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.
And, while a record breaker is always exciting, I wasn’t able to find a great video of it, so it wasn’t *that* exciting. To be honest*, I haven’t slept since I found that low quality video, especially after Rob and Sarah from Belts & Boxes viciously attacked it on the weekly YouTube show Week in Review. But, fear not, I have not only found a better quality video, I’ve also found some behind the scenes footage of how it was carried out.
In total, there were 5 buildings demolished as part of the Mina Plaza, totaling 125 stories, which were razed to make way for a redevelopment. Safedem, the demolition contractor that carried out the implosion, performed a test blast to make sure their models and designs were accurate before the final blasts.
You can check out both videos, from Modon Properties, below:
*not honest
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.