Impossible EngineeringWW

Impossible Engineering

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The World's First Concrete Silo

In the 1880's, Minneapolis was known as the flour capitol of the world. To keep up with production needs, engineers designed the ultimate silo.

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The innovative Maglev train can move up to 431 kilometers/267 miles per hour using magnetic levitation.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

A Train that Levitates

Chicago engineers took railway innovations to new heights when they created some of the first elevated train stations in the early 1890s.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Chicago’s Historic L Train

Kansai International Airport was Japan’s first ever 24 hour airport and, at the time, was the longest building in the world. Check out the cool innovations engineers added to make it withstand an earthquake.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Earthquake Proofing an Airport

This building may not look like much, but back in 1796 it was an innovative skyscraper in comparison to the rest of the world. This was the first time an iron frame was used in a multi-story building, paving the way for modern day architecture.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

The World’s First Skyscraper

The architects that built these pagodas hundreds of years ago made each floor flexible enough to survive earthquakes.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

The Secret Behind the Pagoda’s Design

The Netherlands has always fought to keep the North Sea at bay. As the country’s population began to expand, there were fewer and fewer dry places for people to live and farm on.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How Windmills Saved the Dutch

NASA’s Orion Spacecraft will travel farther than any other crew exploration vehicle in history. Its destination? Mars.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

5 Incredible Facts About The Orion Spacecraft

As we travel farther up through the atmosphere, air gets harder to breath because pressure goes down and the oxygen molecules are more spread out.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How Do High Altitudes Affect Your Body?

Robert Goddard built his rockets using liquid propulsion, a mixture of gasoline and oxygen. The higher the temperature, the greater the thrust.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Goddard’s Rocket Innovations

Orion’s ginormous solid rocket motor generates 3.6 million pounds of thrust! That’s the equivalent of 14 jumbo jets operating at maximum power.WWW

02:49

Impossible EngineeringW

Orion’s Space Launch System is the Most Powerful Yet

The Severn Bridge is one of Britain’s most iconic engineering marvels. Its key to combating high winds is its unique bridge deck shape.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How Do Bridges Withstand High Winds

Polytetrafluoroethylene also known as PTFE is the non-stick coating used on pans. This demonstration shows how PTFE can help reduce friction.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How Does PTFE Make Things Slippery?

The Millau Viaduct was built over one of the deepest, widest, and windiest canyons in the world. The two ginormous bridge deck pieces were slid together and assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle.WWW

02:55

Impossible EngineeringW

Assembling the World's Tallest Bridge

The Millau Viaduct is the tallest bridge on Earth. It measures 1,125 feet tall, 1.5 miles long, and the bridge deck sits nearly 900 feet above the ground.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

Top 3 Facts About the World's Tallest Bridge

Engineer Gustave Eiffel completely revolutionized bridges when he proposed an arch that sat underneath the bridge deck. The design was later a key part of his most famous creation, the Eiffel Tower.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

This is the Innovation that Changed Bridges Forever

The stadium’s twin arches soar over 300 ft above the playing field. Together, they distribute 19 million pounds of thrust into four concrete abutments.WWW

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Impossible EngineeringW

How was this Incredible Football Stadium Constructed?

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Harmony of the Seas is as tall as a bridge and as wide as a football field. It required 50 thousand tons of steel to build!WWW

01:58

Impossible EngineeringW

This Ship is as Long as 5 Jumbo Jets

A safe’s lock has 1.2 million possible combinations to choose from. Good luck cracking that code!WWW

02:51

Machines: How They WorkW

Cracking Open a Safe

Over 100 precision components help this wristwatch keep time.WWW

03:05

Machines: How They WorkW

What Makes a Wristwatch Tick?

With just a little over 40 components, toilets are able to flush and reset in four seconds flat.WWW

02:45

Machines: How They WorkW

Toilets: Behind the Flush

The blisteringly cold metal jacket within this ice maker can freeze water in mere seconds. Did you know one of these machines can chill over 7,000 drinks per day?!WWW

02:28

Machines: How They WorkW

The Inside of an Ice Maker is Pretty "Cool"

Paintball guns have a gas canister that is 100 times more pressurized than a car tire! This allows paintballs to be shot over 300 feet and at 180 mph.WWW

02:54

Machines: How They WorkW

Deconstructing a Paintball Gun

In a pool table’s 30 year life span, it can rack up half a million games. What’s underneath the green felt that keeps this game playable?WWW

02:20

Machines: How They WorkW

Why Does a Pool Table Need a Super Strong Magnet?

The Marine Travelift 600 C towers 54 feet high and weighs as much as a jumbo jet.WWW

02:36

Alaska Mega MachinesW

Alaska's Biggest Boat Lift Can Pick Up 6 Blue Whales

This state of the art helicopter is longer than a basketball court and strong enough to lift two adult elephants. Despite its massive size, it can fly higher than almost any other helicopter.WWW

02:37

Alaska Mega MachinesW

The CH-47 Chinook Proves It Can Lift 50K Pounds

When Alaska's Dalton Highway floods, there's an estimated $1 million in economic losses per day. It's no easy task keeping these roadways clear. Call in the #MegaMachines!WWW

02:51

Alaska Mega MachinesW

Combating Floods on Alaskan Highways

Alaska's interior typically gets 60 inches of snow each winter. People need to crank up the heat to stay warm! It's no wonder Alaska ranks 3rd in the country for energy consumption per person!WWW

02:39

Alaska Mega MachinesW

These Wind Turbines Keep Alaska Going in the Winter

Each arm on this extreme De-Icer is 50 feet long! After they're deployed, the arms shoot a deicing solution that acts like rock salt on a road.WWW

02:13

Alaska Mega MachinesW

Meet the Machine that Keeps Airport Runways Ice Free

The Yeti's "mouth" has 588 sharp teeth! Its favorite meal? Thick ice on airport runways!WWW

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Alaska Mega MachinesW

This One of a Kind Machine has 588 Metallic Teeth!

This engine room floor was built upside down so it could be easily worked on. Now the crew has to flip it right side up! Thank goodness for those super strong gantry cranes!WWW

02:59

Alaska Mega MachinesW

Flipping a Ferry Engine Room

Miners at Greens Creek must chip away at the mountain side 12 feet at a time using hundreds of pounds of explosives. A dangerous mixture of fertilizer and diesel are pumped into carefully placed holes. If they succeed, silver ore will be collected.WWW

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Alaska Mega MachinesW

Setting a Mine Explosion

The A-Star 350 B2 Helicopter is the "sports car of the helicopter world." It's the length of an average school bus and can travel 20 mph faster than most helicopters.WWW

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Alaska Mega MachinesW

This Helicopter is an ICU on the inside, Mega Machine on the Outside