Big, Bigger, Biggest: Series 1 (2008)
3.8 of 5 from 45 ratings
3h 28min
- General info
- Available formats
- All series
- Synopsis:
Examining the advances in engineering that made some of the world's most iconic structures possible. Big, Bigger, Biggest reveals the key inventions that allowed structures to evolve from simple and small into complex and Big. Each episode opens showcasing the largest example of its kind and asks the question, 'how did it grow so big?' Then a whirlwind tour of CGI, demonstrations and actuality delivers the answer. Superstructures grow, evolve, bend, twist, move and collapse to reveal their secret workings - buckle up and prepare to be amazed!
1. SkyscraperThe tallest man-made structure on earth - nearly half a mile tall - is the Burj Dubai. This film explores how this building was made possible through a series of seven historic engineering breakthroughs. We have lined up seven landmark buildings that each features a major technological innovation that allowed engineers to reach ever taller into the sky. Using high-end computer generated imagery that makes up 50% of the film, we'll reveal the incredible stories behind these structures and the inventions that have driven them higher. Seven ingenious leaps forward that enabled skyscrapers to evolve …from Big to Bigger into the world's Biggest.
2. Aircraft Carrier
The biggest aircraft carrier in the world - weighing over 100,000 tons - is the USS Nimitz. This film reveals how seven ingenious technological breakthroughs enabled engineers to build this super-structure. From its steam catapults and mirror landing aids to its nuclear engines and unique mega-block construction system. We reveal the technology that enables the USS Nimitz to sail for over 20 years without refuelling, to house a crew of 6,000 men and women, to launch a supersonic jet fighter every twenty seconds and detect enemy threats nearly 300 miles away. Using a mix of stunning CGI animation and on-location filming, this film reveals the innovations that changed Aircraft Carrier design forever and enabled them to grow in size and scale…from Big to Bigger into the USS Nimitz - the world's Biggest.
3. Bridge
The longest spanning bridge in the world - stretching unsupported for nearly two miles over the Akashi Strait - is the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan. This film reveals how seven ingenious technological breakthroughs have led to the development of this sea-spanning super-structure. From robots that paint it to the wires supporting its deck - long enough to stretch over seven times around the world - to its earthquake proof towers. We reveal how the bridge is made from over a quarter of a million tonnes of steel, how it's 28,000 tonne cables are anchored into the riverbanks, and how the engineers built a scale model of the bridge - 40 metres long - to test how its design would stand up to typhoon winds of up to 180 miles per hour. Using a mix of stunning CGI animation and on-location filming, this film reveals the innovations that changed Bridge design forever and enabled them to grow in size and scale…from Big to Bigger into the Akashi Kaikyo - the world's Biggest.
4. Airport
Heathrow Airport in London is the busiest international airport in the world. This film reveals how seven ingenious technological breakthroughs enabled engineers to build the most modern terminal of this super-structure -Terminal 5. With its enormous free span roof and fully automated baggage system to the robotic vehicles speeding passengers to its doors, T5 is designed to feed 30 million extra passengers through Heathrow. Using a mix of spectacular CGI animation and on-location filming, this film shows in stunning detail the innovations that changed airports forever and enabled them to grow…from Big to Bigger into Heathrow Airport - the world's Biggest.- Actors:
- John Michie
- Voiced By:
- John Michie
- Narrated By:
- John Michie
- Genres:
- British TV, TV Documentaries
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