its most famous icons bare to reveal their secret inner workings and the ingenious technology that allowed engineers to build the Pantheon, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain and Via Appia. Roman engineers' mastery of constructing buildings, roads and viaducts set the city on course to become the greatest Empire the world had ever seen. By exploring deep underground we reveal the crucial role volcanoes played in the city's growth.
We descend into a cavern of tunnels that runs under most of Rome, abseil into an ancient aqueduct and explore how Rome's new Metro is being built. This film explores the volcanic geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the ash that is a key ingredient of concrete to the lava flows that underpin its roads.
Earthquake City - San Francisco
San Francisco is standing on the brink of disaster - it sits on one of the world's most infamous earthquake hotspots – the San Andreas Fault.
How do the city's buildings and infrastructure survive the onslaught of a destructive earthquake? This film looks beneath the city's skin to discover the engineering wonders and geological forces that make it possible. Stunning CGI animation peels back the glass of its skyscrapers and steel off its bridges to reveal their inner workings.
The engineers and geologists who know this city the best reveal the secrets inside San Francisco's skyscrapers that keep them standing, protect them from raging fires and keep residents safe during the deadliest quakes. The film explores the geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the valleys that hold the city's fire-fighting water to the fault line that is overdue for a massive earthquake.
Desert City - Dubai
Dubai is a city that defies logic. The gleaming desert metropolis grew from the desert sands in just a few decades. Yet it sits in one of the driest places on earth, is pummeled by raging sandstorms and its skyscrapers are resting on top of sand.
How did Dubai come to thrive in such an inhospitable place? This film looks beneath the city's skin to discover the secret engineering wonders and geological forces that make it possible. Stunning CGI animation peels back the glass of its skyscrapers to reveal their inner workings and sweeps up the desert sand to explore its origins.
The city's leading engineers and geologists reveal the secrets hidden inside Dubai's buildings that keep them standing, protect them from desert storms and keep residents alive in the searing heat. This film explores the geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the rich oil fields offshore to the desert dunes from which sandstorms are born.
Harbour City - Sydney
Sydney is a city bursting at the seams – home to a fifth Australia's entire population and still growing. Trapped between the Blue Mountains and the ocean it sits on the driest inhabited continent on Earth and surrounds one the planet's largest natural harbors.
How did Sydney come to thrive in such an inhospitable place? This film looks beneath the city's skin to discover the secret engineering wonders that make it possible and the geological forces that sculpted it. Stunning CGI animation peels back the glass off its skyscrapers and stone off the iconic opera house to reveal their inner workings. It also sucks the water up out of its harbor to explore its origins.
The city's leading engineers and geologists reveal the secrets hidden inside Sydney's buildings and beneath its streets that allow the city to function, from the concealed contours of the harbor that allow super size ships to sail into the heart of the city to the underground caverns that store its water. This episode explores the geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the rich coal seams underneath to the deep gorges that channel bush fires right into the heart of the city.
Ice City - Toronto
Perched on the shores of Lake Ontario, Toronto is a city of extremes. This sprawling metropolis was carved out by ancient glaciers. Today it is filled with a concrete jungle of towering skyscrapers. Each winter temperatures plummet to an arctic minus 40 degrees and the city is pummeled by savage snowstorms.
How did this metropolis grow to become the largest city in Canada in such an extreme environment? This episode looks beneath the city's skin to discover the secret engineering wonders and geological forces that make it possible. Stunning CGI animation peels back the glass and concrete off its skyscrapers to reveal their inner workings and sucks the water up out of its lakes to explore their origins.
The city's leading engineers and geologists reveal the secrets hidden inside the iconic CN Tower that keep it standing, protect Toronto's buildings from snowstorms and keep residents alive in the bone chilling cold. This film explores the geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the rich salt reserves that power its industry to the colossal falls that fuel the expanding mega-city.
Underground City - London
Beneath the streets of London, lies a parallel universe. As its buildings soar higher, so its tunnels go deeper. London has more infrastructures built underground than any city in the world. They hold the key the city's success.
This episode strips away the ground to reveal the city's inner workings and explores the ingenious technologies that helped engineers to build one of the biggest cities on Earth. We join engineers working in this vast underground city – from tunnel builders digging a brand new underground train line 40m beneath the city to squads of workers scrubbing its sewer tunnels to prevent outbreaks of disease.
We lift up Buckingham Palace to reveal a "lost" river and show the innovative engineering behind the city's brand new port under construction. We peel away the Tower of London to reveal the true scale of the river Thames – far from being quiet and obedient, it was once a tidal torrent. And we strip back the steel and glass from Europe's tallest skyscraper - the Shard – to reveal its hidden inner workings.
This episode explores the geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the rich clay that it sits on to the river that may one day consume it.
Ancient City Rome
Ancient Rome is the prototype of all modern cities. 2,000 years ago it was the biggest in the world - home to a million people. It has survived better than any ancient city on earth and today is home to 3 million citizens. How did Rome become the "Eternal City?" This film strips its most famous icons bare to reveal their secret inner workings and the ingenious technology that allowed engineers to build the Pantheon, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain and Via Appia. Roman engineers' mastery of constructing buildings, roads and viaducts set the city on course to become the greatest Empire the world had ever seen. By exploring deep underground we reveal the crucial role volcanoes played in the city's growth.
We descend into a cavern of tunnels that runs under most of Rome, abseil into an ancient aqueduct and explore how Rome's new Metro is being built. This film explores the volcanic geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the ash that is a key ingredient of concrete to the lava flows that underpin its roads.
Earthquake City - San Francisco
San Francisco is standing on the brink of disaster - it sits on one of the world's most infamous earthquake hotspots – the San Andreas Fault.
How do the city's buildings and infrastructure survive the onslaught of a destructive earthquake? This film looks beneath the city's skin to discover the engineering wonders and geological forces that make it possible. Stunning CGI animation peels back the glass of its skyscrapers and steel off its bridges to reveal their inner workings.
The engineers and geologists who know this city the best reveal the secrets inside San Francisco's skyscrapers that keep them standing, protect them from raging fires and keep residents safe during the deadliest quakes. The film explores the geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the valleys that hold the city's fire-fighting water to the fault line that is overdue for a massive earthquake.
Desert City - Dubai
Dubai is a city that defies logic. The gleaming desert metropolis grew from the desert sands in just a few decades. Yet it sits in one of the driest places on earth, is pummeled by raging sandstorms and its skyscrapers are resting on top of sand.
How did Dubai come to thrive in such an inhospitable place? This film looks beneath the city's skin to discover the secret engineering wonders and geological forces that make it possible. Stunning CGI animation peels back the glass of its skyscrapers to reveal their inner workings and sweeps up the desert sand to explore its origins.
The city's leading engineers and geologists reveal the secrets hidden inside Dubai's buildings that keep them standing, protect them from desert storms and keep residents alive in the searing heat. This film explores the geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the rich oil fields offshore to the desert dunes from which sandstorms are born.
Harbour City - Sydney
Sydney is a city bursting at the seams – home to a fifth Australia's entire population and still growing. Trapped between the Blue Mountains and the ocean it sits on the driest inhabited continent on Earth and surrounds one the planet's largest natural harbors.
How did Sydney come to thrive in such an inhospitable place? This film looks beneath the city's skin to discover the secret engineering wonders that make it possible and the geological forces that sculpted it. Stunning CGI animation peels back the glass off its skyscrapers and stone off the iconic opera house to reveal their inner workings. It also sucks the water up out of its harbor to explore its origins.
The city's leading engineers and geologists reveal the secrets hidden inside Sydney's buildings and beneath its streets that allow the city to function, from the concealed contours of the harbor that allow super size ships to sail into the heart of the city to the underground caverns that store its water. This episode explores the geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the rich coal seams underneath to the deep gorges that channel bush fires right into the heart of the city.
Ice City - Toronto
Perched on the shores of Lake Ontario, Toronto is a city of extremes. This sprawling metropolis was carved out by ancient glaciers. Today it is filled with a concrete jungle of towering skyscrapers. Each winter temperatures plummet to an arctic minus 40 degrees and the city is pummeled by savage snowstorms.
How did this metropolis grow to become the largest city in Canada in such an extreme environment? This episode looks beneath the city's skin to discover the secret engineering wonders and geological forces that make it possible. Stunning CGI animation peels back the glass and concrete off its skyscrapers to reveal their inner workings and sucks the water up out of its lakes to explore their origins.
The city's leading engineers and geologists reveal the secrets hidden inside the iconic CN Tower that keep it standing, protect Toronto's buildings from snowstorms and keep residents alive in the bone chilling cold. This film explores the geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the rich salt reserves that power its industry to the colossal falls that fuel the expanding mega-city.
Underground City - London
Beneath the streets of London, lies a parallel universe. As its buildings soar higher, so its tunnels go deeper. London has more infrastructures built underground than any city in the world. They hold the key the city's success.
This episode strips away the ground to reveal the city's inner workings and explores the ingenious technologies that helped engineers to build one of the biggest cities on Earth. We join engineers working in this vast underground city – from tunnel builders digging a brand new underground train line 40m beneath the city to squads of workers scrubbing its sewer tunnels to prevent outbreaks of disease.
We lift up Buckingham Palace to reveal a "lost" river and show the innovative engineering behind the city's brand new port under construction. We peel away the Tower of London to reveal the true scale of the river Thames – far from being quiet and obedient, it was once a tidal torrent. And we strip back the steel and glass from Europe's tallest skyscraper - the Shard – to reveal its hidden inner workings.
This episode explores the geology that shaped the city's past and challenges its future, from the rich clay that it sits on to the river that may one day consume it.
* Raw to Ready (2013)
Explore the science, innovation, and sheer genius it takes to transform the most basic ingredients into the world's most awe-inspiring machines. Raw to Ready goes deep inside factories to uncover the hard work and craftsmanship it takes to build these incredible machines and reveals the hidden stories of human ingenuity that have transformed the earth's most essential raw materials into monumental marvels of modern technology.
Part 1: Komatsu
To extract precious metals found beneath the earth requires a massive 232-ton, two-story-tall dump truck with a load capacity of 320 tons — a giant earth-mover like the Komatsu 930E. This amazing engineering achievement is made possible by five essential raw ingredients: coal, chromium, mineral oil, latex rubber and sulphuric acid, an electron superhighway that generates massive power.
Part 2: Bentley
It's a century-old obsession to find the right raw materials to build a car that is fit for both king and race car driver — perfectly luxurious and perfectly fast. The Bentley Motor Company has built common raw ingredients into their signature Mulsanne, an engineering achievement made possible by aluminum, leather, iron, wood and pigment.
Part 3: Mack Truck
The highway truck — a modern workhorse, a heavy hauler vital to commerce — carries an 80,000-pound payload and must operate in every condition from sub-zero cold to triple-digit heat. To survive, it must be strong, durable and fuel-efficient, like the Mack Pinnacle, an engineering achievement made possible by platinum, petroleum, copper, manganese and polyurethane.
Part 4: Bombardier
With an average of one take-off every three seconds, short-range regional jets are the backbone of domestic air travel. To withstand this high volume of flights, these jets need to be comfortable, durable, and fuel efficient, just like the Bomardier CRJ-1000. Raw materials come together to make these planes succeed in the mission to provide safe, comfortable and affordable travel to the one hundred passengers on each flight.
Part 1: Komatsu
To extract precious metals found beneath the earth requires a massive 232-ton, two-story-tall dump truck with a load capacity of 320 tons — a giant earth-mover like the Komatsu 930E. This amazing engineering achievement is made possible by five essential raw ingredients: coal, chromium, mineral oil, latex rubber and sulphuric acid, an electron superhighway that generates massive power.
Part 2: Bentley
It's a century-old obsession to find the right raw materials to build a car that is fit for both king and race car driver — perfectly luxurious and perfectly fast. The Bentley Motor Company has built common raw ingredients into their signature Mulsanne, an engineering achievement made possible by aluminum, leather, iron, wood and pigment.
Part 3: Mack Truck
The highway truck — a modern workhorse, a heavy hauler vital to commerce — carries an 80,000-pound payload and must operate in every condition from sub-zero cold to triple-digit heat. To survive, it must be strong, durable and fuel-efficient, like the Mack Pinnacle, an engineering achievement made possible by platinum, petroleum, copper, manganese and polyurethane.
Part 4: Bombardier
With an average of one take-off every three seconds, short-range regional jets are the backbone of domestic air travel. To withstand this high volume of flights, these jets need to be comfortable, durable, and fuel efficient, just like the Bomardier CRJ-1000. Raw materials come together to make these planes succeed in the mission to provide safe, comfortable and affordable travel to the one hundred passengers on each flight.
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