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Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:00,970 --> 00:00:02,450 In this episode. 2 00:00:02,970 --> 00:00:06,310 I have never engineered a building shaped like this one. 3 00:00:06,690 --> 00:00:09,830 A skyscraper unlike any other on Earth. 4 00:00:10,210 --> 00:00:14,029 As people think about it more and more, they realize, wow, that's pretty 5 00:00:14,030 --> 00:00:17,810 incredible. And the pioneering historic innovations. 6 00:00:19,370 --> 00:00:21,110 That is just incredible. 7 00:00:21,330 --> 00:00:24,520 Think about the sheer weight of water those paddles are moving. 8 00:00:25,490 --> 00:00:27,230 That may be impossible. 9 00:00:28,510 --> 00:00:29,560 Possible. 10 00:00:37,030 --> 00:00:38,190 Austin, Texas. 11 00:00:39,630 --> 00:00:43,410 The capital of the Lone Star State is packed with history. 12 00:00:44,070 --> 00:00:48,010 And it's now in the midst of a very modern economic boom. 13 00:00:50,370 --> 00:00:54,670 The city is growing at a rate of 152 people a day. 14 00:00:57,870 --> 00:01:03,050 This population explosion has caused some dramatic changes to the skyline. 15 00:01:04,220 --> 00:01:09,860 Local Austin architect Brett Rode has seen his city expand before his eyes. 16 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:18,020 Fifteen years ago, this area of Austin was largely forgotten. 17 00:01:18,260 --> 00:01:20,970 There were a couple of apartment complexes down here. 18 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:27,739 There were some storage yards, some vacant property. It was largely not 19 00:01:27,740 --> 00:01:31,819 known to a lot of Austinites because there just wasn't anything going on 20 00:01:31,820 --> 00:01:32,870 here. 21 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:39,619 But everything changed in 2005 when some of Silicon Valley's biggest players 22 00:01:39,620 --> 00:01:42,200 decided to make Austin their second home. 23 00:01:43,180 --> 00:01:47,579 The city decided, OK, let's start bringing in some real businesses, some 24 00:01:47,580 --> 00:01:51,480 substantial corporations into downtown. 25 00:01:51,820 --> 00:01:56,300 And from that, when people started to work downtown, they decided, well, gosh, 26 00:01:56,460 --> 00:01:58,200 it'd be great to live downtown, too. 27 00:02:00,140 --> 00:02:06,639 With demand for property downtown at an all -time high, architects like Brett 28 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,100 need to find an engineering solution to the housing crisis. 29 00:02:11,780 --> 00:02:18,139 The cost of land in downtown Austin has just skyrocketed. The more buildings we 30 00:02:18,140 --> 00:02:23,399 have that are coming up, the more valuable that land that's left becomes. 31 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,800 have really no choice but to build upward. 32 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:29,480 To cater to this growing population. 33 00:02:29,870 --> 00:02:32,470 They have built a one -of -a -kind skyscraper. 34 00:02:39,710 --> 00:02:40,970 The Independent. 35 00:02:43,250 --> 00:02:48,469 Appearing to defy physics, its staggered projecting floors have earned it the 36 00:02:48,470 --> 00:02:50,090 nickname, the Jenga Tower. 37 00:02:51,030 --> 00:02:56,809 I think the Independent is one of the most iconic buildings that we've seen in 38 00:02:56,810 --> 00:02:57,860 recent history. 39 00:02:58,640 --> 00:03:03,780 No one has really attempted a building this shape and this size before. 40 00:03:06,500 --> 00:03:08,340 Located at the heart of downtown, 41 00:03:09,100 --> 00:03:13,480 the Independent stands a gigantic 690 feet tall. 42 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:20,179 Mimicking the teetering, precarious wooden blocks in the game, portions of 43 00:03:20,180 --> 00:03:24,220 building hang seemingly unsupported hundreds of feet in the air. 44 00:03:25,380 --> 00:03:29,680 Inside, there's enough space to cover over 330 tennis courts. 45 00:03:31,140 --> 00:03:37,739 Parking for over 700 cars and a 170 ,000 liter swimming pool that seemingly 46 00:03:37,740 --> 00:03:39,140 hangs in midair. 47 00:03:39,700 --> 00:03:44,779 Crowned with a stainless steel mesh, it now stands as the city's tallest 48 00:03:44,780 --> 00:03:45,830 structure. 49 00:03:49,540 --> 00:03:54,700 But this ambitious project presents some intimidating engineering challenges. 50 00:03:55,950 --> 00:03:59,530 How do you stop a tall, thin tower from falling over? 51 00:04:01,310 --> 00:04:05,010 Building tall and thin brings its own challenges immediately. 52 00:04:05,890 --> 00:04:12,289 We have to work in a very small footprint to get everything to happen. 53 00:04:12,290 --> 00:04:15,250 that means the structure has to be incredibly efficient. 54 00:04:16,930 --> 00:04:21,709 How do you create extra space over 328 feet in the air? 55 00:04:23,030 --> 00:04:26,829 When you have pieces that stick out hanging off the side of the building, 56 00:04:26,830 --> 00:04:30,109 you get it there? How is that going to attach? That plays a big role in when 57 00:04:30,110 --> 00:04:31,490 you're 200 feet up in the air. 58 00:04:32,250 --> 00:04:36,910 And is it possible to stop the building from swaying in tornado speed winds? 59 00:04:37,770 --> 00:04:41,590 So here in Austin, we do get high, high mile per hour winds. 60 00:04:41,850 --> 00:04:45,949 And designing a building this thin and this tall to resist those wind loads is 61 00:04:45,950 --> 00:04:47,000 very big challenge. 62 00:04:51,210 --> 00:04:55,629 The team behind Austin's tallest building wants to make sure it will be a 63 00:04:55,630 --> 00:04:58,410 feature of the skyline for generations to come. 64 00:05:00,910 --> 00:05:06,149 Usually on a tall building like this, you would see a standard floor plan that 65 00:05:06,150 --> 00:05:08,790 is used throughout from top to bottom. 66 00:05:09,010 --> 00:05:13,649 You sort of just repeat as needed going up, and that is a very, very efficient 67 00:05:13,650 --> 00:05:14,700 way to do it. 68 00:05:14,710 --> 00:05:19,050 Unfortunately, in that scenario, you don't get a lot of variety. 69 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:25,160 I wanted the Independent to be a very interesting, striking form on the 70 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:31,379 We wanted this building to touch on the idea that there's something going on 71 00:05:31,380 --> 00:05:33,180 here that's not completely obvious. 72 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:39,739 Taking the design from Brett's imagination and translating it into a 73 00:05:39,740 --> 00:05:44,840 over 650 feet tall is a job for principal engineer Chris Swanson. 74 00:05:49,840 --> 00:05:54,040 When I first saw it, I thought, wow, this is not something you see every day. 75 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:58,139 This is really neat. This is really going out on the ordinary and really 76 00:05:58,140 --> 00:05:59,820 to do something that's different. 77 00:06:03,260 --> 00:06:07,379 The construction process starts with the piece of land the Independent will 78 00:06:07,380 --> 00:06:08,430 eventually sit on. 79 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:15,439 At just over 1 .7 acres, it massively restricts the size of the structure that 80 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:16,820 can be built on top of it. 81 00:06:18,110 --> 00:06:22,269 The parcel that we're allotted for this building is relatively, it's not a very 82 00:06:22,270 --> 00:06:23,320 large parcel. 83 00:06:24,890 --> 00:06:29,249 Forcing Chris and the team to work hard to find a way to get the most floor 84 00:06:29,250 --> 00:06:30,510 space for their building. 85 00:06:32,210 --> 00:06:35,790 The most area we could get was to create this square. 86 00:06:36,010 --> 00:06:39,500 So that was probably not the best shape that we could have come up with. 87 00:06:39,950 --> 00:06:44,689 The reason why the square shape was not good structurally was that the square 88 00:06:44,690 --> 00:06:50,109 shape in this skinny building created the largest projection area for wind to 89 00:06:50,110 --> 00:06:50,929 hit it. 90 00:06:50,930 --> 00:06:55,589 As anybody knows, you can get a windy day and big wind gusts. They blow stuff 91 00:06:55,590 --> 00:06:57,940 away. You have lawn furniture and it flies over. 92 00:06:57,950 --> 00:07:02,330 So those same forces hit this building, but on a much larger scale. 93 00:07:02,550 --> 00:07:06,590 And when they hit this building on the side that's projected against the wind, 94 00:07:06,770 --> 00:07:08,370 that produces a force. 95 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,750 laterally that we have to resist back down to the foundation. 96 00:07:13,420 --> 00:07:18,079 To overcome these forces, Chris and his team have designed the building around a 97 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:22,719 central core that contains the elevator shaft, staircases, and maintenance 98 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:23,770 rooms. 99 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,979 The building core, another way to put it, might be the central spine of the 100 00:07:27,980 --> 00:07:32,040 building. It's providing the primary lateral backbone resistance. 101 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,910 The core on this building is made from cast -in -place concrete. 102 00:07:36,380 --> 00:07:40,860 What concrete does very well, it's an excellent material used in compression. 103 00:07:41,140 --> 00:07:43,490 However, it doesn't work very well in tension. 104 00:07:43,491 --> 00:07:49,559 Unless you have something else, it's going to lose its strength very rapidly. 105 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,079 And that would be definitely something we do not want to see in a very tall 106 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:54,130 building. 107 00:07:55,380 --> 00:08:00,979 To ensure their core doesn't simply crack and fall apart, engineers must 108 00:08:00,980 --> 00:08:03,300 the pioneering innovators of the past. 109 00:08:14,220 --> 00:08:18,120 The city of Austin has a new structure dominating its skyline. 110 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:24,740 The 63 -story tall, iconic -shaped, gravity -defying, independent 111 00:08:25,380 --> 00:08:31,739 Below ground, the tower's foundations extend 114 feet into the earth, while 112 00:08:31,740 --> 00:08:37,460 656 feet in the air, a specially designed crown made of stainless steel 113 00:08:37,780 --> 00:08:38,830 tops the roof. 114 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:42,820 The building's core is responsible for keeping everything standing. 115 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:47,160 So engineers need to make sure that it's incredibly stable. 116 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:02,359 In Cincinnati, Ohio, engineer Dan Dickrell is discovering the secrets 117 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:06,599 long -forgotten building that fundamentally changed the way we build 118 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:07,650 structures. 119 00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:12,559 So when you think about the history of tall buildings, Cincinnati is not 120 00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:16,599 the first place that comes to mind. But this building right here is historic and 121 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:20,479 important, just as much as those famous and iconic buildings in New York and 122 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:21,530 Chicago. 123 00:09:24,260 --> 00:09:30,339 Completed in 1903, the 16 -story Ingalls building used old materials in a new 124 00:09:30,340 --> 00:09:33,060 way that was revolutionary for its time. 125 00:09:33,580 --> 00:09:35,380 It's been empty for years. 126 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:40,459 Currently under renovation. Now, when it was built, it was the tallest concrete 127 00:09:40,460 --> 00:09:41,900 frame structure in the world. 128 00:09:41,980 --> 00:09:45,979 No one had built anything half as tall out of concrete before because concrete 129 00:09:45,980 --> 00:09:47,360 itself was kind of a problem. 130 00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:54,519 Although it has been used in construction for thousands of years, 131 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:57,160 fundamental flaw when it comes to building tall. 132 00:09:58,910 --> 00:10:03,289 Concrete as a construction material is really good at resisting compressive 133 00:10:03,290 --> 00:10:07,110 forces. But in a building, you don't just have compressive forces. 134 00:10:07,111 --> 00:10:11,069 You have tensile forces, too, forces that are trying to rip components of the 135 00:10:11,070 --> 00:10:12,120 building apart. 136 00:10:12,290 --> 00:10:16,529 So when concrete's under tension, it does not like it. The material will 137 00:10:16,530 --> 00:10:17,580 and break apart. 138 00:10:17,670 --> 00:10:21,470 And for a building of this type, that's obviously a bad outcome. 139 00:10:22,510 --> 00:10:25,700 Luckily for the engineers constructing the Ingalls building. 140 00:10:25,950 --> 00:10:28,770 one man was working on an ingenious solution. 141 00:10:31,050 --> 00:10:37,569 When English engineer Ernest Ransom moved to the United States in the 1870s, 142 00:10:37,570 --> 00:10:41,769 patented a method for reinforcing concrete that would radically transform 143 00:10:41,770 --> 00:10:43,810 construction techniques worldwide. 144 00:10:47,290 --> 00:10:52,250 All right, so what Ransom came up with is up here at the top of this ladder. 145 00:10:52,650 --> 00:10:55,000 We can see a piece of it. I'm going to pull it down. 146 00:10:55,440 --> 00:11:02,219 This is three bars with a steel rod that gets placed 147 00:11:02,220 --> 00:11:03,520 inside the concrete. 148 00:11:03,740 --> 00:11:06,300 The concrete and the steel work as a team. 149 00:11:06,780 --> 00:11:11,259 The concrete takes the compressive forces and the steel takes the tensile 150 00:11:11,260 --> 00:11:16,539 in bending and enables this magnificent structure to exist in the way that it 151 00:11:16,540 --> 00:11:17,590 does. 152 00:11:17,660 --> 00:11:22,139 Ransom's contribution to steel -reinforced concrete was this, this 153 00:11:22,140 --> 00:11:23,400 structure or spiral. 154 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:28,039 Now, what this does is when this rebar is placed inside the concrete, it 155 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,770 increases the adhesion or stickiness between the steel and the concrete. 156 00:11:32,020 --> 00:11:37,359 It's effectively the skeleton of this building where the concrete would be the 157 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:38,410 body. 158 00:11:40,260 --> 00:11:45,119 To find out just how much of a difference Ransom's discovery makes 159 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:49,860 concrete alone, Dan has traveled to an advanced materials testing lab. 160 00:11:51,790 --> 00:11:56,129 The four -point bend test machine is going to subject these pieces of 161 00:11:56,130 --> 00:12:01,649 just like an overhead beam would be in terms of the top will be compressed and 162 00:12:01,650 --> 00:12:03,569 the bottom will be stretched or extended. 163 00:12:03,570 --> 00:12:07,169 The bottom region is where the maximum tensile forces are going to be, and 164 00:12:07,170 --> 00:12:08,730 that's where we should see crap. 165 00:12:09,670 --> 00:12:12,450 First up is the standard concrete block. 166 00:12:16,210 --> 00:12:20,090 I'm going to slowly increase the load here. 167 00:12:21,870 --> 00:12:26,609 What we have here is a readout that's showing the peak load that's currently 168 00:12:26,610 --> 00:12:30,369 inside this concrete block, and that number's going up and up and up as this 169 00:12:30,370 --> 00:12:33,950 machine presses harder and harder into this block. 170 00:12:34,330 --> 00:12:39,730 And so right now we're at 1 ,500 pounds of force inside the concrete block. 171 00:12:41,750 --> 00:12:47,289 So it's a pretty strong material in and of itself. It's concrete, but at some 172 00:12:47,290 --> 00:12:49,280 point it's just going to have to give up. 173 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:55,490 And let go. 174 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:05,820 Our non -reinforced concrete broke at a peak force of just shy of 3 ,000 pounds. 175 00:13:06,140 --> 00:13:10,679 There was so much stress built up inside this concrete block that a crack formed 176 00:13:10,680 --> 00:13:14,800 right at the middle of the bottom surface, and it shot its way up through. 177 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,480 Up next, the steel -reinforced concrete. 178 00:13:23,980 --> 00:13:28,599 Tensile stresses that are in there that rip the concrete apart are now basically 179 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:30,660 living inside the pieces of steel. 180 00:13:30,860 --> 00:13:34,100 And that's the magic of steel -reinforced concrete. 181 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:36,990 Because when it goes, it's going to go quick. 182 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:44,420 And there we go. 183 00:13:46,380 --> 00:13:52,579 So the test with the steel -reinforced concrete, the peak load was around 7 184 00:13:52,580 --> 00:13:53,630 pounds. 185 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:56,530 substantially larger than a non -reinforced version. 186 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:04,019 Able to sustain more than double the load than concrete alone, Ransom's 187 00:14:04,020 --> 00:14:09,119 invention was a game -changing material, allowing architects and engineers to 188 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:11,680 redefine what concrete was capable of. 189 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:23,080 Back in Austin. 190 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:29,099 Chris Swanson and his team have taken Ransom's reinforced concrete to new 191 00:14:29,100 --> 00:14:33,080 heights and constructed the city's tallest building. 192 00:14:33,081 --> 00:14:37,639 We're standing currently right now, we're inside the building core. We're 193 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,339 actually inside one of the stair shafts inside the core. 194 00:14:40,340 --> 00:14:43,600 This is actually the outer wall of the building core. 195 00:14:44,580 --> 00:14:48,779 What I'm holding here right now is what we call steel reinforcing, or commonly 196 00:14:48,780 --> 00:14:49,880 termed to as rebar. 197 00:14:50,460 --> 00:14:55,419 This core right here is packed with a bunch of this right here. This is 198 00:14:55,420 --> 00:15:01,619 a number 18 bar, which is the largest size standard bar that you can use 199 00:15:01,620 --> 00:15:04,620 and commonly used in construction these days. 200 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:12,859 In total, 206 tons of size 18 rebar help keep the independence core stiff 201 00:15:12,860 --> 00:15:14,680 against lateral wind forces. 202 00:15:14,681 --> 00:15:19,769 We would never have been able to do what we're doing here without steel 203 00:15:19,770 --> 00:15:23,320 reinforcing. You really have to use them both in conjunction together. 204 00:15:23,590 --> 00:15:27,649 Use the concrete grate for the compressive capacity, and we use the 205 00:15:27,650 --> 00:15:31,609 as we have right here, to hold the tension. And when those work in unison, 206 00:15:31,610 --> 00:15:35,430 have a very efficient and very durable product that you put together. 207 00:15:37,930 --> 00:15:42,529 Reinforced concrete may have solved the tensile problem, but it's only part of 208 00:15:42,530 --> 00:15:43,580 the puzzle. 209 00:15:44,660 --> 00:15:48,520 So what we're looking at here is a great view of it. This is actually the side, 210 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,410 the south face of the building core, the exterior face. 211 00:15:55,200 --> 00:16:00,479 This may look big to the naked eye or the layman's eye, but for this height of 212 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,000 building, it's a relatively skinny, thin wall. 213 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:08,439 Building a narrow core allows Chris and the team to maximize living space in 214 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:09,490 this massive tower. 215 00:16:10,409 --> 00:16:15,509 But it also means that the core no longer provides enough stiffness to keep 216 00:16:15,510 --> 00:16:16,560 building stable. 217 00:16:16,561 --> 00:16:20,029 We could have increased the thickness of this wall. That could have been a 218 00:16:20,030 --> 00:16:21,080 solution to do it. 219 00:16:21,081 --> 00:16:24,809 However, to do that, we would have probably been about out to about here. 220 00:16:24,810 --> 00:16:29,349 have probably added another maybe eight, six to eight inches, if not more, onto 221 00:16:29,350 --> 00:16:33,229 the thickness of this wall. And that would have just taken away from any of 222 00:16:33,230 --> 00:16:37,429 free space that we have standing out here, which is much more valuable space 223 00:16:37,430 --> 00:16:40,270 than... the concrete that we're looking at. 224 00:16:43,250 --> 00:16:48,049 Engineers had to somehow increase the building stiffness without thickening 225 00:16:48,050 --> 00:16:49,100 core. 226 00:16:49,830 --> 00:16:54,110 Their solution can be found over 650 feet in the air. 227 00:16:56,850 --> 00:17:00,909 We ended up integrating a use of what's called an outrigger system, as you see 228 00:17:00,910 --> 00:17:04,340 right here. That's these big steel trusses that you see sticking out. 229 00:17:04,341 --> 00:17:07,328 These are actual big structural members, and they're very integral with the 230 00:17:07,329 --> 00:17:09,010 lateral system of the building. 231 00:17:09,450 --> 00:17:14,868 These outriggers right here basically link that central backbone core, as you 232 00:17:14,869 --> 00:17:18,849 think of it. They link it to the outer columns of the building floor plate. 233 00:17:19,310 --> 00:17:24,669 So if we were to take that analogy as a skier, my body... My skinny body, that 234 00:17:24,670 --> 00:17:27,029 would be the core. That would be the core as we were doing. 235 00:17:27,030 --> 00:17:31,350 As I have my arms sticking out like this, those would be my outrigger 236 00:17:31,530 --> 00:17:35,729 And then the ski poles, the imaginary ski poles as we would have, those would 237 00:17:35,730 --> 00:17:39,629 the columns, the outer columns, so that when I go like this, I can stay. And 238 00:17:39,630 --> 00:17:41,250 that's exactly what we have here. 239 00:17:43,861 --> 00:17:50,969 Believe it or not, outriggers are used more often, but people don't see them 240 00:17:50,970 --> 00:17:51,829 very often. 241 00:17:51,830 --> 00:17:56,709 And what's unique about the Independent that I really love is that these are 242 00:17:56,710 --> 00:17:57,760 exposed. 243 00:17:58,450 --> 00:18:02,809 It's a very efficient and effective design that will stand here for a long, 244 00:18:02,810 --> 00:18:03,860 time to come. 245 00:18:09,010 --> 00:18:13,650 The Independent is the tallest residential tower in the western United 246 00:18:14,270 --> 00:18:19,269 Offset tiers extend over 16 feet from the face of the building, defying 247 00:18:19,270 --> 00:18:23,550 traditional skyscraper form and giving the structure its unique appearance. 248 00:18:27,770 --> 00:18:31,490 But now, engineers will face one of their toughest challenges. 249 00:18:31,491 --> 00:18:35,649 Basically, we had to create space out of thin air in the middle of the building. 250 00:18:35,650 --> 00:18:37,270 So that was a huge challenge. 251 00:18:38,350 --> 00:18:41,370 As they attempt to defy the laws of physics. 252 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:03,539 In Austin, Texas, a rapidly expanding population is forcing architects 253 00:19:03,540 --> 00:19:10,159 and engineers to reach for the sky and build the 254 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,020 city's tallest skyscraper. 255 00:19:16,820 --> 00:19:22,140 When complete, the Independent will be home to more than 360 people. 256 00:19:22,860 --> 00:19:29,399 With condos ranging in size from over 650 square feet to almost 11 ,000 square 257 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:31,640 feet on the 58th floor penthouse. 258 00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:39,379 But accommodating so many homeowners presents a problem for architect Brett 259 00:19:39,380 --> 00:19:40,430 Rode. 260 00:19:41,120 --> 00:19:46,059 We have so many people living here. We need to find places for everyone to 261 00:19:46,060 --> 00:19:49,679 gather. We need to find places for people to get out of their apartment and 262 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:50,800 experience the views. 263 00:19:51,450 --> 00:19:55,629 We thought the best place for that sort of thing would be kind of in the 264 00:19:55,630 --> 00:20:01,029 midpoint of the building where people could kind of come from the taller part 265 00:20:01,030 --> 00:20:04,040 the building and from the lower part of the building to meet. 266 00:20:06,690 --> 00:20:11,069 Residents have been promised a wide range of amenities, including a gym and 267 00:20:11,070 --> 00:20:12,210 private movie theater. 268 00:20:13,930 --> 00:20:18,329 But without enough space to fit everything in the middle of the 269 00:20:18,330 --> 00:20:20,250 and his team face a challenge. 270 00:20:21,260 --> 00:20:26,039 We could have gone taller to accommodate some of those important needs of the 271 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:32,239 residences, but we really felt it was much better to have everything located 272 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:33,290 one floor. 273 00:20:35,180 --> 00:20:40,099 So, could the solution to this engineering challenge be found in the 274 00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:41,150 of the past? 275 00:20:55,500 --> 00:21:00,859 In London's world -famous West End Theatre District, engineer Rhys Morgan 276 00:21:00,860 --> 00:21:04,739 getting a behind -the -scenes look at one of the city's most impressive 277 00:21:04,740 --> 00:21:05,790 buildings. 278 00:21:07,660 --> 00:21:11,140 Oh, wow, look at this. This is absolutely incredible. 279 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:14,160 It's an enormous space. 280 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,740 It really makes me want to dance and sing. 281 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:18,300 It's really fabulous. 282 00:21:21,740 --> 00:21:27,479 Opened in 1904, the London Coliseum remains a shining example from the 283 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:29,360 age of British theatre design. 284 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:37,419 When the Coliseum was built, the economy was booming and audience numbers were 285 00:21:37,420 --> 00:21:41,379 up, and so theatre owners and producers were really keen to cash in on this 286 00:21:41,380 --> 00:21:42,430 extra demand. 287 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:48,839 Entrepreneur Oswald Stoll wanted the Coliseum to be the largest and most 288 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:49,890 theatre in the city. 289 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:55,980 He proposed four tiers of seating to accommodate an audience of 2 ,000 290 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:59,720 but the tiers would need to be supported by columns or pillars. 291 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,599 The problem with columns or pillars is that they take up valuable space for 292 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,700 seating and they restrict the views of the customers behind. 293 00:22:09,260 --> 00:22:14,339 To ensure the show could go on, Stoll turned to Frank Matcham, one of the 294 00:22:14,340 --> 00:22:16,320 leading theater designers of the time. 295 00:22:17,130 --> 00:22:21,989 But the Coliseum presented a challenge on a scale even he'd never encountered 296 00:22:21,990 --> 00:22:23,040 before. 297 00:22:23,810 --> 00:22:28,349 The balcony floors need to be supported by these columns that I've made out of 298 00:22:28,350 --> 00:22:32,149 wood. And the weight of the floors and the people on them are transferred 299 00:22:32,150 --> 00:22:33,830 through the columns to the ground. 300 00:22:34,230 --> 00:22:38,449 The problem is, the theatre -goers sitting behind the columns get a 301 00:22:38,450 --> 00:22:40,510 view of the stage and so get a bit grumpy. 302 00:22:40,790 --> 00:22:44,890 And also the columns take up valuable space that eats into stalls profits. 303 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:48,790 But we can't just remove the columns because this happens. 304 00:22:53,740 --> 00:22:54,800 I love that. 305 00:22:56,140 --> 00:23:00,760 So we need to find another way to support the flaws and remove the 306 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:06,119 To overcome the problem, Matcham made use of an engineering principle known as 307 00:23:06,120 --> 00:23:10,639 cantilevering. Now with cantilevering, instead of using columns to support the 308 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:16,439 weight of the floors, you use a steel beam inserted through the floor, and 309 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,260 beam connects directly to the load -bearing wall of the building. 310 00:23:21,930 --> 00:23:26,970 Now this floor is supported by the wall, the bottom of it is under compression, 311 00:23:27,150 --> 00:23:31,489 it's being forced together, whereas the top of the floor is under tension, it's 312 00:23:31,490 --> 00:23:32,540 being pushed out. 313 00:23:32,730 --> 00:23:37,389 But both the compressive and the tension forces are being pushed through the 314 00:23:37,390 --> 00:23:40,210 steel beam back into the supporting structure. 315 00:23:41,870 --> 00:23:46,369 The weight of the floor and the theatre -goers is now being entirely supported 316 00:23:46,370 --> 00:23:50,290 by the beam and the load -bearing wall of the building. 317 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:56,820 So the audience members get great views, and Stoll gets to put in more seating, 318 00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:58,480 increasing his profits. 319 00:24:00,340 --> 00:24:05,060 Matcham's cantilevered balconies were so successful that he patented his method, 320 00:24:05,460 --> 00:24:08,560 allowing him to stay at the forefront of theater design. 321 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,200 Wow, look at this. 322 00:24:12,420 --> 00:24:19,160 I'm on the balcony on the very top floor, and the view is just magnificent. 323 00:24:20,110 --> 00:24:24,529 From here, you can really see how incredible Matcham's design was using 324 00:24:24,530 --> 00:24:29,269 cantilevers. There are no columns obstructing the view for me or any of 325 00:24:29,270 --> 00:24:34,129 other people on this level, nor, for that matter, the sections below and 326 00:24:34,130 --> 00:24:36,890 that. I mean, it really is phenomenal. 327 00:24:42,990 --> 00:24:46,430 And it's still the biggest theatre in London. 328 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,840 And that is a testament to Frank Matcham's engineering genius. 329 00:25:00,260 --> 00:25:06,059 Back in Texas, the team has taken Matcham's cantilever technique and 330 00:25:06,060 --> 00:25:07,110 to the extreme. 331 00:25:07,420 --> 00:25:13,719 It's completely void beneath us. We are literally 300 feet up in the air at this 332 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:14,770 location. 333 00:25:25,390 --> 00:25:31,249 The Independent, Austin's tallest residential tower, includes spacious 334 00:25:31,250 --> 00:25:33,130 amenities for residents to enjoy. 335 00:25:33,350 --> 00:25:37,669 But large support columns in the center of the building would take up a 336 00:25:37,670 --> 00:25:42,529 considerable amount of space. So engineers got creative and designed the 337 00:25:42,530 --> 00:25:47,689 building with vast offset tiers, which seemingly defy the laws of physics and 338 00:25:47,690 --> 00:25:49,970 give the Independent its definitive shape. 339 00:25:50,270 --> 00:25:55,250 Shane Tanner is the engineer responsible for creating space out of thin air. 340 00:25:55,470 --> 00:26:00,470 So this is the level 34. This is the amenity space where you have this large, 341 00:26:00,730 --> 00:26:04,090 about 30 -foot cantilever that juts out from the building. 342 00:26:09,170 --> 00:26:16,109 Measuring a massive 33 feet long by 89 feet wide, the cantilevered amenity trot 343 00:26:16,110 --> 00:26:19,370 has created a gigantic amount of additional space. 344 00:26:21,770 --> 00:26:27,510 housing the lounge, gym, and private movie theater. 345 00:26:28,470 --> 00:26:33,949 So right here is what we call an expansion joint, but this also marks the 346 00:26:33,950 --> 00:26:39,689 where the concrete structure stops and the steel structure starts. This is 347 00:26:39,690 --> 00:26:41,130 the whole cantilever begins. 348 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:47,119 This area over, it's completely cantilevered out. We are literally 300 349 00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:52,379 in the air at this location. It's completely void beneath us. There's no 350 00:26:52,380 --> 00:26:55,320 directly underneath of us on this area at all. 351 00:26:58,180 --> 00:27:02,879 Ensuring that this huge piece of the building doesn't fall onto the street 352 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:09,219 requires three massive steel trusses weighing nearly 10 ,000 pounds and some 353 00:27:09,220 --> 00:27:10,270 precision lifting. 354 00:27:11,370 --> 00:27:13,720 Oh, yeah. Look at this, guys. This is really cool. 355 00:27:19,270 --> 00:27:23,950 Once in place, the team has to join the trusses to the building itself. 356 00:27:26,090 --> 00:27:30,389 So all these trusses connect back to the mega columns, and you can see right 357 00:27:30,390 --> 00:27:32,130 here the painted collar. 358 00:27:32,990 --> 00:27:38,209 That's a giant steel collar that's embedded into the megacolm. And what we 359 00:27:38,210 --> 00:27:43,629 is we interwoven steel pipes with the reinforcement to make a nice rigid 360 00:27:43,630 --> 00:27:48,349 connection. And each one of those collars, it's about 6 ,000 pounds for 361 00:27:48,350 --> 00:27:50,430 really huge, beefy collars. 362 00:27:52,770 --> 00:27:58,109 Due to the size of the cantilevered space, engineers must use three full 363 00:27:58,110 --> 00:27:59,160 trusses. 364 00:27:59,820 --> 00:28:04,759 Steel members at the top and bottom of each one attach to vertical and diagonal 365 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,940 struts that handle the compressive and tensile loads. 366 00:28:09,020 --> 00:28:13,619 Anchored back to the building's mega columns, they provide the floor's 367 00:28:13,620 --> 00:28:15,120 and structural support. 368 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:20,419 Finally, they're wrapped in concrete and glass, finishing the immense 369 00:28:20,420 --> 00:28:21,980 cantilevered floor space. 370 00:28:24,140 --> 00:28:29,259 So this cantilever portion created about 25 % more square footage on this 371 00:28:29,260 --> 00:28:30,310 amenity level. 372 00:28:32,020 --> 00:28:37,459 And by implementing a similar engineering solution on other floors, 373 00:28:37,460 --> 00:28:41,759 the team are able to cantilever out additional sections of the building, 374 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:43,480 it its individual shape. 375 00:28:44,780 --> 00:28:49,640 So in the condos, we use the same tension rod and compression strut 376 00:28:49,860 --> 00:28:52,320 We have one tension rod. 377 00:28:52,650 --> 00:28:56,529 that connects back to a megacolumn. And we have one compression strut that's 378 00:28:56,530 --> 00:28:57,580 used as a way, 379 00:28:58,090 --> 00:29:02,909 as a fail -safe, if someone cuts one of the tension rods, it will transfer down 380 00:29:02,910 --> 00:29:07,389 to another tension rod. So all these tension rods in the condos are actually 381 00:29:07,390 --> 00:29:10,040 designed to hold up three floors, not just one floor. 382 00:29:12,590 --> 00:29:17,789 Engineers may have found a way to create space out of thin air, but now they 383 00:29:17,790 --> 00:29:19,710 face their most difficult challenge. 384 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:24,419 So in a high wind event, any building that you see may move depending on the 385 00:29:24,420 --> 00:29:28,500 range of an inch to maybe two inches or even farther, maybe even six inches. 386 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:32,500 As they aim to defy Mother Nature herself. 387 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:38,039 If you spend a few million dollars on a condominium to be up in here, the last 388 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:40,859 thing you're going to want to do is feel like you're seasick. 389 00:29:40,860 --> 00:29:45,939 To overcome this challenge, engineers will need to look for a solution in an 390 00:29:45,940 --> 00:29:47,100 unlikely place. 391 00:29:47,500 --> 00:29:49,840 Oh, no, it's moving all over the place now. 392 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:51,780 And even they've gone now. 393 00:30:07,340 --> 00:30:08,700 The Independent. 394 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,960 Austin's tallest luxury residential skyscraper. 395 00:30:14,020 --> 00:30:15,920 Nicknamed the Jenga Tower. 396 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:21,020 Its staggered, gravity -defying projections have redefined the skyline, 397 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:26,620 taking the crown as the city's tallest building. 398 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:35,939 But constructing a tower over 650 feet in the air pits engineers against 399 00:30:35,940 --> 00:30:40,420 one of their biggest rivals, the weather. 400 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:45,840 Wind conditions in Austin can range quite a bit. 401 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:50,159 Luckily, on a day -to -day, the wind conditions are relatively low, and 402 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:55,319 how it normally is for the case. However, you can get gusts easily in the 403 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:57,920 of, you know, 60 to 80 miles an hour wind. 404 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:05,900 And occasionally, hurricanes and tornadoes can batter the city. 405 00:31:05,901 --> 00:31:11,399 You can get wind gusts up to, from the 90 mile an hour, they might go up to the 406 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:12,780 300 mile an hour gusts. 407 00:31:12,990 --> 00:31:14,070 or even higher. 408 00:31:16,530 --> 00:31:22,149 So in a high wind event, any building that you see may move depending on the 409 00:31:22,150 --> 00:31:26,250 range of an inch to maybe two inches or even farther, maybe even six inches. 410 00:31:28,330 --> 00:31:32,350 The higher up the building you go, the greater the amount of movement. 411 00:31:33,610 --> 00:31:34,990 You may see your pictures. 412 00:31:34,991 --> 00:31:38,309 They may move a little bit, or you may see some rocking or something of that 413 00:31:38,310 --> 00:31:39,360 nature. 414 00:31:40,940 --> 00:31:43,640 And it's not just the furniture that's at risk. 415 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:49,299 Where you have high winds that gust, you don't want people to feel like they're 416 00:31:49,300 --> 00:31:51,770 in a boat up in the top of the building and get sick. 417 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:59,320 Engineers will have to factor motion into the independence design. But 418 00:31:59,340 --> 00:32:02,640 this is one problem that's been overcome in the past. 419 00:32:09,470 --> 00:32:14,069 Physicist Andrew Steele has come to the Coast Laboratory at the University of 420 00:32:14,070 --> 00:32:19,029 Plymouth in the southwest of England to discover a pioneering piece of marine 421 00:32:19,030 --> 00:32:20,080 engineering. 422 00:32:25,870 --> 00:32:28,130 Wow, look at this thing power up. 423 00:32:28,450 --> 00:32:30,170 That is just incredible. 424 00:32:30,410 --> 00:32:33,600 Think about the sheer weight of water those paddles are moving. 425 00:32:34,730 --> 00:32:39,500 This massive tank is a maritime... scale model testing tank. 426 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:43,559 You can put scale models of ships in here and expose them to some of the 427 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:46,570 roughest conditions they could ever experience out at sea. 428 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:53,519 In the 19th century, as the British Navy transitioned from wooden hulled boats 429 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:57,480 to iron, conditions like these caused them a major problem. 430 00:32:59,100 --> 00:33:03,059 This modernization in ship design meant that they were suddenly much more 431 00:33:03,060 --> 00:33:05,410 susceptible to what's called rolling motion. 432 00:33:05,411 --> 00:33:08,439 You've got these guns, you're trying to precisely target them on an enemy 433 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:12,339 vessel, but if the whole platform your gun's on is just wobbling from side to 434 00:33:12,340 --> 00:33:15,110 side, how on earth are you going to get a shot on target? 435 00:33:17,420 --> 00:33:22,039 Andrew is taking to the water to demonstrate just how devastating this 436 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:23,090 can be. 437 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:30,460 So I'm just taking my boat for a walk, as you do, all aboard the HMS Orange. 438 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:34,610 And what we're going to do is pop her just in the middle of the tank here. 439 00:33:35,340 --> 00:33:39,339 And then those huge paddles down there are going to send waves towards this 440 00:33:39,340 --> 00:33:43,040 thing. And we're going to see how the boat and her passengers fare. 441 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:45,210 Good luck, guys. 442 00:33:45,211 --> 00:33:51,119 There's nothing on that ship that's going to try and stabilise it if it does 443 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:55,979 hit by a wave. So even fairly gentle waves are going to put our passengers in 444 00:33:55,980 --> 00:33:57,030 great deal of peril. 445 00:34:00,260 --> 00:34:01,400 OK, I think we're ready. 446 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:04,090 Start the waves. 447 00:34:09,100 --> 00:34:12,110 Feeling a bit nervous for my little guys out there right now. 448 00:34:12,111 --> 00:34:19,178 There we go. You can see it just starts to roll about a little bit in the water. 449 00:34:19,179 --> 00:34:21,739 Oh, we've already had one succumb to sea sickness. 450 00:34:21,940 --> 00:34:24,590 And two, it's not looking good for those passengers. 451 00:34:28,060 --> 00:34:32,319 What's crucial here isn't necessarily how big the waves are, it's how fast 452 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:36,059 arrive. And if we can get them to arrive at just the right frequency, we can 453 00:34:36,060 --> 00:34:39,850 start to get the boat to roll bigger and bigger, get its resonant frequency. 454 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:43,579 And if we can hit that resonant frequency, then the boat's really going 455 00:34:43,580 --> 00:34:46,110 rolling and it's curtains for those guys on board. 456 00:34:51,580 --> 00:34:57,529 In the 1880s... Renowned naval architect Philip Watts used a Navy warship to 457 00:34:57,530 --> 00:35:02,050 study the effects of using water to reduce this rolling motion at sea. 458 00:35:03,370 --> 00:35:08,089 As a result of Watts' study, the HMS Inflexible was fitted with a stability 459 00:35:08,090 --> 00:35:11,910 anti -roll tank. And I've got a modern reimagining of one of those here. 460 00:35:13,110 --> 00:35:15,650 Got a marking on the side there that I'm aiming for. 461 00:35:16,310 --> 00:35:17,360 That's about right. 462 00:35:18,890 --> 00:35:19,990 So there we go. 463 00:35:19,991 --> 00:35:24,949 And it's absolutely amazing to think that this could possibly make any 464 00:35:24,950 --> 00:35:28,229 difference. But what we're going to do is just bombard it with that same 465 00:35:28,230 --> 00:35:30,329 succession of waves at the same frequency. 466 00:35:30,330 --> 00:35:32,500 Got our passengers safely back on the ship. 467 00:35:32,501 --> 00:35:34,609 Amazingly, they've agreed to go again. 468 00:35:34,610 --> 00:35:38,130 Our tank is full of water, so let's make some waves. 469 00:35:46,050 --> 00:35:49,810 And here come the waves, rolling ominously out over the surface of the 470 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:54,150 You can see the water flushing around in our tank. Oh, we've lost a little bit. 471 00:35:54,151 --> 00:35:59,239 Now, every time one of those waves hits it, it floshes the water to one side of 472 00:35:59,240 --> 00:35:59,779 the tank. 473 00:35:59,780 --> 00:36:02,759 And that means that when the ship rolls back in the other direction, that water 474 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:06,159 has already got momentum, which means that can counteract the roll of the 475 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:08,450 And it keeps the whole thing much more stable. 476 00:36:09,860 --> 00:36:14,439 You can see the ship is actually rolling far less than it was before, exactly as 477 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:15,760 the physics would predict. 478 00:36:15,761 --> 00:36:20,789 Before everyone was in the water, apart from one of our sailors, But now they're 479 00:36:20,790 --> 00:36:22,960 all sat, probably having quite a nice time. 480 00:36:25,110 --> 00:36:29,010 The stability tank was a revolution in marine engineering. 481 00:36:29,011 --> 00:36:33,949 Watts' stability tank showed that a liquid damper could stop ships from 482 00:36:33,950 --> 00:36:37,440 experiencing this terrible rolling motion while they're out at sea. 483 00:36:37,441 --> 00:36:40,869 And modern adaptations with this design are used as part of the stability 484 00:36:40,870 --> 00:36:44,550 systems in some of the largest ocean -going vessels in the world today. 485 00:36:52,710 --> 00:36:57,769 Back in Austin, engineers have taken the design behind Watt's maritime solution 486 00:36:57,770 --> 00:36:59,990 and transferred it on to land. 487 00:37:00,670 --> 00:37:04,410 But it will take some legwork to reveal its secrets. 488 00:37:05,330 --> 00:37:07,770 This is great. I've never been up here before. 489 00:37:08,210 --> 00:37:09,530 This is really impressive. 490 00:37:22,890 --> 00:37:28,249 Soaring 650 feet above the city, the Independent is the tallest building in 491 00:37:28,250 --> 00:37:29,300 Austin, Texas. 492 00:37:29,430 --> 00:37:34,129 But to ensure that this tall tower will be able to withstand fierce winds and 493 00:37:34,130 --> 00:37:38,090 severe weather, engineers had to use an unlikely material. 494 00:37:38,630 --> 00:37:44,469 So we are up here on level 60 at the very top of the building, and we are in 495 00:37:44,470 --> 00:37:48,689 room for the damper tank, and that is what we're looking at right here. This 496 00:37:48,690 --> 00:37:50,950 a liquid sloshing damper. 497 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:57,599 This helps keep the motion in check. We use this tank to basically slow down the 498 00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:01,459 motion of the building going from one end to the other. It keeps that motion 499 00:38:01,460 --> 00:38:04,780 check so people don't feel seasick. 500 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:14,019 Over 30 feet wide and 10 feet high, the damper tank contains 50 ,000 gallons 501 00:38:14,020 --> 00:38:15,070 of water. 502 00:38:15,780 --> 00:38:18,420 Constructed from modular fiberglass sections. 503 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:23,619 On the inside, vertical steel plates known as baffles help to keep the 504 00:38:23,620 --> 00:38:24,820 movement under control. 505 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:33,699 What these baffles do is the baffles prevent the water from coming back very 506 00:38:33,700 --> 00:38:35,940 quickly if it moves from one side to side. 507 00:38:36,180 --> 00:38:40,999 So if the building is moving in a direction, the water is pushed up 508 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:45,099 these vertical baffles and it holds its place over here instead of going to the 509 00:38:45,100 --> 00:38:46,180 other side of the tank. 510 00:38:47,720 --> 00:38:52,659 But to truly appreciate the engineering brilliance behind the tank, you have to 511 00:38:52,660 --> 00:38:56,020 venture to a spot very few people will ever see. 512 00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:57,720 Oh, wow. 513 00:39:02,240 --> 00:39:04,660 This is great. I've never been up here before. 514 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:06,360 This is really impressive. 515 00:39:08,340 --> 00:39:12,420 We're standing right now on the top of the independent of the roof. We are. 516 00:39:12,970 --> 00:39:17,469 As we sit right now, we are on the currently the tallest occupiable point 517 00:39:17,470 --> 00:39:18,910 Austin as we sit right now. 518 00:39:22,950 --> 00:39:28,670 So what we're going to be looking at here, this is the hatch to basically 519 00:39:29,730 --> 00:39:32,050 We are looking inside the damper tank. 520 00:39:32,670 --> 00:39:37,229 We can see right here, you can see the water level and you can see some of the 521 00:39:37,230 --> 00:39:41,229 baffles. You see one edge of the baffle right there, and you can see it's just a 522 00:39:41,230 --> 00:39:44,530 piece of fiberglass. So all it is is that fiberglass wall. 523 00:39:45,250 --> 00:39:50,389 And water is about two to three feet from the top, so I guess we are 524 00:39:50,390 --> 00:39:51,440 doing good. 525 00:39:53,730 --> 00:39:57,450 The Independent has reinvented the Austin skyline. 526 00:39:58,830 --> 00:40:03,549 And being part of building such a unique structure is a career -defining 527 00:40:03,550 --> 00:40:05,670 opportunity for the team behind it. 528 00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:09,400 This project has been really amazing. 529 00:40:09,720 --> 00:40:13,820 I'm just so gratified and feel so lucky to have been a part of it. 530 00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:21,340 This extraordinary tower has redefined a city. 531 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:28,259 Its central concrete core, outriggers, and eight mega columns provide the 532 00:40:28,260 --> 00:40:29,310 building strength. 533 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:32,000 Enveloped in glass. 534 00:40:32,460 --> 00:40:39,239 The unique cantilever design provides over 360 homes and 2 535 00:40:39,240 --> 00:40:41,880 ,800 square feet of amenity space. 536 00:40:50,740 --> 00:40:54,520 It's a feat of engineering few thought possible. 537 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:57,440 It's constantly giving me... 538 00:40:57,770 --> 00:40:58,820 new perspective. 539 00:40:58,950 --> 00:41:02,949 It's constantly giving me new hope. It's definitely been a centerpiece and 540 00:41:02,950 --> 00:41:04,190 enjoyment of my career. 541 00:41:04,510 --> 00:41:08,650 By looking to great pioneers of the past for inspiration, 542 00:41:08,910 --> 00:41:12,890 adapting their ideas, 543 00:41:13,630 --> 00:41:19,370 refining their design, and overcoming monumental challenges. 544 00:41:19,950 --> 00:41:26,709 So when you start out designing a project like The Independent, You don't 545 00:41:26,710 --> 00:41:28,410 quite where it's going to lead. 546 00:41:28,710 --> 00:41:31,330 We came up with something that was pretty amazing. 547 00:41:32,510 --> 00:41:39,309 Engineers have constructed something radical and succeeded in making the 548 00:41:39,310 --> 00:41:42,390 impossible possible. 549 00:41:43,460 --> 00:41:47,359 You can safely say that this building stands out. You've got the Empire State 550 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:50,419 Building, you've got the Sears Tower, you've got those other buildings in 551 00:41:50,420 --> 00:41:54,279 Chicago. These are iconic buildings of cities, and that's what we've created 552 00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:57,439 here. And when people think of Austin, they're going to know that this building 553 00:41:57,440 --> 00:41:58,489 is part of Austin. 554 00:41:58,490 --> 00:42:03,040 Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0 52989

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