Engineering Stories

Engineering Stories

Famous failures, happy accidents and record-breaking builds, told in a few minutes each. Every story ends with the lesson engineers still use on site today.

Blueprint-style illustration: Galloping Gertie
1940 · Bridge failure

Galloping Gertie: The Bridge That Danced Itself to Death

A 64 km/h wind, a deck only 2.4 m deep and a twisting motion nobody had designed for. How the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed four months after opening.

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Blueprint-style illustration: Burj Khalifa's night pours
2004–2010 · Record build

Burj Khalifa's night pours

Ice in the mix, pours at midnight and a world pumping record. Concrete engineering at 828 metres.

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Blueprint-style illustration: The Walkie-Scorchie
2013 · Design flaw

The Walkie-Scorchie

A businessman came back to his parked Jaguar and found it melting. The culprit was across the road.

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Blueprint-style illustration: The melted chocolate bar
1945 · Happy accident

The melted chocolate bar

A radar engineer reached into his pocket and found melted chocolate. Popcorn and an exploding egg came next.

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Blueprint-style illustration: The Wobbly Bridge
2000 · Bridge failure

The Wobbly Bridge

London's millennium footbridge closed two days after opening. The problem was the people walking on it.

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Blueprint-style illustration: The Leaning Tower of Pisa
1173–2001 · Foundation failure

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

It began leaning before the third floor was finished. A war, a curve and some clever digging kept it standing.

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