Demolish a skyscraper from the base upwards????

[Dave Davison]

Yep.....sounds crazy but it's true. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-2Y2MYpl2g

[HansV]

They say it would work on almost any building - I wonder how...

[Dave Davison]

............think that is a fact as it would never work on a building constructed of anything other than steel girders. Cheers Dave.

[BobH]

I've witnessed this done on radio towers but never with a building. One wonders if there is any difference in risk to human safety between this method and others. In the US, very often buildings being removed are demolished by implosion caused by explosive charges. There are many videos of this demolition technique.

[Rudi]

One wonders if there is any difference in risk to human safety between this method and others.

I'd think this method is far more dangerous. Did you see how many persons were walking about under those hydraulic supports in the video while that floor was lowered!! If those supports fail in any way, that would be a disaster!

[BobH]

One wonders if there is any difference in risk to human safety between this method and others.

I'd think this method is far more dangerous. Did you see how many persons were walking about under those hydraulic supports in the video while that floor was lowered!! If those supports fail in any way, that would be a disaster!

I agree.

Plus . . . I love to watch big sequential explosives take down megastructures. It's a lot more exciting and fun.

[GeoffW]

Implosions can go wrong. I was in the crowd when this happened:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Ca ... _implosion" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BobH]

I would like to know the prior experience of the wrecking company that did that implosion and what its success and failure rate was prior to this job. I have a friend who is a structural engineer. His position is that implosions, when properly done, are the safest and most cost effective way to remove structures. His statement is based entirely on a structural evaluation and survey with correctly placed explosives of the correct power fired in the appropriate sequence.

My guess is that those responsible in the case cited failed in some or all of those areas.

[PaulB]

These implosions are becoming a regular spectator sport. We had one last week that went very well.

[Rudi]

These implosions are becoming a regular spectator sport.

Boy...if they make a sport of it we' run out of building quite quickly.

[BobH]

I watched several different videos of that demolition. It appears to have been done extremely well.

My guess is that the explosives were placed below ground level and at the level of that black blast curtain. This would have prevented debris caused by the explosives being sent great distances. At the end, one sees debris being tossed skyward but the cause seems to be mechanical from building bits colliding with smaller ones. The trajectory is mostly vertical, not horizontal, as it should be because such debris having attained maximum velocity will then be drawn earthward by gravity.

All in all a very good example of how to demolish a building by implosion.

It seems odd to me, though, that such a substantial structure of relatively modern design and construction should have to be destroyed. It makes me wonder why the building lost viability or what greater usage the site might be put to.

[Rudi]

Another thing to comment on is ground vibration. I can imagine that the explosives and the force of the falling building would cause substantial earth tremors yet I don't see any vibrations in the camera lens or in the neighbouring tree lines. It must be quite something to experience.

[John Gray]

Implosions can go wrong. I was in the crowd when this happened:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Ca ... _implosion" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Deeply ironic that the web page describing this unfortunate event says: "This page has some issues"...

[BobH]

All explosions cause vibrations in the earth. The vibrations are nearly directly proportional to the size of the explosion. I live about 35 miles from a test range for artillery and missiles. When they test fire a barrage of missiles, I can feel the ground vibrate as well as hear the explosions.

We refer to it as the eagle sharpening its talons.

[GeoffW]

I would like to know the prior experience of the wrecking company that did that implosion and what its success and failure rate was prior to this job. I have a friend who is a structural engineer. His position is that implosions, when properly done, are the safest and most cost effective way to remove structures. His statement is based entirely on a structural evaluation and survey with correctly placed explosives of the correct power fired in the appropriate sequence.

My guess is that those responsible in the case cited failed in some or all of those areas.

From memory, blame was laid on the sturdy construction of the building. They said that they could not have known that the building was constructed with very strongly reinforced concrete where the norm was concrete only.

There were paddle boats in the water and a huge crowd of people watching. Debris was starting to fall into the water around the boats. The young girl killed was a considerable distance away.

[Rudi]

All explosions cause vibrations in the earth. The vibrations are nearly directly proportional to the size of the explosion. I live about 35 miles from a test range for artillery and missiles. When they test fire a barrage of missiles, I can feel the ground vibrate as well as hear the explosions.

We refer to it as the eagle sharpening its talons.

Wow...
I hope the eagle does his manicure at a reasonable hour of the day.

[BobH]

Wow...
I hope the eagle does his manicure at a reasonable hour of the day.

The eagle sometimes works at night because that is when those weapons are most often used and those who fire them need realistic training environments. Most often the training takes place in daylight hours. Whenever there are rainy conditions, one can almost predict the firings because they like to train in adverse conditions.

[mishmish3000]

At Ft. Stewart, GA, the tank firing would be so intense you'd have to go outside and look up to see if a thunderstorm was coming, or if it was just the firing range. Oh, and A-10 Warthogs liked to pop up over the treeline and buzz you while you were mowing the yard. Gosh, it was a fun place.

[Rudi]

Buzz you?

[BobH]

I was in Falls Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee not far from where Ann lives, hiking deep into the woods. Out of nowhere a fighter jet blew down on a buzz run, aimed I think at the falls as the target. I've had similar experiences in the hinterlands of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I think the military use these areas because they are remote and the noise is not going to stir up a lot of people to complain. I can tell you though that such a racket coming so suddenly from nowhere comes very, very close to creating a laundry problem.