featured transportation infrastructure video

Understanding: Bridge Movement

On TLC's "Understanding," computers are used to design and create bridge elasticity or movement which is an essential component of protection from disasters.


You need the Flash Player version 8.0.0.0 or higher and a JavaScript enabled browser to view this site

browse videos in transportation infrastructure

X-Rays Help Ensure Firefighter Safety in the Air (1:51)

Watch this video about x-rays help firefighters on HowStuffWorks. Cargo planes uses massive storage tanks to carry fire repellant and sometimes these storage tanks become corroded; UC Davis engineers are using special kinds of x-rays to ensure air... More »

Australia Queen Mary 2 (1:20)

Watch this video about the Queen Mary 2 in Australia. The Queen Mary 2 created a buzz during a stopover in the Australian city.

Singing Roads in Japan (2:18)

Watch this Reuters video showing how the "melody roads" work in some Japanese provinces. Because of specially placed ridges in the road, cars travelling at a certain speed can hear the road literally hum a Japanese tune; it works like the head of a... More »

What We Used Before Elevators (1:28)

Watch this Reuters videos about paternosters - the predecessor to the elevator. Paternosters are open-faced, continuously moving lifts that go to each floor like a huge ferris wheel. Safety concerns have reduced paternosters to near obscurity.

Transportation (1:34)

From the archives of Discovery: It's a big world, and people have devised an infinite number of ways to move across it. To learn more about transportation, check out this video.

recently added

History of Transportation: Evolution of Airplanes (22:14)

This program covers the evolution of human flight, from Leonardo de Vinci's early attempts to design a flying machine to an artist's conception of the "sonic cruiser" of tomorrow.

History of Transportation: Evolution of Pipelines (18:55)

This program covers the evolution of pipelines as a form of economical transportation of resources, from the first crude "aqueducts" built by the ancient Romans to the large, long-distance pipelines of today.

History of Transportation: Evolution of Railroads (18:27)

This program covers the evolution of railroads as a form of mass transportation.

History of Transportation: Importance of Barges (18:27)

This program covers the evolution of barge transportation and their role in moving heavy cargo.

Understanding Bridges: Suggested Topics (1:00)

Enhance your understanding of bridges by exploring these suggested discussion topics.

Understanding Bridges: Stretching the Limits (2:59)

Watch this clip to learn about the future of bridges, which may include monitoring bridge conditions by fiber-optic cables and introducing composite materials to bridge construction that can strengthen and lengthen bridge life span.

Understanding Bridges: Combining Form and Function (3:07)

Watch this video to learn how an accident in Tampa Bay allowed the redesign of the bridge from a conventional to a cable-stayed design.

Understanding Bridges: Maintenance and Repair (5:36)

Take a look at this video to learn how much goes into inspecting, maintaining and repairing bridges. It is not only a risky job, but an endless one as well, requiring large teams of people.

Understanding Bridges: Suspension Bridges (5:14)

Explore the creation of the Brooklyn Bridge and John Roebling's contributions to bridge design in this segment, which also looks at how the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge led to the implementation of new safety measures.

Understanding Bridges: The Complexity of Construction (4:06)

This video explores the history and types of bridges, in addition to the building and repair complexities of the San Francisco-Oakland Bridge. Learn about the three main bridge types and how they support weight.