Construction can be an extreme business, containing some of the most awe-inspiring structures and building practices, but also some seriously dangerous situations. Those situations can be a great tool for positive marketing or a nightmare, given the circumstances, and with smartphone cameras in everyone’s pocket, it’s easy to capture those moments.
Either way, the internet exists and it will do what it always does: give people something to talk about. Below are some of the best and worst examples of activity on the jobsite that got people talking in 2019, in no particular order…
Check out this Incredible Footage of The Men Who Build New York’s Skyline in the 1920s
The Smithsonian channel is airing a series of shows titled America in Color, in which they enhance lost or forgotten video footage of the 1900s, beginning with the 1920s. Part of the first episode in the series shows the men that worked on skyscrapers in New York City and it’s been edited to show color, as opposed to black and white, for the first time.
[VIDEO] Checking In on the Medieval Castle Being Built With 13th Century Construction Techniques
In a world with cordless power tools, smartphones, and tables strewn across the jobsite, the Guedlon Castle is being constructed solely from 13th Century building techniques in Burgundy, France.
[VIDEO] Amazing Footage On Top of a Tower Crane Building Europe’s Tallest Building
The Lakhta Tower, which stands in St. Petersburg, Russia, reaches 1,516 feet in the air at its highest point. The LEED Platinum building began construction in 2012 and has since been completed this year. Once it officially opened, it surpassed Russia’s Federation Tower (1,226 feet) as Europe’s new tallest building.
[Timelapse] Watch 7 Years of Construction of New York’s 2 Newest Supertall Skyscrapers
Almost 7 years ago, construction began on the west side of Manhattan’s $20 billion mixed-use development. On March 15, 2019, Hudson Yards, as the development is known, has officially opened.
[VIDEO] Crane Catches Fire, Collapses on Georgia Construction Site
Crane collapses are always pretty intense, but they don’t always provide as much warning as the one that was caught on video this April in Georgia. This particular crawler crane caught on fire, which caused a couple small explosions, before ultimately collapsing. The good news is that all of that warning allowed the people on-site to get a safe distance away and no one was injured.
[VIDEO] Renovating the Top of Canada’s Tallest Structure
Completed in 1976, the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada held the record for the tallest freestanding structure in the world from 1975-2007, until it was supplanted by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. At its highest point, the CN Tower, which is mainly used as a communications and observation tower, reaches 1,815.4 feet (533.33m). Last year, the tower underwent a $16 million renovation and Priestly Demolition shared a fascinating, in-depth video for how they took care of the demolition of the interior space and walls.
[VIDEO] Construction Worker Survives Being Impaled by Rebar THROUGH HIS HEAD
Sanjay Bahe, a 21-year-old construction worker in central India, fell down a well while performing repair work and was impaled by a piece of steel rebar through his skull. There are some pretty gruesome pictures of the aftermath being shared and there’s also a video you can watch below showing the man speaking with doctors with the rod still sticking though his head.
Dashcam Video of Deadly Seattle Crane Collapse Surfaces, Giving Clues to the Cause
In April of this year, tragedy struck downtown Seattle as a tower crane that was being dismantled suddenly fell to the street below, killing two ironworkers and 2 people that were in their cars, as well as injuring 4 others. Dashcam footage of that collapse surfaced soon afterward, giving some clues as to why the crane fell.
[VIDEO] Hurricane Dorian Causes Tower Crane to Crumple in Canada
After causing devastation in the Bahamas, Hurricane Dorian worked its way up the U.S. East Coast in September and eventually made its way up to Nova Scotia, Canada as a Category 2 storm. The storm left more than 369,000 without power in the Canadian Region, according to CBC, but also caused a tower crane to buckle and collapse in the city of Halifax.
The bad weather is causing major damage throughout #NS, including a crane collapse in Halifax. pic.twitter.com/YxpZ5mCfPa
— CBC Nova Scotia (@CBCNS) September 7, 2019
[VIDEO] Watch a Huge Crane Pick Five 145,000lb Beams in Connecticut
During the ongoing build of an Avon, Connecticut bridge, the ROTHA Contracting Company had to lift and place five 145,000 pound, 135-foot-long support beams. Put your telehandlers away for this task; it requires some big guns.
[VIDEO] The B1M Showcases the World’s Most Extreme Construction Site
The B1M’s video follows a job site in Rothera, Antarctica with a goal to expand British research facilities on the continent. The ongoing project continues to face many challenges that most of us in the industry have never had to contend with, including extreme weather, wildlife, icebergs, and contamination.
Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.