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[Jay] How do you build
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a 1.2 million-square-foot
office building
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on a 45-foot-wide strip of land?
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There's no room to put anything,
to even start construction.
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The equipment is large
and the site was tiny.
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[Jay] How do you
realize a wild idea
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for a mind-bending building
perched on a parking garage?
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[Laurie] One of the younger
architects said, "Hey, look!
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This actually
looks like a pterodyactyl."
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[music]
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[Jay] And how do you
make a suspension bridge
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312 feet in the air
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across a half mile-wide
mountain valley?
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These guys were working at the
height of the State of Liberty,
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from the ground
to the torch in the air.
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[music]
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[Jay] This is the age
of the extraordinary.
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[Dr. Agbedor]
It's totally different
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from anything around it.
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It's like a visitor
from another planet.
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[Jay] Where ingenious
engineers have unleashed
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unchecked creativity.
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Now their secrets are revealed
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as we discover the amazing
stories of their construction.
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[Mat] Look at this building,
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and your brain
just screams at you,
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"This building
does not make sense!"
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[Jay] To try and understand...
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how did they build that?
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If there's one way to guarantee
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a truly breathtakingly
original building,
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it's to ask an architect
to deliver the impossible.
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Now, Chicago is a city with
more than its fair share of
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incredible buildings.
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So when a plot of land
came up that was too small
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to build anything useful on,
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it was time to turn
the idea of a skyscraper
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completely
upside down--literally.
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Chicago, Illinois is home
to around 2.7 million people.
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It's the United States'
third-largest city,
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and one of the most
densely populated.
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With barely
any available land left,
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developers here have been forced
to rethink the impossible.
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But when they took on an
extra challenging plot of land
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pinned in by
the river, the railroad,
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and restrictive planning laws,
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no one knew
if they would pull it off.
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[Erik] There is nothing
there to work with.
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You stare at it and realize,
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how are we gonna put
a building there?
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[Jay] By defying the laws
of gravity, that's how.
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This is 150 North Riverside,
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a huge office building
balanced precariously
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on its tiny base.
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[Dr. Agbedor] You can't
believe that tiny stem
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is able to support
that weight on top of it.
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[Jay] An extraordinary
feat of engineering,
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constructed on a site
with one of the country's
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busiest stretches of
railroad passing through it.
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[Chris] The most important thing
was not building the building.
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The most important
thing on the site
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was keeping the trains running.
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[Jay] It took almost six years
and $270 million to complete.
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[music]
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[Jay] So, how did they build it?
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[music]
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[Jay] In the 19th century,
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the Chicago River
was a vital artery
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for the booming lumber
and meatpacking industries.
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But, as the railroad took over,
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the city turned
its back on the water.
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[Anthony] The river
had become kind of
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a dumping ground
for trash and sewage.
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And it wasn't 'til
the early 2000s
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when Chicago really
began reinvesting into
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beautifying the river
and amenitizing the river.
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[Jay] By 2011,
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much of the riverfront
has been revitalized,
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apart from
one small strip of land.
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This was the last
available riverfronting site,
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um, that hadn't been developed.
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This piece of property
was extremely valuable
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from that standpoint,
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if you could just
figure out how to do it.
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[Jay] To make sure it pays off,
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the developers want to create
1.2 million square feet
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of office space.
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The problem is the site
is incredibly narrow,
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wedged in between the river
and the main railroad route
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into Union Station.
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What's more,
Chicago planning laws mandate
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that all new buildings are set
back a minimum of 30 feet from
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the water to provide
a walkway along the riverfront.
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When you put the area where
you couldn't build anything,
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we were left
with a strip of land
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that was about 45 foot wide.
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The 1.2 million-square-foot
office building
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needs a footprint of
at least 28,000 square feet.
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What they have is just 6300.
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[Jay] To make the money work
and keep the city happy,
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the architects
come up with a daring plan
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that breaks all the normal rules
of skyscraper construction.
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Usually tall buildings
have a big base
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and get narrow as they go up.
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They want to literally
turn that idea on its head.
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To pull off this
astounding balancing act,
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first, the team
will have to dig deep
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into the Chicago
bedrock to anchor
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a slim, but incredibly
strong concrete core
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752 feet tall
and just 39 feet wide.
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[music]
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[Jay]
Then they'll need to engineer
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a mighty steel support system
that will act as a tabletop,
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holding the weight of
a 54-story office building
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and channeling
its forces into the ground.
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By lifting the offices up,
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they will create space
for a riverside walkway
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to the east.
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But they want to take
things one step further--
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enclosing the railroad tracks
to the west,
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creating space
for a public park.
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If they succeed,
the result will be
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an astonishing Y-shaped building
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that appears to teeter
over the waterfront.
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Before they can even start,
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there's a fairly big
problem to overcome--
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getting the
materials, machinery,
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and manpower needed
onto the site.
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There's no room to put anything
to even start construction.
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The equipment is large
and the site was tiny.
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[Jay] It's impossible
to access by road,
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boxed in by railroad tracks,
elevated bridges,
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and the water.
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So the team turns
that to their advantage.
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[Chris] Ultimately
we took the approach
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to view the Chicago River
as a liquid roadway
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to bring equipment in
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to remove excavated
soil from the site.
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[Jay] Not only can
they use the river
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to get materials
on and off site,
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but it also offers
the chance to create
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much-needed space to work.
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The contractor put a large
90-foot barge on the river
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and a ginormous crane.
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[Chris]
Being able to utilize that
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more than doubled the amount
of available space that we had
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while still maintaining
all of the river traffic
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and making sure that even the
largest Chicago river traffics
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were able to pass by
all of our operations.
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[Jay] In 2014,
with the barges in place,
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construction begins.
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The first challenge
is to create foundations
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strong enough to support
the huge skyscraper
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on its tiny base.
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It takes six months
drilling 16 boreholes
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into the bedrock...
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...each 10 feet wide
and 120 feet deep
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before filling them
with concrete and steel.
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The plan is to
tie these together
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by pouring a 10-foot-thick
concrete mat on top.
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But it's now February,
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and in Chicago, the average
low temperature is 20 degrees.
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Cold slows down
the concrete curing,
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which risks weakening.
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And even if
a small area freezes,
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it can cause serious damage.
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So the team decides to
speed up the arrival of spring.
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[Erik] They spent the few days
having to first preheat the hole
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so that the concrete
wouldn't start to freeze up
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as soon as it hit
the ground on contact.
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[Jay] With the help of concrete
blankets and propane heaters,
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they are finally ready.
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This will be the second-biggest
pour in Chicago's history--
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3600 cubic yards of concrete
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which has to be
poured in one go.
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[Dr. Agbedor] As soon
as the concrete is poured,
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it starts to set.
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And if another round of concrete
is poured on top of that,
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not in a continuous manner,
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you will introduce
lines of weakness
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which will jeopardize
the structural integrity
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of that concrete.
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[Jay] How will they
pour all that concrete
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without stopping?
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[Jay] In Chicago,
the team trying to balance
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a 1.2 million-square-foot
office building
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on a base just 39 feet wide
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is about to pour
the 3600-cubic-yard
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concrete mat foundation.
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It's a huge operation
months in the planning.
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So when the day arrives,
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on the evening of Friday,
February 13, 2015,
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there's no going back,
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even if that means working
through a blizzard.
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Once we started pouring,
we couldn't stop
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until we completed it.
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[Jay] To keep the
concrete flowing,
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they need two pumps
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and 336 trucks
working around the clock.
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There's no good way to bring
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the concrete trucks
close to the hole,
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so they're up on the bridges
with their long pumps and booms.
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Uh, it was a very long process.
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[Jay] Finally,
24 hours after they began
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late on February 14th,
the job is done.
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I'm sure all the, uh,
significant others at home
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were not happy about them
sticking through that
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on Valentine's Day,
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but it was a good
Valentine's Day
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for the project team, for sure.
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[Jay] The next challenge
is to execute a bold plan
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to transform the railroad
lines running through
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the west side of the site
from an eyesore
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into an oasis.
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[Jay] The architects
wanna cover them
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with a 100,000-pound
precast concrete deck
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and create one and a half
acres of green space.
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Supporting it all
will be 113 very thin,
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very strong piles
set between the tracks.
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[Chris] The micropiles
are basically
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10 inch diameter pipes
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drilled into the bedrock
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about every five to seven feet.
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[Jay] But this is a
busy commuter route
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serving Chicago's Union Station.
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Trains pass through
every five to seven minutes
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from dawn to dusk.
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And Amtrak stipulates
that the work must be done
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without any disruption.
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Our goal was that
no train passenger,
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no train operator
knew what was going on.
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[Jay]
So, how could they do that?
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[Rob] The contractor
negotiated with Amtrak
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the hours between
midnight and 5:00 AM
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for operating in the tracks.
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[Corina] This is like
Mission: Impossible.
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Every night they have to
sneak into the railyard
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and build against the clock.
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[Erik] It was a rough couple
of months for the neighbors,
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there's no way around that.
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The contractor did
everything they could,
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giving them good notices,
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sending them over apology
donuts every now and then
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after an especially rough night.
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[Jay] After four
months of piling,
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the team starts
laying the 107 pieces
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of precast concrete.
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Each one is 80 feet long
and weighs 75,000 pounds.
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[music]
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[Jay] Eventually, the area
will be transformed into a park,
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but it also serves
an immediate purpose.
252
00:12:43,931 --> 00:12:45,966
[Erik] Suddenly we had
a luxuriously sized
253
00:12:46,100 --> 00:12:47,501
construction site
254
00:12:47,601 --> 00:12:49,236
to bring in trucks and all
the materials and everything.
255
00:12:49,369 --> 00:12:52,773
[music]
256
00:12:52,873 --> 00:12:54,908
[Jay] It's now summer 2015,
257
00:12:55,009 --> 00:12:58,111
and the team's attention turns
to building the skyscraper
258
00:12:58,211 --> 00:13:00,180
and making sure
it's strong enough
259
00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,482
despite the tiny base.
260
00:13:03,884 --> 00:13:08,588
Usually a high-rise building
has columns around the edges,
261
00:13:08,655 --> 00:13:13,661
which transfer the loads
directly into the foundations.
262
00:13:13,794 --> 00:13:15,462
But here we don't have that.
263
00:13:15,562 --> 00:13:18,866
Those columns are left
hanging in the air
264
00:13:18,999 --> 00:13:21,167
eight floors from the ground.
265
00:13:22,769 --> 00:13:24,338
[Jay] It falls to the
team to come up with
266
00:13:24,438 --> 00:13:28,642
an elegant solution
to this major challenge.
267
00:13:28,742 --> 00:13:30,644
We basically build
a truss system
268
00:13:30,778 --> 00:13:35,615
that, uh, uh, angles
the forces into the core.
269
00:13:37,818 --> 00:13:39,320
[Jay] A truss system
uses triangles,
270
00:13:39,420 --> 00:13:41,254
known for their
strength and stability,
271
00:13:41,354 --> 00:13:43,356
to distribute weight.
272
00:13:43,490 --> 00:13:46,527
Here, 16 massive steel trusses
273
00:13:46,627 --> 00:13:49,029
will funnel the forces
created by the tower
274
00:13:49,163 --> 00:13:51,264
into the slender concrete core.
275
00:13:53,934 --> 00:13:55,836
With 54 stories to handle,
276
00:13:55,936 --> 00:13:59,139
they need to be
very, very tough.
277
00:13:59,239 --> 00:14:02,442
No ordinary steel is
strong enough to cope.
278
00:14:03,543 --> 00:14:05,746
[Rob]
There's a mill in Luxembourg
279
00:14:05,846 --> 00:14:08,248
that produces the largest
roll shape in the world,
280
00:14:08,348 --> 00:14:10,884
and it produces 65 ksi steel,
281
00:14:11,018 --> 00:14:13,887
which is 20% stronger
than conventional steel.
282
00:14:15,689 --> 00:14:19,827
It weighs 925 pounds
per lineal foot, so half a ton.
283
00:14:19,927 --> 00:14:22,762
It's, uh, the biggest,
baddest shape in the world.
284
00:14:22,863 --> 00:14:24,598
[Jay] As each
truss is assembled,
285
00:14:24,731 --> 00:14:26,967
it must be perfectly
symmetrical.
286
00:14:27,067 --> 00:14:30,705
Any mistake could throw off the
engineers' careful calculations.
287
00:14:30,805 --> 00:14:32,272
[Rob] If you think
about a champagne flute
288
00:14:32,372 --> 00:14:34,575
or a ballerina en pointe, right?
289
00:14:34,675 --> 00:14:37,577
It's all about balance
on that very narrow base.
290
00:14:40,447 --> 00:14:42,983
[Jay] By September 2015,
291
00:14:43,083 --> 00:14:45,085
the truss is complete.
292
00:14:45,218 --> 00:14:49,056
And 150 North Riverside
begins to climb rapidly
293
00:14:49,156 --> 00:14:50,424
towards the sky.
294
00:14:50,524 --> 00:15:00,067
[music]
295
00:15:00,167 --> 00:15:01,702
[Jay] But the
700-foot-tall building
296
00:15:01,802 --> 00:15:05,138
has one more challenge
for the engineers to overcome
297
00:15:05,239 --> 00:15:06,973
in the Windy City.
298
00:15:08,408 --> 00:15:10,477
[Rob] As the winds
blow in Chicago,
299
00:15:10,610 --> 00:15:13,213
the building will naturally
move back and forth.
300
00:15:15,015 --> 00:15:17,017
[Jay] To stop the
inhabitants getting seasick
301
00:15:17,117 --> 00:15:19,386
or, in this case, windsick,
302
00:15:19,487 --> 00:15:22,989
the engineers add a simple,
but ingenious extra feature
303
00:15:23,123 --> 00:15:25,025
above the office accommodation.
304
00:15:27,093 --> 00:15:32,299
It involves 160,000
gallons of water.
305
00:15:32,399 --> 00:15:34,468
[Rob] We introduced
these damper tanks.
306
00:15:34,601 --> 00:15:36,103
They're filled with water.
307
00:15:36,237 --> 00:15:38,105
And as the building
wants to move this way,
308
00:15:38,238 --> 00:15:41,475
the water pushes back
the other way, and vice versa.
309
00:15:41,575 --> 00:15:43,443
And so it settles
the movement of the building.
310
00:15:45,913 --> 00:15:48,148
[Jay] In February 2017,
311
00:15:48,248 --> 00:15:50,317
30 months after work began,
312
00:15:50,417 --> 00:15:54,421
150 North Riverside
is finally complete.
313
00:15:55,422 --> 00:15:58,659
Over 1.2 million
square feet of office space
314
00:15:58,759 --> 00:16:01,996
now stands proud beside
the Chicago River.
315
00:16:02,096 --> 00:16:04,064
Its extraordinary engineering
316
00:16:04,164 --> 00:16:09,336
is wrapped in 540,000
square feet of shimmering glass.
317
00:16:10,270 --> 00:16:12,172
[Erik] The building
itself is beautiful.
318
00:16:12,305 --> 00:16:15,042
When the sun comes up the
Chicago River from the south,
319
00:16:15,175 --> 00:16:16,977
the whole façade
just blazes white,
320
00:16:17,077 --> 00:16:18,879
and it's just
a glorious experience.
321
00:16:18,979 --> 00:16:21,047
[Jay] Its astonishing shape
has earned it nicknames,
322
00:16:21,147 --> 00:16:24,551
including the Champagne Flute
and the Tuning Fork.
323
00:16:24,651 --> 00:16:26,854
Generally speaking, I think
it's a very clever design.
324
00:16:26,987 --> 00:16:29,122
I think it's very aesthetic.
325
00:16:29,222 --> 00:16:31,725
I don't know if there's an
architectural reasoning for it,
326
00:16:31,859 --> 00:16:33,660
but it's very pretty.
327
00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,330
[Woman] I feel like this
building defies gravity,
328
00:16:36,430 --> 00:16:38,899
so the people behind
it must be geniuses.
329
00:16:39,033 --> 00:16:41,768
I don't try to
figure it out too much.
330
00:16:41,868 --> 00:16:43,603
I just enjoy it.
331
00:16:45,439 --> 00:16:46,873
[Jay] Thanks to
the tiny footprint,
332
00:16:47,007 --> 00:16:48,375
there's space
beneath the offices
333
00:16:48,508 --> 00:16:52,312
for a landscape
riverside footpath on one side
334
00:16:52,413 --> 00:16:54,548
and a peaceful park
on the other.
335
00:16:54,648 --> 00:16:57,785
[music]
336
00:16:57,885 --> 00:16:59,553
[Corina] It's a special
kind of building
337
00:16:59,653 --> 00:17:01,121
that simultaneously creates
338
00:17:01,221 --> 00:17:03,256
a new kind of
commercial development
339
00:17:03,390 --> 00:17:06,260
and it also gives
back to the community.
340
00:17:06,360 --> 00:17:08,261
[Jay] The untapped potential
of one of Chicago's
341
00:17:08,361 --> 00:17:10,631
most challenging sites
342
00:17:10,731 --> 00:17:12,799
has finally been unlocked.
343
00:17:12,899 --> 00:17:19,339
[music]
344
00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:20,841
[Chris] I lived it.
I breathed it.
345
00:17:20,941 --> 00:17:24,144
I lived and died by
the failures and the successes.
346
00:17:24,244 --> 00:17:26,980
150 North Riverside
represents everything
347
00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:31,051
that I think that
I'm capable of professionally.
348
00:17:36,590 --> 00:17:46,533
[music]
349
00:17:46,633 --> 00:17:50,003
Los Angeles has long been
known as the City of Angels.
350
00:17:50,103 --> 00:17:51,338
But with the arrival of
351
00:17:51,405 --> 00:17:53,441
a jaw-dropping
new office building,
352
00:17:53,574 --> 00:17:56,243
the City of Angles would
perhaps be more accurate.
353
00:17:56,343 --> 00:17:58,278
And while it may be
named after a creature
354
00:17:58,411 --> 00:18:00,380
from the dinosaur age, trust me,
355
00:18:00,447 --> 00:18:03,650
the Pterodactyl Building
could not be more futuristic.
356
00:18:03,783 --> 00:18:06,020
[music]
357
00:18:06,153 --> 00:18:08,255
[Jay]
In Culver City, Los Angeles,
358
00:18:08,355 --> 00:18:12,025
there's an extraordinary
new building in town.
359
00:18:12,159 --> 00:18:14,995
Is it a bird?
Is it a parking garage?
360
00:18:15,128 --> 00:18:18,932
[Jay] Part parking garage,
part office building,
361
00:18:19,032 --> 00:18:20,667
part Jurassic bird.
362
00:18:22,469 --> 00:18:23,703
Wait, what?
363
00:18:26,106 --> 00:18:29,075
[Jay] This is what happened
when an inventive developer--
364
00:18:29,175 --> 00:18:32,512
Nothing like it really
had ever been done before.
365
00:18:32,646 --> 00:18:35,181
[Jay] --and a
trailblazing architect--
366
00:18:35,281 --> 00:18:41,021
With a wall, with a floor,
with a roof, with a window.
367
00:18:41,121 --> 00:18:43,824
[Jay] -- decided to turn
the dull and mundane
368
00:18:43,924 --> 00:18:47,527
into something that would
stop you in your tracks.
369
00:18:47,627 --> 00:18:50,397
I mean, you turn the corner
in this business district,
370
00:18:50,497 --> 00:18:55,069
and you're like, "What is that?"
371
00:18:55,169 --> 00:18:58,305
[Jay] This is the Pterodactyl.
372
00:18:58,438 --> 00:19:00,373
So, how did they build it?
373
00:19:02,809 --> 00:19:09,482
[music]
374
00:19:13,620 --> 00:19:15,355
[music]
375
00:19:15,489 --> 00:19:16,723
[Jay] Culver City, California
376
00:19:16,823 --> 00:19:19,092
rose to fame as home
to some of Hollywood's
377
00:19:19,192 --> 00:19:20,894
biggest movie studios.
378
00:19:24,231 --> 00:19:26,733
In its mid-20th century heyday,
379
00:19:26,833 --> 00:19:31,171
tucked among the movie lots were
small factories and warehouses,
380
00:19:31,271 --> 00:19:33,940
producing everything
from props to wardrobe.
381
00:19:36,309 --> 00:19:38,812
Fast forward to
the 1980s, though,
382
00:19:38,945 --> 00:19:42,149
and many of those buildings
had fallen out of use,
383
00:19:42,249 --> 00:19:45,285
including an area
called Hayden Tract,
384
00:19:45,385 --> 00:19:50,024
where 60 acres of
warehouses now lie empty.
385
00:19:50,157 --> 00:19:52,793
Developer Samitaur-Smith
spot an opportunity
386
00:19:52,893 --> 00:19:54,995
to transform this area,
387
00:19:55,096 --> 00:19:58,031
building workspaces for the
new start-up tech companies
388
00:19:58,165 --> 00:19:59,834
springing up in LA.
389
00:19:59,967 --> 00:20:01,501
[Dr. Mabry] Samitaur-Smith
390
00:20:01,601 --> 00:20:04,304
aren't your typical
commercial developers, though.
391
00:20:04,404 --> 00:20:06,673
This is a creative
power couple.
392
00:20:06,806 --> 00:20:09,376
Before they turned to
property development,
393
00:20:09,476 --> 00:20:12,679
Laurie Samitaur-Smith
acted in Hollywood,
394
00:20:12,779 --> 00:20:17,318
while her husband once
worked for Pablo Picasso.
395
00:20:17,451 --> 00:20:20,520
We had to do some dynamic,
different-looking
396
00:20:20,621 --> 00:20:21,922
kinds of buildings.
397
00:20:22,022 --> 00:20:25,692
We couldn't build blah,
boring, typical buildings
398
00:20:25,792 --> 00:20:27,995
that you see on
every city street.
399
00:20:28,128 --> 00:20:30,197
We had to do
something different.
400
00:20:30,297 --> 00:20:32,833
[music]
401
00:20:32,933 --> 00:20:34,168
[Jay] To help them
achieve their vision,
402
00:20:34,301 --> 00:20:37,471
they joined forces
with Eric Owen Moss,
403
00:20:37,571 --> 00:20:40,340
a local architect
unafraid of breaking the mold
404
00:20:40,473 --> 00:20:44,945
with his ideas for what
a modern office can be.
405
00:20:45,012 --> 00:20:48,849
It doesn't have to be elevators,
double-loaded corridors,
406
00:20:48,983 --> 00:20:52,385
and nine-foot
floor to ceiling heights.
407
00:20:52,485 --> 00:20:54,120
It can be all over the place.
408
00:20:57,024 --> 00:20:59,459
He sees things in a building
that most architects don't.
409
00:21:00,994 --> 00:21:02,930
[Jay] Together,
they begin gradually
410
00:21:03,030 --> 00:21:04,531
transforming Hayden Tract
411
00:21:04,632 --> 00:21:07,601
into an architectural
laboratory.
412
00:21:07,701 --> 00:21:09,102
[Laurie] As we were successful
413
00:21:09,202 --> 00:21:11,572
and got more and more tenants,
414
00:21:11,705 --> 00:21:14,608
we were able to afford to
build more and more buildings.
415
00:21:14,708 --> 00:21:19,212
And each time,
the building was an experiment.
416
00:21:20,581 --> 00:21:24,684
[Jay] In the late 1990s,
though, they hit a roadblock.
417
00:21:24,785 --> 00:21:26,520
City planning rules
mean that before
418
00:21:26,620 --> 00:21:29,289
they can add any more
office space to the area,
419
00:21:29,423 --> 00:21:34,427
they must first build parking
for at least 530 cars.
420
00:21:34,528 --> 00:21:37,131
[Laurie] We had no ambition
to build a parking structure.
421
00:21:37,264 --> 00:21:42,002
Still to this day they are
the epitome of ugliness.
422
00:21:42,102 --> 00:21:44,905
[Jay] Laurie Samitaur-Smith
throws down the gauntlet
423
00:21:45,038 --> 00:21:46,573
to Moss.
424
00:21:46,673 --> 00:21:49,376
[Laurie] "I want you to
design something incredible
425
00:21:49,476 --> 00:21:51,111
"that will grab the eye,
426
00:21:51,244 --> 00:21:53,013
"so when they drive in
the driveway,
427
00:21:53,114 --> 00:21:56,550
"they don't see the ugly four
levels of a parking structure.
428
00:21:56,617 --> 00:22:01,154
They see something on the
roof which is unbelievable."
429
00:22:01,254 --> 00:22:04,057
[Jay] Moss takes that
brief and begins designing.
430
00:22:04,157 --> 00:22:07,160
His idea is to hide the parking
garage with an office building
431
00:22:07,293 --> 00:22:10,030
that will look like
a haphazard collection of boxes
432
00:22:10,163 --> 00:22:13,033
perched precariously
on its edge.
433
00:22:13,166 --> 00:22:14,935
[Eric]
So having built the garage,
434
00:22:15,035 --> 00:22:19,639
the building is hung over
the face of the building.
435
00:22:20,908 --> 00:22:22,275
[Jay] Pulling this off, though,
436
00:22:22,375 --> 00:22:24,511
will call for some serious
creative thinking.
437
00:22:24,611 --> 00:22:28,482
[music]
438
00:22:28,582 --> 00:22:29,717
[Jay] At the heart
of the new building
439
00:22:29,817 --> 00:22:31,351
will be a brand-new garage
440
00:22:31,451 --> 00:22:33,821
with parking for 800 cars
441
00:22:33,921 --> 00:22:35,822
and the ramps to
connect the four levels
442
00:22:35,922 --> 00:22:37,357
sitting at the front.
443
00:22:39,827 --> 00:22:41,494
So far, so ordinary.
444
00:22:42,563 --> 00:22:43,931
But the team will
have to find a way
445
00:22:44,031 --> 00:22:46,867
to bury enough
structure in the garage
446
00:22:46,967 --> 00:22:48,669
to support what's to come.
447
00:22:48,802 --> 00:22:52,673
Then they'll need to design
and build a steel skeleton
448
00:22:52,773 --> 00:22:54,308
strong enough to
support the weight
449
00:22:54,408 --> 00:22:57,978
of the intricate
interconnecting boxes
450
00:22:58,078 --> 00:22:59,914
and to prevent them
from tipping forward
451
00:23:00,014 --> 00:23:01,882
as they're built over the edge.
452
00:23:03,116 --> 00:23:05,886
Finally, the building
will need to be wrapped
453
00:23:05,986 --> 00:23:09,756
in a material to protect it
from the California sun
454
00:23:09,890 --> 00:23:12,493
while maximizing
the dramatic effect
455
00:23:12,593 --> 00:23:15,228
of its bird-like form
swooping down
456
00:23:15,328 --> 00:23:17,764
over the front of
the parking garage.
457
00:23:20,233 --> 00:23:23,537
One of the younger architects
stood back one day
458
00:23:23,637 --> 00:23:26,240
and looked what he was drawing.
459
00:23:26,340 --> 00:23:28,175
And he said to
everyone around him,
460
00:23:28,275 --> 00:23:30,010
"Hey, look!
461
00:23:30,077 --> 00:23:34,781
This actually looks
like a pterodactyl!"
462
00:23:34,882 --> 00:23:37,084
And the name stuck.
463
00:23:37,217 --> 00:23:39,453
[music]
464
00:23:39,586 --> 00:23:41,922
[Jay] In 1998, work begins.
465
00:23:43,824 --> 00:23:45,959
The developers
don't yet have the funds
466
00:23:46,093 --> 00:23:48,095
to build the Pterodactyl itself.
467
00:23:48,195 --> 00:23:51,632
So they start with
the four-story parking garage.
468
00:23:51,732 --> 00:23:56,070
The garage is very
straightforward, functional.
469
00:23:56,203 --> 00:24:00,841
Garage floors and ramps.
It's pretty mundane.
470
00:24:00,941 --> 00:24:02,276
[Jay] But there is
one way in which
471
00:24:02,376 --> 00:24:05,579
this differs from
the run of the mill garage.
472
00:24:05,679 --> 00:24:08,449
Eventually it will have
the extraordinary shape
473
00:24:08,549 --> 00:24:11,886
of the Pterodactyl
hanging off of it.
474
00:24:11,986 --> 00:24:14,921
So it's vital to build
sufficient support
475
00:24:15,021 --> 00:24:16,656
into the structure now.
476
00:24:16,790 --> 00:24:21,561
The answer lies in
18 vast steel columns.
477
00:24:21,661 --> 00:24:24,031
The columns are
extended two levels
478
00:24:24,165 --> 00:24:26,100
above the top deck,
479
00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,335
so the top of the fourth floor,
480
00:24:28,468 --> 00:24:32,005
and in anticipation
that the Pterodactyl itself
481
00:24:32,105 --> 00:24:34,608
would be built at some point.
482
00:24:35,509 --> 00:24:37,277
[Jay] It takes
more than ten years
483
00:24:37,344 --> 00:24:40,347
to get the money together
for the main building.
484
00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,017
But in June 2012,
Samitaur-Smith
485
00:24:43,117 --> 00:24:45,319
finally receive the
email from the bank
486
00:24:45,452 --> 00:24:46,987
they've been waiting for.
487
00:24:47,955 --> 00:24:50,757
And I'm wearing that email.
488
00:24:50,857 --> 00:24:53,026
Let me put my glasses on.
489
00:24:53,126 --> 00:24:55,562
Our banker wrote the email,
490
00:24:55,662 --> 00:24:57,998
"Order the steel!"
491
00:24:58,098 --> 00:25:00,701
[music]
492
00:25:00,801 --> 00:25:03,704
[Jay] They're ready
to start construction
493
00:25:03,804 --> 00:25:06,874
and the team is facing
its first problem.
494
00:25:06,974 --> 00:25:09,443
The nine office boxes
are designed to look like
495
00:25:09,543 --> 00:25:12,546
they're sitting
effortlessly on the garage.
496
00:25:12,646 --> 00:25:17,551
But at around 15 tons each,
they're gonna need supporting.
497
00:25:17,651 --> 00:25:18,986
One of the main challenges
498
00:25:19,086 --> 00:25:22,889
that kind of
is the core of this project
499
00:25:22,989 --> 00:25:26,927
is the fact that we are
sitting on several columns,
500
00:25:27,061 --> 00:25:30,864
and that's all
we have for support.
501
00:25:30,964 --> 00:25:33,433
[Dr. Mabry] If this was a
standard rectangular building,
502
00:25:33,567 --> 00:25:35,369
it would be relatively
straightforward
503
00:25:35,469 --> 00:25:38,439
to funnel the loads
through the 18 columns
504
00:25:38,539 --> 00:25:40,974
that are sticking out
of the parking garage.
505
00:25:41,074 --> 00:25:44,377
But this building is
anything but standard.
506
00:25:44,478 --> 00:25:46,079
[Jay] The building's
unique design
507
00:25:46,179 --> 00:25:49,216
requires a unique solution.
508
00:25:49,316 --> 00:25:50,885
[Hooman] We came up
with these frames
509
00:25:50,985 --> 00:25:54,688
that provides
a support point for each box.
510
00:25:57,258 --> 00:26:00,261
[Jay] It's an ingenious
piece of engineering.
511
00:26:00,394 --> 00:26:05,565
First, the 18 steel columns
will be braced with beams.
512
00:26:05,665 --> 00:26:08,135
Then a series of steel
rings will be created
513
00:26:08,268 --> 00:26:11,604
to encircle the boxes.
514
00:26:11,705 --> 00:26:14,942
These will carry the load
from the boxes into the beams,
515
00:26:15,042 --> 00:26:18,445
then down through the columns
and into the parking garage.
516
00:26:21,782 --> 00:26:23,917
Now they have to build it.
517
00:26:23,984 --> 00:26:27,488
And that involves creating
10,000 individual pieces
518
00:26:27,621 --> 00:26:28,823
of steel.
519
00:26:28,956 --> 00:26:32,993
We knew we had to fabricate
the pieces offsite
520
00:26:33,126 --> 00:26:36,296
because onsite
would've just been impossible
521
00:26:36,396 --> 00:26:40,967
and not have the accuracy
we needed them to have.
522
00:26:41,067 --> 00:26:43,237
[Jay] Then the team
has a mammoth job
523
00:26:43,337 --> 00:26:46,840
of getting the right part
in the right place.
524
00:26:46,940 --> 00:26:48,942
So we had to come up with apps
525
00:26:49,042 --> 00:26:54,815
that kept track of
more than 10,000 members.
526
00:26:54,948 --> 00:26:57,784
Not only are they building
a 10,000-piece jigsaw,
527
00:26:57,884 --> 00:27:01,522
the tolerance of each piece
is just 1/8 of an inch.
528
00:27:01,622 --> 00:27:03,657
The level of detail
we had to go through
529
00:27:03,757 --> 00:27:05,392
was honestly incredible.
530
00:27:06,994 --> 00:27:08,362
[Jay] Despite the challenges,
531
00:27:08,462 --> 00:27:11,464
the Pterodactyl's
steel skeleton creeps forward.
532
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,704
Next, they have to suspend
the boxes over the edge.
533
00:27:17,837 --> 00:27:19,940
Architect Moss has
designed them to look like
534
00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,810
they're about to
crash into the ground.
535
00:27:22,910 --> 00:27:26,814
The challenge is
making sure they don't.
536
00:27:26,914 --> 00:27:29,183
One of the features
of the building was
537
00:27:29,316 --> 00:27:33,153
that it was overhanging
from the edge of the garage,
538
00:27:33,253 --> 00:27:35,756
and one of the
challenges with that is
539
00:27:35,856 --> 00:27:39,793
there aren't any
supports within the ramp.
540
00:27:39,893 --> 00:27:42,195
What this means is
that the force created
541
00:27:42,295 --> 00:27:44,965
by hanging
the boxes off the side
542
00:27:45,065 --> 00:27:49,870
has to be channeled back to
the steel columns on the roof.
543
00:27:49,970 --> 00:27:51,772
[Jay] The team turns
to an engineering trick
544
00:27:51,872 --> 00:27:53,507
called a cantilever,
545
00:27:53,607 --> 00:27:57,378
used to create
the seemingly impossible.
546
00:27:57,511 --> 00:28:01,081
A cantilever is an overhang
that's supported on one side.
547
00:28:01,214 --> 00:28:02,516
There's different
ways it can work,
548
00:28:02,616 --> 00:28:05,519
but the secret is to have
a piece of steel or a beam
549
00:28:05,586 --> 00:28:07,087
that's hidden out of sight.
550
00:28:07,187 --> 00:28:09,123
[music]
551
00:28:09,223 --> 00:28:11,291
[Jay] The problem here
is that the design of the boxes
552
00:28:11,424 --> 00:28:15,195
leaves nowhere to hide
a large piece of steel.
553
00:28:15,296 --> 00:28:18,632
Not only do they need to look
sharp edged and delicate,
554
00:28:18,732 --> 00:28:20,967
they need to merge
and interconnect
555
00:28:21,101 --> 00:28:22,770
in complicated ways.
556
00:28:22,870 --> 00:28:25,740
[Hooman] There was some
really tight areas,
557
00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:28,575
so we didn't have room
for structure, per se.
558
00:28:28,675 --> 00:28:32,579
And it still had to
hold up the building.
559
00:28:32,712 --> 00:28:34,448
[music]
560
00:28:34,581 --> 00:28:38,184
[Jay] So, how will they
pull off the impossible design?
561
00:28:42,355 --> 00:28:43,991
[music]
562
00:28:44,091 --> 00:28:45,659
[Jay] In Culver City,
563
00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,428
the team needs to support
the vast weight of a building
564
00:28:48,528 --> 00:28:51,899
that hangs perilously over
the edge of a parking garage
565
00:28:52,032 --> 00:28:55,502
without compromising
its sleek, futuristic look.
566
00:28:58,038 --> 00:29:00,574
The solution is to hide
strategically placed
567
00:29:00,707 --> 00:29:03,477
smaller pieces of steel
all over the frame,
568
00:29:03,610 --> 00:29:06,179
which work together to
hold up the cantilever.
569
00:29:08,315 --> 00:29:10,785
[Hooman] We added
braces in certain areas
570
00:29:10,885 --> 00:29:14,788
kind of like pulling up
on a hanging area
571
00:29:14,888 --> 00:29:16,690
to strengthen it
572
00:29:16,790 --> 00:29:20,494
so that it would perform
the way we needed it to perform.
573
00:29:20,594 --> 00:29:23,163
In some areas,
we didn't have room for braces,
574
00:29:23,296 --> 00:29:27,000
so we had to put two members
next to each other,
575
00:29:27,133 --> 00:29:30,370
kind of doubling up the members.
576
00:29:30,470 --> 00:29:35,643
[Jay] It takes almost two years
and 134 tons of steel.
577
00:29:35,743 --> 00:29:39,980
But finally, the complex
overhanging frame is complete.
578
00:29:41,081 --> 00:29:43,284
[music]
579
00:29:43,384 --> 00:29:45,953
[Jay] The final challenge
is to clad the exterior
580
00:29:46,053 --> 00:29:49,490
in something that will
weatherproof the building,
581
00:29:49,590 --> 00:29:52,659
while also creating
a final finish worthy
582
00:29:52,792 --> 00:29:55,229
of Laurie's singular vision.
583
00:29:55,329 --> 00:29:57,164
[Laurie] I always
had this fantasy that
584
00:29:57,297 --> 00:29:59,666
one day that pterodactyl
585
00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:02,235
was just gonna
start to flap its wings
586
00:30:02,335 --> 00:30:03,637
and take off,
587
00:30:03,737 --> 00:30:07,641
and just fly across
the pavement, you know,
588
00:30:07,774 --> 00:30:11,812
from the parking structure
to my window, to me.
589
00:30:11,912 --> 00:30:15,148
[music]
590
00:30:15,282 --> 00:30:16,817
[Jay] Fitting, then,
591
00:30:16,917 --> 00:30:18,952
that the team decides to cover
this prehistoric fantasy
592
00:30:19,052 --> 00:30:20,987
of a building in scales.
593
00:30:21,922 --> 00:30:23,924
Well, okay, tiles.
594
00:30:24,024 --> 00:30:28,094
About 28,000 square feet
of them made from zinc.
595
00:30:29,963 --> 00:30:33,233
[Corina] The zinc tiles
are a really clever solution.
596
00:30:33,333 --> 00:30:34,435
They're weatherproof.
597
00:30:34,535 --> 00:30:35,870
They won't rust.
598
00:30:35,936 --> 00:30:37,938
And they're flexible
enough to wrap around
599
00:30:38,038 --> 00:30:39,240
the corners of the building,
600
00:30:39,306 --> 00:30:41,675
essentially hide
in the building's recesses.
601
00:30:41,775 --> 00:30:45,045
But actually, most of all,
they look amazing.
602
00:30:47,081 --> 00:30:51,751
[Jay] In 2015, 17 years
after it was first designed,
603
00:30:51,852 --> 00:30:56,389
the Pterodactyl
is ready for action.
604
00:30:56,489 --> 00:30:59,993
It couldn't be more at home
than in Tinsel Town.
605
00:31:00,093 --> 00:31:04,832
It looks like a huge
blockbuster special effect.
606
00:31:04,932 --> 00:31:08,835
[Jay] Its gleaming angles
and gravity defy form,
607
00:31:08,969 --> 00:31:12,273
show what happens
when daring designers
608
00:31:12,373 --> 00:31:14,674
push engineers to their limits.
609
00:31:15,675 --> 00:31:17,611
[Hooman] This project
was very special.
610
00:31:17,712 --> 00:31:19,780
I am very lucky to
have the opportunity
611
00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,215
to solve this puzzle.
612
00:31:22,349 --> 00:31:25,285
[Laurie] I'm not saying that
it's everybody's cup of tea.
613
00:31:25,386 --> 00:31:27,554
But there are enough
people out there
614
00:31:27,654 --> 00:31:32,659
who say, "That's what I like.
It's something different."
615
00:31:32,759 --> 00:31:35,362
That was, and is,
the Pterodactyl.
616
00:31:35,495 --> 00:31:42,869
[music]
617
00:31:45,138 --> 00:31:52,178
[music]
618
00:31:54,982 --> 00:31:57,184
Imagine the world's
longest suspension bridge
619
00:31:57,318 --> 00:31:59,519
stretching between
two mountaintops.
620
00:31:59,653 --> 00:32:02,656
Picture it
311 feet up in the air,
621
00:32:02,757 --> 00:32:04,291
miles from anywhere,
622
00:32:04,425 --> 00:32:06,893
and with views across one of
the most picturesque landscapes
623
00:32:06,993 --> 00:32:08,995
in all of Eastern Europe.
624
00:32:09,095 --> 00:32:10,563
"Sounds totally awesome, Jay!
625
00:32:10,664 --> 00:32:13,467
But would anybody really go
and build something like that?"
626
00:32:13,567 --> 00:32:16,103
In Czechia, they already did.
627
00:32:16,203 --> 00:32:20,407
[music]
628
00:32:20,507 --> 00:32:23,910
[Jay] The beautiful
Králicky SneOník Mountains
629
00:32:24,010 --> 00:32:25,845
lie in Eastern Europe.
630
00:32:29,049 --> 00:32:31,685
A magnet for skiers
drawn by the great snow
631
00:32:31,785 --> 00:32:33,287
and stunning views,
632
00:32:33,421 --> 00:32:36,123
the area has
prospered as a resort.
633
00:32:36,223 --> 00:32:39,426
[music]
634
00:32:39,559 --> 00:32:41,228
[Jay] But with climate change
making the weather
635
00:32:41,328 --> 00:32:43,297
less and less reliable,
636
00:32:43,397 --> 00:32:45,298
they realized
they could no longer afford
637
00:32:45,398 --> 00:32:47,835
to solely rely on the snow.
638
00:32:47,935 --> 00:32:51,405
So, they decided to
create a mountain trail.
639
00:32:52,406 --> 00:32:55,642
But this is no ordinary
stroll through the woods.
640
00:32:55,742 --> 00:33:04,151
[music]
641
00:33:04,251 --> 00:33:08,355
[Jay] At its heart
is a 2365-foot-long,
642
00:33:08,455 --> 00:33:10,357
vertigo-inducing foot bridge
643
00:33:10,491 --> 00:33:13,193
soaring between
two mountain ridges
644
00:33:13,327 --> 00:33:16,596
312 feet above the valley below.
645
00:33:19,933 --> 00:33:22,002
You can almost
imagine James Bond
646
00:33:22,136 --> 00:33:26,373
hanging off the bottom of it,
being pursued by an enemy.
647
00:33:26,473 --> 00:33:30,177
[Jay] It's the world's longest
suspension foot bridge,
648
00:33:30,277 --> 00:33:33,881
built in one of the most
difficult locations possible.
649
00:33:33,981 --> 00:33:36,617
It's the last place that
you can imagine finding
650
00:33:36,717 --> 00:33:39,085
such an incredible
piece of engineering.
651
00:33:41,121 --> 00:33:43,190
[Jay] It had to be tough
enough to cope with winds
652
00:33:43,290 --> 00:33:46,760
of up to 134 miles per hour
653
00:33:46,860 --> 00:33:49,329
and strong enough
to need no pylons
654
00:33:49,430 --> 00:33:53,133
along almost half a mile
of walkway.
655
00:33:53,233 --> 00:33:57,470
This is Sky Bridge 721.
656
00:33:59,139 --> 00:34:01,775
So, how did they build it?
657
00:34:06,379 --> 00:34:09,816
[music]
658
00:34:09,916 --> 00:34:13,020
[Jay] The Ski Resort of
Doini Morava in Eastern Europe
659
00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:17,124
got its first
ski lift in the 1970s.
660
00:34:17,224 --> 00:34:19,393
And ever since,
the local economy
661
00:34:19,493 --> 00:34:22,396
has relied on winter visitors.
662
00:34:22,496 --> 00:34:25,366
But as winters get
warmer and shorter,
663
00:34:25,466 --> 00:34:28,201
there's less and less snowfall.
664
00:34:29,303 --> 00:34:34,975
[speaking foreign language]
665
00:34:40,814 --> 00:34:42,249
[Jay] The resort
needs a solution
666
00:34:42,349 --> 00:34:45,185
that will keep visitors coming
regardless of the snow.
667
00:34:50,491 --> 00:34:51,792
Their audacious plan
668
00:34:51,925 --> 00:34:54,695
is to create a walk
through the mountains,
669
00:34:54,795 --> 00:34:56,429
but with a difference.
670
00:34:57,331 --> 00:34:59,133
It will start on
a sky-high foot bridge
671
00:34:59,233 --> 00:35:02,435
that stretches almost
half a mile across the valley,
672
00:35:02,536 --> 00:35:05,572
strung between
two mountain peaks.
673
00:35:08,809 --> 00:35:10,977
First, the engineers
will need to find a way
674
00:35:11,111 --> 00:35:14,281
to support it at
either side of the valley
675
00:35:14,381 --> 00:35:15,982
by building pylons strong enough
676
00:35:16,116 --> 00:35:18,852
that it needs no support
along its length.
677
00:35:18,952 --> 00:35:23,924
[music]
678
00:35:24,024 --> 00:35:25,493
[Jay] Then they'll
need to figure out
679
00:35:25,626 --> 00:35:27,027
how to connect the pylons
680
00:35:27,161 --> 00:35:29,095
with lightweight
tension steel cables
681
00:35:29,196 --> 00:35:32,532
designed to carry the weight
of the four-foot-wide deck.
682
00:35:36,436 --> 00:35:39,406
They'll also have to engineer
a way of stabilizing the bridge
683
00:35:39,506 --> 00:35:43,710
to help it cope with winds
of up to 134 miles per hour,
684
00:35:43,810 --> 00:35:45,413
drastic temperature changes,
685
00:35:45,479 --> 00:35:50,250
and wildly varying loads caused
by snowfall and visitor numbers.
686
00:35:52,319 --> 00:35:54,521
If they succeed,
687
00:35:54,621 --> 00:35:57,658
they'll have created the
longest suspension foot bridge
688
00:35:57,758 --> 00:35:59,059
on the planet.
689
00:35:59,159 --> 00:36:01,962
[music]
690
00:36:02,062 --> 00:36:05,566
[Jay] More than 500 feet
longer than its nearest rival,
691
00:36:05,699 --> 00:36:08,402
making it won't be easy.
692
00:36:08,536 --> 00:36:11,238
Because bridges hang in midair,
693
00:36:11,372 --> 00:36:13,440
there's nothing underneath them
694
00:36:13,540 --> 00:36:16,243
to resist the pull of gravity.
695
00:36:16,376 --> 00:36:19,380
So the longer they have to span,
696
00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,482
the heavier that bridge is,
697
00:36:21,582 --> 00:36:24,151
and therefore
the stronger that force is
698
00:36:24,251 --> 00:36:26,386
that's pulling on it.
699
00:36:26,486 --> 00:36:29,055
[Jay] It's a daunting
prospect for any engineer.
700
00:36:29,556 --> 00:36:31,992
[speaking foreign language]
701
00:36:42,369 --> 00:36:46,039
[speaking foreign language]
702
00:36:51,278 --> 00:36:54,848
[Jay] Despite any concerns,
work begins in late 2020.
703
00:36:57,350 --> 00:37:00,220
The first stage is to
design and build the system
704
00:37:00,353 --> 00:37:05,125
to attach both ends of
the bridge to the mountain.
705
00:37:05,225 --> 00:37:07,794
[Corina] The problem is, the
longer the suspension bridge,
706
00:37:07,894 --> 00:37:08,996
the heavier it is,
707
00:37:09,096 --> 00:37:11,198
and the pylons have
to be stronger.
708
00:37:11,298 --> 00:37:14,601
So this is going to be
a very, very long bridge.
709
00:37:18,138 --> 00:37:19,306
[Jay] Working at
two mountaintop sites
710
00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:21,308
on opposite sides of the valley,
711
00:37:21,408 --> 00:37:25,145
3,610 feet above sea level,
712
00:37:25,278 --> 00:37:28,181
the team digs 30 feet
down into the bedrock
713
00:37:28,281 --> 00:37:31,318
to create foundations
capable of taking the load.
714
00:37:33,954 --> 00:37:36,357
Then, prefabricated
steel sections
715
00:37:36,457 --> 00:37:39,059
are transported up
winding mountain roads
716
00:37:39,159 --> 00:37:41,462
from the valley below...
717
00:37:41,562 --> 00:37:43,798
before being bolted
and welded together
718
00:37:43,898 --> 00:37:47,500
to create two
38-feet-tall steel pylons.
719
00:37:48,368 --> 00:37:51,371
[music]
720
00:37:51,471 --> 00:37:52,773
[Jay] After six months
721
00:37:52,873 --> 00:37:54,908
and a whole lot of
concrete and steel,
722
00:37:55,008 --> 00:37:58,779
the bridge's supports
are in place.
723
00:37:58,912 --> 00:38:01,681
But the hard work
has only just begun
724
00:38:01,781 --> 00:38:06,019
because somehow, they now need
to get 158 tons of cable strung
725
00:38:06,119 --> 00:38:07,554
between two mountaintops
726
00:38:07,654 --> 00:38:09,356
which are almost
half a mile apart.
727
00:38:10,357 --> 00:38:12,058
[Dr. Mabry] In the past,
for a simple bridge
728
00:38:12,159 --> 00:38:14,294
across a narrow gap,
729
00:38:14,395 --> 00:38:16,296
they may have even
used a bow and arrow
730
00:38:16,396 --> 00:38:19,366
to fire the first
pilot line over.
731
00:38:19,500 --> 00:38:21,369
If you're over water,
you can use a boat
732
00:38:21,502 --> 00:38:23,370
to carry the line across.
733
00:38:23,504 --> 00:38:25,105
But neither of
those are gonna work
734
00:38:25,205 --> 00:38:27,874
for a span over 2300 feet
735
00:38:27,974 --> 00:38:29,876
between the two
towering mountains.
736
00:38:29,976 --> 00:38:31,879
[music]
737
00:38:31,979 --> 00:38:35,649
[Jay] Can 21st century
technology solve the problem?
738
00:38:40,287 --> 00:38:42,622
[Jay] In Czechia,
engineers need to find a way
739
00:38:42,723 --> 00:38:46,993
to string steel cables across
a half a mile-wide valley,
740
00:38:47,127 --> 00:38:49,730
312 feet in the air.
741
00:38:49,830 --> 00:38:51,898
The first step
is to get a pilot line
742
00:38:51,998 --> 00:38:53,500
between the two pylons.
743
00:38:56,069 --> 00:38:57,705
To span the huge distance,
744
00:38:57,805 --> 00:39:00,875
they deploy some
21st century hardware.
745
00:39:01,008 --> 00:39:02,376
[Dr. Mabry]
It's such a neat idea.
746
00:39:02,476 --> 00:39:06,046
Once a drone has taken
the pilot line over,
747
00:39:06,146 --> 00:39:09,616
you can attach a slightly
thicker cable to the end
748
00:39:09,683 --> 00:39:13,187
and use pulleys to pull that
back across the valley.
749
00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:15,723
You can then attach
another slightly thicker cable
750
00:39:15,856 --> 00:39:17,058
to the end
751
00:39:17,158 --> 00:39:18,425
and continue to pull it
across the valley
752
00:39:18,525 --> 00:39:20,795
until you pull
the final cable over.
753
00:39:20,861 --> 00:39:24,031
[music]
754
00:39:24,131 --> 00:39:25,900
[Jay] It takes
three days of pulling
755
00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:29,002
increasingly thick lines
across the valley.
756
00:39:29,102 --> 00:39:34,208
But at last, they are
ready for the final cables.
757
00:39:34,341 --> 00:39:37,178
As these steel wires,
each three inches thick,
758
00:39:37,278 --> 00:39:40,447
half a mile long,
and weighing 23 tons,
759
00:39:40,547 --> 00:39:42,649
are unraveled
300 feet in the air...
760
00:39:45,352 --> 00:39:46,486
...they're vulnerable to winds
761
00:39:46,587 --> 00:39:51,392
which can reach
134 miles per hour.
762
00:39:51,492 --> 00:39:55,095
[speaking foreign language]
763
00:40:06,173 --> 00:40:09,777
[Jay] It takes six long
weeks of careful stretching,
764
00:40:09,877 --> 00:40:14,348
but finally, all six cables
can be attached at both ends.
765
00:40:14,448 --> 00:40:17,384
It's a huge moment for the team.
766
00:40:17,484 --> 00:40:20,921
[speaking foreign language]
767
00:40:27,327 --> 00:40:29,530
[Jay] Now they have
to build the deck,
768
00:40:29,630 --> 00:40:32,966
the most hair-raising
challenge yet.
769
00:40:33,066 --> 00:40:37,504
244 sections,
each 10 feet by 4 feet,
770
00:40:37,638 --> 00:40:41,742
have to be suspended
312 feet above the ground.
771
00:40:41,842 --> 00:40:44,111
With no way to get
a crane into the valley,
772
00:40:44,178 --> 00:40:48,215
the only way to do it is to
lay the walkway piece by piece
773
00:40:48,349 --> 00:40:51,418
while suspended from the cables.
774
00:40:51,518 --> 00:40:54,822
These guys are working
at 312 feet in the air.
775
00:40:54,888 --> 00:40:56,690
That's the height of
the Statue of Liberty,
776
00:40:56,790 --> 00:41:00,561
from the ground to
the torch in the air.
777
00:41:00,661 --> 00:41:02,763
[Jay] Working simultaneously
from each end,
778
00:41:02,863 --> 00:41:06,500
two teams lay
the deck piece by piece.
779
00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:09,503
[music]
780
00:41:09,603 --> 00:41:12,172
[Jay] It takes
10 weeks, but at last,
781
00:41:12,272 --> 00:41:14,140
the deck is complete.
782
00:41:16,176 --> 00:41:20,814
However, there is still one more
important challenge to come.
783
00:41:20,914 --> 00:41:24,351
[speaking foreign language]
784
00:41:25,919 --> 00:41:27,688
[Jay] The Sky Bridge
needs to handle temperatures
785
00:41:27,788 --> 00:41:31,892
between minus 62 and 90 degrees.
786
00:41:34,562 --> 00:41:36,063
[Dr. Mabry] Drastic
temperature changes
787
00:41:36,163 --> 00:41:39,099
are a bridge engineer's nemesis.
788
00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:43,937
Heat and cold can cause steel
cables to expand and contract
789
00:41:44,071 --> 00:41:46,573
or stretch and shrink.
790
00:41:48,208 --> 00:41:51,978
[speaking foreign language]
791
00:42:03,357 --> 00:42:07,361
[Dr. Mabry] If cables start
to sag or tighten too much,
792
00:42:07,495 --> 00:42:09,296
it could stress
the structure in ways
793
00:42:09,396 --> 00:42:11,031
that it can't cope with,
794
00:42:11,131 --> 00:42:13,867
potentially leading to collapse.
795
00:42:15,669 --> 00:42:17,170
[Jay] To overcome this,
796
00:42:17,270 --> 00:42:20,140
the engineers devise
an ingenious system of cables
797
00:42:20,274 --> 00:42:23,177
which attach
the bridge to huge moveable
798
00:42:23,277 --> 00:42:26,513
four-ton concrete blocks
on the valley floor.
799
00:42:28,915 --> 00:42:31,685
As the bridge rises or
falls with the weather,
800
00:42:31,819 --> 00:42:34,021
the blocks rise and fall too,
801
00:42:34,154 --> 00:42:37,758
keeping the exact same
tension in the cables.
802
00:42:37,858 --> 00:42:39,193
[Dr. Mabry] It's genius.
803
00:42:39,293 --> 00:42:41,861
Such a simple idea,
but it allows the bridge
804
00:42:41,995 --> 00:42:45,866
to react constantly to
the changing pressures on it.
805
00:42:45,966 --> 00:42:49,336
Even better, it's practically
maintenance free.
806
00:42:50,470 --> 00:42:53,340
[Jay] In May 2022,
the Sky Bridge
807
00:42:53,473 --> 00:42:57,344
opens to anyone brave
enough to walk across.
808
00:42:57,478 --> 00:43:00,047
I had to ask my
colleague to grab my arm
809
00:43:00,147 --> 00:43:02,016
and to go with me.
810
00:43:02,116 --> 00:43:05,052
If you see just
the bottom under you,
811
00:43:05,152 --> 00:43:08,355
that's strange.
That's so crazy.
812
00:43:08,455 --> 00:43:10,023
[Jay] Built in 18 months
813
00:43:10,123 --> 00:43:13,760
and at a cost of almost
10 million US Dollars,
814
00:43:13,894 --> 00:43:16,130
it's an enormous achievement.
815
00:43:16,230 --> 00:43:21,935
[speaking foreign language]
816
00:43:28,842 --> 00:43:31,112
[Jay] Open rain or shine,
the bridge was visited by
817
00:43:31,212 --> 00:43:35,383
290,000 people in
its first year alone.
818
00:43:35,516 --> 00:43:38,885
[speaking foreign language]
819
00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:48,762
[music]
820
00:43:48,862 --> 00:43:50,764
[Jay] The bridge isn't
just an incredible structure
821
00:43:50,898 --> 00:43:52,299
in its own right;
822
00:43:52,399 --> 00:43:56,737
it's transformed the
fortunes of this entire area.
823
00:43:56,870 --> 00:44:00,340
It just goes to show what
great engineering can do.
824
00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:05,045
[music]
825
00:44:06,780 --> 00:44:18,725
[music]