[VIDEO] Demolition Reduces Frankfurt Kentucky’s Tallest Building to Rubble in Seconds

via YouTube

via YouTube

It’s been a while since we have shared a demolition video on Construction Junkie. We recently discussed a very high profile demolition project, the tallest voluntary demolition on record, which is schedule to start next year and how it is expected to happen, but no videos. Between the cold weather in most of the country and the general lack of interesting demolitions happening, it’s good to finally be back to feeling normal around here. 

Before March of 2018, the 28-story Capital Plaza Office in Frankfort, Kentucky was the tallest building in the city.  It stood 330 feet tall for 46 years before it was imploded on March 11 to make room for a new 385,500 square foot office building that will house 1,500 employees and a parking structure that will hold around 1,200 vehicles, according to USA Today.

The Lexington Herald Leader reported that the building has been slated for demolition since 2008, when an architecture firm determined that it would be much more cost effective to tear the building down instead of renovating it. Prior to this month’s demolition, the Herald said that there had been reports of water leaks and concrete falling from the structure. Parts of the old building have been preserved for re-use in the new building, including the marble that was in the old lobby.

The privilege of pushing the plunger to start the demolition was auctioned off earlier in the week for $15,000.  The winning bid amount was then donated to #WeAreKY! Inc., which supports Kentucky’s foster care and adoption initiatives.

Fantastic 4K footage of the demolition was captured by Flightdubs and shared to YouTube, which you can watch below:

Featured
syracuse+crane+collapse.jpg
Crane Collapses on Jobsite in Syracuse, NY, No Injuries Reported

On Tuesday morning, February 23, the Syracuse Fire Department responded to a call about a collapsed crane on a construction site near the university. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

Cable Crane System.PNG
[VIDEO] Need to Get Some Heavy Equipment Up a Mountain? Try a Cable Car System

Remote jobsites with difficult terrain pose some substantial logistical challenges when it comes to getting equipment and materials on site. I’ve seen several different methods used in the past, such as heavy equipment carrying blimps, cargo planes, helicopters, and the Fat Truck, but I recently came across a new method: a cable car.

mina plaza demolition.JPG
[VIDEO] A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Recent Record Breaker for World’s Tallest Demolition

In November of last year, the 546 foot tall Mina Plaza in Abu Dhabi officially broke the world record for tallest demolition by explosion, supplanting Hudson Department Store in Detroit, Michigan, which held the record for 22 years.

Sikorsky Helicopter
[VIDEO] Helicopter Drops Cooling Tower During Lift to Roof

If you need to get some heavy mechanical equipment on the roof of your project, you could use a boring old crane – or you could gas up the bird and make that equipment take literal flight. Alright, so cranes aren’t actually boring, but some times a helicopter makes more logistical sense, either because it reduces total lift time or, in some cases, makes economical sense. Either way, there are some important safety precautions to take in case something goes wrong.

Top Demo Videos 2020.gif
Top 7 Demolition Videos of 2020

2020 was a stressful year, so let’s decompress a little bit by reviewing some of the most fun demolition videos from the past year. A demolition that broke a 22 year old record highlights the bunch and I also stretch what the definition of “demolition” is a little bit, because I think the video is so cool. Don’t @ me.

Without further ado, here are the top 7 demolition videos from 2020:

Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Plant 2020
[VIDEO] Nuclear Power Plant Site Utilizes 2 of the World’s Largest Cranes, and 55 Other Tower Cranes

2 years ago, crane manufacturer, Sarens, unveiled what is considered to be the world’s largest crane, by both size and lifting capacity. Big Carl, as the huge crane was nicknamed, began work a few months later on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in England. Now, the jobsite boasts an abundance of crane activity, a true site to behold, and it was captured on aerial footage for you to enjoy.

tallest building ever imploded.JPG
[VIDEO] New World Record For Tallest Building Demolished By Explosives

Back in 1998, the Hudson Department Store in downtown Detroit, Michigan was demolished by explosives. That building stood 410 feet tall across its 29 floors, making it, at the time, the tallest building to ever be taken down by implosion. The dust cloud covered many city blocks and the 20,000 unsuspecting people that came to watch the event. That record was just recently broken by a building over 100 feet taller than it.

excavator falls down shaft.png
[VIDEO] Check Out This Excavator Free Fall Down a Huge Underground Access Shaft

Excavators aren’t typically meant to be dropped down to a lower level, but certain circumstances require it sometimes. The machines are obviously extremely heavy, so a large crane and proper rigging is required for it to happen safely. As a construction firm in Hong Kong, China recently found out, though, it’s a little tougher than it seems.

building in shanghai walks to new location.JPG
[VIDEO] Watch an 85 Year Old, 5 Story Building be Relocated 200 Feet with a ‘Walking Machine’

Usually, when a new development is going to go into a spot where a building already exists, that existing building gets blown into smithereens and its remaining rubble hauled away. BUT, there is apparently a different way to handle the situation now, which is by politely asking the building to walk away and to find a new home – well, kind of.

CAT PAC-MAN.jpg
[VIDEO] CAT Creates Gigantic PAC-MAN Game Played with Remote Controlled Skid Steers

CAT is no stranger to finding extremely creative and expensive ways to show off their construction equipment. In years past, they’ve created a giant Jenga game with 600 pound blocks and the world’s first moving golf course on the backs of their dump trucks. Now, they’re showing off some of their new technology with the release of the biggest PAC-MAN game you’ve ever seen.