Making this video has been a huge project of mine for the past few months, and I’m so excited to finally share it! It’s also the first video to feature my own videography work, which is something I’m really proud of. Thanks for watching! Video correction: 56,000 metric tonnes of soil and rock were excavated for the foundation, not 56 metric tonnes. (But at least I said "more than 56 metric tonnes" which is *technically* still correct 😅)
@@matthewq4b as someone who does structural steel design and load calculations daily, they're primarily metric. Every engineer and designer in my office uses metric for calculations, even when working on jobs where final drawings are imperial.
@@matthewq4b Our design handbooks and documents provide section sizes, properties, and dimensions in metric, so there is no conversion required for us as practitioners. Properties (such as ultimate strength, yield strength, modulus of elasticity, shear modulus, and coefficient of expansion) are given as minimum specs per CSA standards, and are not converted from imperial (although they are close to the minimums specified per ASTM standards). Steel sections are metric equivalents to imperial sections, but all the dimensions and geometric properties are provided in metric for us. All calculations are then performed in metric from start to finish. It does not introduce extra work to practitioners; we actually save work from our handbooks being metric, as all properties are given in metric in the first place. It would actually require more work and conversion for practitioners to work in imperial in Canada in current day. We often use metric drawing sets in Canada, but it depends on the architect/project. Most engineers tend to prefer metric sets, although there are definitely some who prefer imperial, and I don't claim to speak for all Canadian designers by any means. We convert nothing until MAYBE the final step, and that only if we are producing imperial drawings. There are still some engineers who use imperial in Canada, but they are much less common than those using metric. This isn't a commentary on whether one system is "better", just providing the context of a Canadian designer. What error are you talking about at Albian Sands?
@@matthewq4b... You are full of yourself! This is a private production on TH-cam. It's a metric world in spite of certain national holdouts. Notwithstanding what you deem to be appropriate practice, maybe you should make your own videos and let others choose specification formats as they wish. Giving instructions to a producer is just rude and obnoxious! Perhaps you could instruct Donald Trump in correct deportment instead. I'm sure he would welcome your comments.
@@matthewq4b Hmm, you make a compelling case to switch my entire design methodology. I'll switch to imperial then so that I can design imperial properly instead of not designing metric (apparently). I'm sure the knowledge of that will make up for less sense of scale in my designs and lost productivity. Have a good night, and good luck with your clients who demand specific unit systems!
I'll never forget visiting my Aunt's house near Bathurst and Queen in the mid seventies and watching Olga (helicopter) delivering pieces of the antenna to top of tower. A vivid memory for me.
My Grandmother was working in one of the TD Towers at the time and she told me how amazing it was to watch Olga at work. Everyone stopped when she was there and stared out the windows. I wished I could have seen it.
My dad had to go to a business meeting in toronto the day the last piece of the antenna was lifted in to place. We lived about 40 km north of the city at the time, so my parents took us kids out of school for the day so we could come to toronto with him and watch Olga do her work. It was one of the most exciting things imaginable.
@@6193derek At the end of construction the last piece that was placed on the top was put on display in the park beside the tower. People were invited to write their name on the top piece. I figured out which was the top of the last piece and put my name there. so my name is at the top forever :))
I'm canadian. Talked to a 70 year old who helped build it. He said they made so many mistakes they had to sign a document to never disclose it. Yet he said the building is super safe. Most of the building original design was scratched. All blue print were produced at the end or ending of the build.
I went to T.O in 2016 and it still looks new-and one heckuva thing to take a picture of!
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oh that race we went too.... we were wandering around and ended up in the pit area did not know at all... i was too young yet they let us stay (nor did we have to pay like they wanted either... i mean they didnt check or tell us ahead of time cant be that mad right?) got so many pepsi points for my mom there too!
Oddly enough, the foundation style of the CN Tower (three separate wings) is similar to The Burj Khalifa. Those engineers were light years ahead of their time in building this. Smart cookies they were.
what happened to canadian architecture and engineering. They can't even fix up union station after 5 years, still a total mess. All new buildings are cheap glass square boxes. Don't understand why it went so downhill. Clearly peaked in 1976
@@TheRealRorbo Stupid architects and their shitty "modern" design philosophies. Edmonton used to have a municipal airport which limited the building height, but since they closed it they ended up building a tall lame ass glass square building Stantec Tower.
@@ericcartmann Seems like a scapegoat on your part. Money has gotten in the way. Prices for everything are inflated. Governments and politicians, developers and construction companies are also involved in these projects. Creativity can be endless, but laws and money stand in the way of people who don't care to work beyond these obstacles.
Man the best TH-camrs are the ones that take months on a video at a time cause the do their research and make the video not just a quick upload but an amazing project, well done man you’re definitely my favourite youtuber.
This is what Discovery and Quest tv and all the rest used to aspire to be now they are just purveyors of false overly dramatic over edited moments. I thoroughly enjoyed the last 30 minutes and not once did I feel like I wanted to find something else to watch. Thank you AOE can't wait for your next upload it won't be soon enough.
Unbelievable amount of research put into this video and as a civil engineer I really appreciate the time and effort put into making this very informative video
@@rustystove8410 draftsmen dont design, they draft the designs Civil Engineers and Civil Designers come up with... a Civil Engineer has nothing to do with trains unless you are talking about designing the railroad itself
I was a teenager when the CN Tower was completed. I begged my Mom to take me to see it (We lived an hour outside Toronto) Even though she is terrified of heights she brought me to the tower and went up with me. I was not afraid of heights back then and I loved it. I was in awe of the whole experience and remember that at the time there wasn't much else around the tower (that area was sort of industrial and unused) It's a memory that will stay with me always. I live here in Toronto now and I still look at the CN Tower with awe and always have taken photos over the years since it was built. It's become such a representation of the city of Toronto and of Canada. Thank you for making this video.
@@EdwardsR0se Gosh I think it was like $12 or $15 maybe? I honestly can't remember but I know it was not as much as it is now. But back then it was basic. Now there is better viewing, glass floor, better restaurant.
At this time, nobody realized that the Cn tower was the tallest tower of the World. They tought canada was empty and there is only igloo and everyone tought it was the World Trade Center Twins tower.
Me two! RCMP criminal inveatigation into the new Winnipeg Police staion, something like 80 million more than the bid price and nobody is going to prison for fraud. Viva la engineering...LOL!
This video made me view the CN Tower in a totally different way. It's easy to view it at first sight as just another tall structure but, I now stand amazed by the level of engineering that went into its design and construction. Maximum respect to those engineers. This is more than a structure, it's a work of art, the end product of which was not only functional but also beautiful to look at. A worthy icon of the great city of Toronto.
I was a toddler and Torontonian when the CN Tower was completed. As a kid I was obsessed with it. Thank you so much for this video... but you may have overlooked one of the most heart-warming aspects of this story. Months before the spire sections were air-lifted into place, they were placed in school yards and playgrounds around the city. Kids had an opportunity to crawl through them and autograph them. The building of the tower united Torontonians in a remarkable way.
I visited Toronto back in May 2016. I did the CN tower and Hockey HOF. The city is awesome!!! Being from USA, people ask me what Toronto is like. My answer is it was like a cleaner and safer New York City.
I found, when I visited Toronto, that the CN Tower is visible from everywhere...but as you get up close you can't get into it! Just a maze of crosswalks and blind alleys at the base of it. Took half an hour walking around to find the entrance. And I remember kids jumping on the glass floor as hard as they could.
At the end of construction the last piece that was placed on the top was put on display in the park beside the tower. People were invited to write their name on the top piece. I figured out which was the top of the last piece and put my name there. so my name is at the top forever :))
Stay up there long enough to gaze out in sunshine at first, then at all the lights after sunset. I suppose this takes around three hours, meaning you might want to sit down to eat, but it's worth it to take in two shows, so to speak.
Same here! Had a great view of it from my apartment at Queen and Niagara. As a kid in the 80' s you could easily see it from nearly anywhere. Not so easy now !
@Joe Kinchicken They broadcast radio/TV from the world trade center towers (now from the empire state building and One Trade Center tower(which is almost as tall as the CN tower at 1776')) in New York and from Willis Tower in Chicago so they most certainly are needed.
When this tower was only a couple of years old, I was privileged to be able to visit it, when the weather was -25 F. I , now, can finally appreciate what I experienced. Thanks.
@Joe Kinchicken The tower has brought billions of dollars in revenue from tourists. There's a lot you can critize from that generation but the construction of the CN tower isn't one of them.
I have a fear of heights going up to the top. Its too high and Im nervous that their could be a earth tremor. It has happened before. and I don,t want to be that high when it does.
You make the best engineering videos on youtube. Firstly, you do not cater to the lowest common denominator thus making it interesting to people who know about it. Secondly, you have a brilliant presentation style with a nice logical approach. Thirdly, you use the metric system exclusively.
I was watching from my apartment balcony the day the mast was attached by Olga (piloted by Larry Pravecek). On that day, the city was transfixed. The elevated freeway that runs past the tower spontaneously became a parking lot, as every traveller stopped to get out of their car and watch the spectacle. It was thrilling. Thirty years later, there were a number of interviews with the workers who had built it. After three decades, they were still brimming with pride, even those who worked in more mundane jobs. Faizal Haq arrived from Pakistan, as a teenager, and got a job as a cashier. Three decades later, he was the Chief Financial Officer. A rodman named Yvon Rainville, who was the subject of a rather famous photograph by Boris Spremo was qoted thus: "There was a real spirit of camaraderie on the CN Tower. We were a big extended family, all 1,537 of us: the iron men looked out for the carpenters, the carpenters looked out for the stonemasons."
At the end of construction the last piece that was placed on the top was put on display in the park beside the tower. People were invited to write their name on the top piece. I figured out which was the top of the last piece and put my name there. so my name is at the top forever :))
And dont forget me I did a little hand paint since I didn't know how to write my name ,and some kids also .the tube structure was picked up and put on top of c.n tower.
It's the first time I heard someone measuring something in moose, I burst out laughing when I heard you say it can take 35 moose, I'm from Canada but yeah that's funny shit right there. Very informative vid, good job
Kernub there is a comparison chart on the wall by the glass floor where it tells you how much weight they glass can hold. And since we are in Canada one example is Moose.
@@carloscarvalho5056 I'm assuming they went the standard 8 year old bull moose. So about 1400 pounds each, 49000 pounds of weight. Or 22226.026 kilos. For glass, that's very very impressive. Many bridges can't even hold that much weight.
I just learned about calculating bending and deflection stress this morning so this was a great follow up to that lesson. Definitely sending this to my professor!
Man... there's classes for this stuff? You guys weren't trained by trail and error? :/ I suppose... it's better for explaining on paper I guess.. I mean I just read and put together what you call; but often your wrong and I have to replace steel and consult the engineer with errors; like not realizing boxes/pipe/another trade is feeding through; simple shit that can be fixed with logic and quick maths. I find it better to stress test off site and figure out steel/rebar stress on your own. I mean... I can bend a 15m 350 grade steel with my bare hands; but when it's in a curb of 100m of concrete; I can't.
Awesome video.. I was 7 years old and lived in Mississauga and watched the CN tower go up from 1974 to 1976. We visited the tower on the 26th of June, 1976 as it was my dad's 36'th birthday. We were all in awe at the amazing structure that was built, that I went home and built an 8 foot tall CN tower out of lego. That lego tower stood in my room until we moved in 1977. Cheers!
The CN Tower is a very beautiful piece of art standing on Toronto's Skyline. I can't describe exactly how I feel, but it gives me happiness every time I spot it from wherever I am. One of my best pictures ever taken is the skyline from the opposite side of the lake, where the CN and part of Rogers Centre appears between some trees floating on the lake. And downtown wouldn't be the same without it. This video is now on my Favorites List. Thank you for such amazing work producing and sharing your work.
1st time I seen it was at the CNE just after it was done. Lived at Queen and Niagara for 8 years so had a perfect view of it. Seen it yesterday from not far from where I live in Brampton. It also looks good from Hamilton on the right day! Times I have been up it? Once!
I found all the information on the cables under tension fascinating! I had no idea it was more than just the concrete structure with some reinforcement!
A really top-notch video, well researched, written, and produced. You are amongst the very best on TH-cam, thank you for all your hard work, intelligence and application.
There are "documentary" channels with far more subscribers and videos that make just parody of documentaries when compared to yours. I've witnessed the rise of Wendover Production since that channel had less subscribers than you have, and I'm witnessing the rise of another great channel called New Mind. You will surely be the next one if you keep up with such great quality and details. It's far better to have two videos a year that are extremely well made and informative rather than having an awful lot of small videos that are just useless and poorly made. I'm really glad I stumbled upon your videos about rollercoasters months ago!
I just discovered your channel. I have been a structural engineer for 17 years, and your descriptions of the how, what, and most importantly WHY things are done the way they are in the field of structural engineering are absolutely perfect. I don't think I've seen a channel that has gotten so many things right with the level of detail that you provide. Seriously...great work.
Thank you for posting this video I had the opportunity last summer to visit Canada and this was one of my places to visit As an architect I really appreciated the task of building such an structure We had lunch there, visit the viewing area and walk on top of the glass floor A memorable experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life Thanks again for the video, very informative.
This video was so well done that I had to watch it several times to take in all the great info. Thanks for not dumbing everything down like most youtube channels!
I watch and love this video of Art of Eningeering on the build of this landmark in Toronto city in the Ontario province of Canada. Very huge structure and could be seen from miles from Toronto. Even when you land by Plane on the airport you can see this huge CN tower from the plane. Since the opening in 26 june 1976 its a landmark in Canada. I have the oportunity to visit this CN tower in 2010 and 2012 during my vacation in Toronto. Watching this CN tower video from Paramaribo in Suriname. Marty
When they build this my dad hauled things into there and l lived in the all my 50 years of life and never went in there until 2010 when l took my wife and sister up it and was honored to be inside it and proud of all the men who had worked on the CN TOWER
Excellent video! As a young teen during the early 1970's in Toronto, I got to see the CN Tower "grow up." So many schoolmates were creating science project models then - cardboard, foil, glue - though none of us had a clue as to the amazing way the structure was actually constructed... until now!
Holy smokes this is such a wonderful, concise and interesting video. As a broadcast engineer with an interest in tall structures I can't praise your contribution to my knowledge base enough.
Great video! My father took me downtown to watch Olga top off the tower when I was 5 years old. It's one of my favourite memories from my childhood. Miss you, Dad.
What a perfect, gorgeous tower. My favorite features are the visible layering of concrete, the big radome, and the contrast of the very top sleek bright white cylindrical plastic covering with the hexagonal matte concrete core below it (something I didn't notice before watching this video). Every last detail of this tower is wonderful, and the overall form is sublime.
Those post tensioning strands were huge. Those strands were 16 to 31.5 inches in diameter and up to 450 meters long. Just the logistics of feeding of those massive strands over such lengths vertically was an engineering marvel in itself. I've always loved civil engineering and found out recently that my great grandad was a rather famous civil engineer and pioneer in concrete at the beginning of the 20th century in Toronto. He was very interesting guy with patents that still used today in racing shells: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavius_Hicks
One of my co-workers told me his Dad worked on the C.N. Tower. He was telling me that they made the workers sign a contract saying that as a worker on this project they will not go on strike.
@sploofmonkey That's what the Illuminati want you to think so they can hide the real mind control machine that is making you think the CN tower in the true mind control machine.
The TV and radio stations that broadcast from the CN Tower also have auxiliary broadcast antennae located around the city, you're not necessarily receiving the signal from the CN Tower from 150 miles away. The auxiliary antennae also sometimes take over primary broadcast duty, for instance when maintenance workers need to enter the mast of the Tower the transmitters will be placed into a low power state or shut off (usually done at night).
@sploofmonkey "lightning never strikes the same place twice" doesn't make sense, electricity looks for the shortest path to ground, and the CN Tower is basically a 1500' tall ground electrode
This video is one of the BEST structural engineering / design explanation documentaries I've ever seen. You really took the time to explain the technicalities and it was excellently done and illustrated. Thank you!
Wow, such a great video. So many things i didn't know about this building i see everyday. Thanks so much for the all the work you put into making it. This should be shown at the CN tower!
Back in the 1990s my late brother and myself used to visit Toronto every summer and we always included a visit to the CN Tower. We learned early on that a reservation at the revolving restaurant would allow you to bypass the long wait in line to go up to the observation decks. One year our two sisters accompanied us. Our younger sister was terrified of heights and hid at the back of the elevator as we rose to the restaurant level. However, once we were seated she throughly enjoyed the view. I remember another time when we went later at night and there was a thunderstorm out over Lake Ontario. They lowered the lights in the restaurant and that was the best light show I have ever seen.
After a great concert at Massey Hall, we heard the CN Tower was having a grand opening at midnight. About ninety min later we had a whole new view of the city.
My wife and I had dinner there in the late 80's. I made our reservations, without even thinking about the significance of the time, but it was perfect. We got there it was bright daylight, and when we left it was full nighttime. Awesome watching the change at sunset. Complete with seeing the lights of Viagra Falls glowing across the lake.
we built the fibreglass top section in England at 'Huntings Industrial Plastics' at Wymeswold, I was the main trimmer and worked long hours overtime to get it finished on time cos there was a huge penalty clause if it wasnt finished on time..i actually bought a pair of platform shoes (very trendy then..) out of my overtime money
At the end of construction the last piece that was placed on the top was put on display in the park beside the tower. People were invited to write their name on the top piece. I figured out which was the top of the last piece and put my name there. so my name is at the top forever :))
I saw this past summer they “re-polished” the whole plastic radome. It got quite grimy after all these years and is looking like new again. Quite the task.
I got to visit the CN Tower one week after it opened the summer of 1976 as a 14 year old budding architect. Needless to say, mind blown and confirmation of my long-term career direction secured.
I was fortunate enough to experience the CN tower and go up to the observation deck in 89 as a teenager on a high school field trip. Still remember it vividly to this day.
This tower is a masterpiece of engineering but I still consider my local TV tower the most beautiful of all: Fernsehturm Berlin (only 2/3 of the height of the CN Tower). I'd love to see more videos about towers all over the world.
Wow great video!!!! I am a structural engineer and I love how you explain everything in a way that it’s not boring for structural engineer, but also not super complicated for someone not into that field! GREAT JOB!!
By far, this is the best video on TH-cam. Now, I must preface that comment with the fact that I'm partisan being a life long Torontonian and Mechanical Engineer. The design and construction work that went into this modern day marvel is staggering. I've only been up the tower a few times, and on each visit my legs would buckle in weakness because I fear heights. Thus, kudos to every single construction worker who brought this iconic Canadian structure to life - respect and admiration to each one of you.
This is the singlemost comprehensive video covering the actual design and construction processes involved in the making of this legendary icon of Canada. Virtually all my questions about certain aspects of the tower were answered through the course of the video. Kudos, +1 Subscriber.
Really interesting video. I didn't even know slipforming was a thing but it's so awesome. Basically 3D printing an entire building. Also really enjoyed learning about why the building is shaped the way it is and all of the different design factors used to overcome the immense forces the building and the ground underneath it experience. Very cool.
Great video. I was saddened on a recent visit to the tower, to see and hear very little about its history, with no mention by the guides of CN railways, or the old railway lands on which it was built. Since being sold some years ago the new owner explains the name to tourists as meaning “Canada’s National Tower” , which is just silly. It is nice to watch this detailed telling of its construction.
I work as a tour guide here in Toronto (although not for the CN Tower itself, but it is one of my favourite things to talk about) and let me tell you - if we could tell you everything about the tower, we probably would. We're limited not just by time, but also by guest interest. Most visitors really aren't going to be interested in hearing a lot about the history and construction. That being said, I do sneak in a few sentances about the railway lands and CN whenever I get the opportunity to - it's a fascinating story. I do definitley get some watered-down tourist attraction vibes from the tower now, though, which is why I love to admire it from elsewhere in the city.
@@windmillwilly Until 1995, yes. It was at that point CN was privatised and all non-essential assets to the railway were sold off, including the CN Tower. It's now owned by the Canada Lands Company (part of the Canadian government) and they can't use the "Canadian National" trademark unfortunately.
Here’s a crazy thought: What I love about the tower is how Lightning loves to strike it in a storm. You can get some really funky pictures of the top of the tower when a storm comes thru. I have also had the trill of having a private tour of the inside of the tower from the dirt base all the way up to the lower antenna section (when it was windy out) and yes the tower does move back n forth up there.
My first visit to CN Tower was in 1980 during my 1st trip to Canada as a visitor. Later as a resident of GTA, I've visited several times when I've taken our most guests to visit! As a proud Canadian, I love to visit whenever I get a chance! Each visit makes a memorable experience with some changes around to look at!
Great job on this documentary. I started at the University of Waterloo in the Fall of '76, and came into town on September 30 because my Dad was visiting on business. Since I had time, I took the tour and went up to the observation level, not realizing at the time that it had only been open a few months. It was impressive. Now I've lived in Toronto for thirty years and haven't been up the tower in about twenty years, but it's still pretty impressive to see the tower off in the distance from the 401. Canadian engineering is definitely world-class, and that goes to all the folks who poured the concrete and did the high steel too.
me and a friend went up the tower on a school trip a few years ago, out of everyone on the trip, only us two went up and it was amazing, my favorite part was standing and sitting on top of the glass floor panels
I worked on the 14th floor of York Centre and watched it go up each day for the whole period. I only wish I had taken one picture each day while it went up. Marvel then and its still a marvel.
@@ArtofEngineering have you any idea how many ducks 35 moose worth is? even just 1 moose... That's a lot of ducks they wouldn't even fit in the CN tower! impossible and here I thought you were smart and knew your stuff... Feathers everywhere, too. Don't forget all those damn liberal do gooders in Canada harassing you about your fowl treatment. Moose are stubborn but its a lot easier to take care of 35 moose and get them all up the tower. Compared to thousands of ducks quacking and shitting and getting feathers everywhere... No man, moose are the right tool for this job.
@@voidremoved Problem with moose metric: They don't fit in the elevators. I do however agree, ducks would be a stupid choice. Clearly geese are the superior method of weight measurement here, despite their ill temperment.
I remember in high school watching the construction of the CN Tower in the skyline. I watched daily the progress as it inched up including the use of the giant Russian helicopter. It was quite the feat of engineering for back then. It was said at the time the CN Tower could withstand wind gusts of over 400 miles an hour. I am 62 now and can see the CN tower in the distant skyline from my tenth floor apartment and I still marvel at this accomplishment.
At the end of construction the last piece that was placed on the top was put on display in the park beside the tower. People were invited to write their name on the top piece. I figured out which was the top of the last piece and put my name there. so my name is at the top forever :))
Why am I just learning about this channel?? @TH-cam knows I love this type of shit. Keep it up man, I can feel the exponential sub curve around the corner!
Nice video. Born and raised in Toronto, was 9 yrs old when the CN Tower opened. Tons of fun, went there often. They had an awesome arcade on the ground floor as well 😀
I'm a construction worker living in Toronto , I've always been fascinated not only with the thought that goes into the design and engineering of these tall structures but the logistics involved in erecting them in the heart of a bustling metropolis. Unless people are involved in the construction I find it doubtful that they realise the complications of trying to move the material to site quickly and safely in a city. Not to mention the efforts taken to keep the public safe at street level with all the activities above their heads. It's absolutely mind boggling that these things can be erected and stay standing given all the challenges. Props to all the great minds who designed and engineered this and hats off to the fearless guys who put the tower up . And thanks to you for making such a great video , you did a great job , I drive past everyday but I will certainly see it a little different now !
I’m not Canadian, but i have went to the CN tower 360 degree restaurant before, it is the tallest point I’ve ever been on in my entire life. The CN Tower is a enjoyable experience that I will remember.
I was lucky enough to watch the CN Tower being built. I loved watching Olga hoist the antenna sections. Some of the sections were available to the public to sign their names on it. My Brother and sister and I added our names to one section as kids. Every time I look at the tower I remember the smell of the marker I used and the sound of Olga's engines.
Great video! I’ve lived in Toronto my entire life and see the CN Tower every day. I didn’t realize it was such an advanced structure for its time. Thanks for making this.
19:58 "UHF Broadcasting Equipment" Just imagining there's some worker's skeleton on that floor. Died in his sleep on a shift no one ever to the floor again.
I have family in Montreal and the cheapest flights from Boston to Montreal are on porter, you have to go through Toronto. I’ve made a mini trip of it when I’ve had long layovers, Toronto is one of the coolest cities to have a layover in.
I went across Canada coast to coast in 78 or 79 starting at Toronto. I went up the CN Tower on my first full day. It was superb Nearby was an exhibition about Ontario with a lovely multi-screen AV. It was my first and I went on to work in that medium for at least a decade. So I really loved Canada.
@@coroso136 Huh, I didnt remember them specifically saying US dollars. Also that would be weird that the Canadian National tower in Canada would be evaluated in US dollars.
I came searching for any documentary, wanting to find out more about CN Tower. I always have known CN Tower since I came here, but recently I marveled at the beauty and engineering behind it. It was built in 1976. Wow. How did they do they without all the computers are available? I just find that back in those days, Canada would be ambitious enough to envision such projects. And, it was done only in 3 years? I wonder anything big got done in 3 years these days, let alone a tower that has became the record holder for decades. I wonder where did we lost all the ambition, the efficiency,science snd engineering talents. I just want to say I truely appreciate those who came before us and how they have dreamed a bigger future for us. I hope we can carry on that vision in our generation again. Go Canada 🍁🇨🇦
Making this video has been a huge project of mine for the past few months, and I’m so excited to finally share it! It’s also the first video to feature my own videography work, which is something I’m really proud of. Thanks for watching!
Video correction: 56,000 metric tonnes of soil and rock were excavated for the foundation, not 56 metric tonnes.
(But at least I said "more than 56 metric tonnes" which is *technically* still correct 😅)
Wow, you deserve allot more subscribers. Easily one of the best Engineering channels out there.
@@matthewq4b as someone who does structural steel design and load calculations daily, they're primarily metric. Every engineer and designer in my office uses metric for calculations, even when working on jobs where final drawings are imperial.
@@matthewq4b Our design handbooks and documents provide section sizes, properties, and dimensions in metric, so there is no conversion required for us as practitioners. Properties (such as ultimate strength, yield strength, modulus of elasticity, shear modulus, and coefficient of expansion) are given as minimum specs per CSA standards, and are not converted from imperial (although they are close to the minimums specified per ASTM standards). Steel sections are metric equivalents to imperial sections, but all the dimensions and geometric properties are provided in metric for us. All calculations are then performed in metric from start to finish. It does not introduce extra work to practitioners; we actually save work from our handbooks being metric, as all properties are given in metric in the first place. It would actually require more work and conversion for practitioners to work in imperial in Canada in current day. We often use metric drawing sets in Canada, but it depends on the architect/project. Most engineers tend to prefer metric sets, although there are definitely some who prefer imperial, and I don't claim to speak for all Canadian designers by any means.
We convert nothing until MAYBE the final step, and that only if we are producing imperial drawings. There are still some engineers who use imperial in Canada, but they are much less common than those using metric. This isn't a commentary on whether one system is "better", just providing the context of a Canadian designer.
What error are you talking about at Albian Sands?
@@matthewq4b... You are full of yourself! This is a private production on TH-cam. It's a metric world in spite of certain national holdouts. Notwithstanding what you deem to be appropriate practice, maybe you should make your own videos and let others choose specification formats as they wish. Giving instructions to a producer is just rude and obnoxious! Perhaps you could instruct Donald Trump in correct deportment instead. I'm sure he would welcome your comments.
@@matthewq4b Hmm, you make a compelling case to switch my entire design methodology. I'll switch to imperial then so that I can design imperial properly instead of not designing metric (apparently). I'm sure the knowledge of that will make up for less sense of scale in my designs and lost productivity. Have a good night, and good luck with your clients who demand specific unit systems!
I'll never forget visiting my Aunt's house near Bathurst and Queen in the mid seventies and watching Olga (helicopter) delivering pieces of the antenna to top of tower. A vivid memory for me.
My Grandmother was working in one of the TD Towers at the time and she told me how amazing it was to watch Olga at work. Everyone stopped when she was there and stared out the windows. I wished I could have seen it.
My dad had to go to a business meeting in toronto the day the last piece of the antenna was lifted in to place. We lived about 40 km north of the city at the time, so my parents took us kids out of school for the day so we could come to toronto with him and watch Olga do her work. It was one of the most exciting things imaginable.
@@6193derek At the end of construction the last piece that was placed on the top was put on display in the park beside the tower. People were invited to write their name on the top piece. I figured out which was the top of the last piece and put my name there. so my name is at the top forever :))
that's really cool
Awesome, Toronto born and raised
The engineering and design on this is so much more impressive than I ever realized. Reminds me why I am not an engineer lol
I'm canadian. Talked to a 70 year old who helped build it. He said they made so many mistakes they had to sign a document to never disclose it.
Yet he said the building is super safe. Most of the building original design was scratched. All blue print were produced at the end or ending of the build.
All on paper too, hand drawn blueprints type thing. Wow
I went to T.O in 2016 and it still looks new-and one heckuva thing to take a picture of!
oh that race we went too.... we were wandering around and ended up in the pit area did not know at all... i was too young yet they let us stay (nor did we have to pay like they wanted either... i mean they didnt check or tell us ahead of time cant be that mad right?) got so many pepsi points for my mom there too!
Whew!.....one less thing to worry about...........
Oddly enough, the foundation style of the CN Tower (three separate wings) is similar to The Burj Khalifa. Those engineers were light years ahead of their time in building this. Smart cookies they were.
what happened to canadian architecture and engineering. They can't even fix up union station after 5 years, still a total mess. All new buildings are cheap glass square boxes. Don't understand why it went so downhill. Clearly peaked in 1976
@@TheRealRorbo Baha! So true
@@TheRealRorbo Stupid architects and their shitty "modern" design philosophies.
Edmonton used to have a municipal airport which limited the building height, but since they closed it they ended up building a tall lame ass glass square building Stantec Tower.
@@TheRealRorbo it's not the architect's fault. blame the mayor constantly giving his friends jobs
@@ericcartmann Seems like a scapegoat on your part. Money has gotten in the way. Prices for everything are inflated. Governments and politicians, developers and construction companies are also involved in these projects. Creativity can be endless, but laws and money stand in the way of people who don't care to work beyond these obstacles.
Man the best TH-camrs are the ones that take months on a video at a time cause the do their research and make the video not just a quick upload but an amazing project, well done man you’re definitely my favourite youtuber.
Back when TH-cam didn't favor quick garbage uploads, but content filled works.
This is what Discovery and Quest tv and all the rest used to aspire to be now they are just purveyors of false overly dramatic over edited moments.
I thoroughly enjoyed the last 30 minutes and not once did I feel like I wanted to find something else to watch.
Thank you AOE can't wait for your next upload it won't be soon enough.
This is a video I will cherish for a very long time.
Jake Paul doesnt and he makes 1000X more then this guy lol
@@jokers7890 Troll
Unbelievable amount of research put into this video and as a civil engineer I really appreciate the time and effort put into making this very informative video
Another Civil Engineer here, I second that!!
These projects are done by a draftsman, not by a civilin train engineer.
@@rustystove8410 draftsmen dont design, they draft the designs Civil Engineers and Civil Designers come up with... a Civil Engineer has nothing to do with trains unless you are talking about designing the railroad itself
Rusty Stove i am in my last semester of civil engineering now, everything talked about in this video is what i study.
Liam: Nice! Do you use ANSYS for normal modes or get a formula from Roarks equations for stresses?
I was a teenager when the CN Tower was completed. I begged my Mom to take me to see it (We lived an hour outside Toronto) Even though she is terrified of heights she brought me to the tower and went up with me. I was not afraid of heights back then and I loved it. I was in awe of the whole experience and remember that at the time there wasn't much else around the tower (that area was sort of industrial and unused) It's a memory that will stay with me always. I live here in Toronto now and I still look at the CN Tower with awe and always have taken photos over the years since it was built. It's become such a representation of the city of Toronto and of Canada. Thank you for making this video.
How much was the ticket back then to go up?
hrddrvto The CN Tower Is an Engineering marvellous. How they build it during the 1970’s still amazes me. I studied Mechanical engineering by the way.
I was right behind you with my mom in the line .
@@EdwardsR0se Gosh I think it was like $12 or $15 maybe? I honestly can't remember but I know it was not as much as it is now. But back then it was basic. Now there is better viewing, glass floor, better restaurant.
You should feel proud, it’s something special, isn’t it. 🇬🇧
This video makes me proud to be Canadian
Triple P ayee ✊🇨🇦
At this time, nobody realized that the Cn tower was the tallest tower of the World. They tought canada was empty and there is only igloo and everyone tought it was the World Trade Center Twins tower.
But then we go back to reality and see how this country runs now and feel ashamed again lol
Me two! RCMP criminal inveatigation into the new Winnipeg Police staion, something like 80 million more than the bid price and nobody is going to prison for fraud. Viva la engineering...LOL!
Triple P triple h
This was a "documentary," not just a "TH-cam video." Great job, and thank you!
I am amazed at how much information you were able to gather. Like finding out which cables didn't make it through post-tensioning.
This video made me view the CN Tower in a totally different way. It's easy to view it at first sight as just another tall structure but, I now stand amazed by the level of engineering that went into its design and construction. Maximum respect to those engineers. This is more than a structure, it's a work of art, the end product of which was not only functional but also beautiful to look at. A worthy icon of the great city of Toronto.
These men had BALLS OF STEEL.
qualifications for iron workers
some say it's hardened chromium steel
@@cameranmanner4701 Roger that, man.
Same as the Empire State Building and Golden Gate Bridge iron workers.
Right? I didn't see a single harness.
I was a toddler and Torontonian when the CN Tower was completed. As a kid I was obsessed with it. Thank you so much for this video... but you may have overlooked one of the most heart-warming aspects of this story. Months before the spire sections were air-lifted into place, they were placed in school yards and playgrounds around the city. Kids had an opportunity to crawl through them and autograph them. The building of the tower united Torontonians in a remarkable way.
I visited Toronto back in May 2016. I did the CN tower and Hockey HOF. The city is awesome!!! Being from USA, people ask me what Toronto is like. My answer is it was like a cleaner and safer New York City.
getting worse everyday dont kid yourself. as a tourist your only seeing the nice parts
@@bishop198666 lol good point.
"It's like New York City, except without all the stuff"
Since Trudeau got into power Toronto has turned into a 3rd world country, mass illegal immigration, crime and gangs, daily shooting, its a mess now
It's like New York without any of the stuff that makes New York interesting.
So, in reality, it is a big bland ocean of nothingness.
Still in 2020 one of the most awe inspiring feats of engineering in the world. Not to mention an easy on the eyes beautiful landmark !!
I found, when I visited Toronto, that the CN Tower is visible from everywhere...but as you get up close you can't get into it! Just a maze of crosswalks and blind alleys at the base of it. Took half an hour walking around to find the entrance. And I remember kids jumping on the glass floor as hard as they could.
I grew up across Lake Ontario on top of the Niagara Escarpment.
I was able to watch the entire construction through binoculars, including the top off.
At the end of construction the last piece that was placed on the top was put on display in the park beside the tower. People were invited to write their name on the top piece. I figured out which was the top of the last piece and put my name there. so my name is at the top forever :))
@@yessure5291 Hopefully you used permanent marker
@@enotsnavdier6867 I took a screwdriver and scratched it into the paint ; )
me too
@@yessure5291 unfortunately nothing lasts forever
I love being a native Torontonian! I’ve only visited the tower once as a kid, that needs to change.
@Joe Kinchicken Hmmm... how does commercialism equate to communism?
Stay up there long enough to gaze out in sunshine at first, then at all the lights after sunset. I suppose this takes around three hours, meaning you might want to sit down to eat, but it's worth it to take in two shows, so to speak.
Same here! Had a great view of it from my apartment at Queen and Niagara. As a kid in the 80' s you could easily see it from nearly anywhere. Not so easy now !
@Joe Kinchicken They broadcast radio/TV from the world trade center towers (now from the empire state building and One Trade Center tower(which is almost as tall as the CN tower at 1776')) in New York and from Willis Tower in Chicago so they most certainly are needed.
I know people who had lived in Niagara Falls, Ontario for years but had never been to the actual falls. Go figure.
When this tower was only a couple of years old, I was privileged to be able to visit it, when the weather was -25 F. I , now, can finally appreciate what I experienced. Thanks.
@Joe Kinchicken The tower has brought billions of dollars in revenue from tourists. There's a lot you can critize from that generation but the construction of the CN tower isn't one of them.
@Joe Kinchicken people like you are so annoying, you prefer to live in a world where there is nothing to do for fun?
I have a fear of heights going up to the top. Its too high and Im nervous that their could be a earth tremor. It has happened before. and I don,t want to be that high when it does.
@@normanbloom pssssT." Here...Smoke this!"
You make the best engineering videos on youtube. Firstly, you do not cater to the lowest common denominator thus making it interesting to people who know about it. Secondly, you have a brilliant presentation style with a nice logical approach. Thirdly, you use the metric system exclusively.
This is an amazing video, feels like it was was longer than 30 minutes due to the amount of information packed in here! Tremendous work.
I agree!
I was watching from my apartment balcony the day the mast was attached by Olga (piloted by Larry Pravecek). On that day, the city was transfixed. The elevated freeway that runs past the tower spontaneously became a parking lot, as every traveller stopped to get out of their car and watch the spectacle. It was thrilling. Thirty years later, there were a number of interviews with the workers who had built it. After three decades, they were still brimming with pride, even those who worked in more mundane jobs. Faizal Haq arrived from Pakistan, as a teenager, and got a job as a cashier. Three decades later, he was the Chief Financial Officer. A rodman named Yvon Rainville, who was the subject of a rather famous photograph by Boris Spremo was qoted thus: "There was a real spirit of camaraderie on the CN Tower. We were a big extended family, all 1,537 of us: the iron men looked out for the carpenters, the carpenters looked out for the stonemasons."
At the end of construction the last piece that was placed on the top was put on display in the park beside the tower. People were invited to write their name on the top piece. I figured out which was the top of the last piece and put my name there. so my name is at the top forever :))
My dad's cousin, David Korhonen, was Larry's co-pilot
And dont forget me I did a little hand paint since I didn't know how to write my name ,and some kids also .the tube structure was picked up and put on top of c.n tower.
It's the first time I heard someone measuring something in moose, I burst out laughing when I heard you say it can take 35 moose, I'm from Canada but yeah that's funny shit right there. Very informative vid, good job
Kernub there is a comparison chart on the wall by the glass floor where it tells you how much weight they
glass can hold. And since we are in Canada one example is Moose.
@@carloscarvalho5056 I'm assuming they went the standard 8 year old bull moose. So about 1400 pounds each, 49000 pounds of weight. Or 22226.026 kilos. For glass, that's very very impressive. Many bridges can't even hold that much weight.
Moose = Canadian Metric
I just learned about calculating bending and deflection stress this morning so this was a great follow up to that lesson. Definitely sending this to my professor!
Very cool! Sounds like physics class!
I meant engineering class*
Man... there's classes for this stuff? You guys weren't trained by trail and error? :/
I suppose... it's better for explaining on paper I guess.. I mean I just read and put together what you call; but often your wrong and I have to replace steel and consult the engineer with errors; like not realizing boxes/pipe/another trade is feeding through; simple shit that can be fixed with logic and quick maths.
I find it better to stress test off site and figure out steel/rebar stress on your own. I mean... I can bend a 15m 350 grade steel with my bare hands; but when it's in a curb of 100m of concrete; I can't.
Nobody cares about the dude who puts it together tho... It's why Im broke and living with parents..
Awesome video.. I was 7 years old and lived in Mississauga and watched the CN tower go up from 1974 to 1976. We visited the tower on the 26th of June, 1976 as it was my dad's 36'th birthday. We were all in awe at the amazing structure that was built, that I went home and built an 8 foot tall CN tower out of lego. That lego tower stood in my room until we moved in 1977. Cheers!
The CN Tower is a very beautiful piece of art standing on Toronto's Skyline. I can't describe exactly how I feel, but it gives me happiness every time I spot it from wherever I am. One of my best pictures ever taken is the skyline from the opposite side of the lake, where the CN and part of Rogers Centre appears between some trees floating on the lake. And downtown wouldn't be the same without it. This video is now on my Favorites List. Thank you for such amazing work producing and sharing your work.
1st time I seen it was at the CNE just after it was done. Lived at Queen and Niagara for 8 years so had a perfect view of it. Seen it yesterday from not far from where I live in Brampton. It also looks good from Hamilton on the right day! Times I have been up it? Once!
I found all the information on the cables under tension fascinating! I had no idea it was more than just the concrete structure with some reinforcement!
A really top-notch video, well researched, written, and produced. You are amongst the very best on TH-cam, thank you for all your hard work, intelligence and application.
The engineering that goes into this tower is just astounding... and you cant forget the work and effort putting into this video as well.
There are "documentary" channels with far more subscribers and videos that make just parody of documentaries when compared to yours.
I've witnessed the rise of Wendover Production since that channel had less subscribers than you have, and I'm witnessing the rise of another great channel called New Mind.
You will surely be the next one if you keep up with such great quality and details.
It's far better to have two videos a year that are extremely well made and informative rather than having an awful lot of small videos that are just useless and poorly made.
I'm really glad I stumbled upon your videos about rollercoasters months ago!
Thank you! I'm a big fan of Wendover Productions and I'll have to check out New Mind too!
"Lemmino" is also a great channel. You should try watching a vid
He doesn't make parodies. But he makes high quality documentaries
I believe this is the most technically comprehensive video I've ever seen on the Tower. Amazing work... Really enjoyed it!
I just discovered your channel. I have been a structural engineer for 17 years, and your descriptions of the how, what, and most importantly WHY things are done the way they are in the field of structural engineering are absolutely perfect. I don't think I've seen a channel that has gotten so many things right with the level of detail that you provide. Seriously...great work.
Thank you for posting this video
I had the opportunity last summer to visit Canada and this was one of my places to visit
As an architect I really appreciated the task of building such an structure
We had lunch there, visit the viewing area and walk on top of the glass floor
A memorable experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life
Thanks again for the video, very informative.
This video was so well done that I had to watch it several times to take in all the great info. Thanks for not dumbing everything down like most youtube channels!
I watch and love this video of Art of Eningeering on the build of this landmark in Toronto city in the Ontario province of Canada. Very huge structure and could be seen from miles from Toronto. Even when you land by Plane on the airport you can see this huge CN tower from the plane. Since the opening in 26 june 1976 its a landmark in Canada. I have the oportunity to visit this CN tower in 2010 and 2012 during my vacation in Toronto. Watching this CN tower video from Paramaribo in Suriname. Marty
When they build this my dad hauled things into there and l lived in the all my 50 years of life and never went in there until 2010 when l took my wife and sister up it and was honored to be inside it and proud of all the men who had worked on the CN TOWER
Proud to call this city my home. Probably the most iconic city in the world.
Excellent video! As a young teen during the early 1970's in Toronto, I got to see the CN Tower "grow up." So many schoolmates were creating science project models then - cardboard, foil, glue - though none of us had a clue as to the amazing way the structure was actually constructed... until now!
The CN tower is my favourite tower in the world, it’s not the tallest tower anymore but it’s still iconic in my opinion.
Holy smokes this is such a wonderful, concise and interesting video. As a broadcast engineer with an interest in tall structures I can't praise your contribution to my knowledge base enough.
Great video! My father took me downtown to watch Olga top off the tower when I was 5 years old. It's one of my favourite memories from my childhood. Miss you, Dad.
Well done! Was always fascinated by the CN Tower when visiting Toronto, and it still looks modern in the skyline almost 50 years later.
Thank you so much!
What a perfect, gorgeous tower. My favorite features are the visible layering of concrete, the big radome, and the contrast of the very top sleek bright white cylindrical plastic covering with the hexagonal matte concrete core below it (something I didn't notice before watching this video). Every last detail of this tower is wonderful, and the overall form is sublime.
The amount of information in this single video is amazing. Great work!
Those post tensioning strands were huge. Those strands were 16 to 31.5 inches in diameter and up to 450 meters long. Just the logistics of feeding of those massive strands over such lengths vertically was an engineering marvel in itself. I've always loved civil engineering and found out recently that my great grandad was a rather famous civil engineer and pioneer in concrete at the beginning of the 20th century in Toronto. He was very interesting guy with patents that still used today in racing shells: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavius_Hicks
The engineering that went into the CN tower is just amazing!
From now on, please express all mass and weight in units of Moose!
But we've been using it for decades now.
At 70, I recall my one and only visit to the CN Tower. Breathtaking views!
You'd be baffled by how far away you can listen to toronto radio from, even today
Yup I live a two hour drive away, and listen to 102.1 FM all the time (Toronto station)
You're so right, I can listen to 94.9 over 1.5 hours away in my 2003 Saturn!
I listen to q107 on the Toronto side of Woodstock
A lot of stations broadcast from antennas on the south side of Lake Ontario on top of the escarpment, Somewhere around Grimsby.
Q 107👍
Lets not forget...This is the best looking tour ever built....true art
One of my co-workers told me his Dad worked on the C.N. Tower. He was telling me that they made the workers sign a contract saying that as a worker on this project they will not go on strike.
I've been in Toronto for more than a decade but now I truly appreciate the tower. I will never see this structure the same again.
Just to give you an idea of how effective a transmitter it is, you can pick up local FM radio from over 150 miles (242 km) away.
Yup I live a two hour drive away, and listen to 102.1 FM all the time (Toronto station)
@sploofmonkey That's what the Illuminati want you to think so they can hide the real mind control machine that is making you think the CN tower in the true mind control machine.
The TV and radio stations that broadcast from the CN Tower also have auxiliary broadcast antennae located around the city, you're not necessarily receiving the signal from the CN Tower from 150 miles away. The auxiliary antennae also sometimes take over primary broadcast duty, for instance when maintenance workers need to enter the mast of the Tower the transmitters will be placed into a low power state or shut off (usually done at night).
@sploofmonkey That's what they want you to think
@sploofmonkey "lightning never strikes the same place twice" doesn't make sense, electricity looks for the shortest path to ground, and the CN Tower is basically a 1500' tall ground electrode
This video is one of the BEST structural engineering / design explanation documentaries I've ever seen. You really took the time to explain the technicalities and it was excellently done and illustrated. Thank you!
Wow, such a great video. So many things i didn't know about this building i see everyday. Thanks so much for the all the work you put into making it. This should be shown at the CN tower!
Back in the 1990s my late brother and myself used to visit Toronto every summer and we always included a visit to the CN Tower. We learned early on that a reservation at the revolving restaurant would allow you to bypass the long wait in line to go up to the observation decks. One year our two sisters accompanied us. Our younger sister was terrified of heights and hid at the back of the elevator as we rose to the restaurant level. However, once we were seated she throughly enjoyed the view. I remember another time when we went later at night and there was a thunderstorm out over Lake Ontario. They lowered the lights in the restaurant and that was the best light show I have ever seen.
After a great concert at Massey Hall, we heard the CN Tower was having a grand opening at midnight. About ninety min later we had a whole new view of the city.
Great story
What band did you see?
@@eddieisgreat5150 Todd Rungrend.
@@lotanerve Not sure who that is, but checked on youtube and the song hello you again came up and i know that song.great song. Have a great day
My wife and I had dinner there in the late 80's. I made our reservations, without even thinking about the significance of the time, but it was perfect. We got there it was bright daylight, and when we left it was full nighttime. Awesome watching the change at sunset. Complete with seeing the lights of Viagra Falls glowing across the lake.
By the way, we're from Michigan. About halfway between Detroit/Windsor and Sarina/Port Huron.
we built the fibreglass top section in England at 'Huntings Industrial Plastics' at Wymeswold, I was the main trimmer and worked long hours overtime to get it finished on time cos there was a huge penalty clause if it wasnt finished on time..i actually bought a pair of platform shoes (very trendy then..) out of my overtime money
At the end of construction the last piece that was placed on the top was put on display in the park beside the tower. People were invited to write their name on the top piece. I figured out which was the top of the last piece and put my name there. so my name is at the top forever :))
I saw this past summer they “re-polished” the whole plastic radome. It got quite grimy after all these years and is looking like new again. Quite the task.
The CN Tower is by far my favourite building. Such an elegant and beautiful design.
Props to those workers with balls of steel. My palms were sweaty just watching them.
Do balls make you have nerves of steel ?
@@jillsmcfarland2001 Steel balls do
Mom's spaghetti
I got to visit the CN Tower one week after it opened the summer of 1976 as a 14 year old budding architect. Needless to say, mind blown and confirmation of my long-term career direction secured.
Giving a shout out to civil engineers around the world who make such projects possible.
My dad is working on “the one” in Toronto and it’s big as shit like idk how somebody can do it
I was fortunate enough to experience the CN tower and go up to the observation deck in 89 as a teenager on a high school field trip. Still remember it vividly to this day.
This tower is a masterpiece of engineering but I still consider my local TV tower the most beautiful of all: Fernsehturm Berlin (only 2/3 of the height of the CN Tower). I'd love to see more videos about towers all over the world.
Wow great video!!!! I am a structural engineer and I love how you explain everything in a way that it’s not boring for structural engineer, but also not super complicated for someone not into that field! GREAT JOB!!
In December 1976, I rode the elevator to the observation deck, it was snowing.
By far, this is the best video on TH-cam. Now, I must preface that comment with the fact that I'm partisan being a life long Torontonian and Mechanical Engineer. The design and construction work that went into this modern day marvel is staggering. I've only been up the tower a few times, and on each visit my legs would buckle in weakness because I fear heights. Thus, kudos to every single construction worker who brought this iconic Canadian structure to life - respect and admiration to each one of you.
27:17 When he unfurled the flag, I almost forgot this was Ontario...I kid, it's such an amazing feat, makes me proud to be Canadian.
The legend Paul Mitchell.
This is the singlemost comprehensive video covering the actual design and construction processes involved in the making of this legendary icon of Canada. Virtually all my questions about certain aspects of the tower were answered through the course of the video. Kudos, +1 Subscriber.
Really interesting video. I didn't even know slipforming was a thing but it's so awesome. Basically 3D printing an entire building. Also really enjoyed learning about why the building is shaped the way it is and all of the different design factors used to overcome the immense forces the building and the ground underneath it experience. Very cool.
I went up the CN Tower in late August of 1982 and got unbelievable pictures. The weather that day was crystal clear.
Great video.
I was saddened on a recent visit to the tower, to see and hear very little about its history, with no mention by the guides of CN railways, or the old railway lands on which it was built. Since being sold some years ago the new owner explains the name to tourists as meaning “Canada’s National Tower” , which is just silly. It is nice to watch this detailed telling of its construction.
I work as a tour guide here in Toronto (although not for the CN Tower itself, but it is one of my favourite things to talk about) and let me tell you - if we could tell you everything about the tower, we probably would. We're limited not just by time, but also by guest interest. Most visitors really aren't going to be interested in hearing a lot about the history and construction. That being said, I do sneak in a few sentances about the railway lands and CN whenever I get the opportunity to - it's a fascinating story. I do definitley get some watered-down tourist attraction vibes from the tower now, though, which is why I love to admire it from elsewhere in the city.
Doesn't CN stand for Canadian National?
@@windmillwilly Until 1995, yes. It was at that point CN was privatised and all non-essential assets to the railway were sold off, including the CN Tower. It's now owned by the Canada Lands Company (part of the Canadian government) and they can't use the "Canadian National" trademark unfortunately.
Here’s a crazy thought: What I love about the tower is how Lightning loves to strike it in a storm. You can get some really funky pictures of the top of the tower when a storm comes thru. I have also had the trill of having a private tour of the inside of the tower from the dirt base all the way up to the lower antenna section (when it was windy out) and yes the tower does move back n forth up there.
Thank you so much for the work you put into this! Great job!
As I was watching I was marveling not just at the tower, but the amount and quality of work that went into the video. Congratulations.
I've always thought the CN Tower had some great cans!
Just like your mom? lol
My first visit to CN Tower was in 1980 during my 1st trip to Canada as a visitor. Later as a resident of GTA, I've visited several times when I've taken our most guests to visit! As a proud Canadian, I love to visit whenever I get a chance! Each visit makes a memorable experience with some changes around to look at!
I live nowhere near Toronto and watching this video gave me sweaty palms and high blood pressure. I hate heights.
Come to Toronto and see the tower. If you get nervous don't worry we have a brewery across the street for some liquid courage. 🍺😁
Great job on this documentary. I started at the University of Waterloo in the Fall of '76, and came into town on September 30 because my Dad was visiting on business. Since I had time, I took the tour and went up to the observation level, not realizing at the time that it had only been open a few months. It was impressive. Now I've lived in Toronto for thirty years and haven't been up the tower in about twenty years, but it's still pretty impressive to see the tower off in the distance from the 401. Canadian engineering is definitely world-class, and that goes to all the folks who poured the concrete and did the high steel too.
me and a friend went up the tower on a school trip a few years ago, out of everyone on the trip, only us two went up and it was amazing, my favorite part was standing and sitting on top of the glass floor panels
I worked on the 14th floor of York Centre and watched it go up each day for the whole period. I only wish I had taken one picture each day while it went up. Marvel then and its still a marvel.
The weight of 35 moose?! Is that the metric they used?! 😂😂😂
Yup in Canada all of our metrics are based on how much wild life we can fit on things.
I would have used ducks, personally 🦆
@@ArtofEngineering have you any idea how many ducks 35 moose worth is? even just 1 moose... That's a lot of ducks they wouldn't even fit in the CN tower! impossible and here I thought you were smart and knew your stuff... Feathers everywhere, too. Don't forget all those damn liberal do gooders in Canada harassing you about your fowl treatment. Moose are stubborn but its a lot easier to take care of 35 moose and get them all up the tower. Compared to thousands of ducks quacking and shitting and getting feathers everywhere... No man, moose are the right tool for this job.
I'm sure there is a "Standard Moose", probably at some European university...
@@voidremoved Problem with moose metric: They don't fit in the elevators. I do however agree, ducks would be a stupid choice. Clearly geese are the superior method of weight measurement here, despite their ill temperment.
I remember in high school watching the construction of the CN Tower in the skyline. I watched daily the progress as it inched up including the use of the giant Russian helicopter. It was quite the feat of engineering for back then. It was said at the time the CN Tower could withstand wind gusts of over 400 miles an hour. I am 62 now and can see the CN tower in the distant skyline from my tenth floor apartment and I still marvel at this accomplishment.
At the end of construction the last piece that was placed on the top was put on display in the park beside the tower. People were invited to write their name on the top piece. I figured out which was the top of the last piece and put my name there. so my name is at the top forever :))
Why am I just learning about this channel?? @TH-cam knows I love this type of shit. Keep it up man, I can feel the exponential sub curve around the corner!
Nice video.
Born and raised in Toronto, was 9 yrs old when the CN Tower opened. Tons of fun, went there often. They had an awesome arcade on the ground floor as well 😀
1:10 "a number of innovative solutions that have never been counted before"
"Brunelleschi wants to know your location"
I'm a construction worker living in Toronto , I've always been fascinated not only with the thought that goes into the design and engineering of these tall structures but the logistics involved in erecting them in the heart of a bustling metropolis. Unless people are involved in the construction I find it doubtful that they realise the complications of trying to move the material to site quickly and safely in a city. Not to mention the efforts taken to keep the public safe at street level with all the activities above their heads. It's absolutely mind boggling that these things can be erected and stay standing given all the challenges. Props to all the great minds who designed and engineered this and hats off to the fearless guys who put the tower up . And thanks to you for making such a great video , you did a great job , I drive past everyday but I will certainly see it a little different now !
At time it was being built, I thought it was a dumb idea.
I changed my mind. 😀
I worked on the 26th floor of the TD Tower during construction and watched the slow growth of the tower. It was fascinating!
i learned something today. Thanks!
I’m not Canadian, but i have went to the CN tower 360 degree restaurant before, it is the tallest point I’ve ever been on in my entire life. The CN Tower is a enjoyable experience that I will remember.
"The CN tower is Canada's most celebrated icon"
That's not Wayne Gretzky...
Who?
Kevin Pham seriously?
Tim hortons coffee and roll up the rim should be up there
@@xman9354 tim hortons is only known is usa and canada
@@DoBap_ Who?
I was lucky enough to watch the CN Tower being built. I loved watching Olga hoist the antenna sections. Some of the sections were available to the public to sign their names on it. My Brother and sister and I added our names to one section as kids. Every time I look at the tower I remember the smell of the marker I used and the sound of Olga's engines.
3:26 this is where you try to find where you live
Great video!
I’ve lived in Toronto my entire life and see the CN Tower every day. I didn’t realize it was such an advanced structure for its time. Thanks for making this.
Same!
19:58 "UHF Broadcasting Equipment" Just imagining there's some worker's skeleton on that floor. Died in his sleep on a shift no one ever to the floor again.
I have family in Montreal and the cheapest flights from Boston to Montreal are on porter, you have to go through Toronto. I’ve made a mini trip of it when I’ve had long layovers, Toronto is one of the coolest cities to have a layover in.
When I was younger I used to think CN tower stood for Cartoon Network tower lmao
I went across Canada coast to coast in 78 or 79 starting at Toronto. I went up the CN Tower on my first full day. It was superb
Nearby was an exhibition about Ontario with a lovely multi-screen AV. It was my first and I went on to work in that medium for at least a decade.
So I really loved Canada.
Inflation adjusted price of 350mil CAD? So about the same as 100 houses in the toronto area?
350 mil usd
@@coroso136 Huh, I didnt remember them specifically saying US dollars. Also that would be weird that the Canadian National tower in Canada would be evaluated in US dollars.
@@AlexFlockhart CAD is worth less than USD. Plus, a lot of things are evaluated in USD so its not too surprising or weird.
I came searching for any documentary, wanting to find out more about CN Tower. I always have known CN Tower since I came here, but recently I marveled at the beauty and engineering behind it. It was built in 1976. Wow. How did they do they without all the computers are available? I just find that back in those days, Canada would be ambitious enough to envision such projects. And, it was done only in 3 years? I wonder anything big got done in 3 years these days, let alone a tower that has became the record holder for decades.
I wonder where did we lost all the ambition, the efficiency,science snd engineering talents.
I just want to say I truely appreciate those who came before us and how they have dreamed a bigger future for us. I hope we can carry on that vision in our generation again.
Go Canada 🍁🇨🇦