[VIDEO] A Sheet of Copier Paper Can Actually Cut a Piece of Wood

August 23, 2016 Shane Hedmond

If positioned the right way, paper is known to give some pretty mean paper cuts, so say to the office tethered thrill seekers of the world. Try to cut wood by running a sheet of paper against it, however, and you’ll end up a mangled piece of paper. But, perhaps we’ve been using paper the wrong way all along. Maybe it’s a metaphor for life, put an object or a person in the wrong situation and get poor results, but put them in the right situation and you’ll reap the rewards.

[VIDEO] Soccer Played with Construction Equipment and Cars Is Really Fun to Watch

August 8, 2016 Shane Hedmond

First, let me formally apologize to our non-American readers for calling the sport Soccer, but, since it is Olympics time, I have to stay loyal to my country. As soccer is the world’s most popular sport, many would argue that no changes need to be made to improve it. Well, a group of people have taken it upon themselves to create a super intense and over-the-top version of the game that I think all of us Construction Junkies will enjoy.

This 1980 Construction Safety Video is Throwback, But Contains Powerful Lessons

July 14, 2016 Shane Hedmond

“Shake Hands With Danger,” as the below safety video from 1980 is called, will ignite your nostalgia for the decade and maybe even give you a few laughs. No matter how cheesy it can get at points, It will also remind you how important it is to conduct your business safely.

[Video] Jenga Played with 600lb Blocks and Construction Equipment is Way More Fun Than You’ve Ever Had

May 31, 2016 Shane Hedmond

If you’ve played Jenga before, you know that it can get pretty intense as the blocks start to get a little wobbly. A typical Jenga block dimension is 0.59 in x 0.98 in x 2.95 in, and weighs ounces, so if the tower falls, the stakes aren’t really that severe, other than a humiliating loss to your friend, family member, or mortal enemy. Now, multiply that size by 10,000 and you get the scale of the Jenga pieces that CAT put together for their #BuiltForIt campaign.

Video of Building Demolition Hilariously Ruined By Bus

May 17, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Demolition videos are fun to watch (we obviously love them at Construction Junkie), so there are plenty of people willing to film them as well. Getting the perfect angle is key and many are now using drones to get a bird’s eye view of implosions. The videographer below wasn’t so lucky when he chose his spot, as a bus pulled right in front of his camera as soon as a 24-story building in Scotland was about to collapse.

Finally, There’s a Construction Amusement Park for Adults

May 5, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Chances are, you played with some type of construction toy when you were growing up, whether it was a plastic set of hammers and wrenches, or a classic Tonka truck. After you graduate from toy dump trucks and backhoes, heavy construction equipment gets a little too expensive and dangerous for just anyone to play around in them…or does it? Diggerland XL doesn’t think so.

Diggerland XL is a new addition to Diggerland USA, which is a kid’s construction theme park in West Berlin, NJ. The original kid’s park has rides and attractions all centered around construction equipment, like navigating a skid steer through a course, or bowling with a mini-excavator (that sounds super fun). Other rides and events include a spinning ride that seats you in the bucket of an excavator, an excavator merry-go-round, a mini-excavator treasure hunt, the world’s fastest backhoe and a heavy equipment stunt show! Here’s a video showing many of the attractions of the original park.

So what’s in store for the adults at the new Diggerland XL? Full sized construction equipment and an open playground to do some damage. After you choose between a wheel loader, an excavator, and a bulldozer, you’ll be given 30 minutes of instruction and up to 2.5 hours of “Adult Play Time.” So now, you don’t have to bug your buddies at work that get to drive all the cool toys and risk everybody’s life on the job site. Prices of the XL package range from $199 to $349, but it also includes access to the Diggerland USA attractions. Heck, you can even plan your next milestone birthday party there (Who’s turning 40 in the near future? You know who you are.) Here’s a cool video of the adult theme park:

Even if you’re not interested in the XL package, it still seems like a super fun place to bring the kids.

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Feb 24, 2021

Crane Collapses on Jobsite in Syracuse, NY, No Injuries Reported

Feb 24, 2021

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.

Feb 24, 2021

Feb 2, 2021

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

Feb 2, 2021

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.

Feb 2, 2021

Jan 26, 2021

[VIDEO] A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Recent Record Breaker for World’s Tallest Demolition

Jan 26, 2021

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.

Jan 26, 2021

Jan 22, 2021

[VIDEO] Helicopter Drops Cooling Tower During Lift to Roof

Jan 22, 2021

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.

Jan 22, 2021

Jan 5, 2021

Top 7 Demolition Videos of 2020

Jan 5, 2021

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:

Jan 5, 2021

Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Plant 2020

Dec 7, 2020

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

Dec 7, 2020

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.

Dec 7, 2020

Dec 1, 2020

[VIDEO] New World Record For Tallest Building Demolished By Explosives

Dec 1, 2020

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.

Dec 1, 2020

Nov 11, 2020

[VIDEO] Check Out This Excavator Free Fall Down a Huge Underground Access Shaft

Nov 11, 2020

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.

Nov 11, 2020

building in shanghai walks to new location.JPG

Nov 4, 2020

[VIDEO] Watch an 85 Year Old, 5 Story Building be Relocated 200 Feet with a ‘Walking Machine’

Nov 4, 2020

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.

Nov 4, 2020

Nov 3, 2020

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

Nov 3, 2020

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.

Nov 3, 2020

PSA: Stop Trying To Catapult a Hard Hat onto Your Head

March 25, 2016 Shane Hedmond

For some reason, there are plenty of people out there willing to try their hand at the “hard hat challenge,” in which worker’s attempt to launch a hard hat onto their head by stomping on a shovel, a 2x4, or any other launching mechanism. It all seems like fun and games until the wrong side of that hard hat ends up hitting you on top of the head, which seems to happen EVERY TIME.

Mice Eat Construction Drawings, Hilariously Delaying Project

March 11, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Photo by jans canon, CC BY-2.0. Original photo was cropped.

You know the classic excuse that “the dog ate your homework,” but it sounds as though that old saying is getting a bit of an update. Move over, Pizza Rat, the next big thing is “Blueprint Mice.”

Man Driving Stolen Backhoe Leads Police on a Wild Chase

February 24, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Driving construction equipment seems like a lot of fun to a lot of people. Many children grow up playing with toy backhoes and other heavy machinery replicas, including myself. It’s not totally advisable to take them from job sites and try to flee from police though, they don’t move very fast.

This 3 Year Old Kid is Really Good At Operating a Wheel Loader

February 10, 2016 Shane Hedmond

If you ever want to feel old and stupid, hand a child a smart phone and watch them navigate through it like it’s an extension of their hand. They can pick up on things incredibly quick and these kids will be our betters one day (unless we act quick…look out kiddos).