Disasters Engineered

We take modest engineering masterpieces, like the homes we live in and the bridges we walk across, for granted. So, when disaster strikes, it sends shockwaves throughout society. When London's Grenfell Tower catches fire, its hundreds of residents must escape a deadly inferno; expert engineers investigate and reveal how the building's engineering caused the disaster to escalate tragically. Also investigated is the collapse of a pedestrian bridge in 2018 at Florida International University in Miami.

The aviation industry's quest to conquer the skies led to some great achievements. But engineering errors and human mistakes have caused tragic disasters along the way. The disaster of Air France Flight 447 and the crash of NASA's Skylab in 1979 are catastrophes of aviation with a mysterious legacy; experts investigate these historic tragedies to determine what caused these monumental failures of flight.

Operating in hostile environments presents unique challenges, extreme temperatures, intense pressure, and no room for error.

Examine the 2010 Copiapo mining accident and the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and see what happens when poor engineering meets a natural disaster.

What is the dark side to ‘clean energy’, and what can we learn from the Three Mike Island and Sayano-Shushenskaya power station incidents?

Where did NASA go wrong during the catastrophic launch of Skylab, and why did Air France Flight 447 crash into the Atlantic?

Across history, humanity has tried to build structures that defy the forces of nature - sometimes leading to catastrophic disasters.

Each time oil is spilled or lead contaminates our tap water, humans suffer and our environment pays a price.

Discover how flawed engineering caused the New Orleans Hard Rock Hotel to collapse in 2019 and the displacement of 1.5 million Haitians in 2010.

Disasters like the MS Estonia and Boeing 737 crashes are rare, but they act as reminders of the speed at which tragedy can strike.