If We Built It Today (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - Secrets at the Great Wall - full transcript
THEY SAY GOOD FENCES
MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
WE'VE BEEN BUILDING WALLS
FOR AT LEAST 10,000 YEARS,
BEGINNING WITH THE CITY
OF JERICHO, THE BIBLICAL CITY.
WE'RE EXPLORING THE ENGINEERING
EPIC OF THE LONGEST WALL
IN HISTORY,
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS
AND ALSO THE LONGEST MANMADE
STRUCTURAL DEFENSE SYSTEM
FROM ANCIENT TIMES.
BUT DO WE HAVE THE
NEED FOR A NEW GREAT WALL TODAY?
MODERN DESIGNERS
ARE ON THE FENCE
ABOUT WHAT MAKES A GREAT WALL.
WHATEVER YOU'RE SETTING ON,
YOU'RE ONLY AS GOOD
AS YOUR FOUNDATION.
AND IF YOU DON'T DO IT RIGHT,
THAT SCAFFOLDING'S
GONNA COME DOWN.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
ARCHITECTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS
IN HUMAN HISTORY.
IT'S THE NUMBER-ONE WALL.
BUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE PERISHED PUTTING IT UP.
THEIR REMAINS HAVE NEVER
BEEN FOUND,
AND SOME SAY IT'S BECAUSE
THEY LIE WITHIN THE WALL ITSELF.
THE AMOUNT OF SKILLED
LABOR IN THE THOUSANDS
THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO APPLY
AND PUT ON THEIR PROJECT
WAS SOMETHING THAT WILL NEVER
HAPPEN AGAIN IN HUMAN HISTORY.
BUT PERHAPS THE GREATEST THING
ABOUT THE GREAT WALL
WAS ITS SPECTACULAR FAILURE.
ONCE YOU HAVE THIS WALL BUILT,
IT MAY NOT BE EFFICIENT ENOUGH
TO KEEP THE ARCHERS
OR THE ARROWS AWAY.
WE'RE ON THE JOBSITE OF ONE
OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST WONDERS.
AND WE'RE WONDERING --
HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE?
HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?
HOW MANY WORKERS WOULD WE NEED?
COULD WE EVEN DO IT
IF WE BUILT IT TODAY?
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
IT'S THE MOST FAMOUS
WALL ON THE PLANET,
AND THE LONGEST STRUCTURE
EVER BUILT --
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST
RECOGNIZABLE LANDMARKS
IN THE WORLD.
IT BEGINS IN THE GOBI DESERT
AND SNAKES ITS WAY EAST
ALL THE WAY TO THE BORDER
OF NORTH KOREA.
THE WALL IS ACTUALLY
MORE THAN ONE WALL,
IT'S A SERIES OF WALLS
BUILT STARTING IN 717 B.C.
THE EMPEROR OF QIN DYNASTY,
YING ZHENG,
DECIDED TO CONNECT
ALL THOSE WALLS
TOGETHER TO FORM THE INITIAL
FORM OF THE GREAT WALL LATER.
THE MOST RECENT SECTION ACTUALLY
WAS BUILT IN THE MING DYNASTY,
THAT'S ABOUT 1300 A.D.,
AND THAT'S THE SECTION
ACTUALLY MOST TOURISTS
AROUND THE WORLD VISIT
EVERY YEAR.
IT'S AS HIGH AS
A 4-STORY BUILDING...
...AND IS WIDE ENOUGH
TO ACCOMMODATE
A HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE.
BUT IT'S MOST WELL-KNOWN
FOR ITS LENGTH,
MORE THAN 13,000 MILES LONG.
THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF MORE
THAN HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD,
A LOT LONGER THAN ANY WALLS
BEING CONSIDERED TODAY.
THE AMERICAN AND MEXICO BORDER
IS ABOUT 1,900 MILES.
THE GREAT WALL IS ABOUT
SEVEN TIMES LONGER.
10 MILLION PEOPLE TRAVEL
TO THE GREAT WALL EACH YEAR
TO TAKE A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME
WALK.
THE BIGGEST AND THE BEST
AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL,
MOST ARCHITECTURALLY PLEASING,
STRUCTURALLY SOUND,
ACTUALLY USED
AS A DEFENSIVE BARRIER
IS THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
IT TOOK 2,000 YEARS TO BUILD.
COULD WE USE MODERN TECHNOLOGY
TO BUILD A WALL
LIKE THIS IN LESS TIME?
THE WALL OF CHINA MUST HAVE
BEEN BUILT OVER CENTURIES,
AND, YOU KNOW,
WE CAN'T EVEN WAIT FOR A HIGHWAY
TO BE BUILT IN TWO
TO FOUR YEARS.
IT'S RIDICULOUS TO TRY
TO BUILD A WALL ACROSS.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY
AN ENORMOUS UNDERTAKING.
IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.
AND DOES THE WORLD
EVEN NEED ANOTHER GREAT WALL?
HISTORICALLY, WALLS WERE
CONSTRUCTED FOR THE PURPOSE
OF DIMINISHING CONFLICT,
DETERRING ATTACK, OR INVASION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S IRONIC
A LOT PEOPLE NOWADAYS SAY,
"BUILD BRIDGES, NOT WALLS,"
BUT HISTORICALLY SPEAKING,
IT WAS WALLS THAT WERE BUILT
IN ORDER TO DETER WAR,
AND IT WAS BRIDGES
THAT WERE BUILT IN ORDER
TO MAKE INVASIONS POSSIBLE.
COULD WE DO IT?
YEAH, WE COULD DO IT.
YEAH, IT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE,
BUT WE COULD PULL IT OFF.
AFTER TWO MILLENNIA,
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
HAS BECOME MORE THAN
A DIVIDING LINE,
IT HAS BECOME A SYMBOL
OF NATIONAL PRIDE.
WHEN WE'RE GROWING UP IN CHINA,
THAT SORT OF CONCEPT, PERCEPTION
ACTUALLY DEEPLY ROOTED
IN OUR MENTALITY,
THAT THE GREAT WALL
IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE WORLD.
WE WANT TO KNOW HOW
THE ANCIENT CHINESE
MANAGED TO PULL OFF
SUCH A REMARKABLE FEAT.
SO, FOR THE CHALLENGES OF
TRANSPORTING BUILDING MATERIALS,
LIKE MOVING BRICKS,
TO THE TOP OF A HILL,
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAD CARRIED
THESE BRICKS ON THEIR BACKS.
WHEN THE SLOPE WAS NOT
TOO STEEP,
THEY CAN USE
DONKEY-PULLED CARTS.
TO COME CLOSE TO THE FULL LENGTH
OF THE GREAT WALL,
WE HAVE TO IMAGINE
BUILDING TWO WALLS
ALONG THE NORTHERN
AND SOUTHERN BORDERS OF AMERICA.
WHEN CONSIDERING
THIS MASSIVE UNDERTAKING,
WE CAN LEARN FROM THE ORIGINAL.
WHEN THE GREAT WALL
WAS CONSTRUCTED,
THE CHINESE TOOK ADVANTAGE
OF THE COLDER SEASONS.
IN WINTER, THEY WOULD FELL SOME
OF THE TREES TO HAVE A SLOPE
AND THEN TO POUR WATER DOWN
AND LET THE WATER FREEZE
SO THEN THEY HAVE
THIS SMOOTH SLIDE
THAT COULD MAKE TRANSPORTATION A
LOT EASIER TO CARRY LARGE ROCKS.
BUT THAT WOULDN'T WORK
FOR US DURING WARMER MONTHS.
THE HEAT CAN CAUSE
THE HOSES TO OVERHEAT
AND THE HYDRAULIC FLUID
TO RUPTURE THE HOSES.
THE MACHINERY IS ACTUALLY
VERY HOT TO TOUCH.
YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL
WHEN YOU'RE CLIMBING ONTO IT
THAT YOU DON'T BURN YOUR HANDS
AS YOU'RE CLIMBING UP AND DOWN,
EVEN TO GET A BREAK.
AND IF WOULD REQUIRE
A MASSIVE WORKFORCE.
WE KNOW,
BACK IN THE QIN DYNASTY,
THERE WERE ABOUT
A MILLION LABORERS
BEING INVOLVED
IN THE CONSTRUCTION.
FOR US TO COMMIT THAT AMOUNT
OF PEOPLE,
THAT AMOUNT OF LABOR
SOMEPLACE IN THE WORLD
WOULD LIKELY ONLY BE
TO SAVE OUR PLANET.
IF WE WERE TO START OVER TODAY
TRYING TO RECREATE
THAT PHYSICAL BARRIER
WHICH IS A VERY LARGE,
MASSIVE WALL,
AND WE LOOK AT THE PROTOTYPES
THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED
FOR THIS,
EVEN GIVEN OUR TECHNOLOGY TODAY,
THE BEST ESTIMATES TELL US
THAT WE WOULD HAVE
HAD TO STARTED THIS
SOMETIME RIGHT AFTER
THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.
BUT WHY WOULD WE CONSIDER
BUILDING ONE TODAY?
CITY WALLS, HISTORICALLY,
WERE ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE
AT REPELLING ATTACKS.
IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME,
JUST ASK ATTILA THE HUN
WHAT HE THOUGHT OF CITY WALLS.
MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO,
CHINA WAS FACING THREATS
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE ITS COUNTRY.
THEY BUILD THIS WALL
TO PROTECT THEMSELVES,
BASICALLY TO KEEP THE TRIBAL
PEOPLES FROM RAIDING, LOOTING,
AND SO IT WAS
A MILITARY DEFENSE.
BY THE TIME OF THE MING,
THERE WAS MAINLY THE CONCERNS
ABOUT THE MONGOLS.
AND BY THE TIME OF THE END
OF THE MING,
THE CONCERNS
WERE ABOUT THE MANCHUS.
ATTILA THE HUN MAY NOT
BE LURKING
OVER THE NEXT HILL
IN AMERICA,
BUT EVERY AGE
HAS ITS OWN WORRIES.
AND WALLS MAKE SOME PEOPLE
FEEL SAFE.
WALLS DO PROVIDE
A CERTAIN DEGREE OF SECURITY,
BUT THE MORE WE BECOME
ACCUSTOMED TO SECURITY,
THE LOWER THE THRESHOLD REQUIRED
TO TRIGGER OUR INSECURITIES.
WE HAVE BECOME A MORE
SECURE WORLD
IN THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES,
ESPECIALLY SINCE THE END
OF THE COLD WAR.
WE JUST DON'T FEEL IT,
AND THEREFORE WE ARE WRACKED BY
WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED,
I THINK, LESSER CONCERNS
20 YEARS AGO,
30 YEARS AGO, 40 YEARS AGO,
BUT THOSE SAME CONCERNS ARE,
YOU KNOW, DRIVING US
TO DISTRACTION.
WE'VE BEEN BUILDING
PROTECTIVE WALLS
SINCE THE 21st CENTURY B.C.
IN MANY WAYS,
THE HISTORY OF THE WALLS
IS THE HISTORY
OF CIVILIZATION.
EVERY MAN WAS TRAINED
TO BE A WARRIOR,
HE WAS TRAINED
TO DEFEND HIS COMMUNITY.
THE BUILDING OF WALLS
ALLEVIATED THAT NECESSITY,
AND THAT ENABLED MEN
TO FOLLOW DIFFERENT AVOCATIONS,
TO SPECIALIZE
IN DIFFERENT THINGS,
TO BECOME WRITERS, ARTISTS,
SCIENTISTS, PHILOSOPHERS.
IN THE U.K.,
YOU CAN STILL SEE THE REMAINS
OF HADRIAN'S WALL.
IT WAS BUILT IN THE YEAR 122
BY EMPEROR HADRIAN,
PRIMARILY TO KEEP THE SCOTS
OUT OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
AT THE TIME, THE ROMAN
EMPIRE WAS THE DEFENDER
OF MUCH OF CIVILIZATION
ON THREE CONTINENTS.
SO WHAT THE ROMANS
WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WERE
THE PEOPLE THEY KNEW
AS THE BARBARIANS.
THE MOST INFAMOUS WALL IN
MODERN TIMES IS THE BERLIN WALL.
THE NEARLY 12-FOOT-HIGH
CEMENT BARRIER
WAS BUILT TO KEEP EAST GERMANS
FROM DEFECTING TO WEST BERLIN
WHEN THE CITY WAS DIVIDED
AFTER WORLD WAR II.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE WALL WAS
SCARY TO PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES.
OUTSIDE BERLIN, WESTERN LEADERS
ODDLY ENOUGH
VIEWED IT
WITH A SIGH OF RELIEF.
THEY SAW IT AS THE END
OF A CRISIS,
RATHER THAN A BEGINNING.
THEY HOPED THAT IT WOULD AVERT
THERMONUCLEAR WAR
AND DE-ESCALATE TENSIONS.
THE KIND OF STRENGTH WE BUILD
IN THE UNITED STATES
WILL BE THE DEFENSE OF FREEDOM.
JOHN KENNEDY SAID,
"A WALL IS A HELL OF A LOT
BETTER THAN A WAR."
WHAT CHANGED OPINIONS WAS
THE PRESENCE
OF WESTERN NEWS CORRESPONDENTS
IN BERLIN
AND EVER AFTER THE WALL
HAS BEEN SYMBOL OF INFAMY.
A LOT PEOPLE WERE
HAPPY TO SEE THE BERLIN WALL
COME DOWN IN 1989.
AND WALLS HAVE BEEN A
CONTENTIOUS SUBJECT EVER SINCE.
THERE'S NO DOUBT
THAT THE BERLIN WALL
WAS THE KEY
TO OUR RE-EVALUATION OF WALLS.
WALLS FOR MOST OF 10,000 YEARS
WERE ENTIRELY NONCONTROVERSIAL.
IT SEEMS THERE ARE PROS AND CONS
TO CONSTRUCTING
A MODERN-DAY GREAT WALL,
BUT BEFORE WE DRAW UP
OUR BLUEPRINT,
WE NEED TO DECIDE IF IT'S WORTH
TAKING ON THE CHALLENGE.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
HELPED PROTECT AND UNIFY
ONE OF THE MOST POPULATED
COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.
WE'RE IMAGINING WHAT IT WOULD
TAKE TO DO THAT AROUND AMERICA.
WE HAVE THE GREAT WALL IN CHINA
ALREADY,
SERVING AS A SYMBOL OF CULTURE,
CIVILIZATION,
HUMAN WISDOM, ACHIEVEMENTS.
WALLS PROVIDE
A PHYSICAL BARRIER,
AND AS LONG AS THEY'RE GUARDED,
THEY TEND TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE.
A WALL WAS A TOOL,
IT'S A FORCE MULTIPLIER.
SO, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE
TO ERECT A STRUCTURE
THAT'S IMPRESSIVE, INNOVATIVE,
AND BUILT TO LAST
FOR THE NEXT 2,000 YEARS?
THAT'S THE DIRECTIVE THAT WILL
GUIDE EVERY DECISION
WE CONSIDER
ABOUT OUR TWO NEW WALLS.
WHAT ROUTE
ARE WE GOING TO TAKE?
WHAT KIND OF MATERIALS
WILL WE USE?
HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT?
WHO'S GOING TO BUILD IT?
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
AND HOW MUCH WILL
THIS WHOLE THING COST?
WE'RE ENVISIONING TWO WALLS
ACROSS AMERICA'S NORTH
AND SOUTH BORDERS, BUT WE NEED
TO MAP A PRECISE ROUTE.
OUR WALLS WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE
QUITE AS LONG AS CHINA'S,
BUT WE'D NEED TO CONSIDER
THE TRICKY TERRAIN,
ESPECIALLY ALONG
THE SOUTHERN BORDER WITH MEXICO.
IF YOU WERE TO FLY OVER THIS,
THE SHEER AMOUNT OF UNINHABITED
LANDSCAPE
IS MIND-BOGGLING.
YOU HAVE A MILLION-ACRE
NATIONAL PARK,
YOU HAVE A 350,000-ACRE
STATE PARK,
AND YOU HAVE RANCHES THAT
ARE TYPICALLY IN THE 200,000
TO 300,000-ACRE SIZE RANGE.
IT'S BIG, AND IT'S ROUGH.
BUT WE HAVE AN ENGINEER WHO SAYS
A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT
CAN IMPROVE A WALL,
ESPECIALLY IF IT'S
AS HILLY AS CHINA.
SO, THESE LARGE GRADE CHANGES
MADE IT INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT
TO ACCESS THE WALL,
SO EVEN IF AN ENEMY
WAS TO SCALE A MOUNTAIN
OR A HILL OR A RIDGE
TO GET UP
TO THE BASE OF THE WALL,
THEY THEN HAD TO TRY TO GET UP
AND OVER THE WALL.
SO, WE'LL BE PREPARED TO HANDLE
ANY BUMPS IN THE ROAD.
AMERICA'S TOP AND BOTTOM
LAND BORDERS
EQUAL OVER 6,000 MILES.
OCEANS TO THE EAST AND WEST ACT
AS NATURAL BARRIERS IN OUR PLAN.
THE NEXT BIG QUESTION IS,
WHAT COULD WE BUILD IT OUT OF?
THE OLDEST PORTIONS OF
THE ANCIENT CHINESE WALL,
WHICH MOST TOURISTS
NEVER GET TO SEE,
WERE MADE OF
WHAT'S CALLED RAMMED EARTH,
THE SAME COLOR
AS THE NEARBY DESERT.
THEY PERMA-MIX THE SOIL
AND THE ROCKS
AND THE SMALL STONES TOGETHER,
AND BASICALLY JUST HAMMER DOWN
TO COMPACT TO FORM A SHAPE.
MIND YOU, THAT WAS BUILT
AROUND 700 B.C.
SO THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE
A MODERN TECHNOLOGY
TO MAKE BRICKS,
BUT THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF SOILS
AND THE ROCKS,
AND THEY SOMEHOW FIGURE OUT
A WAY TO MAKE A STABLE STRUCTURE
JUST BY COMPACTING THEM
INTO SHAPES.
IT WOULD BE ALMOST 10 CENTURIES
BEFORE THE CHINESE WOULD INVENT
THE WHEELBARROW,
EASING THE BURDEN OF GENERATIONS
OF WALL BUILDERS
AND EARNING
THE ETERNAL GRATITUDE
OF GARDENERS EVERYWHERE.
WHILE IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREA
OF THE COUNTRY,
THE ANCIENT CHINESE
BUILT WITH STONE.
DURING THAT PERIOD, THEY LEARNED
PROBABLY HOW TO CHISEL
AND TO CUT AND ADDRESS STONE
TO DIFFERENT SHAPES.
SOME OF THE GREATEST BUILDINGS
IN THE WORLD ARE MADE OF STONE.
SO, COULD WE USE IT
FOR OUR WALL?
IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA,
WE'RE GIFTED WITH MASONS
THAT STILL CAN DO
ROCK MASONRY WALLS.
IT'S A DYING ART.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF LABOR
SKILLED WITH THEIR HANDS
TO BE ABLE
TO ACCOMPLISH THAT ANYMORE.
WE DON'T CUT STONE BY HAND,
WE CUT STONE WITH MACHINES,
WITH BLADES,
WITH LARGE INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT.
SO, OUR WALLS WOULD BE FORCED
TO HAVE A MORE MODERN LOOK.
WHAT ABOUT CONCRETE?
SO, TO ME, YOU KNOW,
AESTHETICALLY,
IT'S JUST A CHUNK OF CONCRETE,
IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT
UNIQUE CHARACTER THAT BRICKS
OR EVEN RAMMED EARTH OFFER.
AND SECONDLY, WHEN YOU HAVE
A MASSIVE CONCRETE STRUCTURE,
THINK ABOUT THE HOOVER DAM.
YOU WILL BE DEALING
WITH THE THERMAL CRACKING.
HERE'S THE COLD, HARD TRUTH
ABOUT CONCRETE.
IF IT'S MASS CONCRETE --
THAT IS,
BIGGER THAN 3 SQUARE FEET --
THERE'S A LOT OF SURFACE AREA
THAT REACTS TO A CHANGE
IN TEMPERATURE.
THE PROBLEM IS THE INSIDE
TAKES LONGER TO ADJUST.
IF, FOR INSTANCE,
THE INTERIOR HAS BEEN
SLOWLY HEATING UP AND EXPANDING
WHILE THE OUTSIDE IS QUICKLY
STARTING TO COOL AND CONTRACT,
SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE.
IT'S CALLED THERMAL CRACKING.
IT HAS PROPERTIES THAT MAKE IT
SUSCEPTIBLE TO WEATHERING,
WEARING, IT'S GONNA
BREAK DOWN EVENTUALLY.
THE REBAR INSIDE OF IT
CAN CORRODE, EXPAND.
AND FOR THESE REASONS,
I REALLY DON'T SEE CONCRETE
AS A VIABLE SOLUTION FOR A WALL
THAT NEEDS TO LAST
SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS.
WE WOULDN'T WANT
THE REPAIR COSTS FOR OUR WALLS
TO BE AS INSURMOUNTABLE
AS THE WALLS THEMSELVES,
SO LET'S CONSIDER STEEL.
SO, ONE, IT'S EXPENSIVE TO HAVE
A STEEL WALL OF THAT SIZE.
AND SECONDLY,
IT'S NOT INTEGRATED
WELL WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
STEEL MORE FEELS LIKE
A FOREIGN MATERIAL
WHEN YOU SEE IT WITHIN NATURE,
WITH TREES, WITH SOILS.
AND THE THIRD, I THINK THERE
MIGHT BE A LONG-TERM
CORROSION PROBLEM, AS WELL.
SO THAT WILL ALSO RAISE
THE MAINTENANCE COST.
WE WOULDN'T WANT OUR WALLS
TO CRACK, RUST, OR EVEN WORSE.
WHY DON'T WE LOOK INTO
ONE OF THE STRONGEST-
AND LONGEST-LASTING BUILDING
MATERIALS IN EXISTENCE -- BRICK.
YOU CAN MASS MANUFACTURE
BRICKS AND THE BLOCKS.
AND THE STONES, YOU HAVE TO
QUARRY THE STONES
AND THEN TRANSPORT
BECAUSE THEY'RE HEAVIER
AND WILL HAVE HEAVIER
TRANSPORTATION COST THAN
THE OTHER TWO MATERIALS.
BRICK IS
A COMBINATION OF GOOD LOOKS
AND LOW MAINTENANCE.
IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT
BUILDING MATERIAL
FOR OUR TWO HYPOTHETICAL WALLS.
BRICK WAS EVENTUALLY USED
TO FINISH CONSTRUCTION
OF THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA,
BUT THE ANCIENT CHINESE BUILDERS
ALSO ADDED
AN UNCONVENTIONAL INGREDIENT
THAT JUST MIGHT BE THE REASON
THE WALL IS STILL
STANDING TODAY.
THE GREAT WALL OF
CHINA IS STILL STANDING TALL
AFTER THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
WE'RE CONTEMPLATING WHAT IT
WOULD TAKE TO BUILD TWO WALLS
ALONG THE AMERICAN BORDERS
THAT WOULD LAST JUST AS LONG.
EVEN THOUGH, TODAY, WE HAVE
ACCESS TO MORE MODERN MATERIALS
LIKE STEEL, WE'VE DECIDED
THAT WE WOULD USE BRICK,
JUST LIKE
THE ANCIENT CHINESE DID.
THE BRICK, ESSENTIALLY,
THAT'S COMING OUT OF EARTH,
THEY FIRE THE BRICKS IN OVENS,
AND THEN THAT'S PRETTY MUCH
THE FINAL PRODUCT.
SO THE ENTIRE PROCESS
OF MAKING BRICK
IS A LOT MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY THAN MAKING STEEL.
BUT THE BRICK-MAKING PROCESS
IS MORE COMPLICATED
THAN IT MAY SEEM.
BRICKS ARE MADE OF SHALE,
WHICH IS SOFT LAYER OF ROCKS,
AND THEN THEY GRIND THE ROCKS
INTO ALMOST POWDER,
AND THEN MIX IT WITH WATER
TO FORM A VERY STIFF CLAY MIX,
AND THEN THE MIX WILL FORM
SOMETHING CALLED A SLUG.
AND THEN THERE WILL BE
A CUTTING PROCESS
TO CUT THE SLUG INTO SIZES.
WHAT GOES BETWEEN THE BRICKS
IS A DIFFERENT MATTER.
TURNS OUT, THE CHINESE
HAD A SECRET INGREDIENT,
ONE THAT GREW
ALL AROUND THEM.
IN MODERN TIMES RIGHT NOW,
WE'RE USING SOMETHING
CALLED MORTAR,
WHICH IS MIXTURE OF CEMENT,
LIME, SAND, AND WATER.
IN THE OLD TIMES,
THEY CLEARLY DON'T HAVE CEMENT
SO THEY USED STICKY RICE,
AND THE LIME, AND PROBABLY SAND,
AND THE WATER MIXTURE.
OUR WORKERS WOULDN'T NEED TO USE
WHAT'S IN THEIR LUNCH BOX
TO BUILD OUR WALLS.
LUCKILY FOR US, MODERN BRICK HAS
THE STICKINESS BUILT RIGHT IN.
IT BINDS WITH THE FIRED CLAY
ON THE BRICK,
AND BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS
IS WHEN YOU LAY THE BRICK,
YOU PUT THE MORTAR ON THERE.
THE BRICK PULLS THE MOISTURE
OUT OF THE MORTAR,
AND THAT CREATES THE BOND.
AND, THANKS
TO MODERN ADVANCEMENTS,
WE'D BE ABLE TO GET THINGS
DONE MUCH FASTER TODAY
THAN THEY DID
IN ANCIENT CHINA.
YOU ACTUALLY COULD BUILD
A SECTION OF THE WALLS
OFF-SITE SOMEWHERE
AND THEN BRING ON-SITE
TO ASSEMBLE THEM TOGETHER.
SO THAT'S ONE WAY OF
POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW,
SPEED UP THE PROCESS.
IN TODAY'S PROCESSES,
MOST EVERYONE EXTRUDES BRICK
WITH A HIGH-PRESSURE,
LOW-MOISTURE MACHINE,
PRESSES THE BRICK OUT
INTO A COLUMN,
GOES THROUGH A MACHINE THAT
PUSHES IT THROUGH THE WIRES,
CUTS IT INTO
THE INDIVIDUAL BRICK,
BASICALLY SETS IT ON A CAR,
TAKES IT INTO A PRECONDITIONED
SHED FOR A DAY OR SO,
AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH
A DRYING PROCESS,
WHICH IS ABOUT THREE
OR FOUR DAYS,
AND THEN IT GOES INTO THE TUNNEL
KILN FOR THE FIRING PROCESS,
WHICH IS TYPICALLY ABOUT A DAY.
SO, GENERALLY, ABOUT A WEEK FROM
THE TIME YOU EXTRUDE THE BRICK,
YOU CAN START PACKAGING
THAT BRICK
AND HAVE IT READY FOR SHIPMENT.
BRICK ALSO HAS ANOTHER
BENEFIT -- ITS LIFE-SPAN.
BASICALLY, THE BRICK MADE TODAY
WILL LAST FOREVER.
WE'RE ENVISIONING A WALL
THAT WOULD NEARLY EQUAL
THE LENGTH
OF THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE TO BUILD TWO
TO COME CLOSE.
THEY'LL MARK THE BOUNDARIES
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES
AND ITS NEIGHBORS
TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH.
BUT NOT EVERYONE AGREES
WITH THE IDEA OF A WALL.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S
A POLITICAL WILL
TO PUT UP A CHAIN LINK FENCE
ON THE BORDER AT THIS POINT.
THERE'S SO MUCH OPPOSITION
TO THE VERY IDEA OF IT.
ASSUMING EVERYONE WAS
IN FAVOR OF OUR WALLS,
WE'D MAKE THEM OUT OF BRICK.
BUT NOT JUST ANY BRICK --
PREFABRICATED BRICK PANELS.
WE'D WANT OUR WALLS TO BE
AS DISTINCTIVE
AS THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA,
BUT STRONGER AND MORE DURABLE.
SO, LET'S FIGURE OUT
HOW WE BUILD IT
AND WHO WOULD DO THE WORK.
THE UNITED STATES HAS ABOUT
300 MILLION RESIDENTS.
CHINA IS APPROACHING
1.5 BILLION PEOPLE.
A BIG POPULATION IS AN ADVANTAGE
IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A BIG WALL.
DURING THE QIN DYNASTY,
THE EMPEROR HAD AN ARMY
OF PEOPLE TO CALL ON.
DURING HIS YEARS,
THE QIN EMPEROR SENT OUT
ABOUT 300,000 TROOPS,
AND THESE TROOPS
WERE BASICALLY PEOPLE WHO WERE
DEFENDING THAT NORTHERN BORDER
TO KEEP THE HUNS AWAY,
AND THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL
MILITARILY.
AND THEN, THE GENERAL JUST KEPT
THE SOLDIERS STATIONED THERE
AND THEN STARTED TO REBUILD
AND TO CONNECT THOSE WALLS
THAT HAD ALREADY EXISTED.
THIS BACK-BREAKING CONSTRUCTION
WAS ALSO DONE BY PRISONERS
AND FORCED LABORERS.
WE WOULD USE PAID SKILLED
WORKERS FOR OUR PROJECT,
WHICH BRINGS US TO
OUR BIGGEST POTENTIAL EXPENSE.
ANCIENT CHINESE EMPERORS
RELIED ON SOLDIERS,
PRISONERS,
AND FORCED LABORERS
TO COMPLETE THEIR GREAT WALL.
TODAY, WE WOULD HIRE AND PAY
SKILLED WORKERS
TO BUILD OUR WALLS.
WE DON'T HAVE A FINAL TALLY YET,
BUT THIS MIGHT BE THE MOST
EXPENSIVE PART OF OUR PLAN.
IT IS THE MANPOWER.
NOT ONLY IS IT THE LARGEST COST,
BUT IT'S THE MOST DIFFICULT
TO KEEP CONSISTENT.
WHERE WE HAVE SOME GREAT GUYS,
IT TOOK YEARS TO GET THE CREWS
THAT WE HAVE NOW VERSUS
HOW IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO.
IT'S HARD TO GET GUYS TO WORK
IN 90-DEGREE WEATHER
AND PICK BLOCK
AND BRICK UP ALL DAY.
IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB.
SO, IF WE BUILT A GREAT WALL
AROUND THE UNITED STATES,
WE'D QUICKLY
RUN OUT OF BRICKLAYERS.
EVEN IF WE COULD TRAIN THEM,
WE'D NEED TO MAKE SURE
WE COULD ACCOMMODATE THEM ALL.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE BUILDING
A BIG PROJECT
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE,
YOU GOT TO HAVE HOTELS,
GAS STATIONS.
YOU GOT TO HAVE RESTAURANTS
AND GROCERY STORES
TO FEED YOUR GUYS,
SO THAT WOULD BE
MY FIRST QUESTION, WOULD BE,
HOW ARE WE GONNA FEED
THE MACHINE OF MANPOWER
TO PRODUCE THIS WALL?
TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION,
MANY MASONS TODAY TURN TO SAM.
SAM WOULD DEFINITELY HELP US
CUT DOWN OUR MANPOWER NEEDS.
THE MORE SAM WORKS,
THE MORE WE'D SAVE.
BUT BEFORE WE CAN ADD UP
OUR FINAL COSTS,
WE'D STILL NEED
TO GET OUR TEAM IN PLACE.
AND SINCE OUR CREWS WOULD BE
WORKING IN THE SOUTHERN HEAT
AND THE NORTHERN COLD,
WE'D NEED TO MAKE SURE
THEY'D BE PREPARED
FOR ALL TYPES OF WEATHER.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
TOOK THE LIVES OF ALMOST
A HALF-A-MILLION WORKERS.
WE WOULD MAKE SURE EVERYONE
IS SAFE ON OUR JOBSITE.
AND IF WE HAVE TO TRANSPORT
MATERIALS,
WE'RE GOING TO BORROW AN IDEA
FROM OUR LOCAL SKI RESORT.
SO, PLANS FOR OUR GREAT WALLS
ARE COMING TOGETHER.
WE'RE TAKING IT ONE BARRIER
AT A TIME.
WE HAVE A LOCATION ALONG THE
NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN BORDERS
OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE DECIDED ON OUR MATERIAL --
BRICK WALLS,
PREFABRICATED OFF-SITE.
WE'LL PRIME THE PUMP
AND THEN WE HIT GO.
WE'D CALL ON A HANDY ROBOT, SAM,
BUT WE WOULD ALSO NEED
A TOTAL OF 1,000 LIVING,
BREATHING SKILLED WORKERS
TO HELP LAY THE STONE,
OPERATE THE HEAVY MACHINERY,
AND OVERSEE THESE WALLS
FROM START TO FINISH.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF TERRITORY
TO COVER.
HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE?
HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?
COULD WE EVEN PULL THIS OFF?
WE'RE IMAGINING WHAT IT WOULD
TAKE TO RECREATE
ONE OF THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD,
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
IN ORDER TO COME CLOSE
TO THE FULL LENGTH
OF THE GREAT WALL,
WE'RE ENVISIONING NOT ONE
BUT TWO BRICK WALLS
ALONG THE LAND BORDERS
OF THE UNITED STATES.
MADE OUT OF LONG-LASTING
MATERIALS
AND BY SKILLED WORKERS,
OUR WALLS MIGHT BE SO GREAT,
SEEING THEM WILL BE
ON PEOPLE'S BUCKET LISTS.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU KNOW
A CHINESE SAYING --
"HE WHO DOES NOT REACH THE GREAT
WALL CANNOT BE A TRUE MAN."
WHEN WE'RE GROWING UP IN CHINA,
THAT SORT OF CONCEPT
ACTUALLY DEEPLY ROOTED
IN OUR MENTALITY THAT GREAT WALL
IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE WORLD.
THE ANCIENT CHINESE BUILT
THEIR WALL BY HAND.
IT TOOK 2,000 YEARS.
WE'D WANT TO BUILD OUR WALL
MUCH FASTER THAN THAT.
AND WE KNOW SAM CAN
DRAMATICALLY SPEED UP
THE PROCESS OF BRICK LAYING.
AND THEN THERE'S ALL THE TIME
WE COULD SAVE
BY USING COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY.
IN THEORY, WE COULD DO IT
IN A DECADE,
SO WE'RE AHEAD OF THE GAME,
RIGHT?
WELL, WE MAY BE
FORGETTING ONE THING.
IN TODAY'S WORLD,
THERE'S A LOT OF PLANNING BEFORE
THE FIRST BRICK CAN BE LAID.
TO BUILD A WALL OF THAT SCALE,
YOU NEED TO DO A VERY THOROUGH
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS,
FOUNDATION ANALYSIS.
AND THEN YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH
ENVIRONMENT IMPACT
ASSESSMENT.
WE'RE HOPING THAT BY USING
A NATURAL MATERIAL LIKE BRICK
AND DOING THE WORK
WITH THE HELP OF ROBOTS,
WE WOULD ACE
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
THEN, WE'LL HAVE TO CONSIDER
THE FOUNDATION,
OR SHOULD WE SAY, THE MANY
FOUNDATIONS WE'LL HAVE TO BUILD.
HERE'S AN IDEA THAT WILL CUT
OUR BUILD TIME IN HALF.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU NEED
MULTIPLE TEAMS COMING IN --
COULD PROBABLY BUILD
FROM TWO ENDS
AND THEN MEET IN THE MIDDLE.
WE'D WANT THIS WALL
DONE QUICKLY,
BUT THE BORDER WITH MEXICO
IS A MAJOR SPEED BUMP.
IT MAY LOOK IDYLLIC
FROM A SADDLE,
BUT FOR A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER,
IT'S A BIT OF A NIGHTMARE.
JUST ASK A LOCAL
LIKE LINDA WALKER.
I'M STANDING
IN THE UNITED STATES,
AND THAT TEENY-WEENY
LITTLE STRIP OF ROCKY WATER
DOWN THERE NO BIGGER
THAN A CANAL IS THE BORDER.
THAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL
BOUNDARY BETWEEN US AND MEXICO.
EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE ON
THAT SIDE, FROM THE TREES ON UP,
IS ANOTHER COUNTRY.
WHEN THEY DREW THIS BOUNDARY
BETWEEN US
AND MEXICO ALONG TEXAS,
THEY CHOSE TO USE A RIVER.
THEY DIDN'T USE A STRAIGHT LINE.
IT'S INCONCEIVABLE TO IMAGINE
HOW LONG THIS
WOULD TAKE TO BUILD.
BUT THAT'S THE THING
ABOUT GREAT WALLS --
THEY SEEM IMPOSSIBLE.
AND, YOU KNOW,
GET UP HIGH ENOUGH
AND IT DOESN'T LOOK AS THOUGH
THE CHINESE WALL FOLLOWS
A STRAIGHT LINE EITHER.
IF THE CHINESE COULD BUILD
THEIR GREAT WALL BY HAND,
SURELY WE COULD MANAGE
WITH TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY.
BUT WE HAVE OUR WORK
CUT OUT FOR US.
OUR GEOLOGICAL CHALLENGES RANGE
FROM BUILDING INTO SOLID ROCK
ON A STEEP CLIFF OR SLOPE
DOWN TO A RIVER BASIN
WHERE WE JUST HAVE UNCONTROLLED
ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS
THAT ARE SOFT, COMPRESSIBLE.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART,
WE CAN GET MODERN EQUIPMENT
IN THE WAY OF AUGERS
TO DRILL DOWN
AND GET US A STRAIGHT SHAFT
WHERE WE'LL SOCK IT
INTO THAT ROCK.
SO, LET'S SOCK IT
TO THE MOST STABLE ROCK,
AND DIG SIX FEET UNDERGROUND
TO PREVENT ANY TUNNELING.
THE FOUNDATION WORK
WOULD DEFINITELY TAKE A WHILE.
BUT WE'LL PLAN TO FLY OUR WALL
IN IN PIECES TO SAVE TIME.
THIS REGION IS VAST,
AND IT'S DRY.
TO AVOID ANY DELAYS, WE WOULD
NEED WATER TO KEEP OUR EQUIPMENT
AND OUR WORKERS COOL.
SO YOU'D GO, "OKAY.
WELL, WE CAN USE WATER
OUT OF THE RIVER."
NO.
FIRST OF ALL, HALF OF THAT WATER
BELONGS TO MEXICO,
NOT SO SURE THAT'S GONNA
WORK OUT REAL WELL.
THERE SEEM TO BE
QUITE A FEW OBSTACLES
STANDING IN THE WAY OF OUR PLAN.
BUT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE STILL
FINDING WAYS TO BUILD WALLS.
COUNTRIES ARE BUILDING WALLS
AROUND THE WORLD TODAY.
SOME OF THEM DON'T TECHNICALLY
FIT THE DEFINITION OF A WALL.
THEY ARE, YOU KNOW,
HIGH-TECH FENCES,
BUT THEY SERVE
THE FUNCTION OF A WALL.
THOSE WALLS ARE BEING BUILT
IN MANY COUNTRIES,
SUCH AS INDIA,
AS A DETERRENT TO TERRORISM.
SAME CAN BE SAID FOR ISRAEL
AND SAUDI ARABIA.
IN OTHER COUNTRIES,
THEY'RE BEING CONSTRUCTED
TO DETER UNWANTED MIGRATION.
YOU SEE THAT ESPECIALLY
IN SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE.
WE KNOW TWO BORDER WALLS
COULD BE CONTROVERSIAL,
BUT IF THIS COUNTRY DECIDES
THIS THE ANTIDOTE
TO OUR ANXIOUS TIMES,
WE THINK WE CAN BUILD
TWO WALLS IN 10 YEARS.
WE'RE ALMOST READY
TO BUILD THIS THING.
SO, HOW STAGGERING
WILL THE COST BE?
WE'RE CONJURING UP
A MODERN-DAY WALL
THAT'S GREATER
THAN THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
HERE'S OUR PLAN -- WE'RE GOING
TO GET THE BRIGHTEST MINDS
TO PLAN A ROUTE
THAT FOLLOWS THE BORDER
BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CANADA
IN THE NORTH,
AND THE U.S.
AND MEXICO IN THE SOUTH.
WE'D WANT TO USE STABLE ROCK
TO ANCHOR OUR WALL,
THEN BRING IN PREFABRICATED
BRICK PANELS.
WE WOULD TRANSPORT THEM
BY GONDOLA OVER THE MOUNTAINS
AND BY HELICOPTER
OVER REMOTE AREAS.
1,000 WORKERS PLUS AN ARMY
OF ROBOTS LIKE SAM
WOULD PUT IT UP
AT SUPER-HIGH SPEED.
THEN, WE COULD CONSIDER GIVING
OUR WALLS A DISTINCTIVE LOOK.
THE BRICKS OR BLOCKS,
ACTUALLY YOU COULD MAKE
DIFFERENT TEXTURES
AND MAKE DIFFERENT COLORS,
AND THEN YOU COULD HAVE
SOME PATTERNS.
WE'D COVER OUR
GREAT WALL WITH THE RED, WHITE,
AND BLUE OF THE AMERICAN FLAG
AND ADD ICONIC STARS
THAT WILL FLUORESCE AT NIGHT.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE US 10 YEARS
AND 1,000 WORKERS.
NOW IT'S TIME TO GET STARTED.
FIRST, WE'LL DRILL DOWN
AND SET UP A STRONG FOUNDATION.
TERRAIN IS ALWAYS A FACTOR,
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE IN
CLOSE COMMUNICATION
WITH THE JOBSITE CONTRACTOR
AND ENGINEERING.
IT TAKES A LOT OF LABOR,
IT TAKES A LOT OF DESIGN,
AND IT TAKES A LOT
OF PEOPLE INVOLVED
TO MAKE SURE IT'S DONE
RIGHT AND DONE SAFELY.
THEN WE'LL GONDOLA
IN THE BRICK WALLS,
MADE TOUGH ENOUGH
TO LAST FOR CENTURIES.
WE'LL START
BUILDING SIMULTANEOUSLY
ON THE EAST
AND WEST COASTS.
WE'LL GIVE A BONUS TO
THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM
THAT REACHES THE MIDDLE FIRST.
WE'LL INSTALL STATUES
OF THE EMBLEMATIC BALD EAGLE
IN THE MOST VISIBLE LOCATIONS.
WE DID IT!
WE BUILT BARRIERS
ABOVE AND BELOW
ONE OF THE LARGEST
COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.
WE USED BRICK, ONE OF THE MOST
TRUSTED CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS.
WE USED THE LATEST DIGITAL
TECHNOLOGY AND ROBOTICS
TO GET THE JOB DONE.
IT TOOK US 10 YEARS,
REQUIRED 1,000 WORKERS.
SO, HOW ABOUT OUR BUDGET?
WE FIGURED $2 TRILLION
FOR BRICKS,
AT LEAST $18 BILLION
TO TRANSPORT THE WALL IN PANELS,
ANOTHER BILLION FOR LABOR,
AND HALF-A-BILLION FOR THE
LATEST IN SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS.
NO ONE'S GOING TO GET
OVER THIS WALL
WITHOUT OUR KNOWING ABOUT IT.
IT'S STARTING TO ADD UP.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A GRAND TOTAL
OF $2.25 TRILLION.
BUT WE HAVE AN IDEA TO HELP
BRING DOWN THE COST.
WE'LL INVITE ALL THE LEADERS
IN THE WORLD
TO THE GREATEST FIREWORKS
DISPLAY EVER.
WE'LL INVITE THE BIGGEST STARS
TO STAND ATOP OUR WALLS
AND PERFORM IN A CONCERT THEY'LL
TALK ABOUT FOR GENERATIONS.
WE'LL CHRISTEN THE WALLS
ON THE 4th OF JULY
AND HOLD AN ANNIVERSARY EVENT
EVERY YEAR
TO HELP PAY
THE MAINTENANCE COSTS.
BECAUSE THIS IS
MORE THAN A WALL.
WE KNOW NOT EVERYBODY
WILL BE EXCITED,
BUT MAYBE SOME PEOPLE WILL GAIN
A GREATER SENSE OF SECURITY.
WE ARE A SPECIES
OF WALL BUILDERS,
AND EVEN WHERE THERE ARE
NO BORDER WALLS,
THERE ARE ALWAYS WALLS.
TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF MICRO-WALLS,
WALLS AROUND THE HOMES
OF THE RICH,
AROUND GATED NEIGHBORHOODS.
I DON'T THINK WALLS ARE GOING
ANYWHERE ANYTIME SOON.
THE FACT THAT WE CONTINUE
TO BUILD WALLS
INDICATES THAT WE'RE SIMPLY
NOT THAT DIFFERENT
FROM THE GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE
THAT CAME BEFORE US --
THAT WE PREFER NOT TO FIGHT.
THAT WE PREFER TO HAVE
OTHER PEOPLE
OR OTHER THINGS GUARD US.
WE'RE HOPING THAT LIKE
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA,
THE STRENGTH AND DESIGN
OF OUR WALLS
WILL SPARK AWE AND ENTHUSIASM
FOR GENERATIONS TO COME,
AND THAT IT MIGHT BE A REMINDER
OF WHAT GREAT THINGS
CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED
IF WE BUILT IT TODAY.
MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
WE'VE BEEN BUILDING WALLS
FOR AT LEAST 10,000 YEARS,
BEGINNING WITH THE CITY
OF JERICHO, THE BIBLICAL CITY.
WE'RE EXPLORING THE ENGINEERING
EPIC OF THE LONGEST WALL
IN HISTORY,
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS
AND ALSO THE LONGEST MANMADE
STRUCTURAL DEFENSE SYSTEM
FROM ANCIENT TIMES.
BUT DO WE HAVE THE
NEED FOR A NEW GREAT WALL TODAY?
MODERN DESIGNERS
ARE ON THE FENCE
ABOUT WHAT MAKES A GREAT WALL.
WHATEVER YOU'RE SETTING ON,
YOU'RE ONLY AS GOOD
AS YOUR FOUNDATION.
AND IF YOU DON'T DO IT RIGHT,
THAT SCAFFOLDING'S
GONNA COME DOWN.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
ARCHITECTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS
IN HUMAN HISTORY.
IT'S THE NUMBER-ONE WALL.
BUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE PERISHED PUTTING IT UP.
THEIR REMAINS HAVE NEVER
BEEN FOUND,
AND SOME SAY IT'S BECAUSE
THEY LIE WITHIN THE WALL ITSELF.
THE AMOUNT OF SKILLED
LABOR IN THE THOUSANDS
THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO APPLY
AND PUT ON THEIR PROJECT
WAS SOMETHING THAT WILL NEVER
HAPPEN AGAIN IN HUMAN HISTORY.
BUT PERHAPS THE GREATEST THING
ABOUT THE GREAT WALL
WAS ITS SPECTACULAR FAILURE.
ONCE YOU HAVE THIS WALL BUILT,
IT MAY NOT BE EFFICIENT ENOUGH
TO KEEP THE ARCHERS
OR THE ARROWS AWAY.
WE'RE ON THE JOBSITE OF ONE
OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST WONDERS.
AND WE'RE WONDERING --
HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE?
HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?
HOW MANY WORKERS WOULD WE NEED?
COULD WE EVEN DO IT
IF WE BUILT IT TODAY?
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
IT'S THE MOST FAMOUS
WALL ON THE PLANET,
AND THE LONGEST STRUCTURE
EVER BUILT --
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST
RECOGNIZABLE LANDMARKS
IN THE WORLD.
IT BEGINS IN THE GOBI DESERT
AND SNAKES ITS WAY EAST
ALL THE WAY TO THE BORDER
OF NORTH KOREA.
THE WALL IS ACTUALLY
MORE THAN ONE WALL,
IT'S A SERIES OF WALLS
BUILT STARTING IN 717 B.C.
THE EMPEROR OF QIN DYNASTY,
YING ZHENG,
DECIDED TO CONNECT
ALL THOSE WALLS
TOGETHER TO FORM THE INITIAL
FORM OF THE GREAT WALL LATER.
THE MOST RECENT SECTION ACTUALLY
WAS BUILT IN THE MING DYNASTY,
THAT'S ABOUT 1300 A.D.,
AND THAT'S THE SECTION
ACTUALLY MOST TOURISTS
AROUND THE WORLD VISIT
EVERY YEAR.
IT'S AS HIGH AS
A 4-STORY BUILDING...
...AND IS WIDE ENOUGH
TO ACCOMMODATE
A HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE.
BUT IT'S MOST WELL-KNOWN
FOR ITS LENGTH,
MORE THAN 13,000 MILES LONG.
THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF MORE
THAN HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD,
A LOT LONGER THAN ANY WALLS
BEING CONSIDERED TODAY.
THE AMERICAN AND MEXICO BORDER
IS ABOUT 1,900 MILES.
THE GREAT WALL IS ABOUT
SEVEN TIMES LONGER.
10 MILLION PEOPLE TRAVEL
TO THE GREAT WALL EACH YEAR
TO TAKE A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME
WALK.
THE BIGGEST AND THE BEST
AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL,
MOST ARCHITECTURALLY PLEASING,
STRUCTURALLY SOUND,
ACTUALLY USED
AS A DEFENSIVE BARRIER
IS THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
IT TOOK 2,000 YEARS TO BUILD.
COULD WE USE MODERN TECHNOLOGY
TO BUILD A WALL
LIKE THIS IN LESS TIME?
THE WALL OF CHINA MUST HAVE
BEEN BUILT OVER CENTURIES,
AND, YOU KNOW,
WE CAN'T EVEN WAIT FOR A HIGHWAY
TO BE BUILT IN TWO
TO FOUR YEARS.
IT'S RIDICULOUS TO TRY
TO BUILD A WALL ACROSS.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY
AN ENORMOUS UNDERTAKING.
IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.
AND DOES THE WORLD
EVEN NEED ANOTHER GREAT WALL?
HISTORICALLY, WALLS WERE
CONSTRUCTED FOR THE PURPOSE
OF DIMINISHING CONFLICT,
DETERRING ATTACK, OR INVASION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S IRONIC
A LOT PEOPLE NOWADAYS SAY,
"BUILD BRIDGES, NOT WALLS,"
BUT HISTORICALLY SPEAKING,
IT WAS WALLS THAT WERE BUILT
IN ORDER TO DETER WAR,
AND IT WAS BRIDGES
THAT WERE BUILT IN ORDER
TO MAKE INVASIONS POSSIBLE.
COULD WE DO IT?
YEAH, WE COULD DO IT.
YEAH, IT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE,
BUT WE COULD PULL IT OFF.
AFTER TWO MILLENNIA,
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
HAS BECOME MORE THAN
A DIVIDING LINE,
IT HAS BECOME A SYMBOL
OF NATIONAL PRIDE.
WHEN WE'RE GROWING UP IN CHINA,
THAT SORT OF CONCEPT, PERCEPTION
ACTUALLY DEEPLY ROOTED
IN OUR MENTALITY,
THAT THE GREAT WALL
IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE WORLD.
WE WANT TO KNOW HOW
THE ANCIENT CHINESE
MANAGED TO PULL OFF
SUCH A REMARKABLE FEAT.
SO, FOR THE CHALLENGES OF
TRANSPORTING BUILDING MATERIALS,
LIKE MOVING BRICKS,
TO THE TOP OF A HILL,
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAD CARRIED
THESE BRICKS ON THEIR BACKS.
WHEN THE SLOPE WAS NOT
TOO STEEP,
THEY CAN USE
DONKEY-PULLED CARTS.
TO COME CLOSE TO THE FULL LENGTH
OF THE GREAT WALL,
WE HAVE TO IMAGINE
BUILDING TWO WALLS
ALONG THE NORTHERN
AND SOUTHERN BORDERS OF AMERICA.
WHEN CONSIDERING
THIS MASSIVE UNDERTAKING,
WE CAN LEARN FROM THE ORIGINAL.
WHEN THE GREAT WALL
WAS CONSTRUCTED,
THE CHINESE TOOK ADVANTAGE
OF THE COLDER SEASONS.
IN WINTER, THEY WOULD FELL SOME
OF THE TREES TO HAVE A SLOPE
AND THEN TO POUR WATER DOWN
AND LET THE WATER FREEZE
SO THEN THEY HAVE
THIS SMOOTH SLIDE
THAT COULD MAKE TRANSPORTATION A
LOT EASIER TO CARRY LARGE ROCKS.
BUT THAT WOULDN'T WORK
FOR US DURING WARMER MONTHS.
THE HEAT CAN CAUSE
THE HOSES TO OVERHEAT
AND THE HYDRAULIC FLUID
TO RUPTURE THE HOSES.
THE MACHINERY IS ACTUALLY
VERY HOT TO TOUCH.
YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL
WHEN YOU'RE CLIMBING ONTO IT
THAT YOU DON'T BURN YOUR HANDS
AS YOU'RE CLIMBING UP AND DOWN,
EVEN TO GET A BREAK.
AND IF WOULD REQUIRE
A MASSIVE WORKFORCE.
WE KNOW,
BACK IN THE QIN DYNASTY,
THERE WERE ABOUT
A MILLION LABORERS
BEING INVOLVED
IN THE CONSTRUCTION.
FOR US TO COMMIT THAT AMOUNT
OF PEOPLE,
THAT AMOUNT OF LABOR
SOMEPLACE IN THE WORLD
WOULD LIKELY ONLY BE
TO SAVE OUR PLANET.
IF WE WERE TO START OVER TODAY
TRYING TO RECREATE
THAT PHYSICAL BARRIER
WHICH IS A VERY LARGE,
MASSIVE WALL,
AND WE LOOK AT THE PROTOTYPES
THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED
FOR THIS,
EVEN GIVEN OUR TECHNOLOGY TODAY,
THE BEST ESTIMATES TELL US
THAT WE WOULD HAVE
HAD TO STARTED THIS
SOMETIME RIGHT AFTER
THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.
BUT WHY WOULD WE CONSIDER
BUILDING ONE TODAY?
CITY WALLS, HISTORICALLY,
WERE ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE
AT REPELLING ATTACKS.
IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME,
JUST ASK ATTILA THE HUN
WHAT HE THOUGHT OF CITY WALLS.
MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO,
CHINA WAS FACING THREATS
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE ITS COUNTRY.
THEY BUILD THIS WALL
TO PROTECT THEMSELVES,
BASICALLY TO KEEP THE TRIBAL
PEOPLES FROM RAIDING, LOOTING,
AND SO IT WAS
A MILITARY DEFENSE.
BY THE TIME OF THE MING,
THERE WAS MAINLY THE CONCERNS
ABOUT THE MONGOLS.
AND BY THE TIME OF THE END
OF THE MING,
THE CONCERNS
WERE ABOUT THE MANCHUS.
ATTILA THE HUN MAY NOT
BE LURKING
OVER THE NEXT HILL
IN AMERICA,
BUT EVERY AGE
HAS ITS OWN WORRIES.
AND WALLS MAKE SOME PEOPLE
FEEL SAFE.
WALLS DO PROVIDE
A CERTAIN DEGREE OF SECURITY,
BUT THE MORE WE BECOME
ACCUSTOMED TO SECURITY,
THE LOWER THE THRESHOLD REQUIRED
TO TRIGGER OUR INSECURITIES.
WE HAVE BECOME A MORE
SECURE WORLD
IN THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES,
ESPECIALLY SINCE THE END
OF THE COLD WAR.
WE JUST DON'T FEEL IT,
AND THEREFORE WE ARE WRACKED BY
WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED,
I THINK, LESSER CONCERNS
20 YEARS AGO,
30 YEARS AGO, 40 YEARS AGO,
BUT THOSE SAME CONCERNS ARE,
YOU KNOW, DRIVING US
TO DISTRACTION.
WE'VE BEEN BUILDING
PROTECTIVE WALLS
SINCE THE 21st CENTURY B.C.
IN MANY WAYS,
THE HISTORY OF THE WALLS
IS THE HISTORY
OF CIVILIZATION.
EVERY MAN WAS TRAINED
TO BE A WARRIOR,
HE WAS TRAINED
TO DEFEND HIS COMMUNITY.
THE BUILDING OF WALLS
ALLEVIATED THAT NECESSITY,
AND THAT ENABLED MEN
TO FOLLOW DIFFERENT AVOCATIONS,
TO SPECIALIZE
IN DIFFERENT THINGS,
TO BECOME WRITERS, ARTISTS,
SCIENTISTS, PHILOSOPHERS.
IN THE U.K.,
YOU CAN STILL SEE THE REMAINS
OF HADRIAN'S WALL.
IT WAS BUILT IN THE YEAR 122
BY EMPEROR HADRIAN,
PRIMARILY TO KEEP THE SCOTS
OUT OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
AT THE TIME, THE ROMAN
EMPIRE WAS THE DEFENDER
OF MUCH OF CIVILIZATION
ON THREE CONTINENTS.
SO WHAT THE ROMANS
WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WERE
THE PEOPLE THEY KNEW
AS THE BARBARIANS.
THE MOST INFAMOUS WALL IN
MODERN TIMES IS THE BERLIN WALL.
THE NEARLY 12-FOOT-HIGH
CEMENT BARRIER
WAS BUILT TO KEEP EAST GERMANS
FROM DEFECTING TO WEST BERLIN
WHEN THE CITY WAS DIVIDED
AFTER WORLD WAR II.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE WALL WAS
SCARY TO PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES.
OUTSIDE BERLIN, WESTERN LEADERS
ODDLY ENOUGH
VIEWED IT
WITH A SIGH OF RELIEF.
THEY SAW IT AS THE END
OF A CRISIS,
RATHER THAN A BEGINNING.
THEY HOPED THAT IT WOULD AVERT
THERMONUCLEAR WAR
AND DE-ESCALATE TENSIONS.
THE KIND OF STRENGTH WE BUILD
IN THE UNITED STATES
WILL BE THE DEFENSE OF FREEDOM.
JOHN KENNEDY SAID,
"A WALL IS A HELL OF A LOT
BETTER THAN A WAR."
WHAT CHANGED OPINIONS WAS
THE PRESENCE
OF WESTERN NEWS CORRESPONDENTS
IN BERLIN
AND EVER AFTER THE WALL
HAS BEEN SYMBOL OF INFAMY.
A LOT PEOPLE WERE
HAPPY TO SEE THE BERLIN WALL
COME DOWN IN 1989.
AND WALLS HAVE BEEN A
CONTENTIOUS SUBJECT EVER SINCE.
THERE'S NO DOUBT
THAT THE BERLIN WALL
WAS THE KEY
TO OUR RE-EVALUATION OF WALLS.
WALLS FOR MOST OF 10,000 YEARS
WERE ENTIRELY NONCONTROVERSIAL.
IT SEEMS THERE ARE PROS AND CONS
TO CONSTRUCTING
A MODERN-DAY GREAT WALL,
BUT BEFORE WE DRAW UP
OUR BLUEPRINT,
WE NEED TO DECIDE IF IT'S WORTH
TAKING ON THE CHALLENGE.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
HELPED PROTECT AND UNIFY
ONE OF THE MOST POPULATED
COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.
WE'RE IMAGINING WHAT IT WOULD
TAKE TO DO THAT AROUND AMERICA.
WE HAVE THE GREAT WALL IN CHINA
ALREADY,
SERVING AS A SYMBOL OF CULTURE,
CIVILIZATION,
HUMAN WISDOM, ACHIEVEMENTS.
WALLS PROVIDE
A PHYSICAL BARRIER,
AND AS LONG AS THEY'RE GUARDED,
THEY TEND TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE.
A WALL WAS A TOOL,
IT'S A FORCE MULTIPLIER.
SO, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE
TO ERECT A STRUCTURE
THAT'S IMPRESSIVE, INNOVATIVE,
AND BUILT TO LAST
FOR THE NEXT 2,000 YEARS?
THAT'S THE DIRECTIVE THAT WILL
GUIDE EVERY DECISION
WE CONSIDER
ABOUT OUR TWO NEW WALLS.
WHAT ROUTE
ARE WE GOING TO TAKE?
WHAT KIND OF MATERIALS
WILL WE USE?
HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT?
WHO'S GOING TO BUILD IT?
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
AND HOW MUCH WILL
THIS WHOLE THING COST?
WE'RE ENVISIONING TWO WALLS
ACROSS AMERICA'S NORTH
AND SOUTH BORDERS, BUT WE NEED
TO MAP A PRECISE ROUTE.
OUR WALLS WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE
QUITE AS LONG AS CHINA'S,
BUT WE'D NEED TO CONSIDER
THE TRICKY TERRAIN,
ESPECIALLY ALONG
THE SOUTHERN BORDER WITH MEXICO.
IF YOU WERE TO FLY OVER THIS,
THE SHEER AMOUNT OF UNINHABITED
LANDSCAPE
IS MIND-BOGGLING.
YOU HAVE A MILLION-ACRE
NATIONAL PARK,
YOU HAVE A 350,000-ACRE
STATE PARK,
AND YOU HAVE RANCHES THAT
ARE TYPICALLY IN THE 200,000
TO 300,000-ACRE SIZE RANGE.
IT'S BIG, AND IT'S ROUGH.
BUT WE HAVE AN ENGINEER WHO SAYS
A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT
CAN IMPROVE A WALL,
ESPECIALLY IF IT'S
AS HILLY AS CHINA.
SO, THESE LARGE GRADE CHANGES
MADE IT INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT
TO ACCESS THE WALL,
SO EVEN IF AN ENEMY
WAS TO SCALE A MOUNTAIN
OR A HILL OR A RIDGE
TO GET UP
TO THE BASE OF THE WALL,
THEY THEN HAD TO TRY TO GET UP
AND OVER THE WALL.
SO, WE'LL BE PREPARED TO HANDLE
ANY BUMPS IN THE ROAD.
AMERICA'S TOP AND BOTTOM
LAND BORDERS
EQUAL OVER 6,000 MILES.
OCEANS TO THE EAST AND WEST ACT
AS NATURAL BARRIERS IN OUR PLAN.
THE NEXT BIG QUESTION IS,
WHAT COULD WE BUILD IT OUT OF?
THE OLDEST PORTIONS OF
THE ANCIENT CHINESE WALL,
WHICH MOST TOURISTS
NEVER GET TO SEE,
WERE MADE OF
WHAT'S CALLED RAMMED EARTH,
THE SAME COLOR
AS THE NEARBY DESERT.
THEY PERMA-MIX THE SOIL
AND THE ROCKS
AND THE SMALL STONES TOGETHER,
AND BASICALLY JUST HAMMER DOWN
TO COMPACT TO FORM A SHAPE.
MIND YOU, THAT WAS BUILT
AROUND 700 B.C.
SO THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE
A MODERN TECHNOLOGY
TO MAKE BRICKS,
BUT THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF SOILS
AND THE ROCKS,
AND THEY SOMEHOW FIGURE OUT
A WAY TO MAKE A STABLE STRUCTURE
JUST BY COMPACTING THEM
INTO SHAPES.
IT WOULD BE ALMOST 10 CENTURIES
BEFORE THE CHINESE WOULD INVENT
THE WHEELBARROW,
EASING THE BURDEN OF GENERATIONS
OF WALL BUILDERS
AND EARNING
THE ETERNAL GRATITUDE
OF GARDENERS EVERYWHERE.
WHILE IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREA
OF THE COUNTRY,
THE ANCIENT CHINESE
BUILT WITH STONE.
DURING THAT PERIOD, THEY LEARNED
PROBABLY HOW TO CHISEL
AND TO CUT AND ADDRESS STONE
TO DIFFERENT SHAPES.
SOME OF THE GREATEST BUILDINGS
IN THE WORLD ARE MADE OF STONE.
SO, COULD WE USE IT
FOR OUR WALL?
IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA,
WE'RE GIFTED WITH MASONS
THAT STILL CAN DO
ROCK MASONRY WALLS.
IT'S A DYING ART.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF LABOR
SKILLED WITH THEIR HANDS
TO BE ABLE
TO ACCOMPLISH THAT ANYMORE.
WE DON'T CUT STONE BY HAND,
WE CUT STONE WITH MACHINES,
WITH BLADES,
WITH LARGE INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT.
SO, OUR WALLS WOULD BE FORCED
TO HAVE A MORE MODERN LOOK.
WHAT ABOUT CONCRETE?
SO, TO ME, YOU KNOW,
AESTHETICALLY,
IT'S JUST A CHUNK OF CONCRETE,
IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT
UNIQUE CHARACTER THAT BRICKS
OR EVEN RAMMED EARTH OFFER.
AND SECONDLY, WHEN YOU HAVE
A MASSIVE CONCRETE STRUCTURE,
THINK ABOUT THE HOOVER DAM.
YOU WILL BE DEALING
WITH THE THERMAL CRACKING.
HERE'S THE COLD, HARD TRUTH
ABOUT CONCRETE.
IF IT'S MASS CONCRETE --
THAT IS,
BIGGER THAN 3 SQUARE FEET --
THERE'S A LOT OF SURFACE AREA
THAT REACTS TO A CHANGE
IN TEMPERATURE.
THE PROBLEM IS THE INSIDE
TAKES LONGER TO ADJUST.
IF, FOR INSTANCE,
THE INTERIOR HAS BEEN
SLOWLY HEATING UP AND EXPANDING
WHILE THE OUTSIDE IS QUICKLY
STARTING TO COOL AND CONTRACT,
SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE.
IT'S CALLED THERMAL CRACKING.
IT HAS PROPERTIES THAT MAKE IT
SUSCEPTIBLE TO WEATHERING,
WEARING, IT'S GONNA
BREAK DOWN EVENTUALLY.
THE REBAR INSIDE OF IT
CAN CORRODE, EXPAND.
AND FOR THESE REASONS,
I REALLY DON'T SEE CONCRETE
AS A VIABLE SOLUTION FOR A WALL
THAT NEEDS TO LAST
SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS.
WE WOULDN'T WANT
THE REPAIR COSTS FOR OUR WALLS
TO BE AS INSURMOUNTABLE
AS THE WALLS THEMSELVES,
SO LET'S CONSIDER STEEL.
SO, ONE, IT'S EXPENSIVE TO HAVE
A STEEL WALL OF THAT SIZE.
AND SECONDLY,
IT'S NOT INTEGRATED
WELL WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
STEEL MORE FEELS LIKE
A FOREIGN MATERIAL
WHEN YOU SEE IT WITHIN NATURE,
WITH TREES, WITH SOILS.
AND THE THIRD, I THINK THERE
MIGHT BE A LONG-TERM
CORROSION PROBLEM, AS WELL.
SO THAT WILL ALSO RAISE
THE MAINTENANCE COST.
WE WOULDN'T WANT OUR WALLS
TO CRACK, RUST, OR EVEN WORSE.
WHY DON'T WE LOOK INTO
ONE OF THE STRONGEST-
AND LONGEST-LASTING BUILDING
MATERIALS IN EXISTENCE -- BRICK.
YOU CAN MASS MANUFACTURE
BRICKS AND THE BLOCKS.
AND THE STONES, YOU HAVE TO
QUARRY THE STONES
AND THEN TRANSPORT
BECAUSE THEY'RE HEAVIER
AND WILL HAVE HEAVIER
TRANSPORTATION COST THAN
THE OTHER TWO MATERIALS.
BRICK IS
A COMBINATION OF GOOD LOOKS
AND LOW MAINTENANCE.
IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT
BUILDING MATERIAL
FOR OUR TWO HYPOTHETICAL WALLS.
BRICK WAS EVENTUALLY USED
TO FINISH CONSTRUCTION
OF THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA,
BUT THE ANCIENT CHINESE BUILDERS
ALSO ADDED
AN UNCONVENTIONAL INGREDIENT
THAT JUST MIGHT BE THE REASON
THE WALL IS STILL
STANDING TODAY.
THE GREAT WALL OF
CHINA IS STILL STANDING TALL
AFTER THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
WE'RE CONTEMPLATING WHAT IT
WOULD TAKE TO BUILD TWO WALLS
ALONG THE AMERICAN BORDERS
THAT WOULD LAST JUST AS LONG.
EVEN THOUGH, TODAY, WE HAVE
ACCESS TO MORE MODERN MATERIALS
LIKE STEEL, WE'VE DECIDED
THAT WE WOULD USE BRICK,
JUST LIKE
THE ANCIENT CHINESE DID.
THE BRICK, ESSENTIALLY,
THAT'S COMING OUT OF EARTH,
THEY FIRE THE BRICKS IN OVENS,
AND THEN THAT'S PRETTY MUCH
THE FINAL PRODUCT.
SO THE ENTIRE PROCESS
OF MAKING BRICK
IS A LOT MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY THAN MAKING STEEL.
BUT THE BRICK-MAKING PROCESS
IS MORE COMPLICATED
THAN IT MAY SEEM.
BRICKS ARE MADE OF SHALE,
WHICH IS SOFT LAYER OF ROCKS,
AND THEN THEY GRIND THE ROCKS
INTO ALMOST POWDER,
AND THEN MIX IT WITH WATER
TO FORM A VERY STIFF CLAY MIX,
AND THEN THE MIX WILL FORM
SOMETHING CALLED A SLUG.
AND THEN THERE WILL BE
A CUTTING PROCESS
TO CUT THE SLUG INTO SIZES.
WHAT GOES BETWEEN THE BRICKS
IS A DIFFERENT MATTER.
TURNS OUT, THE CHINESE
HAD A SECRET INGREDIENT,
ONE THAT GREW
ALL AROUND THEM.
IN MODERN TIMES RIGHT NOW,
WE'RE USING SOMETHING
CALLED MORTAR,
WHICH IS MIXTURE OF CEMENT,
LIME, SAND, AND WATER.
IN THE OLD TIMES,
THEY CLEARLY DON'T HAVE CEMENT
SO THEY USED STICKY RICE,
AND THE LIME, AND PROBABLY SAND,
AND THE WATER MIXTURE.
OUR WORKERS WOULDN'T NEED TO USE
WHAT'S IN THEIR LUNCH BOX
TO BUILD OUR WALLS.
LUCKILY FOR US, MODERN BRICK HAS
THE STICKINESS BUILT RIGHT IN.
IT BINDS WITH THE FIRED CLAY
ON THE BRICK,
AND BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS
IS WHEN YOU LAY THE BRICK,
YOU PUT THE MORTAR ON THERE.
THE BRICK PULLS THE MOISTURE
OUT OF THE MORTAR,
AND THAT CREATES THE BOND.
AND, THANKS
TO MODERN ADVANCEMENTS,
WE'D BE ABLE TO GET THINGS
DONE MUCH FASTER TODAY
THAN THEY DID
IN ANCIENT CHINA.
YOU ACTUALLY COULD BUILD
A SECTION OF THE WALLS
OFF-SITE SOMEWHERE
AND THEN BRING ON-SITE
TO ASSEMBLE THEM TOGETHER.
SO THAT'S ONE WAY OF
POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW,
SPEED UP THE PROCESS.
IN TODAY'S PROCESSES,
MOST EVERYONE EXTRUDES BRICK
WITH A HIGH-PRESSURE,
LOW-MOISTURE MACHINE,
PRESSES THE BRICK OUT
INTO A COLUMN,
GOES THROUGH A MACHINE THAT
PUSHES IT THROUGH THE WIRES,
CUTS IT INTO
THE INDIVIDUAL BRICK,
BASICALLY SETS IT ON A CAR,
TAKES IT INTO A PRECONDITIONED
SHED FOR A DAY OR SO,
AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH
A DRYING PROCESS,
WHICH IS ABOUT THREE
OR FOUR DAYS,
AND THEN IT GOES INTO THE TUNNEL
KILN FOR THE FIRING PROCESS,
WHICH IS TYPICALLY ABOUT A DAY.
SO, GENERALLY, ABOUT A WEEK FROM
THE TIME YOU EXTRUDE THE BRICK,
YOU CAN START PACKAGING
THAT BRICK
AND HAVE IT READY FOR SHIPMENT.
BRICK ALSO HAS ANOTHER
BENEFIT -- ITS LIFE-SPAN.
BASICALLY, THE BRICK MADE TODAY
WILL LAST FOREVER.
WE'RE ENVISIONING A WALL
THAT WOULD NEARLY EQUAL
THE LENGTH
OF THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE TO BUILD TWO
TO COME CLOSE.
THEY'LL MARK THE BOUNDARIES
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES
AND ITS NEIGHBORS
TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH.
BUT NOT EVERYONE AGREES
WITH THE IDEA OF A WALL.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S
A POLITICAL WILL
TO PUT UP A CHAIN LINK FENCE
ON THE BORDER AT THIS POINT.
THERE'S SO MUCH OPPOSITION
TO THE VERY IDEA OF IT.
ASSUMING EVERYONE WAS
IN FAVOR OF OUR WALLS,
WE'D MAKE THEM OUT OF BRICK.
BUT NOT JUST ANY BRICK --
PREFABRICATED BRICK PANELS.
WE'D WANT OUR WALLS TO BE
AS DISTINCTIVE
AS THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA,
BUT STRONGER AND MORE DURABLE.
SO, LET'S FIGURE OUT
HOW WE BUILD IT
AND WHO WOULD DO THE WORK.
THE UNITED STATES HAS ABOUT
300 MILLION RESIDENTS.
CHINA IS APPROACHING
1.5 BILLION PEOPLE.
A BIG POPULATION IS AN ADVANTAGE
IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A BIG WALL.
DURING THE QIN DYNASTY,
THE EMPEROR HAD AN ARMY
OF PEOPLE TO CALL ON.
DURING HIS YEARS,
THE QIN EMPEROR SENT OUT
ABOUT 300,000 TROOPS,
AND THESE TROOPS
WERE BASICALLY PEOPLE WHO WERE
DEFENDING THAT NORTHERN BORDER
TO KEEP THE HUNS AWAY,
AND THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL
MILITARILY.
AND THEN, THE GENERAL JUST KEPT
THE SOLDIERS STATIONED THERE
AND THEN STARTED TO REBUILD
AND TO CONNECT THOSE WALLS
THAT HAD ALREADY EXISTED.
THIS BACK-BREAKING CONSTRUCTION
WAS ALSO DONE BY PRISONERS
AND FORCED LABORERS.
WE WOULD USE PAID SKILLED
WORKERS FOR OUR PROJECT,
WHICH BRINGS US TO
OUR BIGGEST POTENTIAL EXPENSE.
ANCIENT CHINESE EMPERORS
RELIED ON SOLDIERS,
PRISONERS,
AND FORCED LABORERS
TO COMPLETE THEIR GREAT WALL.
TODAY, WE WOULD HIRE AND PAY
SKILLED WORKERS
TO BUILD OUR WALLS.
WE DON'T HAVE A FINAL TALLY YET,
BUT THIS MIGHT BE THE MOST
EXPENSIVE PART OF OUR PLAN.
IT IS THE MANPOWER.
NOT ONLY IS IT THE LARGEST COST,
BUT IT'S THE MOST DIFFICULT
TO KEEP CONSISTENT.
WHERE WE HAVE SOME GREAT GUYS,
IT TOOK YEARS TO GET THE CREWS
THAT WE HAVE NOW VERSUS
HOW IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO.
IT'S HARD TO GET GUYS TO WORK
IN 90-DEGREE WEATHER
AND PICK BLOCK
AND BRICK UP ALL DAY.
IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB.
SO, IF WE BUILT A GREAT WALL
AROUND THE UNITED STATES,
WE'D QUICKLY
RUN OUT OF BRICKLAYERS.
EVEN IF WE COULD TRAIN THEM,
WE'D NEED TO MAKE SURE
WE COULD ACCOMMODATE THEM ALL.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE BUILDING
A BIG PROJECT
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE,
YOU GOT TO HAVE HOTELS,
GAS STATIONS.
YOU GOT TO HAVE RESTAURANTS
AND GROCERY STORES
TO FEED YOUR GUYS,
SO THAT WOULD BE
MY FIRST QUESTION, WOULD BE,
HOW ARE WE GONNA FEED
THE MACHINE OF MANPOWER
TO PRODUCE THIS WALL?
TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION,
MANY MASONS TODAY TURN TO SAM.
SAM WOULD DEFINITELY HELP US
CUT DOWN OUR MANPOWER NEEDS.
THE MORE SAM WORKS,
THE MORE WE'D SAVE.
BUT BEFORE WE CAN ADD UP
OUR FINAL COSTS,
WE'D STILL NEED
TO GET OUR TEAM IN PLACE.
AND SINCE OUR CREWS WOULD BE
WORKING IN THE SOUTHERN HEAT
AND THE NORTHERN COLD,
WE'D NEED TO MAKE SURE
THEY'D BE PREPARED
FOR ALL TYPES OF WEATHER.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
TOOK THE LIVES OF ALMOST
A HALF-A-MILLION WORKERS.
WE WOULD MAKE SURE EVERYONE
IS SAFE ON OUR JOBSITE.
AND IF WE HAVE TO TRANSPORT
MATERIALS,
WE'RE GOING TO BORROW AN IDEA
FROM OUR LOCAL SKI RESORT.
SO, PLANS FOR OUR GREAT WALLS
ARE COMING TOGETHER.
WE'RE TAKING IT ONE BARRIER
AT A TIME.
WE HAVE A LOCATION ALONG THE
NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN BORDERS
OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE DECIDED ON OUR MATERIAL --
BRICK WALLS,
PREFABRICATED OFF-SITE.
WE'LL PRIME THE PUMP
AND THEN WE HIT GO.
WE'D CALL ON A HANDY ROBOT, SAM,
BUT WE WOULD ALSO NEED
A TOTAL OF 1,000 LIVING,
BREATHING SKILLED WORKERS
TO HELP LAY THE STONE,
OPERATE THE HEAVY MACHINERY,
AND OVERSEE THESE WALLS
FROM START TO FINISH.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF TERRITORY
TO COVER.
HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE?
HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?
COULD WE EVEN PULL THIS OFF?
WE'RE IMAGINING WHAT IT WOULD
TAKE TO RECREATE
ONE OF THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD,
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
IN ORDER TO COME CLOSE
TO THE FULL LENGTH
OF THE GREAT WALL,
WE'RE ENVISIONING NOT ONE
BUT TWO BRICK WALLS
ALONG THE LAND BORDERS
OF THE UNITED STATES.
MADE OUT OF LONG-LASTING
MATERIALS
AND BY SKILLED WORKERS,
OUR WALLS MIGHT BE SO GREAT,
SEEING THEM WILL BE
ON PEOPLE'S BUCKET LISTS.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU KNOW
A CHINESE SAYING --
"HE WHO DOES NOT REACH THE GREAT
WALL CANNOT BE A TRUE MAN."
WHEN WE'RE GROWING UP IN CHINA,
THAT SORT OF CONCEPT
ACTUALLY DEEPLY ROOTED
IN OUR MENTALITY THAT GREAT WALL
IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE WORLD.
THE ANCIENT CHINESE BUILT
THEIR WALL BY HAND.
IT TOOK 2,000 YEARS.
WE'D WANT TO BUILD OUR WALL
MUCH FASTER THAN THAT.
AND WE KNOW SAM CAN
DRAMATICALLY SPEED UP
THE PROCESS OF BRICK LAYING.
AND THEN THERE'S ALL THE TIME
WE COULD SAVE
BY USING COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY.
IN THEORY, WE COULD DO IT
IN A DECADE,
SO WE'RE AHEAD OF THE GAME,
RIGHT?
WELL, WE MAY BE
FORGETTING ONE THING.
IN TODAY'S WORLD,
THERE'S A LOT OF PLANNING BEFORE
THE FIRST BRICK CAN BE LAID.
TO BUILD A WALL OF THAT SCALE,
YOU NEED TO DO A VERY THOROUGH
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS,
FOUNDATION ANALYSIS.
AND THEN YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH
ENVIRONMENT IMPACT
ASSESSMENT.
WE'RE HOPING THAT BY USING
A NATURAL MATERIAL LIKE BRICK
AND DOING THE WORK
WITH THE HELP OF ROBOTS,
WE WOULD ACE
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
THEN, WE'LL HAVE TO CONSIDER
THE FOUNDATION,
OR SHOULD WE SAY, THE MANY
FOUNDATIONS WE'LL HAVE TO BUILD.
HERE'S AN IDEA THAT WILL CUT
OUR BUILD TIME IN HALF.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU NEED
MULTIPLE TEAMS COMING IN --
COULD PROBABLY BUILD
FROM TWO ENDS
AND THEN MEET IN THE MIDDLE.
WE'D WANT THIS WALL
DONE QUICKLY,
BUT THE BORDER WITH MEXICO
IS A MAJOR SPEED BUMP.
IT MAY LOOK IDYLLIC
FROM A SADDLE,
BUT FOR A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER,
IT'S A BIT OF A NIGHTMARE.
JUST ASK A LOCAL
LIKE LINDA WALKER.
I'M STANDING
IN THE UNITED STATES,
AND THAT TEENY-WEENY
LITTLE STRIP OF ROCKY WATER
DOWN THERE NO BIGGER
THAN A CANAL IS THE BORDER.
THAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL
BOUNDARY BETWEEN US AND MEXICO.
EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE ON
THAT SIDE, FROM THE TREES ON UP,
IS ANOTHER COUNTRY.
WHEN THEY DREW THIS BOUNDARY
BETWEEN US
AND MEXICO ALONG TEXAS,
THEY CHOSE TO USE A RIVER.
THEY DIDN'T USE A STRAIGHT LINE.
IT'S INCONCEIVABLE TO IMAGINE
HOW LONG THIS
WOULD TAKE TO BUILD.
BUT THAT'S THE THING
ABOUT GREAT WALLS --
THEY SEEM IMPOSSIBLE.
AND, YOU KNOW,
GET UP HIGH ENOUGH
AND IT DOESN'T LOOK AS THOUGH
THE CHINESE WALL FOLLOWS
A STRAIGHT LINE EITHER.
IF THE CHINESE COULD BUILD
THEIR GREAT WALL BY HAND,
SURELY WE COULD MANAGE
WITH TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY.
BUT WE HAVE OUR WORK
CUT OUT FOR US.
OUR GEOLOGICAL CHALLENGES RANGE
FROM BUILDING INTO SOLID ROCK
ON A STEEP CLIFF OR SLOPE
DOWN TO A RIVER BASIN
WHERE WE JUST HAVE UNCONTROLLED
ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS
THAT ARE SOFT, COMPRESSIBLE.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART,
WE CAN GET MODERN EQUIPMENT
IN THE WAY OF AUGERS
TO DRILL DOWN
AND GET US A STRAIGHT SHAFT
WHERE WE'LL SOCK IT
INTO THAT ROCK.
SO, LET'S SOCK IT
TO THE MOST STABLE ROCK,
AND DIG SIX FEET UNDERGROUND
TO PREVENT ANY TUNNELING.
THE FOUNDATION WORK
WOULD DEFINITELY TAKE A WHILE.
BUT WE'LL PLAN TO FLY OUR WALL
IN IN PIECES TO SAVE TIME.
THIS REGION IS VAST,
AND IT'S DRY.
TO AVOID ANY DELAYS, WE WOULD
NEED WATER TO KEEP OUR EQUIPMENT
AND OUR WORKERS COOL.
SO YOU'D GO, "OKAY.
WELL, WE CAN USE WATER
OUT OF THE RIVER."
NO.
FIRST OF ALL, HALF OF THAT WATER
BELONGS TO MEXICO,
NOT SO SURE THAT'S GONNA
WORK OUT REAL WELL.
THERE SEEM TO BE
QUITE A FEW OBSTACLES
STANDING IN THE WAY OF OUR PLAN.
BUT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE STILL
FINDING WAYS TO BUILD WALLS.
COUNTRIES ARE BUILDING WALLS
AROUND THE WORLD TODAY.
SOME OF THEM DON'T TECHNICALLY
FIT THE DEFINITION OF A WALL.
THEY ARE, YOU KNOW,
HIGH-TECH FENCES,
BUT THEY SERVE
THE FUNCTION OF A WALL.
THOSE WALLS ARE BEING BUILT
IN MANY COUNTRIES,
SUCH AS INDIA,
AS A DETERRENT TO TERRORISM.
SAME CAN BE SAID FOR ISRAEL
AND SAUDI ARABIA.
IN OTHER COUNTRIES,
THEY'RE BEING CONSTRUCTED
TO DETER UNWANTED MIGRATION.
YOU SEE THAT ESPECIALLY
IN SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE.
WE KNOW TWO BORDER WALLS
COULD BE CONTROVERSIAL,
BUT IF THIS COUNTRY DECIDES
THIS THE ANTIDOTE
TO OUR ANXIOUS TIMES,
WE THINK WE CAN BUILD
TWO WALLS IN 10 YEARS.
WE'RE ALMOST READY
TO BUILD THIS THING.
SO, HOW STAGGERING
WILL THE COST BE?
WE'RE CONJURING UP
A MODERN-DAY WALL
THAT'S GREATER
THAN THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
HERE'S OUR PLAN -- WE'RE GOING
TO GET THE BRIGHTEST MINDS
TO PLAN A ROUTE
THAT FOLLOWS THE BORDER
BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CANADA
IN THE NORTH,
AND THE U.S.
AND MEXICO IN THE SOUTH.
WE'D WANT TO USE STABLE ROCK
TO ANCHOR OUR WALL,
THEN BRING IN PREFABRICATED
BRICK PANELS.
WE WOULD TRANSPORT THEM
BY GONDOLA OVER THE MOUNTAINS
AND BY HELICOPTER
OVER REMOTE AREAS.
1,000 WORKERS PLUS AN ARMY
OF ROBOTS LIKE SAM
WOULD PUT IT UP
AT SUPER-HIGH SPEED.
THEN, WE COULD CONSIDER GIVING
OUR WALLS A DISTINCTIVE LOOK.
THE BRICKS OR BLOCKS,
ACTUALLY YOU COULD MAKE
DIFFERENT TEXTURES
AND MAKE DIFFERENT COLORS,
AND THEN YOU COULD HAVE
SOME PATTERNS.
WE'D COVER OUR
GREAT WALL WITH THE RED, WHITE,
AND BLUE OF THE AMERICAN FLAG
AND ADD ICONIC STARS
THAT WILL FLUORESCE AT NIGHT.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE US 10 YEARS
AND 1,000 WORKERS.
NOW IT'S TIME TO GET STARTED.
FIRST, WE'LL DRILL DOWN
AND SET UP A STRONG FOUNDATION.
TERRAIN IS ALWAYS A FACTOR,
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE IN
CLOSE COMMUNICATION
WITH THE JOBSITE CONTRACTOR
AND ENGINEERING.
IT TAKES A LOT OF LABOR,
IT TAKES A LOT OF DESIGN,
AND IT TAKES A LOT
OF PEOPLE INVOLVED
TO MAKE SURE IT'S DONE
RIGHT AND DONE SAFELY.
THEN WE'LL GONDOLA
IN THE BRICK WALLS,
MADE TOUGH ENOUGH
TO LAST FOR CENTURIES.
WE'LL START
BUILDING SIMULTANEOUSLY
ON THE EAST
AND WEST COASTS.
WE'LL GIVE A BONUS TO
THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM
THAT REACHES THE MIDDLE FIRST.
WE'LL INSTALL STATUES
OF THE EMBLEMATIC BALD EAGLE
IN THE MOST VISIBLE LOCATIONS.
WE DID IT!
WE BUILT BARRIERS
ABOVE AND BELOW
ONE OF THE LARGEST
COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.
WE USED BRICK, ONE OF THE MOST
TRUSTED CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS.
WE USED THE LATEST DIGITAL
TECHNOLOGY AND ROBOTICS
TO GET THE JOB DONE.
IT TOOK US 10 YEARS,
REQUIRED 1,000 WORKERS.
SO, HOW ABOUT OUR BUDGET?
WE FIGURED $2 TRILLION
FOR BRICKS,
AT LEAST $18 BILLION
TO TRANSPORT THE WALL IN PANELS,
ANOTHER BILLION FOR LABOR,
AND HALF-A-BILLION FOR THE
LATEST IN SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS.
NO ONE'S GOING TO GET
OVER THIS WALL
WITHOUT OUR KNOWING ABOUT IT.
IT'S STARTING TO ADD UP.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A GRAND TOTAL
OF $2.25 TRILLION.
BUT WE HAVE AN IDEA TO HELP
BRING DOWN THE COST.
WE'LL INVITE ALL THE LEADERS
IN THE WORLD
TO THE GREATEST FIREWORKS
DISPLAY EVER.
WE'LL INVITE THE BIGGEST STARS
TO STAND ATOP OUR WALLS
AND PERFORM IN A CONCERT THEY'LL
TALK ABOUT FOR GENERATIONS.
WE'LL CHRISTEN THE WALLS
ON THE 4th OF JULY
AND HOLD AN ANNIVERSARY EVENT
EVERY YEAR
TO HELP PAY
THE MAINTENANCE COSTS.
BECAUSE THIS IS
MORE THAN A WALL.
WE KNOW NOT EVERYBODY
WILL BE EXCITED,
BUT MAYBE SOME PEOPLE WILL GAIN
A GREATER SENSE OF SECURITY.
WE ARE A SPECIES
OF WALL BUILDERS,
AND EVEN WHERE THERE ARE
NO BORDER WALLS,
THERE ARE ALWAYS WALLS.
TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF MICRO-WALLS,
WALLS AROUND THE HOMES
OF THE RICH,
AROUND GATED NEIGHBORHOODS.
I DON'T THINK WALLS ARE GOING
ANYWHERE ANYTIME SOON.
THE FACT THAT WE CONTINUE
TO BUILD WALLS
INDICATES THAT WE'RE SIMPLY
NOT THAT DIFFERENT
FROM THE GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE
THAT CAME BEFORE US --
THAT WE PREFER NOT TO FIGHT.
THAT WE PREFER TO HAVE
OTHER PEOPLE
OR OTHER THINGS GUARD US.
WE'RE HOPING THAT LIKE
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA,
THE STRENGTH AND DESIGN
OF OUR WALLS
WILL SPARK AWE AND ENTHUSIASM
FOR GENERATIONS TO COME,
AND THAT IT MIGHT BE A REMINDER
OF WHAT GREAT THINGS
CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED
IF WE BUILT IT TODAY.