In order to do anything in construction, typically something has to be demolished first. Throughout the year, we scour the interwebs to find the most interesting for the most interesting videos of the process across the globe.
Many of the videos are implosions, because they’re much easier to film and extremely fun to watch, but the ones I’ve been more interested in recently are those offering in-depth looks at the process and innovative techniques. That, I guess, is a bit of a foreshadowing to the top of our list this year.
Know of an awesome demolition video that I missed this year? Tell me in the comments!
7. [VIDEO] Obsolete WV Steel Plant Imploded into Cloud of Smoke, Covering Nearby Resident’s Houses
The Weirton Steel basic oxygen plant was a symbol of Weirton’s heyday and also of what has been lost. On March 9, 2019, plant that has stood for over 50 years was crumbled by explosives strategically placed by demolition crews. If that was the end of the story, it would be a successful one.
After the implosion took place and the smoke and debris cleared, some of the nearby residents were shocked at the damage done to their houses, according to WTRF in Weirton. Although a 1000 foot safety perimeter was established around the demolition site, there were several homes that fell within that radius. Those residents were ordered to either leave the property or stay inside while the demolition took place.
6. [VIDEO] 7 Story Austin, Texas Parking Garage Implosion
Controlled Demolition, Inc. (CDI) was tasked with setting up the explosives to take down a 7-story reinforced concrete parking garage in Austin, Texas. CDI was subcontracted by Grant Mackey Demolition Company, the main demolition contractor. The total square footage of the structure was over 220,000 square feet.
5. [VIDEO] Blowing the Roof Off of the Old Milwaukee Bucks’ Arena
As you may already know, the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks officially opened their new home, the Fiserv Forum, for the 2018-2019 NBA season last October. That new stadium is being heralded as the “World’s First Bird Friendly Arena,” due to many of the design features. Well, since the new one is open, we can only expect that the old, non-bird friendly (I’m assuming) arena has overstayed its welcome and has to go.
On Sunday, January 13, 2019, a targeted explosion to bring down the roof structure was managed by Veit & Co, Inc., according to the Milwaukee Business Journal. Sunday was chosen due to the lower amount of street traffic and 2 streets adjacent to the structure were closed off for a period of time as an additional safety precaution.
4. [VIDEO] Beautiful 13-Story Building Demolition in Downtown Dallas
The former office building located at 505 North Ervay Street in downtown Dallas, TX had to be demolished to make way for First Baptist Dallas’ upcoming expansion project. Subcontracted by Dallas Demolition, CDI was able to take down the 13-story structure, which was built in the 1940s, in a single explosion sequence.
3. [VIDEO] Watch a 21-story Building Demolition from 7 Different Angles
The Martin Tower, named after the former chairman of Bethlehem Steel, Edmund F Martin, began construction in 1969 and completed in 1972. The building was closed in 2007 and finally demolished 50 years after construction started on the structure.
The building stood 332 feet tall across 21 total floors. Its 567,000 square feet were supported by 6,500 cubic yards of concrete and 16,000 tons of structural steel, according to The Morning Call. Asbestos was abated from the property in 2017.
2. [VIDEO] Renovating the Top of Canada’s Tallest Structure
The CN 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.
Although the top of the tower reaches over 1,800 feet, the observation deck that the project focused on started at the glass floor, which floats 1,136 feet above ground. That height, coupled with the fact that there was still an operating restaurant inside the observation tower, presented some unique challenges to the crews on-site.
1. [VIDEO] Watch a Remote Controlled Excavator Chomp Through a 600’ Tall Cooling Tower 1 Bite at a Time
The use of explosives can greatly damage neighboring buildings and spread hazardous materials over a large radius, which is why a cooling tower at the Mülheim-Kärlich power plant in Germany had to be slowly dismantled from the top.
For over a year, a robotic excavator was employed to chomp the tower down in height from over 530 feet tall to 262 feet tall. The machine rode along the lip of the cooling tower as it took bites at a time off the structure.
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.