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[narrator] But this Imperial Bridge
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Engineering Catastrophes

[narrator] But this Imperial Bridge

[narrator] But this Imperial Bridge would be no conventional suspension span. The flood plain here was too soft to anchor cables from the banks. The solution, the main cable were attached not to the lan but to the end of the decks themselves, meaning the whole structure could stand alone. It's what's known as a self-anchored suspension bridge. This innovative solution kept the major transportation link open for 40 years, until one Sunday morning in 1976, when, without warning, catastrophe struck. [debris shattering]

Full Transcript

00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:02.398
[narrator] But this Imperial Bridge
00:00:02.044 --> 00:00:05.638
would be no conventional suspension span.
00:00:05.064 --> 00:00:07.398
The flood plain here was too soft
00:00:07.473 --> 00:00:09.758
to anchor cables from the banks.
00:00:11.044 --> 00:00:14.998
The solution, the main cable were attached not to the lan
00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:17.678
but to the end of the decks themselves,
00:00:17.713 --> 00:00:20.718
meaning the whole structure could stand alone.
00:00:20.072 --> 00:00:24.158
It's what's known as a self-anchored suspension bridge.
00:00:25.024 --> 00:00:26.918
This innovative solution
00:00:26.092 --> 00:00:30.438
kept the major transportation link open for 40 years,
00:00:31.044 --> 00:00:34.838
until one Sunday morning in 1976,
00:00:34.084 --> 00:00:38.918
when, without warning, catastrophe struck.
00:00:38.993 --> 00:00:41.218
[debris shattering]
Duration
42 seconds
Views
14
Timestamp in Movie
00:14:59
Uploaded
Oct 28, 2025
Season
6
Episode
3
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 • E09 The construction involved cast-in-place - Engineering Catastrophes 00:10
The construction involved cast-in-place
S06 • E06 Definitely a place that is fast growing - Engineering Catastrophes 00:05
Definitely a place that is fast growing
S06 • E05 [narrator] In this case, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:40
[narrator] In this case,
S06 • E01 [narrator] A gaping sinkhol that kept growing, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:09
[narrator] A gaping sinkhol that kept growing,
S06 • E10 [narrator] This is one of those subdivisions - Engineering Catastrophes 00:16
[narrator] This is one of those subdivisions
S06 • E07 NARRATOR: One major challenge was to achieve the necessary - Engineering Catastrophes 00:10
NARRATOR: One major challenge was to achieve the necessary
S06 • E06 [narrator] As the population boomed, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:19
[narrator] As the population boomed,
S06 • E09 Crews can keep moving forward with construction on site while - Engineering Catastrophes 00:08
Crews can keep moving forward with construction on site whil...
S06 • E01 I see this massive hole in front of me. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:15
I see this massive hole in front of me.
S06 • E02 At this point we, literally, think that we're under attack. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:06
At this point we, literally, think that we're under att...
S06 • E09 It's kind of like a factory line - Engineering Catastrophes 00:06
It's kind of like a factory line
S06 • E08 Veteran journalist Eileen Pace knows this quaint town well. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:13
Veteran journalist Eileen Pace knows this quaint town well.
S06 • E02 [narrator] Fledgling reporte Bertha Gonzalez, then just 20 years old, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:12
[narrator] Fledgling reporte Bertha Gonzalez, then just 2...
S06 • E07 {\an8}so you really want to avoid anything that could upset - Engineering Catastrophes 00:11
{\an8}so you really want to avoid anything that could upset
S06 • E10 It was my first home - Engineering Catastrophes 00:13
It was my first home
S06 • E09 NARRATOR: The parking garage was made of - Engineering Catastrophes 00:11
NARRATOR: The parking garage was made of
S06 • E06 There were plans for expansion of more beds and more emergency care. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:11
There were plans for expansion of more beds and more emergen...
S06 • E08 There's a lot of water around here, a lot of recreation. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:22
There's a lot of water around here, a lot of recreation...
S06 • E02 It was so close, days away from the 9/11 attacks. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:06
It was so close, days away from the 9/11 attacks.
S06 • E01 [narrator] Gainesville is a sprawling college town - Engineering Catastrophes 00:16
[narrator] Gainesville is a sprawling college town