Epic Engineering Failures and the Lessons They Teach

Epic Engineering Failures and the Lessons They Teach « Series from 2023

Series from 2023

Broadcast info
Genres: Documentary

Go behind the scenes to discover what really happened in more than 24 epic engineering failures.

Civil engineer and award-winning educator Stephen Ressler reveals the story behind each disaster by not only demonstrating the scientific and engineering issues involved, but also by examining the individual personalities and sometimes dysfunctional organizations that led to catastrophe.

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Learning from Failure: Three Vignettes

Flawed Design Concept: The Dee Bridge

Wind Loading: The Tay Bridge

Rainwater Loading: Kemper Arena

Earthquake Loading: The Cypress Structure

Vehicle Collisions: Land and Sea

Blast Loading: The Murrah Federal Building

Structural Response: The Hyatt Regency Walkways

Bridge Aerodynamics: Galloping Gertie

Dynamic Response: London’s Wobbly Bridge

Dynamic Response: Boston’s Plywood Palace

Stone Masonry: Beauvais Cathedral

Experiment in Iron: The Ashtabula Bridge

Shear in Concrete: The FIU Pedestrian Bridge

House of Cards: Ronan Point

Brittle Fracture: The Great Molasses Flood

Stress Corrosion: The Silver Bridge

Soil and Settlement: The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Water in Soil: Teton Dam and Niigata

Construction Engineering: Two Failed Lifts

Maintenance Malpractice: The Mianus River Bridge

Decision-Making: The Challenger Disaster

Nuclear Meltdown: Chernobyl

Blowout: Deepwater Horizon

Corporate Culture: The Boeing 737 MAX