51x19 - Building Stuff: Reach It!

[bunniefuu]

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
We live in a built world.

Engineering and technology,

built upon innovations
and inventions,

stretching
back thousands of years.

Some of our creations,
like machines,

boost our bodies' abilities.

Others help us reach

outside our comfort zones.

We have left an indelible mark
on the planet,

and now the time has come
to use our skills

to make a better world.

Building taller buildings...

that stay steady in the wind.

DAVID FIELDS: As
extreme as this feels,

this is nothing compared to
what the building's designed for.

NARRATOR: Or
submarines that dive deep...

PATRICK LAHEY: Imagine a craft that
allows you to explore a part of our world

that you simply couldn't
see any other way.

NARRATOR: to give an
unprecedented underwater view.

EDIE WIDDER: It's like
being in a goldfish bowl,

only the fish are on the outside

and the people
are on the inside.

NARRATOR: Clothes
that let us go farther

to places we never could before.

Or even a new structure

to replace the
International Space Station.

SHAWN BUCKLEY: We
could put three floors inside this,

have up to six people
live for months on months.

NARRATOR: "Building
Stuff: Reach It!,"

right now, on "NOVA".

♪ ♪

ANNOUNCER: Major funding for
"NOVA" is provided by the following:

NARRATOR: Humans.

Unlike a lot of other animals,

we're not exactly fit
to thrive in the wild.

We lack fur to
protect us from cold.

And speed to outrun predators.

[big cat snarling]

Exposed to the elements,

many of us would
struggle to survive.

But luckily, we
have other strengths.

ANDREA ARMANI:
Engineering is all around us

and we often don't recognize it.

One of the things that

engineering lets us do

is to do things that

we can't do with our bodies.

NARRATOR: Ever since
our ancestors first evolved,

humankind has
refused to stay put.

MARIA YANG: Humans
are infinitely adaptable.

We live all around the world

in different climates
and conditions.

Engineering has
made that possible.

ALI HAJIMIRI: I think
it's in human nature

to solve problems.

And solving problems is
the basis for engineering.

MAN: Venting tanks.

NARRATOR: We've learned how
to compensate for our vulnerabilities.

By building stuff...

[expl*si*n]

and reaching to
every imaginable place.

♪ ♪

We've been building skyward

for thousands of years.

From raising huge
stone monuments,

to building massive pyramids,

to framing today's
mega-tall skyscrapers.

DAVID FIELDS:
Million dollar view.

NARRATOR: Each step higher

presents new
engineering challenges.

Chicago's storied
Michigan Avenue,

towering over 800 feet,

is 1000M...

a 73-story skyscraper
under construction

along the city's lakefront...

where it will be fully exposed
to the city's notorious winds.

LYNDA DOSSEY: You can see
some pretty decent wind loads.

So we have some
unique conditions here.

♪ ♪

DAVID STEFFENHAGEN:
Each building is unique

and it's kind of its own recipe

that gets put together.

NARRATOR: Chicago
is often considered

the birthplace of
the skyscraper.

The Home Insurance
Building, constructed in 1885,

is widely considered to
be the first skyscraper,

though only ten stories tall.

Over the decades,

engineers have
relied on a blend of art

and science to cope with wind.

NEHEMIAH MABRY: Not
only are you considering

the wind as it is

naturally occurring
in that space,

but you take a city like Chicago

in which there are
several other tall buildings,

you have to design
not just for how the wind

would naturally occur,
but for how the wind

would also be altered by
the tall buildings around it.

NARRATOR: David Fields
is the chief structural engineer

at 1000M.

In our modern era, we're
seeing buildings get taller

and taller and more
and more slender.

This is pushing the ragged edge

of structural engineering

and what can be built and
what can be cost effective.

NARRATOR: David is responsible

for ensuring the structure's
strength and integrity.

And of all the forces that
can damage a skyscraper,

wind is one of
the biggest threats,

not only to the structural
integrity of a building,

but to its very
livability as well.

It can make
people physically ill

with a kind of
high-rise sea sickness.

It's a problem that
only became apparent

as tall buildings evolved

from heavy structures like
the Empire State Building

to today's lighter,
steel-framed buildings;

like 1000M.

Originally designed by the
late architect Helmut Jahn,

now overseen by
architect Lynda Dossey.

DOSSEY: Architecture is a
balance between beauty and function.

We are hired to solve a
problem and solve it beautifully.

The ultimate goal is to deliver
a feasible, functional building.

Looking at our
structural plan...

FIELDS [voiceover]: I think
of structural engineering

as designing the
bones within a body.

We think about

where to put a core,
where to put bracing,

and that happens
very, very early.

And it shapes, fundamentally,

almost everything
within the building.

DOSSEY: I think you
gave us an extra few feet.

[voiceover]: Structural engineers
and architectural engineers,

in some ways, they're
cut from the same cloth.

We do push on them
a lot to try and achieve

our aesthetic goals,
but at the same time,

we have a responsibility

to safety and comfort.

NARRATOR: So why
is wind such a problem?

FIELDS: As wind blows
on a building at low speeds,

it tends to approach a building
and wrap around it smoothly.

As the wind blows
faster and faster,

it starts to eddy
on the backside.

As wind blows even
faster, those eddies...

we call them
vortices... they peel off.

They peel off the
building rhythmically

and kind of side to side.

This gets a building rocking
and swaying at high wind speeds.

DOSSEY: If you're
building a rental building

or if you're building
a condo building,

these are people's homes.

They live in them and
you want them to feel

as comfortable there as
they would anywhere else.

All right, well, here we
are. Top of the building.

NARRATOR: Luckily, there is
an ingenious engineering solution

under construction
here on the top floor.

Two large concrete boxes,
called mass dampers.

Both will be filled with water
to suppress building sway.

As wind pushes the
building in one direction,

the water with all its weight

sloshes in the
opposite direction.

This counterbalancing
motion "dampens,"

or offsets, the
sway of the building.

Here we have a demonstration
of tuned sloshing dampers.

We have two frames
that have effectively

the same natural frequency.

Now on top of these, we'll
put two identical damper boxes.

We'll fill one with just
the right amount of water.

And we'll see both how much
less it sways and how much quicker

the swaying stops.

NARRATOR: The box
with water settles faster

than the box without water.

What works here
is exactly the same

that works here on
a much larger scale.

NARRATOR: The
two large damper tanks

are located north and south
of the building's concrete core,

to help combat frequent
intense winds at high altitude.

The tanks are 40
feet long, ten feet wide,

and 15 feet tall and will
hold up to 11 feet of water,

about 33,000 gallons each.

Which is only about


of the building itself.

♪ ♪

FIELDS: So this big box,

it's basically a swimming pool.

The water pressure
will try to push it outward.

That's why we have
rebar very densely

all throughout these walls.

NARRATOR: Next
comes the outer formwork.

When complete, the
construction workers will

pour concrete between the forms

to make the walls.

FIELDS: It's like
the guys are working

with more urgency now
that the forms are going up.

Everybody knows they
got to get their part done.

NARRATOR: And although the
construction team is very experienced,

people can still make mistakes.

FIELDS: Fortunately,
we caught an issue

just before the form work went
up... at the bottom of the tank,

where the water
pressure is greatest,

we have major piping
coming through the wall.

NARRATOR: The builders
failed to install critical rebar

at the weak point
in the tank wall

created by the piping.

FIELDS: The guys
are solving the issue.

This is happening
about five minutes before

the formwork closes things up.

This never would have
been seen if we weren't here.

NARRATOR: Embedding steel
bars reinforces the concrete.

Concrete is very
strong in compression,

but it's brittle.

Steel is flexible... so
combining the materials

creates a structure both
strong and resistant to failure.

It's going to have 24 inches
of un-reinforced concrete,

so we can kind of trim it out.

SEAN TATUM: Having the
engineers on site it's critical

because they have
very in-depth knowledge,

obviously, of the
structural design.

This way, if there are
any issues that arise,

those get to be mitigated
up front very quickly.

Uh, and it makes everyone's
job that much easier.

NARRATOR: With the damper
tank mold now fully constructed,

it's time to pour the walls.

♪ ♪

[concrete pouring]

Then, just as the
pour is ending,

a storm rolls into Chicago.

[lightning strikes]

It's the perfect opportunity

to get a benchmark
reading of how much

the building sways

before the dampers
are filled with water.

David holds a monitor connected
to an electronic motion sensor

called an accelerometer.

It's attached to the
building, and reports sway

measured in fractions of
G... Earth's gravity force.

FIELDS: So we're taking our
first frequency measurements

of the building; as
extreme as this feels,

the wind, the rain, the
thunder and lightning

we're seeing and
hearing, this is nothing

compared to what the
building is designed for.

The building's moving.

We're reading four
milli-g right now.

These are our first
dynamic measurements.

We'll take these
back to the office,

decide how much
water to put in the tank,

and then we're tuned.

NARRATOR: Using water to
stabilize sway has roots in the 1800s,

when it was discovered
that ships can achieve

greater stability by pumping
water ballast into the hull.

The amount of water
can be easily adjusted

as it's readily
available at sea.

It's very much to an
engineers' advantage

to think back on
how other solutions

and other accomplishments
and achievements

in the past can perhaps
serve as starting points,

or even informers for what
we are trying to do today.

All design is redesign.

So if you think about
it, you're taking things

that have existed in the past,

but you're making them
incrementally better.

You've thought
about it in a new way,

or you're bringing
in a new technology

that didn't exist before.

NARRATOR: When


David returns to
tune the damper,

making a final decision

about exactly how much
water to put in the tanks.

So today is the culmination
of six years of planning

and coordination
and engineering.

And we'll finally see exactly
how much water to tune it

and damp it, so it's comfortable
for everyone who will live here.

Here we go.

FIELDS: I'll go
check the inflow.

The water's flowing in.

DOSSEY: It's very exciting.

It means we're
getting close to the end.

It's just a milestone moment.

FIELDS: We're turning
on our application.

Right now, we have
an accelerometer.

This is very sensitive.

So even on a modestly
windy day like today,

we know exactly the motions
we're getting to micro-g's;

these are tiny percentages
of the acceleration of gravity.

Last time we took readings,

we were seeing
roughly four milli-g's.

Today, we're down closer
to one half of a milli-G.

Part of that's a function
of the tanks being filled,

part of that's a function of

it's a less windy
day to begin with.

By tomorrow morning
when the tanks are full,

we should see the
building sway being

about half of what it
would otherwise be.

DOSSEY: That's one hell
of a view. It is incredible.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: It's
views like this that reveal

just how extensively humanity
has developed the land,

Yet over 80% of the
oceans remain unexplored

and untouched.

There's a reason for that.

Of all the environments
that support life on our planet,

the most forbidding and
remote are the deep oceans,

where the furthest reaches
lie more than six miles

below the waves.

WIDDER: Our ocean is
the basis for life on this rock,

and we are impacting it in ways

we don't even
begin to understand.

And the first step is
always exploration.

CAMERON: The more
you understand the ocean,

the more you love the ocean,

the more you're
fascinated by it,

the more you'll
fight to protect it.

NARRATOR: Urgency to
combat climate change...

Here we go.

NARRATOR: has
spurred new efforts

to explore ocean depths...

TRITON TEAM PILOT: The
sub is extremely maneuverable.

LAHEY: Imagine a
craft that allows you

to explore a part of our world

that you simply couldn't
see any other way.

NARRATOR: Engineering a safe
submarine is extremely challenging,

and mistakes can be fatal.

NEWS ANCHOR:
Catastrophic implosion.

The unthinkable
became all too real...

NARRATOR: In 2023, the world
was horrified by the implosion

of the OceanGate
Titan submersible

that was on an expedition
to explore the Titanic.

The disaster k*lled five people,

including OceanGate's
co-founder, Stockton Rush.

I've been safely down to the
Titanic wreck site 33 times.

And to me, the idea that,
that lives could be claimed

by an implosion in this day
and age is almost unfathomable.

It was a bad idea.

And they were warned.

NARRATOR: The carbon
fiber used in the hull

may have been
a critical fail point.

The material is prone to
buckling under pressure,

especially when combined
with the elongated pill shape.

But that was the Titan,

not to be confused with
the Triton submersible,

being manufactured
in Sebastian, Florida.

Triton's design
approach is rigorous.

Here engineers are building subs
designed to take non-specialists

hundreds and even thousands
of feet below the surface, safely.

Patrick Lahey is the
co-founder of Triton Submarines.

LAHEY: Safety
begins with design.

It carries all the way through
to the selection of materials,

the formation of those
materials into parts,

those parts made
up into assemblies.

Those assemblies then tested
and validated on their own,

then incorporated into
the complete vehicle,

which is then tested again.

ARMANI: If you're an
engineer, it is your responsibility

to do things in a manner

such that the end
product is safe.

Because at the end of the day,

people are relying on
you to make a safe product.

NARRATOR: Altogether,

their subs have logged tens of
thousands of hours underwater

without any incident.

Increasingly, the
vehicles are being used

for scientific
research, filmmaking,

and underwater exploration.

LAHEY: So this is our most
compact three-person sub.

The pilot sits in the back,
two passengers in the front.

They have this incredible,
completely unobstructed view

from this acrylic
pressure boundary.

NARRATOR: The pressure
boundary is a perfectly round plastic orb

that is transparent.

It's like being in
a goldfish bowl,

only the fish are
on the outside,

and the people
are on the inside.

And it's invisible.

You really feel like
you're a part of the ocean.

NARRATOR: The
boundary's main job

is to keep occupants safe
from the crushing water pressure

pushing in from all sides.

A sphere is one of the
strongest shapes in nature.

A spherical hull experiences
the same amount of pressure

at every point on its surface,

minimizing the chances
of structural failure.

So far, the only subs
that have made it

to the bottom of
the Mariana Trench...

more than six miles
below the surface...

carried their passengers
in spherical enclosures.

And all were made of
metal, like steel or titanium.

Test, test.

We good on audio?

NARRATOR: Film director and
ocean explorer James Cameron,

who is an investor in Triton,

wants more people to experience
the deep the way he has.

CAMERON: The goal of Triton Subs

is to make the best commercial...

which also means
scientific... subs in the world,

and to make them
widely available.

NARRATOR: In 2019,

a Triton titanium
spherical enclosure sub

completed one of
the most ambitious

global expeditions
in modern history,

taking people...

numerous times...
to the deepest spot

in each of Earth's five oceans.

Including the Challenger
Deep, in Mariana Trench.

[cheers and applause]

The geometry of a sphere

limits its usable space.

The designers wanted to
increase the number of passengers

beyond what a sphere
could reasonably hold,

so they settled on
an elongated shape

made from a common, yet
deceptively strong material:

acrylic.

JOHN RAMSAY: Acrylic
is an incredible material.

It's completely transparent.

Unlike glass, where
even after six inches,

you're starting to see quite
significant discoloration.

NARRATOR: Increasing
the thickness of the acrylic

increases its strength

and ability to resist the
pressure of the water,

while retaining visibility.

It's completely different from
anything that's preceded it.

We wanted to be able
to put the most people

into the smallest
volume possible.

NARRATOR: When it's complete,

this sub will hold
up to nine people,

including a pilot.

They call it AVA.

It's designed to safely dive
depths of up to 600 feet.

The unusual shape is the work
of engineering firm Dark Ocean,

and their principal
designer, John Ramsay.

RAMSAY: To accommodate
nine passengers,

it's incredibly
difficult to do that in a,

in a traditional sphere.

The way the 660/9 AVA works

is it just takes that
sphere and it optimizes it

for the passengers inside

by stretching it out
and allowing everyone

to sit side by side.

NARRATOR [archival]: Down
into worlds never before seen...

NARRATOR: This design draws
from decades of research on acrylics.

RAMSAY: There's
an 800-page kind of

bible of submersible
acrylics and you can

go through and see

every bit of testing
that was done.

The material that
makes this possible

is acrylic plastic. [knocking]

CAMERON: Everything
you do in engineering

is based on what other
engineers before you have done.

If somebody's got a
great, elegant solution,

why reinvent the wheel?

NARRATOR: At the factory,

the team is attempting to
attach AVA's pressure hull

to its steel chassis.

They've never had to
maneuver a shape like this.

Okay, uh, Chris bring
yours up a little bit.

[cranking]

NARRATOR: One slip,

and the acrylic could be
damaged or scratched.

One, two, three...
Just the corner.

NARRATOR: The team
positions the metal chassis

beneath the elliptical hull.

It needs to go towards
you a little bit, Monroe.

[indistinct chatter]

Ready?

[straining]

That doesn't look bad.

Let's just keep a little
bit of tension on it.

MAN: Yep, it has tension still.

NARRATOR: Despite the
best efforts of the engineers...

There we go.

NARRATOR: there are still
small adjustments to be made.

ARTHUR MUTTOCK: So we are
trying to thread in this big pin now.

Some of the bits of machine

to within a tenth
of a millimeter

or less to, to
get that nice fit.

STOTT: Come back,
Monroe, a little bit.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Go...

Hold tension, it's slipping.

Give me a freaking heart attack.

STOTT: I mean it
is so freaking close.

It's not going to go
anywhere right now.

So just come down on
your forks, Monroe. Okay.

Tilt forward.

Okay. Backup.

NARRATOR: The acrylic
hull is secure for the moment.

But they'll have
to stop for the day

to tweak the size of the screws.

Does it always go
according to plan?

No.

Am I really pleased with
how far we've got today?

Oh, yes.

MABRY: When we're solving
problems, when we're building things,

we're engaged in this process
of getting our hands dirty

and actually doing some
trial and error testing

to see if what
we've, we've built

was effective, if it worked.

NARRATOR: Testing needs
to be particularly rigorous

when lives are at stake.

HAJIMIRI: You
are implicitly relying

on the people who
designed it and built it

to make sure that
they've thought about how

it can fail, and if
they've come up

with ways to get around that.

NARRATOR: Today,
every new vehicle,

be it a car, airplane
or submarine,

is subjected to thorough
testing and review

throughout the
engineering process.

[crash]

The true testament to its
reliability ultimately hinges

on obtaining certification
from an independent third party.

LAHEY: They make sure

that your assumptions
are not flawed,

that you're not doing something

that could be dangerous,

that it complies with

an internationally
recognized set of rules.

NARRATOR: The failed Titan
submersible was never officially certified.

CAMERON: If you're
putting passengers on a sub,

you need it to be qualified

by some independent body,

whose job it is to make sure

that that vehicle is safe.

♪ ♪

[indistinct chatter]

We are going to try to launch

just before noon.

NARRATOR: The AVA sub
is now ready for its first dive.

Senior approval
engineer Ionel Darie

is on-site today
for final checks

of all the sub's vital systems,

making sure the
submersible is safe

for passenger dives
down to 600 feet.

DARIE: Everything went great,

we can issue
the final certificate

for this submersible.

NARRATOR: After
getting the green light,

The sub is ready to
make a shallow dive.

[hydraulics hissing]

MAN: Top sides, top sides.

Hatch is closed, life
support is on and good.

MAN [on radio]: Roger,
you have permission to dive.

[splashing]

And we're on our way.

♪ ♪

MUTTOCK: Amazing.

I mean, this is the first
time I've been down,

and it's been two and
a half years of work.

This is the result, and
it's a magnificent one.

Really loving this.

NARRATOR: If Triton
is able to fulfill its mission

of building more submersibles,

many others will soon be
able to have their first ride

into the deep ocean.

WIDDER: This is
this other universe

that is most of our planet,

and it's such a magical place.

And to be able to now explore it

in comfort is a
phenomenal ability

that is open to more
and more people.

[indistinct radio communication]

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: Our inventions
can act as force fields

between our bodies
and the environment,

protecting us from extremes.

You can see them all around us:

what we live in,

what we move in,

and even what we wear.

At a textile research
laboratory in North Carolina...

♪ ♪

engineers are preparing
to set a mannequin on fire.

[igniting]

[flames roaring]

Their goal: collect
data that will help make

safer fire-fighting suits.

And researchers
are also focused on

finding solutions for
women firefighters

who often struggle
to work in suits

typically designed for men.

[flames crackling]

ROGER BARKER: What
we do can be life-saving.

So there are no
higher stakes than that.

Textiles are the unsung
heroes of the world, period.

[sirens wailing]

NARRATOR: As firefighters
battle flames and smoke,

their clothing and gear
is the first line of defense.

But their suits can also
contribute to a hidden danger:

heat stress,

when the body's core
temperature and heart rate

rise to unsafe levels.

About 40% of work-related
firefighter deaths

are the result of cardiac
incidents due to heat stress.

The big question:

how can we keep
firefighters safe from flames

and keep their body
temperatures within the suit

from rising to
heat stress levels?

For decades, Roger
Barker and his team

have been building new
instruments and test methods

to measure both thermal
protection and comfort.

An earlier iteration of their
mannequin couldn't move.

In a real-life situation,

a firefighter would
almost never be stationary.

After three years
of development,

researchers are
ready to light up

their moving mannequin.

Fire it up, John.

[beep]

[flames roaring]

NARRATOR: Thermal
sensors throughout its body

allow them to study
how heat is transferred

or blocked by the clothing...

and if this motion
creates new avenues

for hot air to enter and
move inside the suit.

BARKER: So now we're seeing
the combined effects of the flame

and the stresses that
are being generated

as the dynamic pyroman
moves their arms and their legs.

[flames roaring]

NARRATOR: With
mannequin simulations,

they can predict
how long it will take

for a firefighter
to sustain burns.

They also test for seams
breaking open, fabric ruptures,

and the effects of
garment fit and design.

The tough outer shell protects
against flame and abrasions.

The middle layer
is a moisture barrier

that keeps liquids from
penetrating the suit.

The innermost layer
resists any remaining heat

that gets through
the first two layers.

This system offers
high protection...

up to a point.

[light clicks off]

A proper fit and design
also play a protective role.

MCQUERRY: Trying to create

that optimum balance between

protection and comfort

for all firefighters

is so important.

NARRATOR: And for
women in the field in particular,

an ill-fitting suit
designed for a man

can put them at higher
risk of injury while on the job.

HILARY DAVIDSON: The fabric
on its own isn't going to save you.

It can be the most
engineered, up-to-date,

advanced composite fabric,

but how it's put together,

how it's worked around the body,

the fit, every kind
of material aspect

of how that fabric is used

that is going to really make
it an effective technology.

NARRATOR: Today, there
are about 90,000 women

in the fire service
in the United States.


gear does not fit properly.

CASSANDRA KWON: They
are doing the exact same

actions, the same motions,
as their male counterparts.

So, you know, they
should have something

that actually works for them.

NARRATOR: The goal
for this research team

is to develop and design a
prototype suit made specifically

for female firefighters.

MCQUERRY: A large majority of

firefighting PPE
on the market today

is made with a
male body in mind,

and it's patterned in that way.

There is sizing for women,

but that sizing is not
always achieved by

initially starting from

a female pattern.

NARRATOR: Women also
vary more in shape than men do.

Males are a little bit
more up and down,

while females have curves

because of the hips
and the bust areas.

I've always had an issue
with the fit of my jacket

needing more space
up in the chest area.

NARRATOR: In
order to accommodate,

women will often be
given larger jackets.

DONAHUE: Whenever
you go up in sizing for jacket,

it makes down
here larger as well.

So, you know, you've got the
good mobility and fit up here,

but then sometimes

down here, you're going
to have some extra fabric.

MCQUERRY: So a really
tailored fit is important.

It's critical for
their mobility,

for their vision.

It's also critical in
terms of heat stress.

NARRATOR: An oversized
garment creates thicker air gaps,

increasing insulation
and potential protection

from outside heat,
but larger air gaps

also restrict the
firefighter's ability

to lose body heat to
the outside environment,

trapping heat inside the suit.

KWON: We've had
female firefighters

say that the collars on
their jacket are really tall.

The length of it rising
up from the collar bone

and how much it
takes up your neck.

KWON: If you're a smaller
stature female firefighter,

that can be problematic,

because when you're wearing
your SCBA mask, your helmet,

you really start
limiting mobility.

And if even... [helmet knocking]

the air pack itself,

my helmet really hits it.

So it's hard to look up,

so you can see what's
going on above you.

Imagine you're in a fire,

you have everything sort
of caught here at your neck.

You're putting yourself
at higher risk for injury

because of your
minimized range of motion.

NARRATOR: Protecting
the body from the elements

is a pursuit as old as we are.

♪ ♪

[sewing machine whirring]

DAVIDSON: The history of
clothing is also a history of

the relationship between
people and their environments.

Although humans
started off taking the skins

of other animals and
putting them on their skin,

once they discovered

how you can use plant
fibers to make, first of all,

string and thread, and
then weave that together

and make fabric.

Fabrics have always kind of

started and then inspired

new types of innovations
and technologies.

NARRATOR: Like the
invention of the eyed needle.

The first ones
were made of bone.

And once you
have this concept of

bringing two things together,

a whole lot of engineering
possibilities open up to you.

♪ ♪

It gives us seams.

It gives us tight seams,

which means you
can start to think about

having things
waterproof or windproof.

NARRATOR: Or
even fire-resistant.

Earlier firefighter suits
were made of wool,

chosen for its natural
flame resistance.

Today's suit offers much
better protection from fire,

but it's not as breathable,

meaning body heat can
get trapped more easily

than it did with wool.

Firefighting is physically
demanding work.

KWON: You're working hard,

you're entering a
hot environment.

You know, you create
all these microclimates

inside your suit.

BARKER: Working at
high levels of exertion,

if their body traps
too much heat,

they may be
subject to heat stroke

or even worse, cardiac events.

NARRATOR: One of the
ways our bodies try to cool down

is by sweating.

But that only works

if the sweat can evaporate.

A suit's ability to release heat

is measured with this
female mannequin named Liz.

♪ ♪

She sweats through
nearly 100 pores

designed to mimic
human perspiration.

When clothed in firefighter gear

and made to move
in a hot environment,

sensors can detect
where the hot spots are.

Where the clothing is
not allowing evaporation

to occur or the
heat to be released...

shown here in red.

And where heat is
escaping more efficiently,

cooling the body, shown in blue.

For Liz, her torso,
chest, and hips

are retaining the most heat.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: To make
protective garments

specifically for
the female form,

the research team will need a
whole new set of measurements

to make new patterns.

One. One, two...

KWON: We're in the process of

collecting anthropometric data

on hopefully as many
female firefighters as we can.

NARRATOR: Anthropometric data

is information about the
body's shape and proportions.

You're gonna do a front shot,

then it's going to ask
you to turn to the side...

NARRATOR: The team
is using three methods

to collect the measurements.

SCANNER: Please move feet

slightly further apart.

NARRATOR: First, a
remote scanning application.

SCANNER: Well done.

Your body scan is complete.

NARRATOR: Second, a 3D scanner.

Finally,

hand measurements
for verification.

RESEARCHER: 33.2.

NARRATOR: They
will turn the patterns

into fire suit mockups.

KWON: Then, the next goal

of our research
is to develop those

into wearable prototypes,
which we then plan to pilot.

ADAM STELTZNER: Fabrics are

one of the many things

that are taken for
granted in our modern life.

That this piece of
fabric was engineered.

We think of it as a shirt.

Your t-shirt is engineered.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: One major leap was

the transition from natural
fibers like silk and cotton

to synthetics.

[sewing machine whirring]

Before World w*r II,

most parachutes
were made of silk.

DAVIDSON: Silk is very light,

but it's very strong.

That's why it was
used for parachutes.

NARRATOR: But in 1935,

a new textile was
invented at DuPont,

a chemical company.

So they developed
this new material

called a polyamide,

which we now know as nylon.

[clicking]

NARRATOR: Nylon,
with other synthetics,

eventually made it possible
for us to walk on the moon.

And all along the way,

women were helping
us to reach greater

and greater heights.

So, Sophia can come out now.

Think maybe some holes in...

MCQUERRY: Having
a group of women

that really understand
the female body

is so important in the
work that we're doing.

We all come at the problem

with different perspectives,

different backgrounds,
different areas of expertise.

KWON: The other thing
that really keeps us in it,

is the enthusiasm of
all the female firefighters.

Wow. Yeah...

KWON [voiceover]:
Because once they get it,

they're like "Oh yes," you know,

"Now I can actually speak up.

I can be heard and I
can be acknowledged."

This scan looks like it
came through really well.

[voiceover]: It's an
iterative process.

We are constantly going
to have to make changes.

As we continue
getting that out to

the firefighting community,

and, you know, and
as long as there's

some level of acceptance,

I mean, we'll
slowly be... I think...

moving in the right direction

of sort of implementing,

you know, change for the better.

♪ ♪

[zipper sliding]

NARRATOR: Woven fabrics can be

engineered to
protect here on earth.

But what about in one
of the most challenging

environments of all?

The harsh vacuum of outer space.

When crews first occupied

the International
Space Station in 2000,

it marked the beginning
of over 20 years

of continual human residence

in space.

But NASA plans to retire

and de-orbit the
station in the 2030s.

The hope is that
it will be replaced,

and then some.

MALIK THOMPSON: We're
going back to space to stay.

We've proven that we can
live in space for long periods

in the International
Space Station,

and now we're pushing
the envelope again.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: A variety of companies

are eager to join this new
phase of space habitation,

which holds promise

for scientific breakthroughs.

LICAVOLI: It's really
Sierra Space's mission to

fill that gap, fill that void,

have an opportunity to

have a platform in space.

NARRATOR: NASA
contracted Sierra Space

to develop a new generation

of inflatable habitats
designed and built

to allow humans to
live and work in space,

as well as on the moon,
and eventually on Mars.

♪ ♪

The habitat is called LIFE,

for Large Integrated
Flexible Environment.

Today's engineering challenge

is to destroy it.

BUCKLEY: We're at
Marshall Space Flight Center.

For today's event,

we're doing what's called
an ultimate burst test.

We're going to
take this article,

and we're going to
pressurize it until it fails.

Huge expl*si*n,

equal to 150 sticks of dynamite.

It's going to be epic.

HARRIS II: They are
in the exciting process

of watching their program

intentionally fail. [chuckles]

They're in that learning mode

where, you know,
they go out and say,

"we're going to
blow this thing up."

NARRATOR: One unique
feature of the LIFE habitat

is that it can be compressed

to fit into a single
rocket's payload housing.

♪ ♪

And then inflated
by a factor of six

when deployed in space.

We have these goals of going
to the moon, or going to Mars.

A lot of focus is being there.

Not everyone's thinking
about actually living there.

And so this is where we
start to fill in those gaps.

BUCKLEY: A LIFE
article is 300 cubic meters.

We can put three
floors inside this,

have up to six
people live inside this

for months on months.

NARRATOR: At the core of
the LIFE habitat's technology

are what are
known as soft goods:

flexible, immensely
strong materials

that can be tightly packed down

and then inflated.

[air hissing]

The LIFE habitat is made
up of four different layers,

each with its own purpose,
such as holding in air,

providing insulation,

and repelling dangerous
micrometeorites,

which can travel at tens of
thousands of miles per hour

and are common in outer space.

But the most critical
layer of the LIFE habitat

is the restraint layer, or
primary structural shell,

which the company
is testing here.

The restraint layer

is composed of
hand-sewn pieces of fabric

made of high-strength
synthetic space-age material

called Vectran.

BUCKLEY: Vectran is a
chemically spun material

made to be harder than steel.

So it comes in a thread,

and then that thread
is woven into a strap.

You could hang seven
cars on this strap,

and that strap
would never break.

NARRATOR: Like so many
modern technologies, at its core,

the habitat and its
Vectran webbing

depend on age-old knowledge.

In this case, on
the art and science

of making baskets
out of plant fibers.

BUCKLEY: When you're
designing structural systems,

you don't start from scratch,

and basket weaving
has been around

for thousands of years,

but we've applied it

so you can use it in space.

NARRATOR:
Today's test is crucial

for assessing how the
LIFE habitat manages

the air pressure
introduced in space.

At sea level on earth,

the average air pressure

is around 15 psi...
pounds per square inch.

That's the normal pressure
that will fill the habitat.

However, the structure
has to withstand

significantly higher pressures

to prevent any risk of
a disastrous expl*si*n.

That's where
today's test comes in.

Humans are very...

squishy,

and they don't play well

outside of their own
environment, being Earth.

So when a new
habitat is developed,

a lot of intentionality
goes into it,

so that the human body

is not exposed to
things like radiation,

extreme temperatures,

lack of oxygen, and
anything that could be

flying around out
there in space.

BUCKLEY: The LIFE habitat

is following the NASA guidelines

for operating pressure safety,

which is a times
four safety factor.

So we have a 15.2-psi
operating pressure.

We times that by
four, it gives us a 60.8.

NARRATOR: To reach the
desired pressure of 60.8 psi,

the habitat will be
connected to air pumps

regulated by valves
controlling the flow of air.

The team will monitor
the habitat's inflation

from a control room more
than a quarter mile away.

BUCKLEY: We have sensors on
the top and the bottom of the article,

which are going to give
us what we call strain data.

All those thousands and
thousands of data points,

our analysts are going to
take and take a look at it,

so we can validate on Earth

how our modules operate,

along with
validating it in space.

NARRATOR: Today's
test will be the first ever

of such a large
inflatable structure.

Come on! [man
replies indistinctly]

NARRATOR: But the
team has already done

several smaller burst tests.

BUCKLEY: You want
to build articles fast,

test, get that data.

[exploding]

Prior to this,

we did four articles,

which gave us that
data to catapult us

and give us the
confidence to go on to

our first full-scale burst.

[blasting off]

NARRATOR: Central
to the habitat concept

by NASA and Sierra
Space is the vision

that multiple structures

can be sent into space gradually

and linked together,

like buildings
along a city block.

Modularity is key
to this concept.

If you have a modular design

that you can configure
any way you need to.

BUCKLEY: You're going
to have a medical facility,

you're going to have
exercise, you're going to have

a place for people to live,
to enjoy themselves in space.

NARRATOR: As the team
prepares for the evening's burst test,

Beth Licavoli makes
her final checks

on the LIFE habitat's vast
array of wires and sensors.

We're pretty much
looking ready for burst.

NARRATOR: Safely
watching from the control room,

the team monitors the test
in front of a dozen screens

that will capture the burst.

BUCKLEY: So right now,
we're inside the test room

and we're taking a look at

what is happening on the screens

and we're preparing
everything for the test.

[rumbling]

Main site's been closed down,

everything is good to go.

NARRATOR: The habitat
sits out under the lights

at one psi, but
that soon changes.

JONAH BURGIN:
We are pressurizing to



LICAVOLI: Oh, you can hear it.

Yeah? Go time.

Fill rate?

LICAVOLI: Uh, 3.06 psi
per minute. I'd expect...

BURGIN: 35 psi, 35 psi.

All right. All on
the way to burst.

BUCKLEY: Here we go, let's
do this. LICAVOLI: All right.

NARRATOR: But about
half an hour into the test,

something is going wrong.

The flow of air
has started to slow.

LICAVOLI: We're slowing down.

NARRATOR: But the team still
hopes they can meet their goal.

BUCKLEY: Gotta hit 61.

BURGIN: Then call at 61? Okay.

BUCKLEY: 61.

This is where it gets dicey.

BUCKLEY: Hear a little movement.

LICAVOLI: Come
on, any second now.



[cheers and applause] Well done!

[clapping] Fantastic.

LICAVOLI: Let's
keep going, though.

BUCKLEY: That is amazing.

NARRATOR: They've
reached NASA's target psi,

but the habitat is not
filling as fast as expected.

BUCKLEY: Are we fighting it now?

BURGIN: Yeah, yep.

LICAVOLI: Oh my gosh, yeah.

NARRATOR: One
potential explanation...

a leak.

That could be
disastrous in space.

BUCKLEY: Are we still dropping?

LICAVOLI: Yeah.

NARRATOR: About
an hour into the test,

they decide to end it...

short of their ultimate goal.

BURGIN: R.O.V. 311 closed.

[team members confirm]

TEAM MEMBER [over
comms]: R.O.V. 311 closed.

BUCKLEY: Close
it, let it leak down.

NARRATOR: the
lack of an expl*si*n

is a major disappointment.

Testing to failure is crucial to

understanding the habitat's
ability to withstand pressure.

After the habitat

is depressurized and safe,

the team gathers to determine
the source of the leak.

TEAM MEMBER: All
those straps want to be

aligned with the
bottom of the plate.

So there is nothing
pushing on that bladder

or doing anything like... I
would, I would highly doubt

there's a leak
right there. Okay.

BUCKLEY: There's
an air of excitement,

and then there's air of like,
"Aw, I wanted a big burst!"

Yeah, it's... You know, you
want to take it to that failure.

LICAVOLI: This valve
seems like our culprit.

We over-pressurized it.

NARRATOR: As air
pressure built up in the valve,

it overcame the force of
the spring holding it closed,

allowing air to escape.

BUCKLEY: When we found
out that it was the valve,

a little bit of a
sense of relief,

you know, knowing that
the design of the structure

was very viable.

NARRATOR: They decide
to shut the problem valve off.

Fortunately, the
remaining working valve

is still able to
inflate the habitat.

The following night,

the group is back
in the control room.

BURGIN: 25 psi,



BUCKLEY: Got our fill rate?



PSI per minute.

Ramp to burst.

TEAM MEMBER: Just keep going.

BURGIN: 55 psi.

Went better than last time.

BURGIN: 55 psi.



[room clapping]

NARRATOR: They have
reached the same pressure

as the failed test
the night before.

Keep going. Going to burst.

NARRATOR: And it keeps rising.

BURGIN: 70 psi. TEAM
MEMBER: 70 psi...

BURGIN: 75 psi.



This is insane.

I think I heard a little
pop. This is insane.

[loud burst]

Oh! [cheers and applause]

[booming]

[shaking]

[booming, cheering continues]

All right, high-fives,
high-fives.

BUCKLEY: Well done, guys.

LICAVOLI: This is the first one

that we could really
feel the ground shake

in this control room,
which is incredible.

To see it, to really be here.

It's kind of surreal.

NARRATOR: And now
they know the habitat's limit...



BUCKLEY [voiceover]: It
was just an amazing moment.

It's one of those things you
don't forget in your career,

and you always talk about it.

[expl*si*n roaring]

NARRATOR: We're
constantly on the move.

Expanding our reach
upward, outward,

and toward new horizons.

MABRY: Engineering is a
process. You take the baton

and continue to
engineer our world

and to build things further,

bigger, better, more efficient

and more valuable.

The whole human
experience, you could say, is

an experiment in engineering

of a society that's better,

and that's why

everything that
we do is built upon

what has been done in the past.

NARRATOR: Throughout history,

we've never been
content to stay put.

HARRIS II: Engineering
is not a modern-day thing.

Engineering is something that

expanded way into our past.

And I think it
comes from curiosity,

It comes from the
need for survival.

One, two, three.

NARRATOR: As we continue
building on what has come before,

who knows what
we'll innovate next.

ZILEVU: When
we look at our lives,

and we look at technology


we couldn't

imagine some of the things
that we see today.

[booming]

NARRATOR:
"Building Stuff,"

to reach beyond.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪