| Extreme Engineering unveils some of the most ambitious architectural plans of our times. Some are theoretical; others are in the works. But all of these modern marvels pose challenges that stretch the definition of what's possible. Watch as jaw-dropping computer animation and first-hand accounts from builders, designers and engineers breathe life into the most extreme construction projects ever conceived. Watch as a group of ambitious Danish shipbuilders set out to blow the rudders off the worldwide cargo shipping industry by building the most colossal, powerful cargo ship ever conceived. With its designers determined to push the outer limits of what is possible with today's materials and technology, this ship will look more like a skyscraper than a sea-going vessel. The hulking tub will be able to store 4,000 shipping containers – each 40 feet long, 15 feet wide and 12 feet high – quite comfortably in its cavernous hull. It will also have the biggest engine in the world – a 93,000-horsepower diesel power plant that, at full power, will put out as much thrust as all the Indy 500 cars of the last five years combined. Yet, remarkably, the immense motor will turn at just 200 rpm – or 20 to 30 times slower than your average family sedan. |
