Big, Bigger, Biggest

Uncover the technological leaps forward that allowed the world's largest spanning dome - the Oita Stadium in Japan - to be built. The Oita's colossal roof spans a mighty 274 metres. A steel, Teflon and titanium structure over 270 metres across and 60 metres high, the Oita Stadium roof covers a sports stadium big enough to seat 43 thousand spectators. At the flick of a switch its seats retract to reveal a running track and its roof opens and closes like a giant eye. Count down the technological leaps in six landmark domes including Rome's Pantheon and Florence's Cathedral, that allowed this, the world's largest spanning dome, to be built.

Filter through the technological leaps forward that have allowed the world's largest hydroelectric dam - the Three Gorges Dam in China - to be built. The Dam harnesses the power of China's great Yangtze River. It is over two kilometres long, towers over 60 storeys high and creates a reservoir 600 kilometres in length. On completion the scheme will be able to generate 22,500 megawatts of power - enough to supply electricity to 60 million people. At its peak, over 25,000 men and women were working round the clock to make what was once Chairman Mao's dream a reality. Explore how this immense project was made possible through a series of breakthroughs on six landmark dams - including the Hoover Dam in America. Each features a major technological innovation that allowed engineers to create bigger dams to generate ever more hydroelectric power.

Uncover the technological leaps forward that have enabled the world's largest observation wheel - the Singapore Flyer - to be built. The Singapore Flyer is the tallest observation wheel on Earth, rising 165 metres into the sky. It can whisk 1,260 passengers around hourly to see a stunning 45 km panorama of three different countries below. Count down the five major innovations in observation wheels like the original Ferris Wheel and London Eye that have allowed the world's highest observation wheel to be built.

Continuing this week is the factual series that examines the evolution of modern engineering. The third instalment explores the leaps in aviation technology that led to the development of the world’s largest cargo plane – the Antonov An-124. Weighing in at 392 tons, the Antonov An-124 can carry tanks, trains and even other aircraft to the farthest corners of the globe. The pinnacle of modern aeronautical engineering, this gigantic cargo plane owes its existence to nearly 100 years of innovation...

Unearth the technological leaps forward that have allowed the world's longest tunnel - the Gotthard Base Tunnel - to be built. The Gotthard Base Tunnel stretches 57 kilometres through the heart of the Swiss Alps. It is deeper than any other tunnel on Earth and paves the way for a vital high-speed rail link between Zurich and Milan. 2000 workers and four gigantic tunnel boring machines work flat-out to excavate 24 million tonnes of mountain rock to complete the tunnel. Explore how this structure was made possible through a series of six engineering breakthroughs. See how six landmark tunnels - including the Thames Tunnel and Channel Tunnel - each feature an ingenious technological innovation that have enabled tunnels to grow ever longer.

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan is the longest suspension bridge in the world. See how technological breakthroughs led to the development of this supersized bridge.

The tallest man-made structure on Earth towering nearly half a mile into the sky is the Burj Dubai Skyscraper in the Persian Gulf. This film reveals how seven ingenious technological breakthroughs enabled engineers to build this super-structure. From its double-decker elevators and fire-proof evacuation rooms to its unique wind-cheating design. Using a mix of stunning CGI animation and on-location filming, this film reveals the innovations that changed Skyscraper design forever and enabled them to grow in size and scale from BIG to BIGGER into the Burj Dubai the Worlds BIGGEST."