Strip the City

Heatwave City - Chicago (2x2)

Air date: Feb 05, 2014

Chicago is a city of intense temperatures. This sprawling metropolis sits on a flat landscape carved out by ancient glaciers – but these plains also create deadly heat waves. As summer temperatures rocket to an atonishing 110 degrees, the buildings come close to meltdown. How do the city’s skyscrapers survive this extreme environment? Stunning CGI animation strips the glass and concrete off the famous Willis building and peels back O’Hare airport’s runways …revealing their inner workings. The city’s leading engineers and geologists reveal the secrets inside Chicago’s skyscaper that heatproof them, protect the city’s bridges and rail tracks from melting and keep residents alive in the searing heat.