Engineering Disasters

Product Description

Throughout history some of mankind's proudest moments have come at the hands of its engineers. In the ancient world the Colossus at Rhodes, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China & modern triumphs like the Hoover Dam, the Space Shuttle & the Golden Gate Bridge, all have the power to make us feel proud to be human. But error is inevitable in all human endeavours & when the undertakings are engineering feats of enormous proportions, the smallest mistakes can have devastating consequences. An engineering disaster involving a passenger jet can jeopardise the lives of hundreds of innocent people. & if a nuclear or chemical plant is involved, it can mean death for thousands. For the first time in history, engineers now have the power to wipe out entire cities, by mistake. In 12 thrilling episodes, HISTORY TM investigates some of the world's most notorious engineering failures from the collapse of No. 7 World Trade Centre Building & the devastating effects of a runaway freighter ship to the sinking of an off-shore oilrig. Using a combination of real-life footage & state-of-the-art special effects, this series examines not only what went wrong, but what can be learnt from these spectacular disasters.