Mega Constructions: Ship on Legs, Top 3 Ferris Wheels, Hotel of the Future | Free Documentary

a ship on legs building such a thing is a mammoth project and it takes time in 2013 we came to gidneya near gdansk for the first time the crest shipyard one of the largest and most important shipyards in europe this is where the ship grows legs but why during our first visit we arrived just in time to see this huge thing the ship's bridge being lowered into place on the hull of the ship with a crane [Music] crane driver yuri sits at a height of 90 meters with 900 tons hanging from his crane even the slightest wind would prevent him from completing this dangerous task pinpoint precision but actually nothing more than normal shipbuilding [Music] the special thing about this ship was created a year earlier in a hall next door the legs it all started with these 100 millimeter thick steel plates this machine rolls and bends them until they are ring shaped piece by piece the workers then weld them together into 20 meter long segments with a diameter of four meters [Music] at the end project manager mike fleming inspects the finished legs into which workers have fitted cables and climbing stirrups this allows the crew of the vida to check the condition of the legs from the inside even when on the high seas because they have a very important load to bear the vida has four legs each 100 meters long and will weigh about 800 tons in the end it's a design that has to carry the entire weight of the ship around 30 000 tons and when at sea these legs are the life insurance of a crew of about 90 men only two years were estimated from the start of planning to the maiden voyage record time and why do you build such a thing for this 4 000 wind turbines are to be set up off the german coast and 8 000 off the english coast to produce cleaner energy the construction of such wind farms in the open sea is not possible with normal ships they would sink as soon as waves get higher than 10 meters only special jack up ships like the vida can lift weights of up to 1200 tons because their legs give them a stable foothold and can hold the platform high above the waves in rough seas this enables them to insert components at heights of up to 160 meters with pinpoint precision five months later our second visit a lot has happened the shipyard workers have been working on the ship day and night seven days a week so that it can be launched on time in august piece by piece the workers inserted the individual segments and then at a dizzying height welded them together but the legs are not yet complete it'll be weeks before the first deployment a lot has also happened under the ship in the last five months engineer christian bauer shows us the special drive the so called trusters ensure the steel colossus is kept in position here we have the four trusters each one of them can rotate 360 degrees to position the ship and with this propulsion we can position ourselves exactly where the windmills need to be placed these four legs alone are to hold thousands of tons in complete stability a wide block hangs at the end of them [Music] yes it's somewhat like a shoe it's attached to the leg and sinks up to several meters into the ground so that there's a larger contact surface than just the legs here everything's just that little bit bigger now christian bauer is going to show us what makes these legs move so we follow the project manager into the interior of the steel colossus two floors deep into the machine wing [Music] we're here in the hydraulic pump room the jacking system on the vida is operated hydraulically by hydraulic cylinders and from here all the oil is forced into the pipes by these individual pumps and that's what moves the legs up and down ultimately lifting the ship out of the water the oil causes gigantic pumps to push up and down along the legs jacking is what the experts call it before this can happen this huge crane has to be installed with this the vedas should be able to carry out assembly work on the high seas within a few weeks carefully crane driver yuri lifts the 106 meter long jib and tests if the wind is not too strong he gives his okay lifts the huge steel construction onto the veda and carefully places it over the legs but the difficult part is yet to come a team of experts puts all the physical strength they have into getting the crane into the right position this is precision work then the retaining bolt is hydraulically retracted the crane is now firmly attached to the vida and the brackets can be released [Music] the finish line is now in sight the ship with legs the vida will be ready at the end of november 2013. well almost because it's not yet clear whether the legs will be operational [Music] at the moment the preparations for the hydraulic system are in progress we have to make sure that there are no mistakes that's why we're proceeding very carefully and slowly and hope that tomorrow we'll be able to lift the ship above the water surface the vidar is due to go out for a first operation on the high seas in a few days all set now for the final test whether the ship can lift itself up on its legs the so-called jacking here we go but nothing happens and suddenly there's some bad news the hydraulic pump which is responsible for the jacking is causing problems chief planner mike fleming has to take a closer look at the system a faulty oil line has apparently destroyed the special pump the damage amounts to over 2 million euros is the project threatening to become a million dollar grave this means the schedule can't be kept to but in the summer of 2014 the time had finally come in cook's harven we arranged a meeting with the team the four massive legs are clearly protruding out of the water will the jacking process really succeed we want to see for ourselves how the jack up vessel literally lifts itself out of the water the bridge is drawn up mike fleming and his team have reached their goal now it's time for the actual mission constructing offshore parks on the high seas with wet feet perhaps but safely above the sea higher and higher increasingly modern even more spectacular their construction costs hundreds of millions of euros here come the top three of the biggest ferris wheels in the world in third position the star of nan chang in china with a height of 160 meters in 60 cabins there's room for 480 people at a time [Music] thanks to its 61 000 leds at night the world's third largest ferris wheel can shine in 15 different patterns this mammoth wheel was built in the chinese province of jiangxi in 2006 at a construction cost of around 5.2 million euros technician chang yubo is responsible for making sure that the ferris wheel runs smoothly he regularly checks the wheel hub at a height of 87 meters it usually takes me five minutes to climb up but it's your first time climbing so it may take you longer if you can't carry on have a rest it's no problem once a week chang yubo has to go into the shaft which is only one meter wide just like fitness training for me at a dizzying height shangyubo checks the bolts of the ferris wheel for the smallest of cracks i'm looking at the bolts now they're very important because the entire weight of the wheel and the spokes is on them there's 420 of them all together we check them every week every year twenty percent of the bolts have to be replaced the reason is wear and tear if shangyubo misses a defective bolt the consequences could be disastrous only 30 minutes until opening the technician has to hurry because a school class is already waiting downstairs the check's complete you're good to go at eight o'clock sharp the ferris wheel starts rolling one turn takes exactly 30 minutes while the wheel spins its first cycles the shift for industrial climber changhu begins for eight years he's been making sure that the 61 000 leds shine flawlessly every evening the job is not without its dangers each year several industrial climbers die in china because of poor equipment or lack of experience my wife always tells me to be careful and watch out for myself but danger is part of my job we both know that changhu must install these led chains at a height of 80 meters twice a week he goes up the 180 rungs to the heart of the ferris wheel chang has to pay close attention to every step this work doesn't forgive any mistakes [Music] the higher i climb the more dangerous it gets especially with the wind sometimes working at this height is just too dangerous so i stay on the ground and take care of the controls [Music] gusts of wind are particularly risky as chang who needs both hands to work while he's working the 7 000 ton giant steel wheel carries on spinning so changhu must complete his task in a very brief time frame if he doesn't he has to wait for 30 minutes down at the ticket counter we meet backpacker dieter from austria for five euros the 28 year old is risking a ride in one of the cabins this record-breaking ride is now eight years old so its best years are already behind it i hope this doesn't fall apart at the highest point the paint's flaking everywhere so i'm not a hundred percent sure if this would actually pass a european security check [Music] the climber has replaced 15 lights the third largest ferris wheel in the world is now ready for its big light show every evening at 6 30 pm the 61 000 leds start to light up until 2008 the star of nang chang was the largest ferris wheel in the world before it was outdone by the next giant the current number two is the flyer in singapore this super wheel is 165 meters high with its 28 cabins it can transport 784 people at the same time construction costs around 135 million euros an ultra-modern race track runs around it nicer bowler is the sales manager of the ferris wheel and responsible for ensuring that the 28 cabins can operate all year the ferris wheel has 28 capsules this is no coincidence because here in singapore the number 28 is a chinese tradition the number 8 is a lucky number and with a 2 in front it's twice as lucky the flyer carries about 20 000 people every day to dizzying heights the view is spectacular visitors can see as far as the bordering countries of indonesia and malaysia one cycle on the world's second largest ferris wheel takes 30 minutes we can't go much faster than half an hour because our guests would get sick otherwise and it's not like we're on a roller coaster each of the 28 capsules has its own air conditioning because without any cooling it would be more than uncomfortable [Music] since it's incredibly hot outside with temperatures over 30 degrees every day the capsule would be like a sauna if this didn't work properly an enormous energy requirement for the operators and air conditioning leads to another problem on each cycle up to 34 litres of condensation form in each capsule with 28 capsules that's a good six bathtubs full every 30 minutes to make the most of this we have come up with something very special to collect the water here that means it drips down from above and we use that to water our own rainforest and have a pond for fish so a small oasis has been created under the ferris wheel the 80 meter high struts of the singapore flyer are another of its special features here is one of our two columns that holds our ferris wheel and in this column there's a pendulum that protects it from strong winds singapore is often hit by typhoons and that can mean winds of up to 100 kilometers per hour the whole thing works like this inside the columns are inverted pendulums if strong wind pushes the column in one direction the 2.5 ton weight moves in the opposite direction and thus absorbs the force the attachment of the cabins is also special all the cabins are solid in themselves but they have very special motors on the side that keep the cabin in a horizontal position at all times thus preventing us from ending up upside down a ride on the second largest ferris wheel in the world costs 20 euros if exclusivity is your thing for 40 euros you can also sip a cocktail at a height of 165 meters and there's an even more luxurious option for a proud 1100 euros you can have a romantic candlelight dinner with a butler we've booked for the dinner tonight robin and sabrina but does the offer live up to its promise the view is breathtaking but drinks are not included on this sinfully expensive date the waiter serves four courses these are not prepared by the chef directly in the cabin but are brought in before the start and after the first cycle those who can afford this luxury dinner will not only be rewarded with exquisite culinary delights but also with an impressive view of the singapore night skyline at least that's how they imagined it so have their high expectations been fulfilled so ultimately the food is great but it doesn't quite justify the price the meal could be a little bit more special but the view definitely makes up for it this year the singapore flyer had to give up the title of the world's highest ferris wheel because since april there's been a new number one and here it comes the biggest ferris wheel in the world is called high roller and it's in las vegas at a height of 168 meters the high roller is three meters higher than the singapore flyer [Music] 7.7 kilometers of steel cable hold the wheel together each cabin weighs almost 20 000 kilograms the passenger volume is also a world record 1120 passengers per cycle and there's another special feature the ferris wheel is not located on the outskirts of the city but in the middle of downtown las vegas the german musician elvis lederer and his family have lived here for 14 years they've been eagerly awaiting the ride for months finally they can get on the world's biggest ferris wheel [Music] my daughter always says i really want to go on it is it ready is it ready and i always say no it's not finished yet but now at last it is and today we can finally get [Music] the 18 euro tickets are bought off to the high roller but wait you can't just walk straight into the cabin typical for this city first of all you go to the bar after the cocktails it's time for a quick picture additional costs for two drinks and a souvenir photo 44 euros but then at last the time has come out to the cabin entrance from a distance from where we live we've been able to see it being built we have no idea actually how big it is until you get up close each individual part is actually quite large a cabin can hold up to 40 people in theory because so far the cabins are rather sparsely populated maybe that's also why exact visitor numbers have not yet been published after all there's a lot at stake here the construction of the ferris wheel took two years and swallowed an estimated 140 million euros this was also due to the unusual design because this wheel has only one rim no double track like in singapore or china building owner david khadiga wanted the ferris wheel to resemble an oversized bicycle tyre his biggest challenge the drive system this is one of eight drive units there are four on each side and they're basically just large truck tires that are rotating the motors are driving them this is probably the most complicated piece of the entire wheel because it had to be built after we built the rim and has lots of tolerance is where it's gripped here and the wheels run on it until the propulsion system was perfected the 28 cabins were stored in a warehouse [Music] in november 2013 the time had come the 20-ton cabins could be installed each cabin is fitted with 30 square meters of glass similar to singapore a gyroscope in the lower part of the cabin ensures that it always remains in the same position during rotation namely vertical it took four months for all cabins to be mounted and tested then the biggest ferris wheel in the world was finally opened one rotation takes half an hour here as well easily enough time to take plenty of souvenir photos las vegas from above a real experience even for the locals i've been in vegas a long time so for me is to see how big vegas has actually become and to start to see the little details from above all the hotels but gun to eat the bellagio of course looks very noble with a huge fountain show that we see just now it's better than i expected with this 360 degree view i think it'll be very popular it's really cool you can have your drinks especially at night let's go to the big wheel you know yeah indeed after sunset the world's largest ferris wheel fills up noticeably but for how long the high roller will be able to keep this record is anything but certain because as this animation shows there are already plans for the new york wheel on the outskirts of manhattan it will be 24 meters higher than the ferris wheel in las vegas it should be finished by 2016 but until then a lot can still happen so for now at least the high roller in las vegas will remain the world's number one ferris wheel [Music] [Music] the hotel of the future this is where our reporter dominic wants to stay tonight but it's not that easy this is juice but it's not what i ordered we are in hangzhou in eastern china this is the home of it giants alibaba who are normally known for their online trading [Music] the fly zoo hotel is the first of its kind equipped with the latest technology from the outside it looks unspectacular but what about the inside [Music] oh wow nothing here suggests that this is a hotel there's no staff here nothing that reminds me of a hotel it looks more like a science fiction movie our reporter wants to check in but where and how maybe the answer is in one of these touchscreen boxes he wants to see my passport here now it's basically just like at the airport i'll just do that that's easy now it scans and that's my booking is that it no card no key instead dominic gets a text message let's see if this opens the door to his room it's on the ninth floor we'll take the lift [Music] it's showing my face here now my face has been recognized choose the floor he doesn't know exactly where i am yet but at least the elevator here works by facial recognition facial recognition prevents strangers who do not live in the hotel from using the lift in the hallway doubts are slowly creeping in is dominic about to stand in front of a locked door now i feel like i've forgotten my key even though i never got one i don't know how it works no that's a light switch here's something that's it my face is the key that's crazy but the face detecting door is only the beginning oh wow [Music] hello dear guests nice welcome another robot in any case the loudspeaker seems to be able to do more than just play music there's a manual dominic tries with his basic knowledge of chinese [Music] it says here that i can communicate with the room all i have to do is say the code word which is team malgini doesn't seem to work team algini yes please a province in the people's republic of china capital guangzhou okay huh i don't think she understood me ah now she's got it although dominic can speak a few words of chinese the robot doesn't understand him properly the cell phone might help [Music] ah i'm closing the curtains in the room tmall genie can also execute more complex commands for example dominic can control the tv or the air conditioning system using only his voice once you've figured out the commands i think you just lie on the bed and control everything with your voice i think that's pretty cool currently the system only understands chinese but for international visitors an english version is being developed [Music] dominic explores the rest of the hotel first stop the gym filled with cutting-edge equipment of course but you can also get that in other hotels so let's move on [Music] if i'm not mistaken this should be the bar oh cool there's a cocktail robot the bar's main attraction our reporter can choose from dozens of pre-programmed drinks and then the artificial bartender prepares them alone at the same speed as a human being but the robot can't do without human help after all it seems the final touches still have to be made by human hands after all but still crazy i've definitely seen anything like this before back to the room slowly our reporter is beginning to feel hungry obviously ordering food at the hotel of the future has to be different somehow according to this video i'm just being shown it'll be a robot bringing me my food so let's give it a try plenty of choice but the menu is only available in the local language at the moment and dominic's chinese is failing him he decides to rely on the pictures and chooses a salad [Music] all that's left is to confirm the order by mobile phone with a personalized qr code of course payment is also cash and cardless a push of a button on his mobile phone is all that is needed bam paid that was just so easy now let's see if a robot will actually come and bring me my food oh i've just got a text sms ah okay this is a code i don't know what i need it for but it definitely has something to do with the robot i just got one of those delivery codes let's see what the waiter looks like [Music] here he comes just a few minutes after ordering all right wow wow now what can you understand me okay okay no words ah okay dominic now has to enter the code he received by text into the robot to get his salad or maybe not [Music] that's fruit juice but it's not what i ordered and now yes ah okay i thought he brought me the wrong stuff i can't really interact with it now i guess i'll just have to confirm so that's it no tip nope the hotel's r2d2 is modest our reporter can keep the tips still not cheap dominic has to pay almost 20 euros for his salad in a restaurant somewhere in the city it would cost a third of that the digital room is not exactly a bargain either at around 200 euros per night other hotels in the area cost around 50 euros nevertheless sleep tired open the curtains the next morning at the fly zoo hotel the first of its kind but the operators are already planning several international offshoots the self-designated hotel of the future will have many tasks performed by robots but it can't do without human personnel completely to clean rooms for example but that will only happen after we're gone our reporter does not have to check out if you want to stay an extra night you can simply book it in your room or online and how did dominic enjoy his stay in the fully automated hotel my first night at the hotel of the future and the name is definitely justified if you enjoy new and modern technology you'll definitely get your money's worth here i can imagine this working in germany too who knows maybe we'll soon see one of these almost totally high-tech hotels in our neighborhood you

Channel: Free Documentary

Views: 271,367

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), exceptional engineering, exceptional constructions, mega constructions, engineering documentary, giant ship, biggest ship, ship on legs, Ferris Wheels, biggest ferris wheels, worlds biggest ferris wheels, future hotel, hotel of the future, top 3 ferris wheels, vidar, vidar ship

Id: -hMxyTTB2CI

Length: 33min 15sec (1995 seconds)

Published: Fri May 15 2020