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Mega Builders 5

Premieres: Southeast Asia on Nov 4 at 9:00 pm; Australasia on Oct 5 at 7:30 pm

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BRAND NEW SEASON OF DISCOVERY CHANNEL'S MEGA BUILDERS TAKES MODERN ENGINEERING TO GREATER HEIGHTS
- Discover the technology and innovation behind some of the world's most awe-inspiring structures, from Vietnam to South Africa -

Discovery Channel takes a look at the amazing engineering projects around the world, as engineers, architects and planners continue to push the boundaries of creativity and human ingenuity to meet the increasing demands of life in the 21st century. From Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to London, U.K., watch as the industry's game-changers and experts pull off incredible structural feats on the brand new season of MEGA BUILDERS.

Capturing the biggest, most complex and undeniably stressful engineering projects around the world, MEGA BUILDERS takes you into the heart of some of the most remarkable construction projects in modern engineering. The popular series follows history-making builds and the bold teams behind them, featuring one-on-one interviews with engineers, designers and project managers. The stress of looming deadlines, budget overruns, and trying to achieve what often seems like the unachievable is all in a day's work for these men and women.

Witness the construction of the Sheikh Zayed bridge in Abu Dhabi, a stunning snake-like, arch-adorned sculpture in steel and concrete, designed by world famous architect Zaha Hadid. The series also looks at two massive transportation projects: the extension of Istanbul's subway system and the first new railway line project in Johannesburg in 40 years, as well as the construction of Phu My Bridge in Vietnam and the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, which was built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Learn more about these and other engineering exploits on the following episodes of MEGA BUILDERS:

Sheikh Zayed Bridge
Building the Sheikh Zayed Bridge is a king-sized headache for Mark Jones, the engineer assembling its giant signature arches. The bridge is millions over budget and years behind schedule. Also, when art meets engineering, worlds collide. MEGA BUILDERS cameras follow Jones and his crew as they solve one frustrating challenge after another, lifting and joining together 600-ton steel segments bigger than houses to complete the South Marina Arch on the world's most difficult bridge.

World Class Stadium
Cape Town is building a brand-new stadium for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Games, but it is the last World Cup project to get started. Australian project manager Andy Fanton is struggling to keep it on schedule and make up for lost time. Green Point Stadium has to be finished in 12 months to be ready for its first practice games. The construction team will have a tough time getting there, with a largely inexperienced group of workers and a severe shortage of cranes. The stadium roof is the biggest challenge of all as it is made up of high-tension cables; if they are not perfectly tensioned, the roof will collapse.

Toba River
Deep in Canada's remote western coastal mountains, a new hydroelectric project called a Run of River is under construction. Glacial rivers running high in the mountain will be funneled down huge steel pipelines at a very sharp and exacting drop.  A tight group of rugged bushwhackers and fearless engineers are up against tough terrain on steep mountainsides, all kinds of weather including heavy snow, along with the threat of avalanches, forest fires and even grizzly bears in order to build it. They live and work on the beautiful but remote site - there is no road access so everyone must fly in by bush plane.

Phu My Bridge
In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, construction is underway to raise Phu My Bridge, a brand-new USD$100 million, cable-stayed bridge. The bridge is a cornerstone in a visionary plan of the country's evolving progress and growth. Vietnam is a nation rising out of a long economic slump, but as the country begins to flourish, progress is bringing gridlock to the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Construction Manager Kurt Feller faces the brunt of pressure to build the bridge. He must lead the team, and deliver the bridge on its due date - Vietnam's Independence Day. The pressure is on the engineering team as deadlines move up and the delivery date looms.

London Aquatics Centre
A group of engineers in England and Wales have taken on the biggest challenge of the next Summer Olympic Games - the construction of a complex steel-truss roof for the new Aquatics Centre. Shaped like a giant ocean wave, it is truly a high-tech wonder. 3,000 tons of steel will rest on only three points, like a tripod, leaving a 115-metre span of the roof totally unsupported. The fabricators and construction crews have their orders - there is no room for even a millimeter of error and only gold-medal perfection will do.

Bosphorus Tunnel
Weary commuters in Istanbul, Turkey must tough it out after the Marmaray Project is delayed four years by the discovery of the city's fourth century port with 34 ancient shipwrecks. It is one of the most significant maritime archaeological discoveries ever made, but inconveniently located as the port is discovered at Yenikapi, site of the biggest subway station. Something has to give as this is a USD$3.5 billion, 77-kilometer long rapid transit project aimed at easing Istanbul's traffic woes.

Gautrain
In Johannesburg, South Africa, engineers are less than two years away from delivering South Africa's first new commuter rail line in four decades. It is called the Gautrain, and it will be one of the most advanced rail systems on the continent. A building team of elite engineers led by Ian Thoms, Nicolas Descamps, and Jeff Groves has landed in South Africa to take on the Gautrain challenge. They face an uphill battle with an invisible and unpredictable enemy - the sinkhole-prone terrain near Pretoria.