How America Works

With infrastructures growing the nation over, the demand for tools is at an all-time high; the workers of Channellock Inc. are in a mad dash to keep up.

From the moment Americans wake up in the morning, they are surrounded by glass; finding out what it takes for companies like ARC Americas to make that possible.

Wheat is still one of America's cornerstone commodities; a look at how the farmers and millers of the nation bring this all-important crop from the ground to the grocery store.

It's not easy, wrestling one of America's metallic mainstays from the ground; see how the folks at Rio Tinto do it at one of the world's largest open pit mines.

Pipelines are the circulatory system of the United States; with housing booms popping up across the country, crews like the one in Western Alabama are racing to get new ones underground.

What goes into running the military; a secret to the military's success lies in the training; the soldiers of Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo., conduct a massive battle exercise unlike anything ever attempted.

The workers of GCC create concrete, the second most used resource.

Firefighters battle more than 3,000 infernos every day; how the men and women of Grayback Forestry do their part to keep a lid on backcountry blazes.

While most brick makers now rely on automation, the workers at Old Carolina still create theirs the old-fashioned way... all by hand; with building booms spurring higher demand, they too must belt out bricks faster than ever before.

The men and women of U.S. Sugar work around the clock to harvest, mill and refine the sweet stuff that Americans crave.

A team of modern-day lumberjacks takes to the forests of coastal Alaska to harvest lumber.

Cameras board the USS George H.W. Bush to show what it takes to keep one of the country's largest aircraft carriers barreling forward and battle-ready; with 30 aviators to qualify for deployment, there's a lot to do before heading back to port.

Building booms are springing up all over the United States, and the men and women at Volvo are working harder than ever to assemble the heavy equipment that makes all those projects possible, but creating multiple machines in a day is no easy task.

With supply chain issues the world over, demand for aluminum in the United States has never been higher; in Russellville, Ky., a thousand workers are laboring day and night to churn out the aluminum needed to keep the country running.

Corn growers and millers labor year-round to bring America's top crop to the masses; with Super Bowl Sunday fast approaching -- the peak day for corn consumption -- mills like Lifeline Foods race to process 1 million pounds of product per day.

A team of modern-day cowpunchers works tirelessly to bring beef from a ranch in southern Oklahoma to dinner tables across the country; with branding day upon them, they must double their efforts to tend the herd and process calves before sundown.

Cameras follow the men and women of the Wilmington Police Department as they struggle to keep a lid on crime during the busy holiday season.

Steel workers labor around the clock to forge the bones of the nation's roadways, buildings, bridges and beyond; with record highs in steel demand, they're doubling their efforts to reclaim, smelt and ship more product than ever.

Salt workers brave a barren landscape in Carlsbad, N.M., to bring this important mineral to the American public; with a cold front sweeping the northern states, and icy roads in need of salt, they're racing to send off as much product as possible.

A team of sewer technicians work out of sight to keep the guts of the nation flowing as they should; in the wake of a storm, with another on the way, they're racing to clean up the aftermath before more rainfall floods their whole system.

The hard-working men and women of America's entertainment industry in Las Vegas ramp up for post-COVID masses; and at Circus Circus Casino, that means bringing all operations back to full capacity for the first time in over a year.

The employees of the Hoover Dam work to bring electricity to the masses; when a heat wave hits in the middle of maintenance season, the race is on to get all 17 generators online before the demand for power skyrockets.

While most brick makers now rely on automation, the workers at Old Carolina still create theirs the old-fashioned way... all by hand; with building booms spurring higher demand, they too must belt out bricks faster than ever before.

Waste management workers bring cameras along for a day of taking out America's trash, but with a staff shortage and the same tight deadlines, keeping the streets clean will be a tall order.

A team of roughnecks shows what it takes to bring the lifeblood of modern society out of the ground and into everyday existence.

A team of modern-day lumberjacks takes to the forests of coastal Alaska to harvest lumber.

The workers of GCC create concrete, the second most used resource.

With supply chain issues the world over, demand for aluminum in the United States has never been higher; in Russellville, Ky., a thousand workers are laboring day and night to churn out the aluminum needed to keep the country running.

It's not easy, wrestling one of America's metallic mainstays from the ground; see how the folks at Rio Tinto do it at one of the world's largest open pit mines.

The employees of the Hoover Dam work to bring electricity to the masses; when a heat wave hits in the middle of maintenance season, the race is on to get all 17 generators online before the demand for power skyrockets.

Building booms are springing up all over the United States, and the men and women at Volvo are working harder than ever to assemble the heavy equipment that makes all those projects possible, but creating multiple machines in a day is no easy task.

With infrastructures growing the nation over, the demand for tools is at an all-time high; the workers of Channellock Inc. are in a mad dash to keep up.

Steelworkers labor around the clock to forge the bones of the nation's roadways, buildings, bridges and beyond; with record highs in steel demand, they're doubling their efforts to reclaim, smelt and ship more product than ever.

From the moment Americans wake up in the morning, they are surrounded by glass; finding out what it takes for companies like ARC Americas to make that possible.

What goes into running the military; a secret to the military's success lies in the training; the soldiers of Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo., conduct a massive battle exercise unlike anything ever attempted.

The hard-working men and women of America's entertainment industry in Las Vegas ramp up for post-COVID masses; and at Circus Circus Casino, that means bringing all operations back to full capacity for the first time in over a year.

Firefighters battle more than 3,000 infernos every day; how the men and women of Grayback Forestry do their part to keep a lid on backcountry blazes.

Cameras follow the men and women of the Wilmington Police Department as they struggle to keep a lid on crime during the busy holiday season.

Cameras board the USS George H.W. Bush to show what it takes to keep one of the country's largest aircraft carriers barreling forward and battle-ready; with 30 aviators to qualify for deployment, there's a lot to do before heading back to port.

A team of roughnecks shows what it takes to bring the lifeblood of modern society out of the ground and into everyday existence.

Pipelines are the circulatory system of the United States; with housing booms popping up across the country, crews like the one in Western Alabama are racing to get new ones underground.

A team of sewer technicians work out of sight to keep the guts of the nation flowing as they should; in the wake of a storm, with another on the way, they're racing to clean up the aftermath before more rainfall floods their whole system.

Waste management workers bring cameras along for a day of taking out America's trash, but with a staff shortage and the same tight deadlines, keeping the streets clean will be a tall order.

Wheat is still one of America's cornerstone commodities; a look at how the farmers and millers of the nation bring this all-important crop from the ground to the grocery store.

A team of modern-day cowpunchers works tirelessly to bring beef from a ranch in southern Oklahoma to dinner tables across the country; with branding day upon them, they must double their efforts to tend the herd and process calves before sundown.

Corn growers and millers labor year-round to bring America's top crop to the masses; with Super Bowl Sunday fast approaching -- the peak day for corn consumption -- mills like Lifeline Foods race to process 1 million pounds of product per day.

Salt workers brave a barren landscape in Carlsbad, N.M., to bring this important mineral to the American public; with a cold front sweeping the northern states, and icy roads in need of salt, they're racing to send off as much product as possible.

The men and women of U.S. Sugar work around the clock to harvest, mill and refine the sweet stuff that Americans crave.