Extreme Engineering Collection 2

Synopsis

This 5-disc set of series 2 of EXTREME ENGINEERING unveils some of the most ambitious architectural plans of our times. All of these modern marvels pose challenges that stretch the definition of what’s possible. Computer animation and first-hand accounts from builders, designers and engineers breathe life into the most extreme construction projects ever conceived.

1) Tokyo’s Sky City: Plans are in the works for Sky City, the tallest structure on earth. Slated for Tokyo Bay, the towering, vertical city will house more than 100,000 people and provide for every aspect of modern life with parks, schools, homes, offices and shops. But would it be safe from disasters, including earthquakes, typhoons and fire?

2)Transatlantic Tunnel: Rail travel may yet go intercontinental. In prototypes of floating tunnels, 5,000-mph magnetically levitated trains travel between New York, London and Paris. Passengers would dine and sleep while whales and nuclear subs glide around them.

3)Subways in America: After decades of neglect, New York City’s once-great subway system nears collapse. Now an historically ambitious public works project promises a complete overhaul, transforming the city’s transportation network into a super system that will restore its legendary status.

4)Bridging the Bering Strait: Plans are on the drawing board to re-join the once ice-connected continents of North America and Asia, holding the promise of unprecedented economic growth. The entire bridge would be encased in concrete to withstand and span 55 miles of violent Arctic seas and crushing ice.

5)Turning Torso: Descended from Vikings, a tough-as-nails Swedish construction team is attempting to build the tallest skyscraper in Northern Europe. But what makes this project a design marvel like no other is that the entire 600-foot structure twists an unbelievable 90 degrees!

6) Millau Viaduct: In a remote, rugged corner of France, traffic between Paris and the Mediterranean has run into huge bottlenecks. Designers and engineers are working to open the region by building a record-breaking structure to bridge across a 1.3-mile wide gorge.

7) Biggest Warship: When it is completed, the $4.5 billion USS George Bush will be the largest aircraft carrier on earth. Go behind the scenes with builders midway through the 4 year construction project at Newport News, Virginia, the Western Hemisphere’s biggest dry dock.

8) Big Easy Rebuild: The recovery of New Orleans from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina will take decades, but on the verge of another hurricane season, engineers are struggling to keep the city from drowning all over again. The race is on to repair and replace damaged levees and flood control mechanisms before it’s too late.

This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media.

Language

English

Country

United States

Year of release

2009

Subjects

Engineering

Keywords

aircraft carriers; bridges; civil engineering; construction engineering; flood control; skyscrapers; tunnels; underground railways; New Orleans; Bering Strait; Millau viaduct

Credits

Contributor

Danny Forster

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 1 NTSC

Price

$59.95

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

400 minutes

Year

2010

Production Company

Name

Discovery

Distributor

Name

amazon.com

Web

http://www.amazon.com External site opens in new window

Name

Image Entertainment

Web

http://www.image-entertainment.com/ External site opens in new window