You can't host the Olympic Games without a world-class facility, and for 2008, China's built the world's largest enclosed facility: the Beijing National Stadium. Using 42,000 tons of twisted steel and hundreds of tons of concrete, this stadium seats 90,000 people - one of the biggest and most ambitious constructions projects ever attempted in modern China. Against the backdrop of China's rush to the Olympics, our program examines the unique features of what's been affectionately termed the "Bird's Nest" stadium, following its design, engineering, and construction up until the ultimate test, where we'll find out if this ambitious project comes together as planned. Using aerial photography and computer generated images, this film brings you as close to the construction site as the design engineers and construction workers who formed cement, welded beams, and operated hydraulics and lifting jacks during the incredible construction project.
You can't host the Olympic Games without a world-class facility, and for 2008, China's built the world's largest enclosed facility: the Beijing National Stadium. Using 42,000 tons of twisted steel and hundreds of tons of concrete, this stadium seats 90,000 people - one of the biggest and most ambitious constructions projects ever attempted in modern China. Against the backdrop of China's rush to the Olympics, our program examines the unique features of what's been affectionately termed the "Bird's Nest" stadium, following its design, engineering, and construction up until the ultimate test, where we'll find out if this ambitious project comes together as planned. Using aerial photography and computer generated images, this film brings you as close to the construction site as the design engineers and construction workers who formed cement, welded beams, and operated hydraulics and lifting jacks during the incredible construction project.
General Note
Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on May 18, 2013.
Learn360 is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.
Content Note
Introduction: Beijing Stadium (1:07) -- Unique Architectural Design (1:49) -- Earthquake and Eco-friendly Challenges (1:18) -- Rebuilding Beijing (1:47) -- Global Design Competition (3:52) -- The "Bird's Nest" and the "Water Cube" (2:16) -- Earthquake Proof Construction (2:22) -- Stadium's Interior Design (2:26) -- Paris Airport Collapse Forces Stadium Redesign (3:06) -- Push to Complete Concrete Bowl before Winter (2:08) -- Stadium's Steel Exoskeleton (2:47) -- Strong Yet Flexible Steel Beams (2:05) -- Complex Steel Structure (4:19) -- Welding Challenges (5:52) -- Brace Removal (4:56) -- Finishing Touches (3:06) -- Green Systems in the Stadium (2:53) -- Symbol of the New Beijing (1:44).