All language subtitles for Building.Giants.S05E05.1080p.WEB.h264-CBFM_track3_[eng]

[narrator] In the Netherlands,
an elite team of engineers is

embarking on an epic mission.

They are building a unique ship

to supply some of the most
remote islands in the world.

To construct this 2,200-ton
leviathan, they must bend

and weld 800 sheets of steel.

Lift huge loads.

And work with
extreme precision.

This super cargo ship

ranks in a league of ambitious
new engineering wonders

that are bigger, faster,
taller, and more advanced

than anything
ever constructed before.

This is the inside story
of the extraordinary challenge

of building these giants.

French Polynesia is
a collection of 118 atolls

and islands dotted across
the South Pacific Ocean.

They lie thousands of miles
to the east of New Zealand,

the nearest source of supplies.

The isolated communities here
rely on a fleet of cargo ships

to receive critical goods,

from fuel to food.

Some of these vessels are at
the end of their service lives.

French Polynesians need brand
new ships to move people

and goods for at least
the next 30 years.

Over 9,000 miles away,
in the Netherlands,

engineers at
Royal Bodewes shipyard

must build one of these
next-generation vessels.

It's the responsibility
of Deputy Director

Robert Jan Steenbergen
to oversee the project.

He will coordinate all
the teams that work to design,

build, and deliver the ship.

Royal Bodewes is
a family-owned company.

We've been around since 1812.

We're looking forward
to a project that

we've never done before
in this scale.

That's quite
a technical challenge.

The vessel that this team
builds must overcome

the challenges of operating
in the South Pacific.

It must be fast to travel
quickly between islands

that are separated
by thousands of miles of ocean.

It must be agile
to maneuver in and out

of small, shallow ports

and have the ability to load
and unload cargo without

the help of a dockside crane.

It also needs to maximize

every square-foot
of interior space

to hold a huge volume
of cargo for its size.

The team's solution
is this super versatile ship.

Hawaikinui 2 stretches
285 feet long,

nearly the length
of a football field.

Its hold carries
2,200 tons of cargo,

equivalent in weight
to 400 large pickup trucks.

Its hull is made from over
1,600 tons of reinforced steel

and is strong enough
to withstand Pacific storms.

It's equipped
with a super-efficient

2,600 horsepower engine
for cutting across the ocean.

At the rear is
a controllable-pitch propeller

that pushes the ship
forward at 12 knots

and gives precise control

for docking
in tight island harbors.

On top is a nearly 50-ton crane
to load and unload cargo

in ports with
limited infrastructure.

The first challenge
for the engineers is to cut,

shape, and weld all the steel

for the hull of Hawaikinui 2.

They hand this task

to a specialized
steel processing plant.

It falls to managing director
Hidde Roorda

to deliver on time.

This vessel
is really special

and it comes with challenges
every day.

It's just a really
one-off ship.

Hidde's team must turn
100 nearly 40-foot by 10-foot

sheets of steel into
the hull of the new ship.

This is how they'll do it.

Engineers break down
the design into hundreds

of separate components,
each with their unique shape.

Metalworkers place sheets
of steel into a plasma cutter.

The super-hot plasma
slices through the steel

with sub-millimeter accuracy.

Next, they place
the flat pieces into

a sheet-metal punch machine.

This delivers 375 pounds
of force to shape the metal,

millimeter by millimeter.

Then, the team uses
handheld arc welders

to fuse the steel
pieces together.

The welders build
these up into box sections.

They weld these boxes together
to form ship sections.

First, the front section,

then the middle section,

finally, the rear section
of the ship.

Workers begin fabricating
Hawaikinui 2 in February 2024.

First, they cut
every part of the hull

from one-and-a-half-inch-thick
sheets of steel.

They use a special
plasma cutter.

It shoots out superheated gas

that's three times hotter
than the surface of the sun.

It burns through the steel
with millimeter accuracy.

[Hidde]
Precision is key.

We have not even one millimeter
of tolerance

within the cutting.

800 pieces of steel make up
the hull of Hawaikinui 2.

The next stage is to prepare

the cutout sections
for welding.

The plasma cutter creates
rough edges on the steel.

The team uses angle grinders
to smooth them

to ensure the welds
are strong.

Next, the team must shape
every piece of steel to match

the design of the ship.

[Hidde]
So we're standing next
to one of our biggest presses.

It has 375 tons of capacity.

The press bends the metal
millimeter by millimeter

into the required shape.

It takes over two hours
to complete one sheet.

The factory then delivers
the finished hull components

to the shipyard
at Royal Bodewes.

And in the end,
we pack everything together

like a IKEA building kit,
so to say, but a lot bigger.

And they build a ship from it.

The cut and shaped steel pieces
arrive at Royal Bodewes

ready for welding.

It's the responsibility
of Geert Venema to make sure

the team assembles
the parts correctly.

[Geert] Today we're making
a side section of the ship.

We start to put
some plates on the floor

and then we weld
them together.

Geert's team uses arc welders.

These generate an electric
current that heats the metal

to 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit
to fuse it together.

[Geert] The welding process
has to be right, otherwise,

it's a chance
that it can crack.

And then you have to --
they start over all again.

Welders add steel ribs
to the fused sheets.

These ribs make
the sheets super strong.

Next, the team welds
ribbed sections together

to make box structures.

Then, they join these together
to form giant box sections.

Finally, they weld these boxes
together to make ship sections.

Over the next 11 months,
the welding team builds

the three huge sections
of the ship.

[Robert]
The smaller blocks
are being assembled

we're good up to speed,
it's been quite a challenge

to getting everything
up and running.

Engineers in the Netherlands
are building a one-of-a-kind

cargo vessel
for the South Pacific.

The next stage of construction
is to cut and install

the piping for the ship.

Pipes are the veins of a ship.

They carry the fuel, gases,
and fluids the vessel

needs for its operation.

It falls to project manager
Ronald Venema to design

how the pipes fit
inside the vessel.

We need to 3D design
lots of piping way ahead of

the building schedule,
and you need to install it much

earlier than other systems.

In a supply ship
like Hawaikinui 2,

every square inch of space
can potentially carry cargo.

It's critical that the piping
takes up the minimum

space inside the ship,

but weaving it through
the vessel is a complex puzzle.

The installation team must fit
one-inch-diameter steel piping

to supply diesel to the engine.

The team will install two sets
of galvanized steel ventilation

trunks to channel fresh air
to the engine room.

And four-inch diameter lines

to cycle coolant
around the machinery.

Fire-suppressant nozzles supply
carbon dioxide from the front

of the ship.

The piping must not
obstruct the cargo bay,

so the team feeds it through
the honeycomb ceiling

of the cargo hold.

The team installs hundreds
of feet of plastic pipework

for drinking and wastewater,

along with
air-conditioning ducts

throughout the work
and rest areas.

The design team must ensure
these crisscrossing pipes fit

the tight spaces without ever
colliding with each other.

In total, the team must install
nearly four miles of piping.

But cutting and welding all
the sections to curve around

the contours of the ship will
take too long.

Ronald's team has a solution.

They will bend the pipes.

Right now, we have cut one of
the pipes for the Hawaikinui 2.

This is one of our two
bending machines

that we can bend all the pipes
that need to be bended.

This machine eases pipes of
all diameters into the correct

shape with
millimeter precision.

The bending team sends
a steady supply of pipes

to the fitting team
that's building Hawaikinui 2.

It's the responsibility of
Brendan Cosgrove to make sure

that every pipe is
installed correctly.

As you can see,
there's a lot of pipes,

all different functions,
the cooling pipes,

the heating pipes,
air conditioning are running

all through the engine room.

Working with multiple
diameters of pipe

in cramped areas increases
the chance of mistakes.

To help eliminate them,
Brendan's team uses special

tablets with digital plans
of the ship's pipework.

The plan shows the workers
exactly where to

install every length of pipe.

Brendan checks each inch
of pipework his team installs.

What I'm looking for is
misalignment of pipes,

that we don't have to
dismantle every pipe again.

We check them.

As Brendan finishes
his checks on the piping,

the first section of the ship
nears completion.

Four months into the build,

the front portion
of Hawaikinui 2 is complete,

and all its piping installed.

The next challenge
for the engineers

is to pull it
to the dockside.

Bringing out the first block
is one of the major milestones.

This will make space in
the fabrication shed to finish

the middle and rear sections
of the ship.

The team will use
this tow truck

to pull the front section
onto the dockside.

Workers attach a high-tensile
cable from the truck

to a special
wheeled undercarriage

beneath the ship section.

The winch on the tow truck
tightens, and the ship section

begins to move.

The door
to the fabrication shed

is only a few inches wider
than the ship.

The tow truck pulls
at a consistent, slow speed.

So workers have time to stop
the haul if they think any part

of the ship will
contact the building.

After an hour of pulling,
the first section comes

to a rest on the dockside.

The next challenge
for the engineers is to install

four giant prefabricated
components that make up

the ship's deckhouse.

The deckhouse sections
are already on the quayside,

painted, outfitted and ready
to be mated to form

the complete foreship section.

The first task is to place
the rear part of the deckhouse

that weighs almost 23 tons.

The crane lifts it 50 feet
into the air and swings it

over the ship.

The crane lowers the block
precisely into position.

A few hours later,
the crane places

the second part
of the deckhouse.

Welders secure both parts
to the ship's front section.

Next, the crane installs
the visor that protects

deckhouse from waves.

Finally, the crane
installs the bridge.

The front section
of Hawaikinui 2 is complete.

The team attaches the middle
section, six weeks later.

[Robert]
Everything fits nicely.

On to the next one.

Engineers in the Netherlands

are racing to complete
Hawaikinui 2.

A unique cargo ship designed
to supply the remote islands of

French Polynesia
in the South Pacific.

Their next challenge is

the engine to power
this one-of-a-kind vessel.

Water resistance slows the ship
down as it sails forward.

A lightly loaded ship
rides high in the water.

The water resistance is low,

and the engine does less work.

A heavy load pushes more of
the hull beneath the surface.

This increases
the water resistance.

And the engine must work harder
to maintain the ship's speed.

So the engine on Hawaikinui 2
must do two jobs.

It must be powerful enough to

drive the fully loaded vessel
through the water,

but not overpowered when
the ship is lightly loaded.

Get this balance wrong,
and Hawaikinui 2 will waste

fuel, lose speed,
and strain its machinery.

The team works with MARIN,

the Maritime Research
Institute Netherlands.

It builds a scale model
of Hawaikinui 2's hull

to measure the water resistance
at different loads.

The test will reveal what power
of engine the ship needs to

ensure maximum efficiency.

The engineers run the test with
the hull lower in the water to

simulate Hawaikinui 2
carrying a full load.

They repeat the test with
the hull higher in the water to

simulate transporting
a light load.

The test results show that
the engine with the perfect

balance of power and efficiency
is one rated at two megawatts.

That's enough to power
over a thousand homes.

Robert Jan sends the engine
spec to the manufacturer.

Production begins in the
Everllence factory in Germany.

Here, workers heat ore to over
2,700 degrees Fahrenheit

to smelt iron.

They cast the largest
components, like the engine

block and crankcase,
as single pieces.

The team uses special boring

machines to cut holes
into the cylinder block.

They then fit huge pistons
that attach to connecting rods,

to turn a super-sized
crankshaft.

Once an engine is complete,
the team trucks or ships it to

where it's needed.

The next challenge for the team
at Royal Bodewes is to install

the engine into the rear
section of Hawaikinui 2.

It's a nine-cylinder engine.

For us, it was the first time
we installed a nine-cylinder.

So it's a relatively small
engine, a relatively small bore,

but it's a long one,
so it takes up quite

some space in the engine room.

Before it installs the engine,
the team must place

the shaft generator,

followed by
the reduction gearbox.

First up,
it's the shaft generator.

Like a car's alternator,
it converts mechanical power

from the engine into electrical

power for the ship's
onboard systems.

The team eases it
safely into place.

Next, the crew must install
the reduction gearbox.

Workers use the mighty
gantry crane to lift

the five-ton
chunk of metal.

The gearbox turns the engine's
high-speed rotation into

a slower high-torque force
to turn the ship's propeller.

Now for the heart
of it all, the engine.

This weighs
a staggering 22 tons.

The engine sways at the end
of the lifting chains.

It could crush
critical pipework

if it contacts the ship.

The team uses guide ropes
to steady the swinging motion.

And lowers the engine
into position.

Workers ensure
it is perfectly aligned before

they finish the drop.

The team lowers the engine
into its final position.

Their next challenge is
to select the correct type

of propeller to push the ship
through the water.

Engineers in the Netherlands
are building Hawaikinui 2,

a unique cargo vessel that will

supply the remote islands
of French Polynesia.

Hawaikinui 2's propulsion
unit must be able to do

two things.

Power the ship forward at speed
across thousands of miles of

open ocean

and make the vessel agile
enough to maneuver into

the tight ports
on the smallest islands.

She's gonna moor
in the peninsulas

where she's gonna sail
through the reefs.

It has to be a ship
that is very versatile.

Well, that's our challenge
to make that work.

Hawaikinui 2's engine works
best at a constant power.

But this power is too much
for the smallest harbors.

The crew needs a way to change
speed quickly for finer control

of the ship in tight spaces.

The solution lies in the design
of the propeller.

A ship's propeller pushes
water backwards to move

the ship forwards.

A fixed propeller pushes

the same amount of water
with each rotation.

Hawaikinui 2 needs a way
to change her speed without

slowing the engine.

Her designers give her
a controllable-pitch propeller.

Its blades rotate
to change the angle

at which they meet the water.

A small angle creates low
thrust to move the ship slowly.

A steeper angle
pushes more water

and generates greater thrust.

So even with the engine
turning at a steady speed,

the propeller adjusts
how that power is used.

It can even reverse the thrust
without reversing the engine.

This gives fine control
in tight island harbors.

The propeller
for Hawaikinui 2 is built

in the Berg Propulsion Factory
in Sweden.

The engineers here cast
the blade from high-strength,

corrosion-resistant
copper alloy.

The blades are shaped
to minimize their drag

in the water and maximize

the amount
of thrust they create.

This provides
powerful propulsion

for high-speed travel.

Hydraulic actuators inside
the propeller swivel the blades

to give the vessel
fine control in tight harbors.

Eight months into the build,
engineers attach the propeller

to the tail shaft
at the rear of the ship.

Next, the team must design
a suitable rudder to work

in tandem with the propeller.

Where the propeller
supplies the thrust,

the rudder directs this thrust
to steer the ship.

Hawaikinui 2 needs
a large enough rudder

to give her strong control
at low speeds,

for example,
when she's docking.

But a large rudder
can create drag.

Royal Bodewes turns
to Siemen Mandema

to solve the problem.

It can take to two,
three percent fuel consumption,

so a rudder
is very important.

Siemen's solution is to sculpt
the rudder into a shape

that is super efficient.

The profile of the rudder
just gives a special shape,

similar to a wing
of an airplane, to have

the lowest resistance.

Siemen scales up his design to
build a rudder for Hawaikinui 2

that's over six and a half
feet wide

and nearly 10 feet tall.

It's large enough to guide
the ship at full speed through

big seas and responsive enough

to maneuver the ship
in tight harbors

while also minimizing drag.

It takes 35 weeks
from Siemen's team

designing the rudder

to installing it
onto Hawaikinui 2.

Back at the shipyard,
it's time to join the rear

section to the rest
of the vessel.

The team hauls it out
of the fabrication shed.

The sections join perfectly.

Their next challenge
is how to launch

the 2,200 ton vessel
into the water.

Engineers in the Netherlands

have now joined together
all three sections

of the unique cargo ship,
Hawaikinui 2.

Right now, dozens of
cylindrical metal jacks brace

the ship to keep it level.

The engineers need a way
to literally tip Hawaikinui 2

into the canal next
to the fabrication shed.

Workers drag 19 metal ramps
underneath the ship.

Hawaikinui 2 will slip along
these and into the canal.

Next, they install huge metal
wedges in between the ramps

and the bottom of the ship.

Engineers secure each wedge

with adjustable
hydraulic jacks.

These link to a control board.

When an operator presses
a button, the jacks release

the wedges simultaneously.

And the weight of the ship
slides down the ramps.

[Robert]
So then the vessel
will be on her own.

Gravity is gonna do her thing,

and the vessel is
gonna launch into the water.

It's the day of the launch.

Dignitaries from the local area
are here to watch the event.

They are joined by a delegation
from French Polynesia,

led by the owners of the ship.

The workers
from the shipyard gather too.

Hawaikinui 2 must fall
at exactly the right angle

and speed to come
to a stop in the canal.

A collision with the bank
could damage the hull.

The canal is 32 meters,
and the vessel itself is 16.

So we have very limited
space between both sides.

For and after the vessel,
we have two tugboats connected.

They have to tighten the lines

and make sure that we don't hit
the other side.

A pastor dedicates the ship.

The ship's godmother
christens Hawaikinui 2.

[all cheer and applaud]

And the vessel is ready
for its launch.

Workers remove the solid jacks.

All that supports the ship now
are the hydraulic jacks.

An operator presses the master
button on the control board.

And all the hydraulic jacks
release at once.

In the past 18 years with
Bodewes, this was the launch

that I was actually most
excited about, but also most

nervous about, because it was
quite a complicated one.

The engineers must now complete

one final
construction challenge.

Install the nearly 50-ton crane

on the top deck
of Hawaikinui 2.

First, they must lift
the 15-ton base

over 40 feet into the air.

And place it precisely on top
of the circular foundation.

The crane operator
begins the lift.

Workers onboard the ship ensure
the bolts on the base align

with the holes
on the foundation

as the crane operator
lowers it into position.

The base is locked in.

Next, the team must install
the nearly 90-foot crane arm.

The workers on the deck
guide the arm as it dangles.

It must interface perfectly
with the base

before giant pins
lock it into position.

The crane installation
goes off without a hitch.

The crane is on,
she's fitting perfectly,

so that means one
big rush until the end.

Engineers in the Netherlands
put the finishing touches

on their unique cargo ship,
Hawaikinui 2.

Workers line the interior
of the ship

with special insulation.

Glaziers installed toughened
glass windows into the bridge

and crew accommodation.

Electricians thread more than

six miles of cables
through the ship.

Workers paint the three
and a half miles of piping

by hand to protect it
from corrosion.

The vast hold is ready to
receive the cargo the ship will

haul between the islands
of French Polynesia.

But the team has
one final challenge.

Tow the ship along
the canal to the sea,

and then test its systems.

It is the most stressful day
of the project.

Reason being, the vessel is

actually wider than how
we normally would build them.

The ship is almost 52
and a half feet wide.

Some sections of the canal
are only a few inches wider.

The team must guide
Hawaikinui 2

with absolute precision

to avoid crashing into the edge
of the canal.

Tugboats maneuver
Hawaikinui 2 into the canal.

The vessel's journey
to the sea begins.

Six miles along the route,
the vessel arrives at a bridge.

Its deck raises up to make way
for the giant vessel.

Hawaikinui 2 will have
just two inches of clearance

on either side.

It's critical that no part of
the ship contacts the bridge.

A collision could
damage the hull

and delay its delivery
to French Polynesia.

Hawaikinui 2 makes it through
without a scratch.

The tugs haul Hawaikinui 2

along the final few miles
of canal.

And detach from the vessel
when it reaches the open sea.

Engineers fire up
the ship's engine,

and it moves under its own
power for the first time.

One and a half months later,
Hawaikinui 2 arrives

in French Polynesia.

And she begins work,
hauling supplies across

the South Pacific Ocean.