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The challenge | The teams | The designs | The test | The demolition
The challenge for the two teams this week is to build an impregnable vault. It can be no more than 4 metres wide or high and it must contain a chamber with 1 metre of clearance around its contents – a delicate vase. The vault must protect the vase from the impact of a car dropped on it from a height of 50 feet (15 metres).
They have just three days to build it, and the team whose design best withstands the impact of the car crashing on to its roof gets first choice of the demolition tools.
On the fourth day the teams have their first chance to see the structure their opponents have constructed – and then to demolish it. The first team to destroy the opposing team's vault will be this week's winners.
Rosemary Redmond, Design Engineer
Rosemary works in the water industry on pipelines and sewage systems. She's currently redesigning the waste management system for the City of Oxford.
Charlie Finch, Builder
With 14 years' experience in construction, Charlie has his own building firm and has worked on everything from houses to retail parks.
Steve Malton, Demolition Man
Ex-professional nightclub dancer, Steve has 12 years' demolition experience and is familiar with all the demolition tools.
Daniel Plewman, Design Engineer
Super-qualified Dan has a BA in maths and masters degrees in civil and structural engineering.
Philip Godwin, Builder
A site foreman with over 20 years' experience in the industry, Philip is also a qualified carpenter.
Kieran McKeown, Demolition Man
With 10 years' experience in demolition and of using heavy machinery, Kieran knows his stuff. To prove it he also has a diploma in civil engineering.
Both teams are presented with a range of building materials, useful machines and a few helping hands. The key to the best design will be in the strength of the structure. Not only does it have to cope with the falling car, but also has to withstand the opposition's efforts to destroy it.
The teams are given only a limited amount of cement with which to make concrete so the strength of their structures will have to come from plastic pipes, sandbags, plywood, straw bales and old car tyres.
This team creates four plywood wall sections to form the main structure around their vase. The wall sections will be filled with soil, reinforced concrete and sand to add strength. A plywood roof is reinforced with a combination of pipes and tyres, designed to absorb the impact of the falling car. The whole vault is then covered with plastic to hide the design from the opposition.
This team uses sand wrapped in geotextile material and simple nylon bags to make circular walls. Inside, a Greek temple-style circle of posts, clad in car tyres, supports the floating plywood roof. The idea is that the roof will slide and compact when the car hits it, distributing the energy of the crash through the tyres.
After three days of tough construction, it's time for the test. Each vault must withstand the impact of a 1-tonne car dropped from 50 feet (15 metres). The delicate vase held within the vault must remain undamaged.
First The Shamrockers watch as a massive 360° excavator slowly hoists the car into position over their vault. They are praying that the theory of their design – that the shock will be evenly distributed through the tyres – will work in practice. With a sickening crunch, the car crashes on to the vault. Cameras inside the chamber reveal the result: 'Shamrockers, you have passed the test,' announces judge Dr Steve Gray.
Over to the Hitmen and Her. Can their box design with reinforced walls cope with the impact? 'I hope so,' says Rosemary as the vehicle falls from the sky. Smash! A cheer goes up. The demolition camera reveals another successful result. It's going to take more than a car to knock it down, that's for sure.
With both teams passing the test, it's on to day four – demolition day. Before any destruction begins, the judge, Dr Steve Gray, has to decide which design is the best. The winning team will have first choice of the arsenal of demolition tools.
The judge decides that The Shamrockers' structure, with its roof that moves up and down, using the tyres as shock absorbers, is the winner so far.
Kieran has the choice of demolition tools and goes for the shears for The Shamrockers. Steve chooses the grapple on behalf of the Hitmen and Her.
Destruction begins. The shears cut and rip swathes of material from the vault constructed by the Hitmen and Her. But the grapple can move faster, and soon The Shamrockers' vault is torn to bits. The contest ends when there is nothing to be seen of The Shamrockers' innovative construction above the 1-metre red line on the judges' screens.
The winners this week are the Hitmen and Her!
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