Superstructures

Épisode 1 - USS Ronald Reagan

15 septembre 2004 - 4/5

Nimitz-class supercarrier for the U.S. Navy — USS Ronald Reagan is a 4.5 billion-dollar Nimitz-class supercarrier. Powered by two nuclear reactors, the 1,100 ft (340 m) long vessel is equipped with all the necessary facilities to house 6,000 personnel and over 80 aircraft. Viewers are given an exclusive look at how the crew of this 'floating naval base' is put through a series of tests in order to obtain their flight deck certification. Take a glimpse at the various facilities on the ship that keep the 6,000-strong crew fed, rested, and entertained.

Épisode 2 - Autobahn

6 octobre 2004 - 4/5

German Autobahnen — What began as a racing track grew into a sophisticated high-speed road system, linking to almost all the major cities in Germany. The Autobahn boasts super thick road beds, 4% or less grades, wide lanes, and utilises sophisticated technology.

Épisode 3 - Channel Tunnel

13 septembre 2004 - 4/5

Undersea tunnel between Coquelles, France and Folkestone, United Kingdom — The Channel Tunnel or Euro Tunnel is one of the world's longest underground rail tunnels, and links England with France. Consisting of two rail tunnels and a small service tunnel, it totals 153 km in length. This episode looks at the race between the British and the French to complete the tunnelling of the Channel Tunnel and the obstacles faced in its construction.

Épisode 4 - Sears Tower

29 septembre 2004 - 4/5

Tallest building in Chicago, Illinois — For 20 years, the Sears Tower held the record for the world's tallest building. Completed in 1973, the 110 stories high building is almost half a kilometre tall. And it still holds the record for having the world's highest antenna. John Zils, structural engineer and designer of this mega-structure, shares some of the tower's secrets. And get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the various systems and controls that are vital to the building, such as security monitoring, elevators, the water and power distribution that supplies its many floors, and even the machines that clean the windows.

Épisode 5 - Kansai International Airport

13 octobre 2004 - 4/5

Airport on artificial island in Osaka Bay — Located 5 km off the coast of Osaka, Japan is the Kansai International Airport. The airport is built entirely on a man-made island, 4 km long and 1 km wide. The only link between the island and Osaka is by the world's longest 2-tiered bridge. Although the airport is built to withstand earthquakes and typhoons, the artificial island itself is sinking faster than anticipated. This episode looks at various measures that are taken to keep the airport 'afloat,' and the various facilities and services available to keep the airport running.

Épisode 6 - Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

20 septembre 2004 - 4/5

World's longest suspension bridge — In 1955, two ferries sank along the Akashi Strait in Japan, killing 168 children. The tragedy led to 30 years of research to design a bridge that would link Awaji Island to Kobe. The bridge would need to be able to withstand severe earthquakes and typhoons. In 1988, Japan began construction of the world's longest, highest and most expensive suspension bridge. This episode presents a stage by stage look at the construction of the bridge, and the obstacles faced in its construction, including the Kobe earthquake in 1995.

Épisode 7 - The World's Most Powerful Dam (Itaipu Dam)

27 septembre 2004 - 4/5

Dam on the Paraná River — In the Paraná River of South America, lies the Itaipú Dam. Costing 20 billion dollars, the Itaipú Dam is the world's largest and most powerful hydroelectric power plant. It is the culmination of the efforts, accomplishments, and co-operation of two countries, Brazil and Paraguay. This episode examines the efforts undertaken and the sacrifices made to construct the dam, including how the largest diversion channel was constructed to divert water from the world's 7th largest river away from the main construction site.

Épisode 8 - Petronas Towers

4 octobre 2004 - 4/5

Twin tower skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur — Designed by Cesar Pelli, the Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings as of their completion date. Located in Kuala Lumpur, the 88 story, 450m tall twin towers carry an Islamic geometrical influence, and are a symbol of Malaysian pride. To foster competition, the contract for the construction of the towers was awarded to two different construction companies, each assigned to work on one of the towers. This episode examines the race between the companies to each complete their tower first, as well as various construction challenges, including soil quality issues, the unique cement mixture that was needed as a steel substitute, and tropical weather.

Épisode 9 - Inside a Super Casino

1 décembre 2004

The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey — Megastructures gets an inside look at the 13-year design and construction of Atlantic City's towering new casino, the Borgata.

Épisode 10 - Money Factory

31 décembre 2004

U.S. Treasury

Épisode 1 - Golden Gate Bridge

2 mars 2005

In 1906, an earthquake of magnitude 7.9 rocked San Francisco. An earthquake of similar or greater proportions is expected to occur in San Francisco again, and soon. The episode takes a look at the efforts that are being made to retrofit and strengthen America’s most recognized bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, before the next big earthquake happens. It also gives a brief history about the construction of the suspension bridge, and the people who were involved in its construction.

Épisode 2 - Alcatraz

16 mars 2005

The worst of the worst were sent here—men like Al "Scarface" Capone, Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, "The Birdman" Robert Stroud. For 29 years, Alcatraz was a ferocious battle between America's toughest prison and the brilliant criminal minds locked inside. We'll explore the design, construction and legendary escapes from The Rock.

Épisode 3 - Inside The Pentagon

1 avril 2005

Cameras are taken inside the Pentagon for a rare look at the usual going ons in the Pentagon, and a look at how the important meetings might be conducted. High ranking military officials and politicians also share their feelings about the Pentagon.

Épisode 4 - World's Busiest Port

13 mai 2005

Megastructure takes viewers on an inside look at how the Port of Singapore is able to move a third of the world's trade through the use of shipping and high-tech mega-systems.

Épisode 5 - Tau Tona, City of Gold

21 mai 2005

Located near Johannesburg, South Africa, the Tau Tona is a gold mine. The Tau Tona is the main economic life blood of Johannesburg, supplying half the world’s gold needs. It is the deepest and largest working mine in the world. Its main shaft is 3.6 km deep and consists of 800 km of tunneling. This episode gives viewers a tour of the dynamic systems involved in maintaining a working environment deep in the earth. It also provides a glimpse of what life as a mine worker is like in Tau Tona. Risking heat exhaustion, and with 10 earthquakes a day, the miners work through narrow tunnels to extract gold from a 25 cm thick gold vein.

Épisode 6 - Las Vegas

22 juin 2005

Épisode 7 - Black Gold (Oil Mine)

20 juillet 2005

Located in Alberta, Canada is the world’s largest known single deposit of oil worth trillions of dollars. However, the oil is trapped in a complex mixture of sand, water and clay, and the cost of extracting the fuel from the soil will cost billions. The episode profiles the competition between the Syncrude and the Shell Oil companies to extract the black gold. It looks at the various mega machines and systems that are used to extract, transport and the process used to separate the oil from the sand.

Épisode 8 - Diamond Diggers

27 juillet 2005

Located near Lac De Gras, Canada’s Northwest Territories, lies Canada’s first diamond mine, the Ekati Diamond Mine. The episode examines 3 mega machines utilized in the extraction and transportation of diamonds deep in the frozen rock in the remote tundra: the D90 rotary blast drill, the DeMag 655 hydraulic shovel and the CAT 793C haul truck.

Épisode 9 - Sea Launch

3 août 2005

A satellite delivered by a rocket that is launched from the earth’s equator instead of any other place, can have its lifespan extended for as much as 3 years. This would mean huge savings for the companies that own these satellites. Thus the Sea Launch was constructed. The Sea Launch is made up of 2 megastructures, a floating launch pad called the Odyssey and a shipping vessel called the Commander. The episode gives a brief history of the construction, the successes and the failures of the Sea Launch.

Épisode 10 - North Sea Wall

17 août 2005

A historic and present look at Holland's efforts to hold on to their precious land from floods as a result of rising sea levels and climate changes. After a storm in 1916, the Dutch began a labor intensive construction of a Barrier Dam in 1923, stretching 30 km in length. It resulted in the reclamation of 165,000 ha of new land, and creation of a fresh water lake. However, in 1953, a combination of a hurricane and high spring tides caused the North Sea waters to force through the barrier and flood the Dutch coastline, resulting in the loss of over 1,800 lives and 47,000 livestock. The disaster resulted in Holland's creation of the 'Delta Project'. Costing billions of dollars, the project began in 1958. The project consisted of the construction of concrete dams, steel sea walls and retractable floodgates. Environmental considerations also led to the construction of the storm surge barrier in the Eastern Scheldt, one of the biggest in the world. It consists of 2 floating gates built on special docks. The vast gates are controlled by a computer system that allows the gates to be kept open but closes when a flood is imminent. Also presented are current emergency plans that include allocation of certain areas of land to be flooded during worse case flooding...

Épisode 11 - The World's Most Extreme Island (Impossible Islands)

13 septembre 2005

Megastructure looks at how one of Dubai's greatest engineering marvel came to be. Examining the Palm-Jumeira Island from it's design to it's method of construction, the documentary also lists the problems faced in it's construction. Like the effects from the September 11 fears to corrosions and weather.

Épisode 12 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway

13 septembre 2005

Spanning 559 acres and host to over 250,000 permanent seats, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest seated sporting arena in the world. The Speedway opened its gates in 1909 during the horse-and-buggy era. Now, it is one of the most technologically advanced racetracks on the globe.

Épisode 13 - Port of Rotterdam (Super Port)

20 septembre 2005

The Port of Rotterdam is a marine freeway and one of the busiest ports. And on this particular day, the Harbour Control's skills and machines are put to the test when three most challenging ships in the world: 'The Berge Star', 'The Savana Express' and 'The Mighty Servant III', respectively known as 'The Mega Deep', 'The Mega Wide' and 'The Mega Tall' are received.

Épisode 14 - Air Force Transport (Mega Plane)

20 septembre 2005

The episode profiles the C-5 Galaxy, one of the largest aircrafts in the world, and the operations of the crew of the mega-plane. The episode includes a look at how the C-5 Galaxy transports military equipment over to the troops in Iraq from America's Dover Air Force Base.

Épisode 15 - North Branch Correctional Institution (Hi-Tech Prison)

27 septembre 2005

The North Branch Correctional Institution (NBCI) will house 2,000 violent criminals. Its security measures are much more than technological marvels they are the features that will protect the lives of prison guards and revolutionize rehabilitation programs for inmates.

Épisode 16 - Airbus A380 (World's Biggest Airliner)

4 octobre 2005

It is the largest passenger plane ever built and it is a 12 billion dollar investment. The episode documents the history of the Airbus A380, from its design concept, its interior features, the precision manufacturing, the logistics, the final assembly and its final maiden flight.

Épisode 17 - USS Virginia

11 octobre 2005

Virginia-class submarine with the U.S. Navy

Épisode 18 - Ultimate Casino

18 octobre 2005

Venetian Hotel Resort Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

Épisode 19 - The Ultimate Roller coaster

25 octobre 2005

The episode follows the construction process of the 25 million dollar Kingda Ka Roller Coaster being built by Six Flags. Constructed under secrecy, the 139m tall roller coaster will be the fastest and tallest roller coaster in the world when completed, breaking the Dragster’s record. The documentary includes brief comments from Project Engineer, Jeff Glinter, and Chief Corporate Engineer, Larry Chickola. And explains how the Kingda Ka utilises a hydraulic launch system to launch riders to a speed of 206km/h in 3 seconds.

Épisode 20 - Spy Fortress NORAD

25 octobre 2005

Examining construction of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in the Colorado mountains. Including the technical challenges it presented.

Épisode 21 - Berlin Train Terminal (Berlin's Grand Central)

15 novembre 2005

Berlin’s new train terminal is designed to be constructed almost entirely out of glass and is being rushed to completion before the World Cup 2006, when millions of soccer fans will be expected to visit Berlin. Megastructures documents the historical feat when two daring teams attempt a feat never before accomplished in construction history; the tipping of two bridges over the roof of the glass station. Already costing 4 billion dollars, almost 5 years in construction delays, over budget, and with the architect suing the developers for cutting corners, will the terminal be ready before the dateline?

Épisode 22 - Boston's Big Dig

22 novembre 2005

'National Geographic Channel MegaStructures' takes a look at the construction history of Boston Big Dig project. Costing almost 15 billion dollars and taking almost 20 yrs to complete, the Boston's Big Dig is considered to be the most complex, expensive, and technically challenging civil engineering public works project in the United States. The project was inspired by Fred Salvucci, the Transportation Commissioner to the Mayor of Boston, who wanted to find a solution to the city’s traffic woes. He came up with an idea to link up the major sectors of the city with a system of wide underground tunnels for traffic. Consisting of 4 elements, a tunnel under the harbor, an underground connection to the Interstate 90, an underground traffic system under the city itself to replace the elevated city highway, and a wide cable-stayed bridge to replace the old double-decked bridge. The episode looks at the many obstacles that were faced in the construction, from water leaks to residential protest. The episode also contains brief words from some of the major people involved in the project.

Épisode 23 - Ultimate Oil Rigs

6 décembre 2005

The dwindling energy supplies have forced oil companies to set up their oil rigs in some of the harshest environments on the globe. Ultimate Oil Rigs introduces viewers to the Noble Piet, an oil rig built to withstand the fury of the natural elements of the North Sea. The episodes follows the roughnecks as they drill for natural gases deep under the ocean bed. As well as follow the crew of Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore in the designing and building of 23 rigs within 2 years.

Épisode 24 - Baikonur Cosmodrome

13 décembre 2005

Explore the Baikonur Cosmodrome, crown jewel of Russia's space program. Trace the glorious history of this megacomplex from the landmark launches of Sputnik and the first cosmonauts to its current status as a gateway to the International Space Station.

Épisode 25 - Inside Grand Central

18 décembre 2005

Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter and intercity railroad terminal at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. The terminal serves commuters traveling on the Metro-North Railroad to Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties in New York, as well as to Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. The terminal also contains a connection to the New York City Subway at Grand Central–42nd Street. Grand Central Terminal has intricate designs both on its inside and outside, lending to its landmark designations, including as a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The terminal is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, with 21.9 million visitors in 2013.

Épisode 26 - World's Tallest Bridge (Millau Bridge)

20 décembre 2005

It is the world’s tallest bridge, at 343 m tall at its highest pillar, the Millau Viaduct in Southern France is almost a third taller than any other bridge in the world. A freeway in the sky, the bridge crosses the river Tarn in France and can save travelers almost an hour of travel between France and the Mediterranean. It also removes the traffic congestion once faced in the town of Millau. The episode documents the difficulties that the crew had to faced, and the challenging processes that were used in its construction. The documentary contains a few words from the mayor of Millau, Jacques Godfrain, the bridge architect, Norman Foster, and designer, Michel Virlogeux.

Épisode 27 - Mega Ship

27 décembre 2005

The episodes documents the 134,000 ton Mega Ship's voyage through the pirate infested waters of the Singapore and Malacca Straits carrying millions of dollars of precious cargo. From the bridge to the engine room, Megastructures follow Captain Llewellyn as he guides his ship to the port of Singapore.

Épisode 28 - Deep Sea Drillers

31 décembre 2005

Épisode 1 - Berlin Wall

14 mars 2006

A history of the Berlin Wall, the “wall of shame” that divided East and West Germany from 1961 to 1989. The hour chronicles escape attempts and how East German authorities responded to them, and also recalls the opening of the Wall on Nov. 9, 1989. East and West Germany were formally reunited a year later.

Épisode 2 - Impossible Bridges: Denmark to Sweden

18 avril 2006

The Oresund, spanning 10 miles in length, is the longest bridge in the world. The bridge links countries Denmark and Sweden, and Megastructures chronicles the history in it's design and construction.

Épisode 3 - Impossible Bridges: Greece

2 mai 2006

Megastructures chronicles the design and construction of Greece's Rion-Antirion Bridge. The bridges is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world and spans over the straits of Corinth.

Épisode 4 - Hoover Dam

16 mai 2006

Exploring Nevada's Hoover Dam in Black Canyon on the Colorado River. The 726-foot dam weighs more than 6,600,000 tons and is 660 feet thick at its base. Completed in 1936, it can store up to two years' worth of the Colorado's average water flow, and generates four billion hours of hydroelectric power a year.

Épisode 5 - Inside NCIS

30 mai 2006

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is the United States Department of the Navy's primary law enforcement agency. Let Megastructures give you a first hand tour!

Épisode 6 - Garbage Mountain

1 août 2006

NGC steps into the world of garbage in California's Puente Hills landfill, America's biggest landfill, to uncover the inner-workings at LA's filthiest suburb.

Épisode 7 - Ice Hotel

1 août 2006

10,000 tons of crystal clear ice and 30,000 tons of pure snow are needed to build the Ice Hotel in Sweden every year. The hotel accommodates over 100 guests and every bedroom is unique. It has become renowned for its ingenuity and originality but it isn't the only structure created from ice. A little further into Sweden's northern wilderness is a network of roads that are created every winter on top of the Baltic Sea. Witness the construction and disappearance of two of the world's most unique Megastructures.

Épisode 8 - Supertanker

31 août 2006

Uncovering the secrets behind the engineering and designs of the supertankers in one of the largest shipyards in the world. And discovering the technology, power and science of these lords of the oceans.

Épisode 9 - Megafactories: Apache Helicopter

28 septembre 2006

Boeing Defense, Space & Security plant in Mesa, Arizona

Épisode 10 - Panama Canal Unlocked

19 octobre 2006

Megastructures examines the mega-machines used to run the Panama Canal and uncovers the canal's five-billion dollar project for it's expansion.

Épisode 11 - Megafactories: Ferrari

7 décembre 2006

Ferrari S.p.A. factory in Maranello, Italy

Épisode 12 - Rockeaters of Iceland

31 décembre 2006

Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant

Épisode 1 - World's Tallest Hotel

9 juillet 2007

Looks at the design, engineering and construction of the luxury Burj Al-Arab Hotel, built of the coast of Dubai.

Épisode 2 - Smart Tunnel

14 juillet 2007

How an innovative tunnel in Malaysia was designed to deal with rainwater from storms, as well as provide a solution to traffic problems.

Épisode 3 - Queen Mary 2

16 juillet 2007

Megastructures will take you on a voyage through the largest ocean liner ever built, from the cutting of the first steel panel to the installation of the iconic red and black funnel of this 800 million dollar giant of the seas.

Épisode 4 - South Pole Station

6 novembre 2007

Welcome to the South Pole, one of the most isolated places on the planet. For decades, the South Pole has been a haven for astronomy, climatology, and other science fields. Now, nearly 50 years after the first research station was built, a team of mega-builders is daring to construct a 21st century science research facility: the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

Épisode 5 - Beijing Water Cube

13 mai 2008

Just in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, workers are feverishly putting the finishing touches on the National Aquatics Centre – the Beijing Water Cube. A stroke of design genius, this Olympic Megastructure is a steel honeycomb-like frame enclosed entirely by a unique skin, modelled after soap bubbles. Using 90 kilometres worth of steel in 22,000 beams following no conventional straight lines, the Beijing Water Cube must be topped with 100,000 square metres of bubbles. Looking for a truly unique covering, the design team focuses on ETFE – a light-weight plastic invented to protect spaceships from cosmic radiation. Among ETFE’s unique properties, dot patterns on its surface can trap solar energy in the winter and reflect solar energy in the summer, keeping the building cool. The Beijing Water Cube is the largest ETFE construction in the world, and because of its honeycomb-like structure, 3,500 ETFE bubbles must be cut individually, and sized. Factor in that the dimensions have been created in Germany and must be translated into a Chinese database and the Beijing Water Cube becomes a bit of a logistical nightmare. Beijing’s Water Cube represents a true morphing of molecular science, architecture and structural engineering.

Épisode 6 - Bridge Breakdown

15 mai 2008

Demolition of the (1927) Carquinez Bridge in the San Francisco Bay Area

Épisode 7 - 747 Destruction

16 mai 2008

For years, when a jumbo jet reached the end of its 30-year lifespan, it'd end up in a scrap yard, or rotting at the end of a runway. But at the Evergreen Air Center in Marana, Arizona, planes past their prime are recycled instead. We'll witness each step.

Épisode 8 - Shanghai Super Tower

20 mai 2008

The design and construction of the Shanghai World Financial Centre which, at 101 floors high, will be China's tallest structure.

Épisode 9 - China's Ultimate Port (Yangshan Deep Ocean Port)

27 mai 2008

In 2002, Chinese engineers and workers tackled one of the biggest construction projects on earth, the Yangshan Deep Water Port. Thirty km out to sea, with 20 km of quay and fifty berths, Yangshan is destined to become the biggest deepwater port ever built. Linked to China by the world’s second-longest ocean bridge, Yangshan’s deep water allows the world’s biggest container ships to come calling. Its massive cranes, cutting-edge control system, and focused personnel are already shattering records for loading and unloading gigantic container ships and it’s not even finished being built.

Épisode 10 - Sinking an Aircraft Carrier

29 mai 2008

A specialist demolition team attempt to create the largest artificial reef in the world by sinking the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany. As they battle through thick steel plating and hazardous waste, the workers are aided by marine architects, divers, engineering units and local authorities.

Épisode 11 - The World's Biggest Cruise Liner

4 juin 2008

Looks at the technological designs and construction of the huge cruiseliner "Freedom of the Seas".

Épisode 12 - Beijing Olympic Stadium

5 août 2008

The building of the main stadium for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

Épisode 13 - World's Biggest Casino

World's Largest Casino follows the construction of the world's biggest casino and its second biggest building. It's being sited in Macau, in Southern China, which is being groomed to be Asia's capital of gambling. The Venetian is to be built by the Sands Corporation of Las Vegas, and is to feature a giant hotel with 3000 suites, a 15,000 seat arena, a theatre, event halls, 350 shops along indoor canals hundreds of metres long, an outdoor lagoon for gondola rides, and above all, a huge casino floor the size of eight football pitches. We follow the reclamation of land between two islands for this project, and watch it fly up in record time due to special working methods being devised – from on-site factories, to having prefabricated parts trucked in from China. We see how the ambitious designs are brought to reality, despite the pressures and an environment that's very different from America, both in terms of climate and culture. We go in-depth into the amazing concern for detail in the outfitting and decoration which will turn a giant concrete conglomeration of structures into a place designed to entice people to stay as long as possible. Andwe meet the people responsible for putting the project together, and see how they co-operate to get the resort open on time. But will the public come to visit this US$2.4bn megastructure? There's no guarantee...

Épisode 14 - Icelandic Super Dam

This episode looks at the Karahnjukar Hydroelectric Project in Iceland - an audacious engineering feat that includes the building of Europe's highest dam, the drilling of 30-mile-long tunnels and the construction of a gigantic underground power plant.

Épisode 15 - Future Trains

The world's first electromagnetic levitation train linking Shanghai's airport and financial district offers a safe, energy efficient transport system that could change the face of 21st century travel.

Épisode 16 - Building the World

The engineering, design and construction of a man-made archipelago, built in the shape of a world map, just off the coast off Dubai, the project of ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Épisode 17 - Train Wreck

Railroads are the backbone of American industry. 170,000 miles of track crisscross the country from coast to coast, moving two quadrillion tons of freight every year. But nothing lasts forever, and that includes a couple of 180-ton locomotives. Their engine technology is inefficient so they're headed for the scrap dealer where they'll be cut down and cannibalised. Any salvageable parts must come out intact for resale, while any leftover metals – like steel and copper – will be cut up, melted down and ultimately reformed into new products. In this business, nothing goes to waste. Take an inside look at the unknown world of scrap, where locomotives go to die and be reborn.

Épisode 18 - Building Green Beijing

Embarking on a quest to design and build a meeting place for athletes and their families at the Games, the designers of the Olympic Rendezvous must come up with a design that genuinely reflects green ideas and complements the green themed games.

Épisode 19 - Atom Smasher

The Large Hadron Collider is a titan of science. Built on an unsurpassed scale, scientists aim to capture the smallest particles in the universe.

Épisode 20 - Impossible Bridges: China

11 juin 2006

Lupu Bridge in Shanghai, Runyang Bridge in Jiangsu Province, and Sutong Bridge near Suzhou

Épisode 21 - Ultimate Sub (Super Sub)

USS Texas (Virginia-class submarine) in the U.S. Navy

Épisode 22 - Man Made Sun

The world of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), an evolving technology to harness the sun's rays on a massive scale to power entire communities.

Épisode 23 - Super Pipeline

Super Pipeline looks at one of the gas industry’s riskiest projects ever undertaken. By 2008, Britain will be connected to Norway via a 1,200 km super pipeline. It’s composed of over one million tonnes of steel and equating to a 1/3 of the world’s combined pipeline production company. Yet all of the work must be completed by robots working 3 km under the North Sea against harsh underwater currents, sub-zero temperatures and abysmal wind and wave conditions.

Épisode 24 - Hawaii Superferry

A team of workers in Alabama is creating the largest aluminium vessel of its kind for the waves of Hawaii. This 'super ferry' will hold shops, restaurants and 300 cars.

Épisode 25 - Deep Earth Drillers

Behind the scenes of geothermal power complexes in California and Iceland, and a look at how scientists hope to expand its use by digging deeper into the Earth's crust.

Épisode 26 - World Trade Center Bahrain

There are no such similar Buildings in the world. The Bahrain World Trade Center (also called Bahrain WTC or BWTC) is a 240-metre-high (787 ft), 50-floor, twin tower complex located in Manama, Bahrain. The towers were built in 2008 by the multi-national architectural firm Atkins. It is the first skyscraper in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design. The wind turbines were developed, built and installed by Danish company Norwin A/S. The structure is constructed close to the King Faisal Highway, near popular landmarks such as the towers of Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH), NBB and Abraj Al Lulu. It currently ranks as the second-tallest building in Bahrain, after the twin towers of the Bahrain Financial Harbour.

Épisode 27 - The World's Biggest Shredder

The world's largest recycling machine is the size of a factory. It reduces the equivalent of 450 cars an hour to an unrecognisable pulp, shredding 9 million tonnes of scrap metal every year.

Épisode 28 - Earthquake Glasshouse

Academy of Sciences, California

Épisode 1 - Extreme Helicopter

16 juin 2009

The only purpose-built "flying crane" in existence, the Air-Crane heavy lift-helicopter is the most powerful helicopter workhorse in the world. It does extra-heavy, brute-force work with surgical precision thanks to its ability to keep its hanging load from twisting or swinging while aloft. It's also the only helicopter in the world with an aft-facing pilot seat to allow the payload to be strategically placed.

Épisode 2 - Skyscraper (Ultimate Skyscraper)

1 octobre 2009

Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, NYC

Épisode 3 - UK Super Train

8 janvier 2010

It's one of the biggest construction projects in British engineering history. A new high-speed rail line costing several billion pounds and cutting through some of the most heavily developed land on the planet to complete a high speed link between two of Europe's major capitals: the Channel Tunnel between London and Paris. High Speed One's design and construction overcame unprecedented obstacles to achieve what many thought was impossible. Step aboard to explore the engineering behind this UK super train line.

Épisode 4 - Wave Energy

27 mai 2010

Épisode 5 - Secrets of Oscar Tar Bridge

9 octobre 2010

Épisode 6 - China's Smart Tower

26 novembre 2010

The Pearl River Tower is one of the first of a new generation of super smart buildings. It will use less than half the energy of a conventional skyscraper and will harvest the forces of nature to make energy of its own. With a curved facade that faces directly into the wind, the Pearl River Tower in China's Guangzhou City is shaped for performance. With a design specific to its environment, the Pearl River Tower utilizes a multitude of energy efficient technologies in one single structure, and symbolizes the future for super-tall building design.

Épisode 7 - Future Bridge

Épisode 1 - The Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi

28 janvier 2011 - 5/5

The Capital Gate building will create an iconic and avant-garde entrance to the city of Abu Dhabi. Leaning at a whopping 18 degrees westward, the tower will claim the Guinness Book of World Records title of Most Inclined Building on Earth. Discover how the engineers and architects overcome the force of gravity, and transform this vision into reality.

Épisode 2 - Time Bomb Tunnel

29 janvier 2011

Épisode 3 - Singapore's Vegas

3 février 2011

The secrets behind Singapore's Marina Bay Sands development, which includes hotels, a museum, casino, waterfront promenade and theatres.

Épisode 4 - World's Tallest TV Tower

11 février 2011

At 610m high the Guangzhou Sightseeing and TV Tower is the tallest television tower on earth and among the world's top ten tallest buildings. Tough enough to withstand typhoon, earthquake and other assaults from Mother Nature, this elegant building forced a rewrite of the rule books. A deceptively simple twist in the middle of the main 450m tower sets this super tall building in a mega class of its own and, proves a test of massive proportions for the team responsible for breathing life into the vision of Dutch architects Mark Hemel and Barbara Kuit.

Épisode 5 - Ecoark

27 mars 2011

The renovated California Academy of Sciences - the world's largest green public building - emerges from the landscape of Golden Gate Park. Viewed from the air, the undulating living roof resembles a piece of the park flying as if by magic.

Épisode 6 - Korean Superlink

17 novembre 2011

Busan-Geoje Fixed Link

Épisode 1 - Bridge of Mostar

Épisode 2 - London Olympic Stadium

Come summer 2012, the eyes of the world will be focused on a sporting megastructure: London's Olympic Stadium - the centerpiece of the 2012 Games. By day it will be the venue for all track and field events, and by night, a dazzling stage for London's opening and closing ceremonies. But this isn't just a place where world records will be set. It's a milestone in sporting architecture. Designed to be different, Stadium 2012 is the world's first "demountable" Olympic Stadium. Bolted together like a giant Meccano set, the 80,000-seat arena can be taken apart and downsized to a 25,000-seat athletics venue after the games. But creating a stadium that's lighter and tighter is a massive undertaking, fraught with challenges. Will London have an Olympic arena to be proud of? Or will this go down in history as the stadium that failed to impress?

Épisode 3 - World's Tallest Skyscraper

A look at the construction of the half-a-mile-high Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Built on shifting sands and in 115-degree heat, the 200-storey tower pushed engineering to new limits.

Épisode 4 - Phantom jet

The F-4 Phantom has flown in Air Force squadrons from the United States, Europe and Asia. Its speed, agility, and firepower make it one of the most accurate and lethal fighter jets in the world.

Épisode 5 - Worlds Biggest Tent

World-renowned architect Norman Foster details his plans for a space-age entertainment centre in the capital of Kazakhstan.

Épisode 6 - Second Penang Bridge

The building of the second bridge connecting Peninsular Malaysia to Penang Island spanning a total of 24km, and 16.9km of that over water.

Épisode 7 - India's Solar Power House

Kamuthi Solar Power Project

Épisode 8 - Mundra Port

Mundra Port

Épisode 5 - World’s Greatest Concert Hall (Hamburg Germany)

9 juin 2018

On top of an old warehouse in Hamburg, the architects of Beijing's Birds Nest Stadium are building a dramatic new concert hall.

Épisode 1 - Porte-avions : USS Ronald Reagan

15 septembre 2004

Le dernier-né des porte-avions américains vous invite à monter à bord pour son voyage inaugural. Arpentez les ponts et les coursives et découvrez la mécanique de précision qui préside à l'organisation de cette ville flottante.

Épisode 2 - Les autoroutes allemandes

19 septembre 2004

C'est l'un des derniers endroits au monde qui ne connaît pas la limitation de vitesse. Le réseau allemand d'autoroutes fait rêver les chauffeurs et les chauffards.

Épisode 3 - Le tunnel sous la Manche

22 septembre 2004

Le rêve de Napoléon III et de la reine Victoria est enfin devenu réalité: le tunnel sous la Manche relie la Grande-Bretagne au continent. Non sans peine: inondations et effondrements ont pimenté la tâche des ingénieurs.

Épisode 4 - La tour Sears

29 septembre 2004 - 4/5

La Sears Tower est un gratte-ciel de Chicago (Illinois), aux États-Unis, achevé en 1974 de l'architecte Bruce Graham. C'est à ce jour l'immeuble le plus haut des États-Unis. Dépassant le World Trade Center, c'était également le bâtiment le plus haut du monde (527.3 mètres et 110 étages) entre 1974 et 1998 jusqu'à la construction des tours jumelles Petronas de Kuala Lumpur en Malaisie.

Épisode 5 - Kansai International: un aéroport sur la mer

13 octobre 2004

Construit sur une île artificielle, l'aéroport d'Osaka doit supporter l'activité de la plateforme mais aussi les typhons et séismes fréquents dans la région.

Épisode 6 - Le Pont d'Akashi

20 septembre 2004

Le pont du détroit d'Akashi (Akashi-Kaikyō Ōhashi) est un pont suspendu, situé au Japon. Il franchit la mer intérieure de Seto pour relier Kōbe, sur l'île principale de Honshū, à ville de Awaji, sur l'île de même nom. Sa portée centrale est la plus longue du monde, avec 1991 m. La longueur totale du pont est de 3911 m. Ce pont est le dernier élément d'un réseau qui relie les quatre îles principales du Japon : Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyu Shu et Shikoku

Épisode 7 - Le barrage d'Itaipu

27 octobre 2004 - 3/5

Bâti sur le fleuve Parana, à la frontière du Brésil et du Paraguay, le barrage d'Itaipu est la deuxième plus grande centrale hydroélectrique du monde. De 1975 à 1991, le Brésil et le Paraguay font construire le barrage d'Itaipu sur le Parana, deuxième fleuve d'Amérique du Sud. Longue de sept kilomètres, cette structure abrite l'une des plus puissantes centrales hydroélectriques du monde, après le barrage chinois des Trois Gorges. Retour sur les grandes étapes de la construction de cet édifice, au cours de laquelle les ouvriers ont été confrontés à de nombreuses difficultés.

Épisode 8 - Les tours Petronas

10 novembre 2004

Pour promouvoir son pays comme une nation moderne, le Premier ministre de Malaisie s'est mis en tête de construire, à Kuala Lumpur, les plus hautes tours de la planète. Il s'agit des tours Petronas, du nom de la principale société pétrolière du pays. Ces deux tours de quatre-cent-cinquante-deux mètres de haut constituent aujourd'hui une vraie «ville dans la ville». Leur édification a constitué un véritable défi technique et humain. Les deux sociétés mises en concurrence - chacune s'occupant de la construction d'une des tours - ont en effet été confrontées à de nombreux imprévus. Gros plan sur l'un des chantiers les plus colossaux du siècle.

Épisode 9 - Inside a Super Casino

1 décembre 2004

Megastructures gets an inside look into the 13-year design and construction of Atlantic City's towering new casino, the Borgata.

Épisode 10 - Money Factory

31 décembre 2004

U.S. Treasury

Épisode 1 - Le Golden Gate

2 mars 2005

Le Golden Gate Bridge (littéralement le « pont de la porte dorée ») est un pont suspendu de Californie qui traverse le Golden Gate, un détroit qui correspond à la jonction entre la baie de San Francisco et l’océan Pacifique. Il relie ainsi la ville de San Francisco, située à la pointe nord de la péninsule de San Francisco à la ville de Sausalito, située à la pointe sud de la péninsule du Comté de Marin. Sa construction, qui s'est heurtée à de nombreuses complications, a débuté en 1933 et s’est étalée sur une durée de quatre ans, pour s'achever en 1937. Le Golden Gate Bridge a été jusqu’en 1964 le pont suspendu le plus long du monde, et constitue aujourd’hui le monument le plus célèbre de San Francisco. Il est en outre très aisément reconnaissable par sa couleur « orange international » et par l’architecture de ses deux tours.

Épisode 2 - Alcatraz

16 mars 2005

The worst of the worst were sent here—men like Al "Scarface" Capone, Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, "The Birdman" Robert Stroud. For 29 years, Alcatraz was a ferocious battle between America's toughest prison and the brilliant criminal minds locked inside. We'll explore the design, construction and legendary escapes from The Rock.

Épisode 3 - Le Pentagone

1 avril 2005

Première visite approfondie du Pentagone, le plus grand bâtiment du monde, après les attentats du 11 septembre. Entretiens inédits avec les rescapés et les sauveteurs.

Épisode 4 - World's Busiest Port

13 mai 2005

Megastructure takes viewers on an inside look at how the Port of Singapore is able to move a third of the world's trade through the use of shipping and high-tech mega-systems.

Épisode 5 - Tau Tona - La plus grande mine d'or

27 mai 2005

A la découverte de la plus grande et la plus profonde mine d'or du monde située à Tau Tona, en Afrique du Sud, de sa conception à sa réalisation, véritable exploit technique.

Épisode 6 - Las Vegas

22 juin 2005

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Épisode 7 - Une mine d'or noir

20 juillet 2005

Located in Alberta, Canada is the world’s largest known single deposit of oil worth trillions of dollars. However, the oil is trapped in a complex mixture of sand, water and clay, and the cost of extracting the fuel from the soil will cost billions. The episode profiles the competition between the Syncrude and the Shell Oil companies to extract the black gold. It looks at the various mega machines and systems that are used to extract, transport and the process used to separate the oil from the sand.

Épisode 8 - Forages Extrêmes

27 juillet 2005

Located near Lac De Gras, Canada’s Northwest Territories, lies Canada’s first diamond mine, the Ekati Diamond Mine. The episode examines 3 mega machines utilized in the extraction and transportation of diamonds deep in the frozen rock in the remote tundra: the D90 rotary blast drill, the DeMag 655 hydraulic shovel and the CAT 793C haul truck.

Épisode 9 - La base de lancement Sea Launch

3 août 2005

Voici l'histoire d'un innovation technologique unique au Monde, un site de lancement de satellite transportant des fusées jusqu'à l'équateur et qui place des satellites en orbite depuis une plate-forme flottante.

Épisode 10 - Le Récif Artificiel

17 août 2005

A historic and present look at Holland's efforts to hold on to their precious land from floods as a result of rising sea levels and climate changes. After a storm in 1916, the Dutch began a labor intensive construction of a Barrier Dam in 1923, stretching 30 km in length. It resulted in the reclamation of 165,000 ha of new land, and creation of a fresh water lake. However, in 1953, a combination of a hurricane and high spring tides caused the North Sea waters to force through the barrier and flood the Dutch coastline, resulting in the loss of over 1,800 lives and 47,000 livestock. The disaster resulted in Holland's creation of the 'Delta Project'. Costing billions of dollars, the project began in 1958. The project consisted of the construction of concrete dams, steel sea walls and retractable floodgates. Environmental considerations also led to the construction of the storm surge barrier in the Eastern Scheldt, one of the biggest in the world. It consists of 2 floating gates built on special docks. The vast gates are controlled by a computer system that allows the gates to be kept open but closes when a flood is imminent. Also presented are current emergency plans that include allocation of certain areas of land to be flooded during worse case flooding..

Épisode 11 - Au coeur d'un sous-marin nucléaire : USS Viginia

4 septembre 2005

USS Virginia, le dernier-né des sous-marins nucléaires américains, est conçu pour répondre aux nouveaux besoins stratégiques et utilise les technologies les plus avancées.

Épisode 12 - Indy Motor Speedway

13 septembre 2005

Spanning 559 acres and host to over 250,000 permanent seats, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest seated sporting arena in the world. The Speedway opened its gates in 1909 during the horse-and-buggy era. Now, it is one of the most technologically advanced racetracks on the globe.

Épisode 13 - Les îles artificielles de Dubaï

13 septembre 2005

Un projet colossal en cours de réalisation dans le Golfe Persique: une île artificielle en forme de palmier qui va changer la forme même de la côte. Suivez la course contre la montre que représente sa construction.

Épisode 14 - Le Port De Rotterdam

20 septembre 2005

English Below Voyage au Pays-Bas pour un regard sur le super port de Rotterdam. En tant que port le plus achalandé d'Europe, le travail du contrôleur est mis à rude épreuve en recevant les navires plus grands et les plus difficiles au monde, y compris la plus grande cale sèche du monde et le deuxième plus grand navire porte-conteneurs dans le monde qui transporte près de 8500 conteneurs. Super Port Journey to the Netherlands for an inside look at Rotterdam's Super Port. As Europe's busiest port, its Harbor Control is put to the test by receiving some of the largest and most challenging ships in the world, including the world's largest dry bulk carrier and the second largest container ship in the world that hauls almost 8,500 containers.

Épisode 15 - Antonov 124

20 septembre 2005

Épisode 16 - L'Airbus A380

4 octobre 2005

Massif mais élégant, l'Airbus A380 marque une nouvelle ère dans l'aviation civile. Retour sur les différentes étapes d'un défi industriel et technologique.

Épisode 17 - Un casino vénitien à Las Vegas

18 octobre 2005

Hôtel parmi les plus extravagants de Las Vegas, le "Venetian" se veut une réplique des plus célèbres monuments vénitiens et des canaux qui les entourent.

Épisode 18 - Ultimate Casino

18 octobre 2005

Épisode 19 - L'Ultime Grand-Huit

25 octobre 2005

Kingda Ka, c'est le plus grand et le plus rapide grand huit jamais construit. Capable de vous entraîner de 0 à 200 km/h en 3,5 secondes, haut de 45 étages, Kingda Ka est un véritable géant.

Épisode 20 - Cheyenne Mountain - Le NORAD

25 octobre 2005

Découverte du Norad, le système de défense anti-aérien de l'armée américaine, niché au coeur des magnifiques montagnes Cheyenne, dans le Colorado.

Épisode 21 - Berlin's Grand Central (Berlin Train Terminal)

15 novembre 2005

Berlin’s new train terminal is designed to be constructed almost entirely out of glass and is being rushed to completion before the World Cup 2006, when millions of soccer fans will be expected to visit Berlin. Megastructures documents the historical feat when two daring teams attempt a feat never before accomplished in construction history; the tipping of two bridges over the roof of the glass station. Already costing 4 billion dollars, almost 5 years in construction delays, over budget, and with the architect suing the developers for cutting corners, will the terminal be ready before the dateline?

Épisode 22 - Le tunnel de Boston

22 novembre 2005

Comment construire une autoroute de dix voies sous une des plus grandes villes des Etats-Unis? Sans déranger la vie d'une mégapole, un projet de 15 milliards de dollars voit le jour.

Épisode 23 - La plus grande plateforme pétrolière du monde

6 décembre 2005

En Mer du Nord, il faut des moyens de prospection particulièrement solides pour extraire le pétrole. C'est le travail le plus dur, avec une des plus grosses installations pétrolières du monde.

Épisode 24 - Baikonur Cosmodrome

13 décembre 2005

Explore the Baikonur Cosmodrome, crown jewel of Russia's space program. Trace the glorious history of this megacomplex from the landmark launches of Sputnik and the first cosmonauts to its current status as a gateway to the International Space Station.

Épisode 25 - Inside Grand Central

18 décembre 2005

Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter and intercity railroad terminal at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. The terminal serves commuters traveling on the Metro-North Railroad to Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties in New York, as well as to Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. The terminal also contains a connection to the New York City Subway at Grand Central–42nd Street. Grand Central Terminal has intricate designs both on its inside and outside, lending to its landmark designations, including as a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The terminal is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, with 21.9 million visitors in 2013.

Épisode 26 - Le viaduc de Millau

20 décembre 2005

Ouvert en décembre 2004 dans le sud de la France, le viaduc de Millau est le plus haut du monde, atteignant 343 mètres. Cette mégastructure de 2,5km de long surpasse même la Tour Eiffel.

Épisode 27 - Le Géant des Mers

27 décembre 2005

Le géant des mers. L'OOCL Atlanta est un gigantesque porte-containers ; long comme la tour Eiffel, il compte parmi les plus gros cargos du monde. Cette énorme masse fonctionne avec un équipage de 22 personnes et parcourt chaque année plus de deux fois la distance de la Terre à la Lune. Son capitaine en présente le fonctionnement et la vie à bord alors que le navire franchit le détroit de Malacca, -qui est une des eaux les plus fréquentées du monde-, fait escale au port de Singapour, un des plus actifs du monde, et part vers Hong Kong en franchissant les eaux du Sud de la Chine, infestées de pirates. Visite du bateau des ponts à la cale, en passant par la salle des machines. Tout un système informatisé ultra moderne doit permettre d'emmener en toute sécurité tous types de chargements, allant des fruits de mer surgelés aux bouteilles de vin australien, en perdant un minimum de temps en chargements ou déchargements.

Épisode 28 - Les forages en haute mer du nord

20 janvier 2013

La construction du plus grand gazoduc du monde

Épisode 1 - Berlin Wall

14 mars 2006

A history of the Berlin Wall, the “wall of shame” that divided East and West Germany from 1961 to 1989. The hour chronicles escape attempts and how East German authorities responded to them, and also recalls the opening of the Wall on Nov. 9, 1989. East and West Germany were formally reunited a year later.

Épisode 2 - Le pont-tunnel de Copenhague à Malmö

18 avril 2006

Dans son genre, un pont simple sur lequel reposent à la fois autoroute et voies ferrées, le pont de l'Oresund est le plus long du monde. En permettant de relier d'une traite Malmö à Copenhague, la Suède au Danemark, il a changé la carte de l'Europe du Nord. Sa construction durant la dernière décennie du XXe siècle a présenté de nombreux défis, posés par la proximité d'un aéroport et par la géographie d'un détroit très fréquenté et a demandé la création d'une île artificielle, le creusement d'un tunnel, le désamorçage de bombes datant de la seconde guerre mondiale. De plus, son inauguration le 1er juillet 2000 n'a pas sonné le glas à toutes les préoccupations : sa maintenance est un défi de chaque instant...

Épisode 3 - Un pont pour le Péloponnèse

2 mai 2006

Le pont Rion-Antirion est le plus long pont à haubans du Monde. Bâti au-dessus d'une faille sismique, ce pont surplombe une mer profonde 60 mètres. Découvrez comment les ingénieurs ont surmonté la nature.

Épisode 4 - Hoover Dam

16 mai 2006

Exploring Nevada's Hoover Dam in Black Canyon on the Colorado River. The 726-foot dam weighs more than 6,600,000 tons and is 660 feet thick at its base. Completed in 1936, it can store up to two years' worth of the Colorado's average water flow, and generates four billion hours of hydroelectric power a year.

Épisode 5 - Inside NCIS

30 mai 2006

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is the United States Department of the Navy's primary law enforcement agency. Let Megastructures give you a first hand tour!

Épisode 6 - La Montagne aux ordures

1 août 2006

Découvrez le monde gigantesque des ordures dans la plus grande décharge américaine, à Puente Hills, en Californie. 2:000 tonnes d'ordures y sont traitées en une heure.

Épisode 7 - Money Factory

13 mai 2006

Explore the US Treasury's impenetrable subterranean vaults housing monster money-making machines that churn out billions of dollars. See the army of protectors that ensure the world's most powerful economy with the mantra: "In God We Trust". Discover the elaborate systems of design and protection at the US Treasury premier currency manufacturer and her sister operation, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Épisode 8 - Machines of War: Tanks

17 août 2006

No summary currently.

Épisode 9 - Supertanker

31 août 2006

Uncovering the secrets behind the engineering and designs of the supertankers in one of the largest shipyards in the world. And discovering the technology, power and science of these lords of the oceans.

Épisode 10 - Machines of War: Missiles

7 septembre 2006

Track the flight of a Tomahawk cruise missile from launch to target and discover the technology that makes the missile the ultimate surgical attack weapon.

Épisode 11 - How it's built: Steel

21 septembre 2006

It's man made and one of the strongest materials on earth. Explore the science behind steel and the innovations it has made possible -- from the Brooklyn Bridge to the tools for medical miracles.

Épisode 12 - Machines of War: Guns

12 octobre 2006

The history and evolution of the gun.

Épisode 13 - Les défis du canal de Panamá

19 octobre 2006

Comment faisait-on avant le percement du canal de Panamá ? La voie ouverte entre l'Atlantique et le Pacifique est tellement incontournable qu'on est en droit de se poser la question. La construction de ce canal mobilisa quelque 100 000 ouvriers : retour en images sur cette épopée étonnante et, à bien des égards, héroïque. Cette réalisation, l'une des «merveilles du monde industriel», doit aujourd'hui relever le défi de l'accroissement du trafic maritime et de la taille des navires empruntant ce couloir : la moindre erreur de prévision du trafic peut engendrer accidents, retards ou surcoûts exponentiels.

Épisode 14 - The Science of Brick

2 novembre 2006

Brick: They are an essential building block of civilization. They are one of the worlds first building materials and today they continue to create structures that amaze us. From paving our driveways to lining our fireplaces and chimneys, brick is part of our daily lives. But when thousands or millions of these simple blocks are stacked together, people have changed the course of history. How Its Built: Brick will bring viewers through the process that takes a lump of clay, forms it into a simple block, and then uses fire to transform it into a rock hard building material.

Épisode 15 - Le béton

14 novembre 2006

Le béton ne jouit pas généralement d'une bonne réputation, étant associé aux immeubles modernes utilitaires et laids. Pourtant, dès l'époque de l'Empire romain, le béton a été utilisé pour construire des édifices non seulement solides, mais aussi élégants, par exemple le dôme du Panthéon à Rome. Beaucoup de constructions qui ont changé notre monde n'auraient jamais pu être réalisées sans cette matière, comme le canal de Panama

Épisode 16 - Ponts de la Chine Nouvelle

11 juillet 2006

Lupu Bridge in Shanghai, Runyang Bridge in Jiangsu Province, and Sutong Bridge near Suzhou

Épisode 17 - Rock Eaters of Iceland

31 décembre 2006

Épisode 18 - Boston's Big Dig

30 janvier 2006 - 5/5

Looks at the design, planning and construction of the Boston Big Dig, in which a whole new transport network is built beneath the city of Boston, USA.

Épisode 19 - Millau Bridge

23 janvier 2006

Documentary looking at the planning and construction of the Millau Viaduct in southern France, the tallest bridge in the world.

Épisode 99 - DOES NOT EXIST - PLEASE DELETE

7 décembre 2006

Épisode 1 - Electric Ocean

12 mai 2007

Three teams of engineers are locked in a race to harness what may be the most powerful form of green energy: swift tidal currents and battering waves, the power of the oceans.

Épisode 2 - Queen Mary 2

16 juillet 2007

Megastructures will take you on a voyage through the largest ocean liner ever built, from the cutting of the first steel panel to the installation of the iconic red and black funnel of this 800 million dollar giant of the seas.

Épisode 3 - Building the World

23 juillet 2007

The engineering, design and construction of a man-made archipelago, built in the shape of a world map, just off the coast off Dubai, the project of ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Épisode 4 - Impossible Hotels: Dubai

12 août 2007

Looks at the design, engineering and construction of the luxury Burj Al-Arab Hotel, built of the coast of Dubai.

Épisode 5 - L’hôtel 7 étoiles de Dubaï

25 août 2007 - 4/5

Après l'épuisement des ressources pétrolières, Dubaï tente de devenir la première destination touristique du monde. Le palace Burj al Arab, en construction sur une île artificielle, est la preuve d'innovations incroyables en matière d'ingénierie. Véritable icône architecturale du xxie siècle, cette tour, mesurant plus de 320 mètres de hauteur, émerge de la mer telle la voile d'un navire. Comment ses concepteurs, pourtant novices en la matière, ont-ils planifié et réalisé la construction du plus grand et du plus luxueux hôtel au monde ?

Épisode 6 - Extreme Alaska

- 4/5

Building Extreme Alaska is about how nature engineered and built America's most rugged state, rock by rock. The State of Alaska is a vast and powerful natural structure forged over millions of years and boasts some of the world's most extreme environments. Alaska is raw and radical - natural engineering - taken to its limit. The construction zone of mountains, volcanoes, glaciers and earthquakes still keep Alaska humming. Building Extreme Alaska leads you through the working parts of this natural mechanical engineering machine.

Épisode 7 - Deep Ocean Port

- 4/5

In 2002 Chinese engineers and workers tackled one of the biggest construction projects on earth. Thirty kilometers out to sea in the middle of the ocean is the location for Yangshan Deep Water Port. With twenty kilometers of quay and fifty berths Yangshan is destined to become the biggest deepwater port ever built. Linked to China by the worlds second-longest ocean bridge Yangshans deep water allows the worlds biggest container ships to come calling. Its massive cranes cutting-edge control system and focused personnel are already shattering records for loading and unloading gigantic container ships and its not even finished being built.

Épisode 8 - Building Green Beijing

- 4/5

Embarking on a quest to design and build a meeting place for athletes and their families at the Games, the designers of the Olympic Rendezvous must come up with a design that genuinely reflects green ideas and complements the green themed games.

Épisode 9 - Super Sub (Ultimate Sub): USS Texas

- 5/5

Épisode 10 - World's Biggest Casino

- 5/5

The Venetian Macao, the world's biggest casino in Macau.

Épisode 11 - Ice Hotel

- 4/5

Épisode 12 - Future Trains

The maglev train of Germany is investigated.

Épisode 14 - Pas de titre

Épisode 1 - Les Plus Grands Pipelines

- 5/5

Super Pipeline looks at one of the gas industry’s riskiest projects ever undertaken. By 2008, Britain will be connected to Norway via a 1,200 km super pipeline. It’s composed of over one million tonnes of steel and equating to a 1/3 of the world’s combined pipeline production company. Yet all of the work must be completed by robots working 3 km under the North Sea against harsh underwater currents, sub-zero temperatures and abysmal wind and wave conditions

Épisode 2 - Atom Smasher

8 janvier 2008

The Large Hadron Collider is a titan of science. Built on an unsurpassed scale, scientists aim to capture the smallest particles in the universe.

Épisode 3 - Mission au Pôle Sud

9 janvier 2008

Welcome to the South Pole, one of the most isolated places on the planet. For decades, the South Pole has been a haven for astronomy, climatology, and other science fields. Now, nearly 50 years after the first research station was built, a team of mega-builders is daring to construct a 21st century science research facility: the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

Épisode 4 - Shanghai Super Tower

14 mai 2008

The design and construction of the Shanghai World Financial Centre which, at 101 floors high, will be China's tallest structure.

Épisode 5 - Le cube d'eau de Pekin

21 mai 2008 - 4/5

Just in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, workers are feverishly putting the finishing touches on the National Aquatics Centre – the Beijing Water Cube. A stroke of design genius, this Olympic Megastructure is a steel honeycomb-like frame enclosed entirely by a unique skin, modelled after soap bubbles. Using 90 kilometres worth of steel in 22,000 beams following no conventional straight lines, the Beijing Water Cube must be topped with 100,000 square metres of bubbles. Looking for a truly unique covering, the design team focuses on ETFE – a light-weight plastic invented to protect spaceships from cosmic radiation. Among ETFE’s unique properties, dot patterns on its surface can trap solar energy in the winter and reflect solar energy in the summer, keeping the building cool. The Beijing Water Cube is the largest ETFE construction in the world, and because of its honeycomb-like structure, 3,500 ETFE bubbles must be cut individually, and sized. Factor in that the dimensions have been created in Germany and must be translated into a Chinese database and the Beijing Water Cube becomes a bit of a logistical nightmare. Beijing’s Water Cube represents a true morphing of molecular science, architecture and structural engineering.

Épisode 6 - Bridge Breakdown

15 mai 2008

Demolition of the (1927) Carquinez Bridge in the San Francisco Bay Area

Épisode 7 - Sinking an Aircraft Carrier

29 mai 2008

A specialist demolition team attempt to create the largest artificial reef in the world by sinking the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany. As they battle through thick steel plating and hazardous waste, the workers are aided by marine architects, divers, engineering units and local authorities.

Épisode 8 - Le Paquebot suprême

4 juin 2008

Looks at the technological designs and construction of the huge cruiseliner "Freedom of the Seas".

Épisode 9 - Une prison dernier cri

15 juin 2008

Pour être achevé d'ici à 2007, le Maryland's North Branch Correctional Institution sera l'un des pays les plus salut-technologie prisons. La conception et la construction de l'installation et de l'amélioration de certains dispositifs de sécurité installés sont explorées dans cet épisode.

Épisode 10 - Barrage Géant En Islande

18 juin 2008

This episode looks at the Karahnjukar Hydroelectric Project in Iceland - an audacious engineering feat that includes the building of Europe's highest dam, the drilling of 30-mile-long tunnels and the construction of a gigantic underground power plant.

Épisode 11 - Le stade olympique de Pékin

5 août 2008

2010 environmental improvement plan in Beijing, China

Épisode 12 - Impossible Build

3 septembre 2008

The renovated California Academy of Sciences - the world's largest green public building - emerges from the landscape of Golden Gate Park. Viewed from the air, the undulating living roof resembles a piece of the park flying as if by magic.

Épisode 13 - Mega Breakdown: Italian Bridge

10 septembre 2008

A historic bridge is being taken down and recycled, but the demolition team faces challenges while doing it.

Épisode 14 - Deep Earth Drillers

20 décembre 2008

Mega Green Tech is in search of geothermal power.

Épisode 15 - Dam Busters

30 décembre 2008

A team of experts mobilises to demolish, excavate and recycle a 25,000 ton dam built of concrete and steel. The pressure is on: they have just half the time needed to complete the job. Worse yet, their biggest challenge stands behind the old dam – one million cubic yards of boulders, gravel and sand that the river has stacked against it for nearly a century. To remove this blockade, the team gambles on a radical, dangerous plan that's never been tried before: turning the energy of a perfect storm against the debris. If they are not successful, a generation of endangered salmon returning to spawn may be wiped out.

Épisode 16 - Power Tower

3 janvier 2009

Witness the Bahrain World Trade Center. Two 50-story glass "sails" rise over 240 meters into the sky along the shores of the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. This unique architectural marvel is powered in part by a revolutionary new means for a building this size - wind. It's the world's first large-scale integration of wind turbines into a skyscraper. Three massive turbines will supply clean power to the buildings. In this hour, we explore the science behind the concept and discover how engineers and construction crews attempt to tackle this audacious project. In an oil-rich region of the world, the team transforms the vision to reality and looks to the future, committed to a renewable energy source of mega proportions.

Épisode 17 - Le Nouveau Ferry d'Hawaï

- 5/5

le Hawaï Super Ferry, un catamaran de 14 000 tonnes conçu pour transporter près de 1 000 passagers 300 véhicules et des volumes considérables de marchandises. Bâti entièrement en aluminium et équipé de quatre moteurs, ce bateau assure quotidiennement la liaison entre les différentes îles de l'archipel d'Hawaï, depuis le mois d'août 2007.

Épisode 18 - Steam Drillers

- 5/5

Épisode 19 - L'énergie solaire

- 5/5

With fluctuating energy prices and concerns over global warming, solar power as a renewable energy is being seen in a new, more urgent, light.

Épisode 20 - World's Biggest Shredder

- 5/5

The world's largest recycling machine is the size of a factory. It reduces the equivalent of 450 cars an hour to an unrecognisable pulp, shredding 9 million tonnes of scrap metal every year.

Épisode 21 - 747 Breakdown

AeroTurbine in Goodyear, AZ breaks down and recycles a 747.

Épisode 22 - World Trade Centre Bahrain

12 juillet 2014 - 3/5

There are no such similar Buildings in the world. The Bahrain World Trade Center (also called Bahrain WTC or BWTC) is a 240-metre-high (787 ft), 50-floor, twin tower complex located in Manama, Bahrain. The towers were built in 2008 by the multi-national architectural firm Atkins. It is the first skyscraper in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design. The wind turbines were developed, built and installed by Danish company Norwin A/S. The structure is constructed close to the King Faisal Highway, near popular landmarks such as the towers of Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH), NBB and Abraj Al Lulu. It currently ranks as the second-tallest building in Bahrain, after the twin towers of the Bahrain Financial Harbour.

Épisode 23 - Hoover Dam Reinvented

Hoover Dam is regarded as an engineering masterpiece and an America icon. But what if it did not exist today? How would engineers build it today? In this one hour program, we ask a team of engineers what they would do the same and what they would do differently... as we re-invent Hoover Dam

Épisode 1 - Miami Super Stadium

13 janvier 2009

The Orange Bowl, home to the Miami Dolphins for 21 seasons and host of five Super Bowls is about to be demolished. It’s a monster breakdown job, with a monster deadline: in just four months, a demolition team needs to clear over a quarter million feet of stadium to prepare for a new stadium. Not only is there a tight timetable, everything must be salvaged or recycled. But before the team can break down the stadium, they have to save parts of it. After a memorabilia company combs the bowl for collectibles and auctions off what they salvage, it’s finally time for the demolitionists to get their hands on the bowl. 50,000 left over orange seats, nearly 100,000 square feet of turf, and eight ten-ton stadium light towers are recycled or resold, freeing the team to take down the stadium itself. Using a combination of wrecking balls and mega machines, they cut, pull and pummel this historic structure until it’s nothing more than rubble. The iconic Orange Bowl, is about to be history.

Épisode 2 - Au-dessus du Grand Canyon

28 février 2009

Perched 4,000 feet above the Colorado River on the very edge of the Grand Canyon is one of the most recent and innovative engineering marvels of our time. The Grand Canyon Skywalk, opened to the public in March 2007, is an engineering masterpiece united with natural wonder. It is the first ever cantilever designed glass bridge. Constructed in a horseshoe shape, visitors are given the chance to walk out over the edge of the canyon and look straight down. It's about 4,000 feet above the canyon, which is higher than any of the world's largest buildings and extends 70 feet from the edge. Take a closer look at the Skywalk's design, construction and the people that made it a reality.

Épisode 3 - Soviet Doomsday Sub

8 mars 2009

In the extreme Russian north a team of engineers are ready to dismantle a Typhoon-class submarine – the world's largest nuclear submarine. In its heyday, this monster sub was a terrifying weapon of war. It prowled the oceans of the world armed with 20 deadly nuclear missiles. Now that the Cold War is over, the Typhoon is ready for demolition. But dismantling a submarine with two nuclear reactors is a risky mission. It will take the team over a year to remove the radioactive nuclear fuel, move the submarine into the dry dock and cut its hull into pieces small enough for recycling.

Épisode 4 - Train Wreck

24 mars 2009

Railroads are the backbone of American industry. 170,000 miles of track crisscross the country from coast to coast, moving two quadrillion tons of freight every year. But nothing lasts forever, and that includes a couple of 180-ton locomotives. Their engine technology is inefficient so they're headed for the scrap dealer where they'll be cut down and cannibalised. Any salvageable parts must come out intact for resale, while any leftover metals – like steel and copper – will be cut up, melted down and ultimately reformed into new products. In this business, nothing goes to waste. Take an inside look at the unknown world of scrap, where locomotives go to die and be reborn

Épisode 5 - La force des océans

31 mars 2009

Trois équipes d'ingénieurs ont développé chacune une technologie expérimentale pour créer une énergie propre. Leur objectif : utiliser la puissance marine pour produire de l'électricité. Le projet Seagen promet d'utiliser des turbines sous forme d'éoliennes sous-marines dans les courants maritimes irlandais. Le Roosevelt Island project s'essaie dans l'east river à New York pour alimenter avec des turbines un garage et un supermarché avoisinants. En Écosse, une équipe a construit un serpent de mer rouge flottant qui convertit l'énergie des vagues océaniques en électricité. Les premiers tests au Portugal s'avèrent concluants…

Épisode 6 - L'hélicoptère Air-crane

16 juin 2009

L'hélicoptère Air-crane. Les hélicoptères Air-crane sont spécialement conçus pour transporter des matériaux lourds. Sortes de "grues volantes", ils servent à construire des tours d'antennes, à faire des travaux forestiers et occasionnellement comme bombardiers d'eau. Trois pilotes sont nécessaires : deux à l'avant et un à l'arrière qui manœuvre les commandes. Ce type d'hélicoptère peut soulever plusieurs tonnes et était surtout utilisé par l'armée, notamment pendant la guerre du Vietnam.

Épisode 7 - Icebreaker

23 juin 2009

Breaking through over 40 feet of ice demands a vessel of incredible power. That's where the Icebreaker comes into its own. These behemoths keep the world's shipping lanes open during the harshest of conditions, making them vital to the global economy. Follow the construction of a vessel that can break ice and carry cargo at the same time: the Arctic Icebreaking Containership. This is the largest commercial icebreaker ever built.

Épisode 8 - Rocket Launch Demolition

19 août 2009

This installment follows the demolition of a 40-year-old rocket launch tower at Cape Canaveral. This tough, 90m high structure represents a massive logistical challenge for a family of demolition experts. Up to a third of the building’s entire weight must be stripped out before the tower can be imploded. Workers must brave high winds at great heights to ensure charges are planted correctly.

Épisode 9 - Megabridges: Greece

27 août 2009

Épisode 10 - John Deere

3 septembre 2009

Épisode 11 - Ultimate Skyscraper NYC

1 octobre 2009

Explorers the innovative construction of 1 Bryant Park.

Épisode 12 - The World's Tallest TV Tower

10 décembre 2009

At 610m high the Guangzhou Sightseeing and TV Tower is the tallest television tower on earth and among the world's top ten tallest buildings. Tough enough to withstand typhoon, earthquake and other assaults from Mother Nature, this elegant building forced a rewrite of the rule books. A deceptively simple twist in the middle of the main 450m tower sets this super tall building in a mega class of its own and, proves a test of massive proportions for the team responsible for breathing life into the vision of Dutch architects Mark Hemel and Barbara Kuit.

Épisode 13 - Le téléphérique de Jackson Hole

27 décembre 2009

For over 40 years the Big Red Box at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, carried skiers, hikers, paragliders and sightseers up to the 3,400-metre summit of Rendezvous Mountain. But nothing lasts forever, so when cable inspector Norm Duke found evidence of stress fractures inside the aging steel track cables, there was no choice but to tear down and replace Jackson's iconic aerial tram. At a cost of US$31 million, this two year construction project is a top-to-bottom, state-of-the-art replacement. It will operate in 120 kph winds and minus 30°C temperatures, all with the quiet precision of a giant Swiss watch. Construction crews battle a record-breaking snowfall, zero visibility, high winds and impassable mud-slick mountain roads to build its five towers and two terminals, and string more than ten miles of heavy steel cable as they risk their lives in a battle to finish before winter closes in.

Épisode 14 - Build Up To The Cup - Stadiums

South Africa Stadiums: Documentary examining South Africa's battle against the clock and the weather to build three ultra-modern football stadiums before the World Cup 2010 begins.

Épisode 15 - Build Up To The Cup - Trains

The Golden Train: Documentary charting South Africa's giant and costly overhaul of its transport system, as engineers and constructors race to be ready for the 2010 World Cup.

Épisode 1 - UK Super Train

19 janvier 2010

It's one of the biggest construction projects in British engineering history. A new high-speed rail line costing several billion pounds and cutting through some of the most heavily developed land on the planet to complete a high speed link between two of Europe's major capitals: the Channel Tunnel between London and Paris. High Speed One's design and construction overcame unprecedented obstacles to achieve what many thought was impossible. Step aboard to explore the engineering behind this UK super train line.

Épisode 2 - Skyscraper in the Round

11 mai 2010

Uncover how Abu Dhabi's extraordinary Aldar HQ skyscraper, in the form of a circle sitting on its edge, came to be built.

Épisode 3 - Wave Energy

27 mai 2010

Épisode 4 - Le Marina Bay Sands de Singapour

5 octobre 2010

The secrets behind Singapore's Marina Bay Sands development, which includes hotels, a museum, casino, waterfront promenade and theatres.

Épisode 5 - Secrets of Oscar Tar Bridge

9 octobre 2010

Épisode 6 - Dubai's Palm Island

21 octobre 2010

A huge project is underway in the Arabian Gulf, so vast it can be seen from space. Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island in the shape of a palm tree.

Épisode 7 - China's Smart Tower

26 novembre 2010

The Pearl River Tower is one of the first of a new generation of super smart buildings. It will use less than half the energy of a conventional skyscraper and will harvest the forces of nature to make energy of its own. With a curved facade that faces directly into the wind, the Pearl River Tower in China's Guangzhou City is shaped for performance. With a design specific to its environment, the Pearl River Tower utilizes a multitude of energy efficient technologies in one single structure, and symbolizes the future for super-tall building design.

Épisode 8 - Dubai Mega Mall

Central to Dubai’s reputation as a leisure capital is: the Dubai Mall. With an indoor aquarium, ice rink, roller coaster and 1,200 shops, it must be completed by a nearly impossible deadline

Épisode 9 - La plus grande tente du monde

World-renowned architect Norman Foster details his plans for a space-age entertainment centre in the capital of Kazakhstan.

Épisode 1 - Super Rigs

8 janvier 2011

As the World's insatiable need for oil and gas grows, companies are going deeper, into more hostile environments than ever before. Watch as we rip apart the largest oil rigs on the planet to reveal the secrets of these amazing technological achievements… and discover if they can survive Mother Nature's most violent forces.

Épisode 2 - Super Copters

19 janvier 2011

Incredible technology is making these 'super copters' much more impervious to attack, with Kevlar and other advanced composite materials strengthening the body - while keeping it lightweight. Using live action, re-creations, amazing archival footage and advanced CGI, we marvel at the creation of today's 'super copters' - extraordinary multi-purpose helicopters for the twenty-first century.

Épisode 3 - The Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi

28 janvier 2011

The Capital Gate building will create an iconic and avant-garde entrance to the city of Abu Dhabi. Leaning at a whopping 18 degrees westward, the tower will claim the Guinness Book of World Records title of Most Inclined Building on Earth. Discover how the engineers and architects overcome the force of gravity, and transform this vision into reality.

Épisode 4 - Tunnel sous-marin

17 février 2011

South Korea never constructed a submerged tunnel, but now tackles the challenge of building one of the deepest immersed highways on Earth. Designed for the fickle conditions of the Pacific, the giant tunnel must be both earthquake and typhoon proof.

Épisode 5 - Heavy Metal Shredding

24 mars 2011

"I love what I do. I get to tear stuff up." Every day around the world, thousands of planes, trains, and automobiles get cut down to size for recycling. A jumbo jet costing a hundred million dollars becomes parts the size of beer cans in a matter of hours. An 18-ton steel rail car is attacked by some of the world's most expensive knives. And a fleet of automobiles dies a torturous death -the equivalent of an agonizing tooth extraction and an elaborate embalming ... all to process them for shredding and recycling. Finally, shredded metal is reborn as shiny new Land Rovers.

Épisode 6 - Ecoark

27 mars 2011

The renovated California Academy of Sciences - the world's largest green public building - emerges from the landscape of Golden Gate Park. Viewed from the air, the undulating living roof resembles a piece of the park flying as if by magic.

Épisode 7 - Mega Breakdown: Train Overhaul

13 avril 2011

Locomotives don't last forever. Eventually they go to a scrap yard to die. Their parts are cut up, melted down and ultimately reformed into new products. In this business, nothing goes to waste

Épisode 8 - Mega Breakdown: Yankee Stadium

16 avril 2011

After serving as home of the New York Yankees for over 80 year's, the iconic Yankee Stadium is set to be demolished. Join the Mega Breakdown team as they follow just what goes into demolishing this gigantic stadium in the heart of New York City.

Épisode 9 - L'aéroport spatial

29 août 2011

Time was, if you wanted to leave earth, you needed a government ride. But in the very desert that helped give birth to the Space Age, Spaceport America will rise. The space version of an airport, it's a revolution in travel, with a revolutionary design to match. Yet the spaceport faces a world of hurdles. "Probably the most complicated project I've ever been on," says an engineer. The site sits in the middle of nowhere: no roads, no water, no power. And the spaceport won't be built unless a rancher controlling the land for a runway changes her mind.

Épisode 10 - Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge

10 octobre 2011

To save one of the most iconic engineering wonders of all time requires the creation of another masterpiece: the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge.

Épisode 11 - Sinking A Destroyer

25 novembre 2011

How much military power does it take to sink a top naval warship? Experience the mission at the hands of the US and Canadian Navy and Air Forces as they mount a sink exercise on a massive 4,250 foot long destroyer, to test their firepower and skill.

Épisode 12 - Korean Superlink

24 février 2013

Épisode 13 - Un palace flottant

Royal Caribbean International's cruise ship MS Oasis of the Seas

Épisode 14 - Vegas Demolition

Épisode 1 - London's Olympic Stadium

3 mai 2012

Come summer 2012, the eyes of the world will be focused on a sporting megastructure: London's Olympic Stadium - the centerpiece of the 2012 Games. By day it will be the venue for all track and field events, and by night, a dazzling stage for London's opening and closing ceremonies. But this isn't just a place where world records will be set. It's a milestone in sporting architecture. Designed to be different, Stadium 2012 is the world's first "demountable" Olympic Stadium. Bolted together like a giant Meccano set, the 80,000-seat arena can be taken apart and downsized to a 25,000-seat athletics venue after the games. But creating a stadium that's lighter and tighter is a massive undertaking, fraught with challenges. Will London have an Olympic arena to be proud of? Or will this go down in history as the stadium that failed to impress?

Épisode 2 - Dubai's 5-Star Racecourse

10 mai 2012

Built in the middle of the desert, the new Meydan racecourse will define raceday luxury. But will it be finished in time for the Dubai World Cup?

Épisode 3 - Britain's New Railway

Explore one of the largest engineering projects in UK history: High Speed One, the groundbreaking high-speed rail link between London and Paris.

Épisode 4 - Monster Shredder

24 mai 2012

Experience the mighty mega shredder. The world's largest recycling machine takes the floor space of an entire factory. It will reduce the equivalent of 450 cars an hour to an unrecognizable pulp.

Épisode 5 - Extreme Railway

This is the story of the battle to build a railway across one of the most extreme environments on Earth. To lay down over a thousand kilometres of track in a remote wilderness. To drive 7 tunnels and to raise 675 bridges all at an altitude where even a simple breath is nearly impossible to come by. 140,000 workers and 2000 medics struggled for 5 years to conquer this hostile environment to complete. the Qinghai-Tibet railway, the highest, most extreme railway in the world!

Épisode 6 - Smart Tunnel

3 juin 2012

How an innovative tunnel in Malaysia was designed to deal with rainwater from storms, as well as provide a solution to traffic problems.

Épisode 7 - Les montagnes russes d'Abu Dhabi

27 avril 2011

Formula Rossa - The ultimate speed roller coaster is part of the world's largest indoor theme park - Ferrari World on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. This awe-inspiring ride takes you from 0 to 240 km/h in under 5 seconds. You can feel mind-blowing acceleration like in a Formula One car. Follow construction manager Andreas Granig and his team as they struggle against aggressive conditions in the desert environment and build up a power system which is unseen in the world. 20,800 horsepower propels the F1 Ferrari inspired coaster train to a height of 52 m and lets it run through more than 2km of humps, curves and camelbacks. See the dramatic installations 50 meters above ground. In their quest for speed the engineers overcome heat and danger to take the title for the fastest roller coaster in the world.

Épisode 8 - World's Tallest Skyscraper

A look at the construction of the half-a-mile-high Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Built on shifting sands and in 115-degree heat, the 200-storey tower pushed engineering to new limits.

Épisode 9 - Sellafield Demolition

Épisode 10 - Antonov 225

Épisode 11 - La tour de Canton

Épisode 12 - Gardens by the Bay

12 juillet 2012

Five million people live in a land area smaller than New York City. To make such a small and highly urbanised place liveable, Singapore is embarking on its most ambitious project to date.

Épisode 1 - Tunnel de base du Saint-Gothard

31 janvier 2013

Épisode 2 - Dubai Racecourse

Épisode 4 - Italian Superlink

A team of elite engineers and construction workers as they battle to build Italy’s most ambitious mountain super-highway - the Variante di Valico.

Épisode 5 - Burj Khalifa

Épisode 1 - Second Penang Bridge

The building of the second bridge connecting Peninsular Malaysia to Penang Island spanning a total of 24km, and 16.9km of that over water

Épisode 2 - Pas de titre

Épisode 3 - Pas de titre

Épisode 4 - Pas de titre

Épisode 1 - MRT Malaysia Urban Diggers

Épisode 2 - Shanghai Tower

3 mars 2015

The Shanghai Tower (Chinese: 上海中心大厦; pinyin: Shànghǎi Zhōngxīn Dàshà; Shanghainese: Zånhe Tsonshin Dasa; literally: "Shanghai Centre Tower") is a 632-metre (2,073 ft), 128-story megatall skyscraper in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai.[9]. It also has the world's highest observation deck within a building or structure (Level 121, 561.25 m),[10] and the world's fastest elevators at a top speed of nearly 46 miles per hour (74km/h).[11][12] It is the world's second-tallest building by height to architectural top (behind Dubai's Burj Khalifa, 828 m). Designed by international design firm Gensler and owned by the Shanghai city government,[2] it is the tallest of the world's first triple-adjacent super-tall buildings in Pudong, the other two being the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Centre. Its tiered construction, designed for high energy efficiency, provides nine separate zones divided between office, retail and leisure use.[

Épisode 3 - The World: Dubai

3 octobre 2015

he World or The World Islands (Arabic: جزر العالم; Juzur al-Ālam) is an artificial archipelago of various small islands constructed in the rough shape of a world map, located in the waters of the Persian Gulf, 4.0 kilometres (2.5 mi) off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[1] The World islands are composed mainly of sand dredged from Dubai's shallow coastal waters, and are one of several artificial island developments in Dubai.[1] The World's developer is Nakheel Properties, and the project was originally conceived by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai. Construction of the 300 islands began in 2003, only to halt due to the 2008 financial crisis.[2] Though 60 percent of the islands had been sold off to private contractors back in 2008, development on most of these islands has failed to initiate.[3] As of July 2012, the Lebanon Island was developed and was the only island that had so far been developed commercially, being used for private corporate events and public parties. As of late 2013, only two of the islands had been developed. In January 2014, Kleindienst Group announced the launch of "The Heart of Europe" project;[4] by February 2014, one of Kleindienst Group's brands - JK Properties - announced in their monthly newsletter that the project was "well underway".[5] The first of these series of islands will be Europe, Sweden and Germany with development led by Kleindienst Group.

Épisode 4 - Pas de titre

Épisode 5 - Pas de titre

Épisode 6 - Pas de titre

Épisode 7 - Pas de titre

Épisode 8 - Pas de titre

Épisode 9 - Pas de titre

Épisode 1 - Sagrada Familia

Megastructures: Sagrada Familia is an inside look at one of the most clever and inspiring structures in Europe. The long life of its construction allows to show from traditional architectural construction techniques to the use of recent science and technology breakthroughs, including architectural 3D visualization. Sagrada Familia represents the harmony between the old and the new, between the constructors of medieval cathedrals and geniuses of postmodernism.

Épisode 1 - An Integrated Petrochemical Giant

2 décembre 2019

Located at the tip of Peninsula Malaysia, the Pengerang Integrated Complex is a first in Malaysia, and the biggest. Covering an area equivalent to the size of 3,500 football fields, this massive petrochemical hub is a one stop shop for petroleum, petrochemicals and even electricity and gas. On the ground, the task at hand is a mammoth one. The 60,000-strong work crew has to complete the construction in five years – a quarter of the usual time taken. To do so, they’ll have to conquer challenges never before undertaken on such a scale, and everything has to run like clockwork. In this special, National Geographic Channel goes behind the scenes to uncover this Megastructure’s journey from design to delivery. As work unfolds, we join the project managers, engineers and urban planners tasked with carrying out the job, and bring to life state of the art engineering at the heart of the complex.