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In this episode.
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I have never engineered a building
shaped like this one.
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A skyscraper unlike any other on Earth.
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As people think about it more and more,
they realize, wow, that's pretty
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incredible. And the pioneering historic
innovations.
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That is just incredible.
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Think about the sheer weight of water
those paddles are moving.
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That may be impossible.
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Possible.
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Austin, Texas.
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The capital of the Lone Star State is
packed with history.
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And it's now in the midst of a very
modern economic boom.
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The city is growing at a rate of 152
people a day.
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This population explosion has caused
some dramatic changes to the skyline.
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Local Austin architect Brett Rode has
seen his city expand before his eyes.
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Fifteen years ago, this area of Austin
was largely forgotten.
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There were a couple of apartment
complexes down here.
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There were some storage yards, some
vacant property. It was largely not
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known to a lot of Austinites because
there just wasn't anything going on
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here.
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But everything changed in 2005 when some
of Silicon Valley's biggest players
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decided to make Austin their second
home.
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The city decided, OK, let's start
bringing in some real businesses, some
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substantial corporations into downtown.
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And from that, when people started to
work downtown, they decided, well, gosh,
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it'd be great to live downtown, too.
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With demand for property downtown at an
all -time high, architects like Brett
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need to find an engineering solution to
the housing crisis.
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The cost of land in downtown Austin has
just skyrocketed. The more buildings we
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have that are coming up, the more
valuable that land that's left becomes.
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have really no choice but to build
upward.
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To cater to this growing population.
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They have built a one -of -a -kind
skyscraper.
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The Independent.
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Appearing to defy physics, its staggered
projecting floors have earned it the
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nickname, the Jenga Tower.
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I think the Independent is one of the
most iconic buildings that we've seen in
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recent history.
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No one has really attempted a building
this shape and this size before.
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Located at the heart of downtown,
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the Independent stands a gigantic 690
feet tall.
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Mimicking the teetering, precarious
wooden blocks in the game, portions of
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building hang seemingly unsupported
hundreds of feet in the air.
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Inside, there's enough space to cover
over 330 tennis courts.
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Parking for over 700 cars and a 170 ,000
liter swimming pool that seemingly
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hangs in midair.
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Crowned with a stainless steel mesh, it
now stands as the city's tallest
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structure.
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But this ambitious project presents some
intimidating engineering challenges.
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How do you stop a tall, thin tower from
falling over?
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Building tall and thin brings its own
challenges immediately.
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We have to work in a very small
footprint to get everything to happen.
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that means the structure has to be
incredibly efficient.
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How do you create extra space over 328
feet in the air?
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When you have pieces that stick out
hanging off the side of the building,
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you get it there? How is that going to
attach? That plays a big role in when
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you're 200 feet up in the air.
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And is it possible to stop the building
from swaying in tornado speed winds?
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So here in Austin, we do get high, high
mile per hour winds.
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And designing a building this thin and
this tall to resist those wind loads is
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very big challenge.
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The team behind Austin's tallest
building wants to make sure it will be a
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feature of the skyline for generations
to come.
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Usually on a tall building like this,
you would see a standard floor plan that
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is used throughout from top to bottom.
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You sort of just repeat as needed going
up, and that is a very, very efficient
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way to do it.
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Unfortunately, in that scenario, you
don't get a lot of variety.
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I wanted the Independent to be a very
interesting, striking form on the
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We wanted this building to touch on the
idea that there's something going on
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here that's not completely obvious.
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Taking the design from Brett's
imagination and translating it into a
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over 650 feet tall is a job for
principal engineer Chris Swanson.
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When I first saw it, I thought, wow,
this is not something you see every day.
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This is really neat. This is really
going out on the ordinary and really
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to do something that's different.
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The construction process starts with the
piece of land the Independent will
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eventually sit on.
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At just over 1 .7 acres, it massively
restricts the size of the structure that
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can be built on top of it.
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The parcel that we're allotted for this
building is relatively, it's not a very
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large parcel.
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Forcing Chris and the team to work hard
to find a way to get the most floor
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space for their building.
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The most area we could get was to create
this square.
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So that was probably not the best shape
that we could have come up with.
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The reason why the square shape was not
good structurally was that the square
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shape in this skinny building created
the largest projection area for wind to
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hit it.
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As anybody knows, you can get a windy
day and big wind gusts. They blow stuff
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away. You have lawn furniture and it
flies over.
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So those same forces hit this building,
but on a much larger scale.
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And when they hit this building on the
side that's projected against the wind,
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that produces a force.
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laterally that we have to resist back
down to the foundation.
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To overcome these forces, Chris and his
team have designed the building around a
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central core that contains the elevator
shaft, staircases, and maintenance
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rooms.
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The building core, another way to put
it, might be the central spine of the
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building. It's providing the primary
lateral backbone resistance.
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The core on this building is made from
cast -in -place concrete.
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What concrete does very well, it's an
excellent material used in compression.
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However, it doesn't work very well in
tension.
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Unless you have something else, it's
going to lose its strength very rapidly.
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And that would be definitely something
we do not want to see in a very tall
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building.
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To ensure their core doesn't simply
crack and fall apart, engineers must
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the pioneering innovators of the past.
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The city of Austin has a new structure
dominating its skyline.
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The 63 -story tall, iconic -shaped,
gravity -defying, independent
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Below ground, the tower's foundations
extend 114 feet into the earth, while
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656 feet in the air, a specially
designed crown made of stainless steel
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tops the roof.
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The building's core is responsible for
keeping everything standing.
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So engineers need to make sure that it's
incredibly stable.
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In Cincinnati, Ohio, engineer Dan
Dickrell is discovering the secrets
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long -forgotten building that
fundamentally changed the way we build
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structures.
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So when you think about the history of
tall buildings, Cincinnati is not
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the first place that comes to mind. But
this building right here is historic and
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important, just as much as those famous
and iconic buildings in New York and
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Chicago.
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Completed in 1903, the 16 -story Ingalls
building used old materials in a new
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way that was revolutionary for its time.
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It's been empty for years.
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Currently under renovation. Now, when it
was built, it was the tallest concrete
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frame structure in the world.
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No one had built anything half as tall
out of concrete before because concrete
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itself was kind of a problem.
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Although it has been used in
construction for thousands of years,
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fundamental flaw when it comes to
building tall.
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Concrete as a construction material is
really good at resisting compressive
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forces. But in a building, you don't
just have compressive forces.
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You have tensile forces, too, forces
that are trying to rip components of the
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building apart.
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So when concrete's under tension, it
does not like it. The material will
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and break apart.
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And for a building of this type, that's
obviously a bad outcome.
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Luckily for the engineers constructing
the Ingalls building.
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one man was working on an ingenious
solution.
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When English engineer Ernest Ransom
moved to the United States in the 1870s,
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patented a method for reinforcing
concrete that would radically transform
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construction techniques worldwide.
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All right, so what Ransom came up with
is up here at the top of this ladder.
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We can see a piece of it. I'm going to
pull it down.
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This is three bars with a steel rod that
gets placed
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inside the concrete.
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The concrete and the steel work as a
team.
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The concrete takes the compressive
forces and the steel takes the tensile
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in bending and enables this magnificent
structure to exist in the way that it
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does.
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Ransom's contribution to steel
-reinforced concrete was this, this
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structure or spiral.
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Now, what this does is when this rebar
is placed inside the concrete, it
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increases the adhesion or stickiness
between the steel and the concrete.
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It's effectively the skeleton of this
building where the concrete would be the
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body.
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To find out just how much of a
difference Ransom's discovery makes
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concrete alone, Dan has traveled to an
advanced materials testing lab.
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The four -point bend test machine is
going to subject these pieces of
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just like an overhead beam would be in
terms of the top will be compressed and
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the bottom will be stretched or
extended.
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The bottom region is where the maximum
tensile forces are going to be, and
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that's where we should see crap.
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First up is the standard concrete block.
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I'm going to slowly increase the load
here.
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What we have here is a readout that's
showing the peak load that's currently
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inside this concrete block, and that
number's going up and up and up as this
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machine presses harder and harder into
this block.
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And so right now we're at 1 ,500 pounds
of force inside the concrete block.
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So it's a pretty strong material in and
of itself. It's concrete, but at some
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point it's just going to have to give
up.
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And let go.
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Our non -reinforced concrete broke at a
peak force of just shy of 3 ,000 pounds.
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There was so much stress built up inside
this concrete block that a crack formed
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right at the middle of the bottom
surface, and it shot its way up through.
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Up next, the steel -reinforced concrete.
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Tensile stresses that are in there that
rip the concrete apart are now basically
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living inside the pieces of steel.
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And that's the magic of steel
-reinforced concrete.
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Because when it goes, it's going to go
quick.
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And there we go.
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So the test with the steel -reinforced
concrete, the peak load was around 7
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pounds.
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substantially larger than a non
-reinforced version.
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Able to sustain more than double the
load than concrete alone, Ransom's
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invention was a game -changing material,
allowing architects and engineers to
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redefine what concrete was capable of.
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Back in Austin.
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Chris Swanson and his team have taken
Ransom's reinforced concrete to new
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heights and constructed the city's
tallest building.
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We're standing currently right now,
we're inside the building core. We're
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actually inside one of the stair shafts
inside the core.
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This is actually the outer wall of the
building core.
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What I'm holding here right now is what
we call steel reinforcing, or commonly
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termed to as rebar.
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This core right here is packed with a
bunch of this right here. This is
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a number 18 bar, which is the largest
size standard bar that you can use
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and commonly used in construction these
days.
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In total, 206 tons of size 18 rebar help
keep the independence core stiff
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against lateral wind forces.
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We would never have been able to do what
we're doing here without steel
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reinforcing. You really have to use them
both in conjunction together.
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Use the concrete grate for the
compressive capacity, and we use the
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as we have right here, to hold the
tension. And when those work in unison,
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have a very efficient and very durable
product that you put together.
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Reinforced concrete may have solved the
tensile problem, but it's only part of
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the puzzle.
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So what we're looking at here is a great
view of it. This is actually the side,
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the south face of the building core, the
exterior face.
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This may look big to the naked eye or
the layman's eye, but for this height of
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building, it's a relatively skinny, thin
wall.
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Building a narrow core allows Chris and
the team to maximize living space in
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this massive tower.
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But it also means that the core no
longer provides enough stiffness to keep
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building stable.
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We could have increased the thickness of
this wall. That could have been a
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solution to do it.
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00:16:21,081 --> 00:16:24,809
However, to do that, we would have
probably been about out to about here.
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00:16:24,810 --> 00:16:29,349
have probably added another maybe eight,
six to eight inches, if not more, onto
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00:16:29,350 --> 00:16:33,229
the thickness of this wall. And that
would have just taken away from any of
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free space that we have standing out
here, which is much more valuable space
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than... the concrete that we're looking
at.
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Engineers had to somehow increase the
building stiffness without thickening
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core.
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Their solution can be found over 650
feet in the air.
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We ended up integrating a use of what's
called an outrigger system, as you see
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right here. That's these big steel
trusses that you see sticking out.
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These are actual big structural members,
and they're very integral with the
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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
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