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Building Down

In order to bring more commuters to midtown New York, engineers need to almost double the size of Grand Central Station. In a crowded city like NYC, the only option is to build down instead of up.

Playlists

(1 - 4 of 11)
  • Play Build It Bigger: New York Subway Expansion
    4 Clips Playlist Season 5: New York City Subway

    Build it Bigger (06:35)

    Danny Forster is in New York City to witness a $15 billion expansion of the NYC transit system. Find out how crews work around the clock without shutting down the city above.
  • Play Build It Bigger: London Olympic Aquatic Stadium
    4 Clips Playlist Season 5: Olympic Aquatic...

    Build it Bigger (07:16)

    The London Aquatics Center will host 44 swimming & diving events during the 2012 Olympics and live on as a new addition to the London landscape. Danny Forster goes with crews as they construct one of the most advanced swimming facilities ever built.
  • Play Best Of Build It Bigger
    6 Clips Playlist Best Of Build It Bigger

    Build it Bigger (12:37)

    Check out the all-time most popular Build It Bigger videos! From the levees in New Orleans to the Singapore Skypark, Danny Forster travels the world to break down the most astounding, complex engineering feats to date.
  • Play Build It Bigger Season 4
    6 Clips Playlist Season 4

    Build it Bigger (12:37)

    From a skyscraper in Singapore to New Orleans' new hurricane protection system, check out Danny Forster in season 4 of Build It Bigger!

The Science Channel Clips

  • Play Build It Bigger: Building Down
    Building Down

    Build It Bigger (01:34)

    In order to bring more commuters to midtown New York, engineers need to almost double the size of Grand Central Station. In a crowded city like NYC, the only option is to build down instead of up.
  • Play Build It Bigger: Build It Bigger Video Extra: Hurricane-Proof Home
    Build It Bigger Video Extra:...

    Build It Bigger (02:40)

    Host Danny Forster is in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi with Rose, a Katrina victim who is getting a hurricane-proof home.
  • Play Build It Bigger: Massive Stilt Building
    Massive Stilt Building

    Build It Bigger (00:18)

    Houses must be off the ground, supported by 18 massive 10x10 posts buried 4 feet in concrete. A concrete slab at the bottom and 10x4 beams on top provide further rigidity.
  • Play Build It Bigger: Assembly Line Home Building
    Assembly Line Home Building

    Build It Bigger (00:18)

    Each hurricane-proof house is made in three sections -- kitchen, bedroom and roof -- and built on an assembly line.
  • Play Build It Bigger: FEMA Trailer Tour
    FEMA Trailer Tour

    Build It Bigger (02:25)

    Danny takes you inside a standard-issue 300-square-foot FEMA trailer, where one woman has lived since Katrina.
  • Play Build It Bigger: Fire in the Hole
    Fire in the Hole

    Build It Bigger (01:34)

    Digging subway tunnel deep underground means clearing away countless tons of rock. What's one of the easiest ways to clear a new path? Fire in the hole!
  • Play Build It Bigger: Rigid Shear Walls
    Rigid Shear Walls

    Build It Bigger (00:20)

    The two halves of the house's interior walls are fused together, forming a unified, rigid shear wall.
  • Play Build It Bigger: Falling to Pieces
    Falling to Pieces

    Build It Bigger (01:43)

    Danny Forster sees firsthand how some sections of rock in NYC's underground transit tunnels are literally falling to pieces.
  • Play Build It Bigger: See Danny Sweat
    See Danny Sweat

    Build It Bigger (02:40)

    It's back-breaking work to dig a foundation for a hurricane-proof house under the Mississippi sun.
  • Play Build It Bigger: The Al Hamra Tower
    The Al Hamra Tower

    Build It Bigger (02:17)

    Kuwait is building the world's tallest twisting structure. The Al Hamra tower will be a skyscraper like no other in the world!
  • Play Build It Bigger: Menzi Muck-er
    Menzi Muck-er

    Build It Bigger (01:44)

    Most excavation machines can't operate on steep surface angles. See how the "Menzi Muck-er" handles a steep decline in New York City's underground tunnels.
  • Play Build It Bigger: The Marina Bay Sands
    The Marina Bay Sands

    Build It Bigger (01:57)

    The tiny island of Singapore is ready to increase it's footprint and build an entirely new downtown. This evolution will be complete with the country's first casino, the Marina Bay Sands.
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From the New York City subway to a floating city in the Netherlands - Build it Bigger shows you brilliant engineering in action.

 
 

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