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Why they were doing this, we have no clue
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Engineering Catastrophes

Why they were doing this, we have no clue. We started to hear cracking of the columns. ...

Why they were doing this, we have no clue. We started to hear cracking of the columns. [narrator] This seemed to so to indicate a different demolition technique, known as a blowdown or pull down. It's quicker than a standard demolition but far less predictable. If you want to bring
a building down, basically, an implosion
without explosives, it's kind of like cutting do a tree, you cut a wedge, and you... you'd want it to get to fall a certain way. You soften
that ground floor, so that you'd identify
the last critical columns, and you pull those out,
and that controls the way
the building falls

Full Transcript

00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:03.278
Why they were doing this, we have no clue.
00:00:03.028 --> 00:00:07.038
We started to hear cracking of the columns.
00:00:07.008 --> 00:00:11.158
[narrator] This seemed to so to indicate a different demolition technique,
00:00:11.016 --> 00:00:14.638
known as a blowdown or pull down.
00:00:14.064 --> 00:00:16.798
It's quicker than a standard demolition
00:00:17.032 --> 00:00:18.798
but far less predictable.
00:00:19.088 --> 00:00:23.999
If you want to bring a building down,
00:00:23.998 --> 00:00:26.438
basically, an implosion without explosives,
00:00:26.044 --> 00:00:29.238
it's kind of like cutting do a tree, you cut a wedge,
00:00:29.024 --> 00:00:31.558
and you... you'd want it to get to fall a certain way.
00:00:31.056 --> 00:00:33.558
You soften that ground floor,
00:00:33.056 --> 00:00:36.003
so that you'd identify the last critical columns,
00:00:36.001 --> 00:00:38.758
and you pull those out, and that controls the way the building falls.
Duration
40 seconds
Views
14
Timestamp in Movie
00:08:07
Uploaded
Oct 28, 2025
Season
6
Episode
2
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 • E05 You might say, symphony halls worth of gas. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:07
You might say, symphony halls worth of gas.
S06 • E08 Most of them could be anywhere - Engineering Catastrophes 00:22
Most of them could be anywhere
S06 • E04 [narrator] Allowing heavy semis and other vehicles - Engineering Catastrophes 00:40
[narrator] Allowing heavy semis and other vehicles
S06 • E09 I believe it took us five or six days, something like that. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:06
I believe it took us five or six days, something like that.
S06 • E03 [narrator] Given the extreme danger and with time ticking away, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:32
[narrator] Given the extreme danger and with time ticking ...
S06 • E05 All you need is one spark to ignite that highly combustible mixture. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:08
All you need is one spark to ignite that highly combustible ...
S06 • E07 So the chemicals, from what I understand, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:07
So the chemicals, from what I understand,
S06 • E09 We wanted to be there and work as hard - Engineering Catastrophes 00:07
We wanted to be there and work as hard
S06 • E05 [narrator] The dredge increased its power, in an attempt to swing away. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:29
[narrator] The dredge increased its power, in an attempt to ...
S06 • E07 Doing the research, I saw that they weren't required to have - Engineering Catastrophes 00:13
Doing the research, I saw that they weren't required to...
S06 • E10 The earthquake was one of the worst disasters - Engineering Catastrophes 00:33
The earthquake was one of the worst disasters
S06 • E09 NARRATOR: While the temporary bridge was being built, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:12
NARRATOR: While the temporary bridge was being built,
S06 • E08 And for every single thing you look at to be broken. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:06
And for every single thing you look at to be broken.
S06 • E06 In Manhattan, a massive crawler crane - Engineering Catastrophes 00:19
In Manhattan, a massive crawler crane
S06 • E08 [narrator] Across Christchurch, more than 180 people died, - Engineering Catastrophes 00:38
[narrator] Across Christchurch, more than 180 people died,
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 • E07 But there was another outstanding mystery. - Engineering Catastrophes 00:06
But there was another outstanding mystery.
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,