The BEST episodes of Megastructures

Every episode of Megastructures ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Megastructures!

Take an eye-popping look at the greatest structures and machines ever created as we focus on some of the world's modern-day super-human miracles of construction.

Last Updated: 2/5/2024Network: National GeographicStatus: Ended
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Deep Sea Drillers
star
10.00
1 votes

#1 - Deep Sea Drillers

Season 2005 - Episode 28 - Aired 1/20/2013

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Money Factory
star
10.00
1 votes

#2 - Money Factory

Season 2004 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/31/2004

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Inside a Super Casino
star
10.00
1 votes

#3 - Inside a Super Casino

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/1/2004

The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey — Megastructures gets an inside look at the 13-year design and construction of Atlantic City's towering new casino, the Borgata.

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Money Factory
star
10.00
1 votes

#4 - Money Factory

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/31/2004

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Deep Sea Drillers
star
10.00
1 votes

#5 - Deep Sea Drillers

Season 2 - Episode 28 - Aired 12/31/2005

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World’s Greatest Concert Hall (Hamburg Germany)
star
10.00
1 votes

#6 - World’s Greatest Concert Hall (Hamburg Germany)

Season 15 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/9/2018

On top of an old warehouse in Hamburg, the architects of Beijing's Birds Nest Stadium are building a dramatic new concert hall.

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DOES NOT EXIST - PLEASE DELETE
star
10.00
1 votes

#7 - DOES NOT EXIST - PLEASE DELETE

Season 2006 - Episode 99 - Aired 12/7/2006

World's Biggest Airliner (Airbus A380)
star
9.93
30 votes

#8 - World's Biggest Airliner (Airbus A380)

Season 2005 - Episode 16 - Aired 10/4/2005

It is the largest passenger plane ever built and it is a 12 billion dollar investment. The episode documents the history of the Airbus A380, from its design concept, its interior features, the precision manufacturing, the logistics, the final assembly and its final maiden flight.

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Autobahn
star
9.87
30 votes

#9 - Autobahn

Season 2004 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/19/2004

What began as a racing track, and thanks to Adolf Hitler’s World War II propaganda efforts, the track grew into a sophisticated high-speed road system, linking to almost all the major cities in Germany. The Autobahn boasts of having super thick road beds, 4% or less grades, wide lanes, and build on layers of technology. The Autobahn allows vehicles to travel at speeds exceeding 160km/h for roughly 2/3 of its roads. The episode profiles the operations of the highway cops, and their reliance on technology in training, monitoring of roads and various methods of arrest. It also looks at the ADAC, an automobile club, which provides on the spot road assistance. Nicknamed ‘The Yellow Angels’, they also provide air medical rescue. The system of maintenance of the Autobahn is also examined. All this infrastructure makes this mega structure into one of the world’s most safest super highway.

Directors: Steve Parmley
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Sears Tower
star
9.77
30 votes

#10 - Sears Tower

Season 2004 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/29/2004

For 20 years, the Sears Tower held the record for the world’s tallest building. Completed in 1973, the 110 stories high building is almost half a kilometer tall. And it still holds the record for having the world’s highest antenna. John Zils, structural engineer and designer of this mega-structure shares some of the secrets about the tower. And get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the various systems and controls that are vital to the building, like security monitoring, the elevators, and the water and power distribution to the various levels, and even the machines that cleans the windows.

Directors: Daryl Ondatje
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Kansai International Airport
star
9.63
32 votes

#11 - Kansai International Airport

Season 2004 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/13/2004

Located 5 km off the coast of Osaka, Japan, is the Kansai International Airport. The airport is built entirely on a man-made island, 4 km long and 1 km wide. The only link between the island and Osaka is by the world’s longest 2-tiered bridge. Although the airport is built to withstand earthquakes and typhoons, the artificial island itself is sinking faster than anticipated. The episode looks at the various measures that are taken to keep the airport ‘afloat’, and the various facilities and services available to keep the airport running.

Directors: Alex Perrault
USS Ronald Reagan
star
9.00
2 votes

#12 - USS Ronald Reagan

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/15/2004

Nimitz-class supercarrier for the U.S. Navy — USS Ronald Reagan is a 4.5 billion-dollar Nimitz-class supercarrier. Powered by two nuclear reactors, the 1,100 ft (340 m) long vessel is equipped with all the necessary facilities to house 6,000 personnel and over 80 aircraft. Viewers are given an exclusive look at how the crew of this 'floating naval base' is put through a series of tests in order to obtain their flight deck certification. Take a glimpse at the various facilities on the ship that keep the 6,000-strong crew fed, rested, and entertained.

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Mega Ship
star
9.00
1 votes

#13 - Mega Ship

Season 2 - Episode 27 - Aired 12/27/2005

The episodes documents the 134,000 ton Mega Ship's voyage through the pirate infested waters of the Singapore and Malacca Straits carrying millions of dollars of precious cargo. From the bridge to the engine room, Megastructures follow Captain Llewellyn as he guides his ship to the port of Singapore.

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Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
star
9.00
2 votes

#14 - Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/20/2004

World's longest suspension bridge — In 1955, two ferries sank along the Akashi Strait in Japan, killing 168 children. The tragedy led to 30 years of research to design a bridge that would link Awaji Island to Kobe. The bridge would need to be able to withstand severe earthquakes and typhoons. In 1988, Japan began construction of the world's longest, highest and most expensive suspension bridge. This episode presents a stage by stage look at the construction of the bridge, and the obstacles faced in its construction, including the Kobe earthquake in 1995.

Kansai International Airport
star
9.00
2 votes

#15 - Kansai International Airport

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/13/2004

Airport on artificial island in Osaka Bay — Located 5 km off the coast of Osaka, Japan is the Kansai International Airport. The airport is built entirely on a man-made island, 4 km long and 1 km wide. The only link between the island and Osaka is by the world's longest 2-tiered bridge. Although the airport is built to withstand earthquakes and typhoons, the artificial island itself is sinking faster than anticipated. This episode looks at various measures that are taken to keep the airport 'afloat,' and the various facilities and services available to keep the airport running.

Hoover Dam
star
9.00
2 votes

#16 - Hoover Dam

Season 2006 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/16/2006

Exploring Nevada's Hoover Dam in Black Canyon on the Colorado River. The 726-foot dam weighs more than 6,600,000 tons and is 660 feet thick at its base. Completed in 1936, it can store up to two years' worth of the Colorado's average water flow, and generates four billion hours of hydroelectric power a year.

Directors: Jeremy Hall
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Machines of War: Tanks
star
9.00
28 votes

#17 - Machines of War: Tanks

Season 2006 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/17/2006

No summary currently.

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Ultimate Oil Sands Mine
star
9.00
2 votes

#18 - Ultimate Oil Sands Mine

Season 2005 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/20/2005

Located in Alberta, Canada is the world’s largest known single deposit of oil worth trillions of dollars. However, the oil is trapped in a complex mixture of sand, water and clay, and the cost of extracting the fuel from the soil will cost billions. The episode profiles the competition between the Syncrude and the Shell Oil companies to extract the black gold. It looks at the various mega machines and systems that are used to extract, transport and the process used to separate the oil from the sand.

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Super Carrier: USS Ronald Reagan
star
8.90
31 votes

#19 - Super Carrier: USS Ronald Reagan

Season 2004 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/15/2004

The USS Ronald Reagan is a 4.5 billion dollars Nimitz-class supercarrier. Powered by 2 nuclear reactors, the 1100ft. long vessel is equipped with all the necessary facilities to house 6000 personnel and over 80 aircraft. Viewers are given an exclusive look at how the crew of these ‘floating naval base’ is put through a series of test in order to obtain their flight deck certification. Take a glimpse at the various facilities on the ship that keep the 6000 strong crew fed, rested, and entertained.

Directors: Mike Kelly
Writer: Mike Kelly
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Itaipu Dam
star
8.90
31 votes

#20 - Itaipu Dam

Season 2004 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/27/2004

In the Paraná River of South America, lies the Itaipú Dam. Costing 20 billion dollars, the Itaipú Dam is the world's largest and most powerful hydroelectric power plant. It is a representation of the efforts and accomplishment of two countries, Brazil and Paraguay. The episode examines the efforts undertaken and the sacrifices made to construct the dam, including how the largest diversion channel was constructed to divert water from the world’s 7th largest river away from the main construction site.

Directors: Ian Holt
Petronas Towers
star
8.90
31 votes

#21 - Petronas Towers

Season 2004 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/10/2004

Designed by Cesar Pelli, the Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world on the date of its completion. Located in Kuala Lumpur, the design of the 88 storey, 450m tall twin towers, carries an Islamic geometrical influence. The towers are a symbol of Malaysia’s pride. To instill competition, the contract for the construction of the towers were awarded to two different construction companies, each company was assigned to work on one of the towers. This episode takes a look at how the construction companies competed to complete their tower before the other. Problems faced, from the soil samples, the unique cement mixture used as a steel substitute, to the tropical weather, are covered.

Directors: Thomas Viner
Channel Tunnel
star
8.77
31 votes

#22 - Channel Tunnel

Season 2004 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/22/2004

The Channel Tunnel or Euro Tunnel is one of the world’s longest underground rail tunnels, and links England with France. Consisting of two rail tunnels and a small service tunnel in-between, they total 153 km in length. The documentary looks at the race between the British and the French to complete the tunneling of the Channel Tunnel and the obstacles faced in its construction.

Directors: Chris Lent
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Channel Tunnel
star
8.75
4 votes

#23 - Channel Tunnel

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/13/2004

Undersea tunnel between Coquelles, France and Folkestone, United Kingdom — The Channel Tunnel or Euro Tunnel is one of the world's longest underground rail tunnels, and links England with France. Consisting of two rail tunnels and a small service tunnel, it totals 153 km in length. This episode looks at the race between the British and the French to complete the tunnelling of the Channel Tunnel and the obstacles faced in its construction.

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Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
star
8.52
60 votes

#24 - Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

Season 2004 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/20/2004

In 1955, two ferries sank along the Akashi Strait, Japan, killing 168 children. It led to a 30 year research on designing a bridge that would link the Awaji Island to Kobe; the bridge would also have to be able to withstand severe earthquakes and typhoons, a norm in that area. In 1988, Japan began construction of the world’s longest, highest and most expensive suspension bridge, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. The episode presents a stage by stage look at the construction of the suspension bridge, and the obstacles faced in its construction, including the Kobe earthquake in 1995.

Directors: Jessica Bassett
Shanghai Tower
star
8.50
2 votes

#25 - Shanghai Tower

Season 2015 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/3/2015

The Shanghai Tower (Chinese: 上海中心大厦; pinyin: Shànghǎi Zhōngxīn Dàshà; Shanghainese: Zånhe Tsonshin Dasa; literally: "Shanghai Centre Tower") is a 632-metre (2,073 ft), 128-story megatall skyscraper in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai.[9]. It also has the world's highest observation deck within a building or structure (Level 121, 561.25 m),[10] and the world's fastest elevators at a top speed of nearly 46 miles per hour (74km/h).[11][12] It is the world's second-tallest building by height to architectural top (behind Dubai's Burj Khalifa, 828 m). Designed by international design firm Gensler and owned by the Shanghai city government,[2] it is the tallest of the world's first triple-adjacent super-tall buildings in Pudong, the other two being the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Centre. Its tiered construction, designed for high energy efficiency, provides nine separate zones divided between office, retail and leisure use.[

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