Kings of Construction tells the stories of some of the world's most demanding building projects. These pioneering dreams require ambitious designs, vast amounts of money and nerves of steel as engineers, builders and architects attempt to deliver on time and to budget.
Engineers are burrowing through the heart of Europe excavating two of the world's longest and deepest tunnels ever created. At nealy 58 kilometers long, the Gotthard Base Tunnel will allow trains to travel through the imposing Alps at over 250 km per hour. It is the world's most challenging and dynamic tunneling project ever to be undertaken.
Deep beneath the idyllic landscape of southern Sweden lies a construction nightmare, the Hollandsas Tunnel. For over 15 years, engineers have been attempting to build two eight-kilometre long tunnels that will enable trains easy access from Scaninavia to the rest of Europe. Despite the toughest of drilling and blasting conditions, a team of experts is facing up to the challenge.
Europe's first Liquified Natural Gas Plant is being built in the port of Cadiz in southern Spain. Constructed on a gargantuan floating platform, it is getting ready to sail 4000 kilometres north towards the icy Artic waters which will be its home. This programee follows the Snohvit and her Kings of Construction on their incredible journey.
A team of experts is building the longest detachable cable car system ever constructed. The Ngong Ping 360 will stretch for 5.8 kilometres over the South China Sea and through the mountainous Lantau Country Park before arriving at the largest sitting Buddha statue in the world. But with the budget soaring and the dealine looming, the fate of the project is hanging in the balance.
The Stonecutters Bridge will provide a route from Hong Kong into mainland China across its famous harbour. With a main span of over a thousand metres, it will be the world's longest cable-stayed bridge and its huge towers will be taller than the Eiffel Tower. Its an enormous engineering challenge for our Kings of Construction.
Building America’s longest concrete arched bridge is fraught with difficulties. At 400 metres above the valley floor and wind gusts at over 130 kilometres an hour, mistakes can cost lives. Once complete, the Hoover Dam Bridge will span the Black Canyon connecting the Arizona and Nevada approach highways nearly 275 metres above the Colorado river.
Mexico has one of the largest dam building programmes in the world and the biggest of all is "El Cajon". This monster, on the Rio Grande de Santiago River in western Mexico, will be a towering 190 metres high, making it the highest rock filled dam ever constructed. It's a massive challenge but, when complete, it can supply 2% of Mexico's electricity needs.
How do you build the world's biggest artificial ski slope in the middle of the desert? Ski Dubai is an engineering project demanding quick solutions to unpredictable problems. When complete, The Mall of the Emirates will house the first indoor black ski run but the pressure of lifting a 3000 ton section of slope over 60 metres into the air brings engineers to near breaking point.
DVD Info
8 DVDset
Region: 2
Running Time: 400 minutes
Release Date: 22/09/07
