Original subtitles

[Narrator] Construction. Heavy machinery.

Tight schedules. Millions at stake.

What could go wrong?

Everything.

Whether it's faulty equipment, poor design, human error,

or just bad luck,

these are

Construction Fails.

In this episode,

Demolition fail...

In Detroit the Pontiac Silverdome roof fell...

...but the building didn't.

Wind Turbines...

What happens when they stop spinning...

and start falling?

Forklifts...

...when heavy lifting meets human error.

Excavators...

What goes up...

...must come down.

The Pontiac Silverdome.

Once the home of the Detroit Lions

of the National Football League.

Now a shell of its former self.

The playing field was trashed.

The bleachers were bare.

The blue seats were empty.

And the corporate boxes were dark.

No announcer called the score.

Because the Silverdome had collapsed.

Strong winds and snow combined to destroy

the inflatable roof.

The stadium had reached the end of its working life.

On December 3, 2017.

It was time to say goodbye.

The method was controlled demolition.

But the Silverdome held its ground.

Despite all those explosions,

the blasts only managed to trigger car alarms.

SO, what went wrong?

The dome is a marvel of engineering.

The Pantheon in Rome was constructed in the year 125.

It's incredible Oculus or Eye

has looked into the Roman sky for nearly 2000 years.

Domes are the ultimate artificial sky.

They let the games go on, all year round,

regardless of the weather.

When the Silverdome opened in 1975,

it was one of the most technologically-advanced

covered stadiums in the world.

It played host to many more than Detroit Lions fans,

the World Cup came to play, people came to pray,

whether the star attraction was a rock and roll band

or the pope.

Its giant ball dome was state-of-the-art.

The fiberglass fabric roof was coated with Teflon.

The whole thing was held up by air pressure.

Ball domes are supported by pressurized air.

Pumps keep the internal air pressure equal

or slightly higher than the external pressure.

As long as there is an airlock, the dome will stay up.

But if the snow falls too heavily,

and the wind blows too hard,

ball domes can collapse.

And the Silverdome collapsed one time too many.

The sad state of the Silverdome was a reflection

of the sorry state of Detroit.

The decline of the automobile industry

led to a decline in the city.

By 2016, Detroit decided to demolish its failing dome.

So, they turned to the city of Atlanta, Georgia

for inspiration.

Atlanta had already constructed a replacement stadium

for its retiring Georgia Dome.

When it was time for Atlanta to say goodbye

to its old stadium,

the old building bowed out in style.

It was a text-book example of controlled demolition.

The Georgia Dome collapsed in a nice pile,

right beside its successor.

Detroit was so impressed,

they hired the same demolition company.

So why did the Georgia Dome drop like a stone

while the Silverdome failed to fall?

Was it a matter of timing?

In Atlanta, the explosives fired in perfect synchronicity.

But the Detroit demolition was defeated by faulting wiring.

Eight of the eighty explosive charges

failed to detonate.

Was it a crossed wire?

Or was the answer more explosive?

More than 2000 kilograms of TNT

blew the Georgia Dome to bits.

The charges were sequenced over a 12 second period.

In the first six seconds, the circuits are primed.

Then comes six seconds of staged explosions.

Nearly ten kilometres of detonating cord,

1.5 kilometres of electric circuits,

and nearly 2800 kilograms of explosive.

The Silverdome fail told a different story.

Although the same company performed the demolition,

they only used 136 kilograms of explosive.

The demolition company blamed trespassers,

suggesting that they may have tampered with the wiring.

Maybe.

But one thing is certain:

When the company got a second chance,

they doubled the quantity of explosive,

from 136 kilograms to over 270 kilograms.

After months of planning, setbacks and fails,

the tired stadium finally took the hint.

Windmills have been spinning for centuries,

harnessing the wind to power mills and water pumps.

Today's wind turbines are powering entire cities.

Still operating on the same basic principle

as their ancestors.

But modern design and advanced materials

make them way more efficient - and way taller.

Rising 88 metres in the air, high above the tree line,

they can catch the wind where it blows the hardest.

Often operating in remote and offshore locations

wind farms need to withstand harsh climates.

But you have to be able to get the parts there.

One massive blade at a time.

Shipping and assembling the huge components

can be a challenge, requiring cranes

and heavy-duty transport.

The daily output of a single wind turbine

can provide enough electricity to satisfy the needs

of a busy household.

So, with an average lifespan of 25 years

wind turbines are good for the planet.

Unless they keel over and slam into it.

And that's what happened in Chatham, Canada.

Residents of the small town were alarmed to discover

a nearby wind turbine had violently doubled over,

propelling the mangled motor and broken blade

into the field below.

The seven year old tower had snapped in the middle,

the top half drooping like a great force

had shoved it from behind.

So, what caused the Chatham turbine's early downfall?

While the white noise generated by wind farms

can irritate some people,

studies show that it's largely harmless.

But the turbine operation does produce enough vibration

to cause underground tremors.

This case of the shakes can destabilize the whole structure.

However, an examination of the surrounding area

determined excessive vibration wasn't

what twisted the Chatham tower.

A stronger wind does produce more energy

than a gentle breeze -

but wind turbines still have a speed limit.

When wind force exceeds 90 km per hour,

they will automatically rotate the blades away from the wind

or shut down completely.

When they don't, this can happen.

But, the recorded wind speed on the day

of the incident was well within the safety range.

Like most wind farms, the Chatham turbine

was planted on acres of vast open space.

Thunderstorms can turn the super tall towers

into lightning rods.

This wind turbine was struck and set on fire.

Lightening damage is the most common cause

of unplanned downtime in wind turbines.

But the weather was calm in Chatham

on the day of the collapse.

Most wind turbines have three blades.

And it's very rare for one of them to simply drop off.

However, the Chatham investigation revealed

this is exactly what happened.

No particular environmental effect

or specific operational trigger

- just one faulty blade that broke free

and struck the column on its way down,

causing it to buckle over.

One blade took the wind turbine down.

And when a blade the size of a 737 wing goes flying,

you don't want to be where it lands.

A construction fail

doesn't always mean a building falling down;

sometimes a building can fail by staying up.

These houses might stand in the path of progress

but it's going to take more than a couple of wrecking crews

and a four lane highway to get these homeowners to move.

After dropping 170,000 dollars on their dream home,

the government decided to run a road

through their living room.

So instead of the waiting for the wrecking ball,

these real estate refuseniks opted to spend

more than 90,000 bucks to move their entire house.

But that's no easy task:

After digging out the foundation and disconnecting utilities,

movers run steel beams through holes pierced in the walls

and build wooden cribs to support the lift.

Then hydraulic jacks raise the entire house onto a dolly,

which will be towed by truck to the new location.

It's going to be a bumpy ride, so don't forget

to wrap the dishes in newspaper.

These homeowners called in their friends to help with the move.

Loading their wooden house onto two tractors,

they reversed it down the street.

Their "mobile" home blocked both lanes on a busy road.

The movers may risk a traffic violation -

but it's safe to say it won't be a speeding ticket.

This Filipino community came together

to relocate this building

by carrying the bamboo house on their shoulders.

The tradition of carrying a person's home

to a new location is known as Bayanihan

and it's believed the display of community spirit

will bring good luck.

Access to public transit always adds curb appeal

for prospective buyers.

But it was a construction fail when this townhouse

was built close to the bus stop.

Very, very close.

Speaking of convenience, this elevated train runs

right through this high-rise apartment block.

It's the only building in town where the lobby

doubles as a train platform.

You can live beside the road.

You can live on top of the road.

Or you can live underneath the road.

But you cannot complain about traffic noise.

When the neighbours vacated their townhouses

for highway construction, one tenant wouldn't move.

So, the city detached the adjoining units

and converted the block into a detached townhouse.

Now the best one on the street.

If you're looking to downsize,

this one metre wide studio apartment is a perfect fit.

But don't plan on a double bed.

Or a big screen TV

as this is one of the world's narrowest homes.

Sometimes when confronted with an eviction notice,

the best move is not to.

Or like the turtle, you can take your house with you.

So, no matter where you roam - you're always home.

You can take a building down with the press of a button.

Or the swing of a seven ton ball.

But sometimes buildings are best demolished

in bite-sized chunks.

And for that, you want an excavator.

This high reach machine can delicately pull down a building

almost 70 metres high in the air

with pinpoint precision,

making it perfect for demolitions in tight spaces.

But in Baltimore the challenge was much nearer to the ground.

A wrecking crew was dispatched to perform

an emergency demolition

after the exterior wall on this rowhouse

started bulging out,

causing a huge crack between the two buildings.

Things started well as the excavator sliced away

at the target structure,

carefully avoiding the building next door.

But then - this happened!

So, what went wrong?

Turned out the neighbours shared more than a common interest

in beautifying the street.

They also shared a common wall.

So, when the excavator's bucket began pounding

on the left side wall on the third story,

it fell onto the roof of the building next door.

That building was slated to be converted

into a single-family home.

The owners took the incident in stride.

When a demolition crew

knows they're in a precarious situation,

they can improvise their way to safety.

Like dangling this skid steer from a crane:

Hovering over the building and chipping away

at the roof like a 4-ton metal woodpecker.

But sometimes excavator operators

might not be starting from a position of strength...

Or finishing in one.

If you're lucky, you can back out of a bad situation -

and keep from getting clobbered.

But if the chips fall the wrong way,

like this apartment building,

a hard hat isn't going to protect you

from a massive headache.

All it took was one swipe at the base of this leaning tower -

and before you can say, "timber"...

The whole structure crumbled like,

well - a ton of bricks.

It's a miracle the operator walked away from this one.

And this one is even bigger -

as this severe incident

luckily did not result in severe injury.

First rule of demolition.

Seal the perimeter.

And keep a safe distance between the site and street life.

But when this excavator dragged a massive wall down.

It didn't go quite to plan.

Though it didn't even stop traffic.

This mighty machine smashes through the concrete slab wall

like an excited kid with a piñata.

Maybe the prize should be a new car!

No one here deserves a round of applause,

even though they brought the house down.

Forklifts have been doing the heavy lifting

in warehouses and factory floors for almost 100 years.

With their stable wheelbase and powerful hydraulics,

the forklift is mighty, agile and dependable.

Sadly, the same can't be said for these forklift drivers.

Unlike trucks or cars, forklifts steer

with the rear wheels.

But you need both of them.

They're called forklifts because

they can lift their cargo high in the air.

Also, their operators.

This guy was ejected from the training program

for mishandling the equipment.

Here's a tip.

There are four levers that control the fork.

Try one of them.

Too late.

Here's another tip.

Last tip.

Once you've loaded up, never leave your forklift unattended.

Sorry pal.

It's only a forklift - not a time machine.

Forklifts can operate in tight spaces

but if you're just starting out,

give yourself plenty of room to maneuver.

Where should I drop off the car?

Forklifts are a great way to take inventory.

You can unload them in bulk.

[Man] That's gonna fall. That's gonna fall!

[Narrator] Or one item at a time.

This operator's using a forklift to crate this bookshelf

for shipping.

To the dump.

Forklifts have parking brakes.

But you have to use them.

Impressive dismount though.

The judges give it a 5.

This operator narrowly averts disaster

when a beer keg falls off his lift.

But a heroic move saves the precious cargo.

When moving an outhouse, try not to drop the outhouse.

Or you're in deep...

Sure hope that's water.

You've heard of parallel parking.

This is perpendicular parking.

When operating a forklift, try and keep your eyes open.

Or you might end up burying yourself in your work.

♪ ♪