NOVA

High-Risk High-Rise

Gleaming symbols of prestige, skyscrapers are an ingenious way to save space in dense urban areas. But even as we devise ways to defend them against fires, wind, and earthquakes, can we also make them more livable, interactive, and eco-friendly?

High-Risk High-Rise Preview

30s

Gleaming symbols of prestige, skyscrapers are an ingenious way to save space in dense urban areas. But even as we devise ways to defend them against fires, wind, and earthquakes, can we also make them more livable, interactive, and eco-friendly?

  • When Earthquake Damage is Invisible: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    When Earthquake Damage is Invisible

    S48 E8 - 2m 51s

    Even if a building appears to be undamaged after an earthquake, it could have used up some of its initial earthquake resisting capability.

  • Stopping the Millennium Tower from Sinking Further: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Stopping the Millennium Tower from Sinking Further

    S48 E8 - 3m 28s

    When San Francisco's Millennium Tower unexpectedly sunk 16 inches, residents worried the building would topple over. Here's how a structural engineer and his team figured out the cause and suggested a potential fix.

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