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[narrator] Across Christchurch, more than 180 people died
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Engineering Catastrophes

Across Christchurch,more than 180 people died, 115 of themin the Madras Streetbuilding...

[narrator]
Across Christchurch,
more than 180 people died, 115 of them
in the Madras Street
building alone. [alarm ringing] As the nation mourned,
the government launched
an inquiry. This office building
had been designed
to withstand earthquakes, so why had it almost
completely collapsed? Structural engineer
Ashley Smith was tasked with
investigating the tragedy. What we are really wanting
is what initiated
the collapse

Full Transcript

00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:05.000
[narrator] Across Christchurch, more than 180 people died,
00:00:06.234 --> 00:00:10.434
115 of them in the Madras Street building alone.
00:00:11.234 --> 00:00:12.768
[alarm ringing]
00:00:15.101 --> 00:00:17.901
As the nation mourned, the government launched an inquiry.
00:00:19.501 --> 00:00:23.003
This office building had been designed to withstand earthquakes,
00:00:23.003 --> 00:00:25.901
so why had it almost completely collapsed?
00:00:28.634 --> 00:00:33.734
Structural engineer Ashley Smith was tasked with investigating the tragedy.
00:00:33.801 --> 00:00:36.901
What we are really wanting is what initiated the collapse.
Duration
38 seconds
Views
20
Timestamp in Movie
00:08:36
Uploaded
Oct 28, 2025
Season
6
Episode
8
Genres
documentary
Production
Moviecoop

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Movie Summary

With access to all phases of design and a large cast of experts, some of the great failures of engineering history are uncovered.
S06 • E07 But there was another outstanding mystery. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:06
But there was another outstanding mystery.
S06 • E01 You know, it's just, it's just amazing what the volunteer does - Engineering Catastrophes 00:11
You know, it's just, it's just amazing what the vo...
S06 • E09 NARRATOR: In California, a crucial bridge - Engineering Catastrophes 00:07
NARRATOR: In California, a crucial bridge
S06 • E07 At the time, the plant was heavily stocked with - Engineering Catastrophes 00:05
At the time, the plant was heavily stocked with
S06 • E03 [narrator] Nearly 48 hours after the collapse, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:23
[narrator] Nearly 48 hours after the collapse,
S06 • E09 An investigation was underway to understand why it failed. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:06
An investigation was underway to understand why it failed.
S06 • E02 [narrator] And with a blowdown, that control is key. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:13
[narrator] And with a blowdown, that control is key.
S06 • E01 [narrator] With the city in mourning, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:12
[narrator] With the city in mourning,
S06 • E07 So why had the fire simmered instead - Engineering Catastrophes 00:09
So why had the fire simmered instead
S06 • E04 [narrator] The crack was in a critical girder, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:13
[narrator] The crack was in a critical girder,
S06 • E09 Civil Engineering Professor Tracy Abbot - Engineering Catastrophes 00:06
Civil Engineering Professor Tracy Abbot
S06 • E06 {\an8}And on the morning of the collapse, it was both windy and snowing. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:07
{\an8}And on the morning of the collapse, it was both windy ...
S06 • E05 [narrator] In Corpus Christi, Texas, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:20
[narrator] In Corpus Christi, Texas,
S06 • E10 [woman speaking over radio] - Engineering Catastrophes 00:12
[woman speaking over radio]
S06 • E02 So that if something does go wrong, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:12
So that if something does go wrong,
S06 • E07 Looking at the chemical inventory, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:08
Looking at the chemical inventory,
S06 • E06 {\an8}Not a hurricane or a storm type wind, it was windy. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:05
{\an8}Not a hurricane or a storm type wind, it was windy.
S06 • E09 It had concrete columns that were in what was - Engineering Catastrophes 00:10
It had concrete columns that were in what was
S06 • E01 [narrator] In West Texas, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:14
[narrator] In West Texas,
S06 • E07 WALKER: To put this into perspective, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:11
WALKER: To put this into perspective,