366:
40:
226:
388:
52:
20:
215:
410:
289:, European demolition experts, faced with huge reconstruction projects in dense urban areas, gathered practical knowledge and experience for bringing down large structures without harming adjacent properties. This led to the emergence of a demolition industry that grew and matured during the latter half of the twentieth century. At the same time, the development of more efficient high-velocity explosives, such as
128:
414:
412:
417:
416:
411:
418:
55:
54:
59:
58:
53:
23:
22:
27:
26:
21:
60:
415:
312:
in
Canberra, Australia, was demolished. The main building did not fully disintegrate and had to be manually demolished. The explosion during the initial demolition attempt was not contained on the site and large pieces of debris were projected towards spectators 500 m (546.81 yd) away, in a
349:
Building implosion has been successfully used at
Department of Energy sites such as the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina and the Hanford Site in Washington. The SRS 185-3K or "K" Area Cooling Tower, built in 1992 to cool the water from the K Reactor, was no longer needed when the Cold War
28:
131:
135:
134:
130:
129:
156:
a series of small explosions, but the building itself isn't erupting outward. It's actually being pulled in on top of itself. What we're really doing is removing specific support columns within the structure and then cajoling the building in one direction or another, or straight
57:
136:
25:
84:
and timing of its detonation so that a structure collapses on itself in a matter of seconds, minimizing the physical damage to its immediate surroundings. Despite its terminology, building implosion also includes the controlled demolition of other structures, like
365:
205:
A simple structure like a chimney can be prepared for demolition in less than a day. Larger or more complex structures can take up to six months of preparation to remove internal walls and wrap columns with fabric and fencing before firing the explosives.
133:
274:, which had more complicated structures, allowing greater heights. This led to other considerations in the explosive demolition of buildings, such as worker and spectator safety and limiting collateral damage. Benefiting from the availability of
346:. Construction on the new tower had begun in 2006, but it had been sinking unevenly during construction, which halted in 2008, and could not be saved. It is believed to be one of the tallest reinforced concrete structures ever imploded.
101:. This is typically done to save time and money of what would otherwise be an extensive demolition process with construction equipment, as well as to reduce construction workers exposure to infrastructure that is in severe disrepair.
353:
The
Hanford Site Buildings 337, 337B, and the 309 Exhaust Stack, built in the early 1970s and vacated in the mid-2000s due to deteriorating physical condition, were safely razed by explosive demolition on October 9, 2010.
313:
location considered safe for viewing. A twelve-year-old girl was killed instantly, and nine others were injured. Large fragments of masonry and metal were found 650 m (710.85 yd) from the demolition site.
300:
drew a cheering crowd of 50,000, as well as protesters, bands, and street vendors selling building implosion memorabilia. Evolution in the mastery of controlled demolition led to the world record demolition of the
179:
phenomenon. A true implosion usually involves a difference between internal (lower) and external (higher) pressure, or inward and outward forces, that is so large that the structure collapses inward into itself.
413:
56:
24:
104:
Building implosion, which reduces to seconds a process which could take months or years to achieve by other methods, typically occurs in urban areas and often involves large landmark structures.
132:
202:
are used to sever steel supports. These explosives are progressively detonated on supports throughout the structure. Then, explosives on the lower floors initiate the controlled collapse.
282:, and borrowing from techniques used in rock-blasting, such as staggered detonation of several small charges, the process of building implosion gradually became more efficient.
387:
668:
183:
In contrast, building implosion techniques do not rely on the difference between internal and external pressure to collapse a structure. Instead, the goal is to induce a
462:
152:
The term "implosion" was coined by my grandmother back in, I guess, the '60s. It's a more descriptive way to explain what we do than "explosion". There
296:
Meanwhile, public interest in the spectacle of controlled building explosion also grew. The
October 1994 demolition of the Sears Merchandise Center in
643:
557:
442:
735:
587:
187:
by weakening or removing critical supports; therefore, the building can no longer withstand gravity loads and will fail under its own weight.
690:
293:, and non-electrical firing systems combined to make this a period of time in which the building implosion technique was extensively used.
317:
470:
119:. "What happens is, you use explosive materials in critical structural connections to allow gravity to bring it down."
309:
251:
One of the earliest documented attempts at building implosion was the 1773 razing of Holy
Trinity Cathedral in
176:
760:
653:
141:
437:
190:
Numerous small explosives, strategically placed within the structure, are used to catalyze the collapse.
565:
297:
163:
264:
343:
145:
116:
595:
648:
234:
39:
44:
184:
726:
617:
8:
765:
691:"Explosive Demolition of Buildings 337, 337B and the 309 Stack at the Hanford's 300 Area"
395:
270:
The late 19th century saw the erection of—and ultimately the need to demolish—the first
770:
245:
230:
225:
81:
107:
The actual use of the term "implosion" to refer to the destruction of a building is a
539:
492:
377:
373:
321:
219:
720:
622:
302:
534:
Blanchard, Brent (February 2002). "A History of
Explosive Demolition in America".
516:
Grogan, Dick (1997-06-11). "Pillars of the church may save the nave". Home News.
279:
399:
267:
produced a deafening explosion that instantly reduced the building to rubble.
754:
730:
543:
338:
On
December 13, 2009, an unfinished 31-story condominium tower, known as the
332:
199:
191:
286:
244:
industry, the history of building implosion is tied to the development of
536:
Proceedings of the Annual
Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique
350:
ended and was safely demolished by explosive demolition on May 25, 2010.
339:
328:
198:, or other explosives are used to shatter reinforced concrete supports.
594:. ACT Magistrates Court and Tribunals (Coroner's Court). Archived from
271:
241:
112:
73:
260:
252:
214:
700:(Interview). Interviewed by Leonel Lagos; Peggy Shoffner; Lee Brady.
275:
195:
108:
32:
714:
394:
June 2006 demolition of the 12-story Tencza
Apartment building in
689:
Smith, Bob; Beckworth, Daniel; Kisenwether, Thomas (2010-11-11).
538:. International Society of Explosives Engineers. pp. 27–44.
256:
90:
327:
On
February 23, 2007 an unfinished Intel building known as the
98:
86:
65:
175:
can be misleading to a layperson: The technique is not a true
324:
became the tallest, and the largest, building ever imploded.
94:
669:"The Use of Explosives to Demolish the 185-3K Cooling Tower"
463:"Taking down 1515 Tower: No implosion, not quite explosion"
278:, a high-velocity explosive based on a stabilized form of
741:
688:
290:
717:
Advanced structural analysis for predicting demolitions.
263:, a huge amount of explosives at the time. The use of
425:
Tappan Zee Bridge explosive demolition in slow motion
259:with 150 lb (68.04 kg; 10.71 st) of
140:Implosion of Radio Network House, damaged by the
752:
443:List of tallest voluntarily demolished buildings
721:A History of Structural Demolition in America
111:. This had been stated of the destruction of
579:
644:"Ocean Tower implodes into pile of rubble"
318:J. L. Hudson Department Store and Addition
533:
493:"NOVA Online/Kaboom!/Loizeaux Interview"
224:
213:
126:
50:
38:
18:
372:Demolition of a chimney at the former "
753:
666:
615:
585:
529:
527:
515:
218:Demolition by controlled explosion in
209:
678:(Interview). Interviewed by L. Brady.
35:building demolition slow motion video
652:. December 14, 2009. Archived from
524:
13:
335:, which was halted in April 2001.
14:
782:
708:
588:"General Chronology and Overview"
742:Bank Implosion Videos and Photos
616:Gregor, Katherine (2007-02-23).
408:
386:
364:
64:Blasting of a highway bridge in
682:
660:
636:
609:
550:
509:
485:
455:
122:
1:
558:"Seattle Kingdome demolition"
448:
380:, Germany, on 2 December 2006
727:How Building Implosions Work
592:The Bender Coronial Decision
142:2011 Christchurch earthquake
80:is the strategic placing of
7:
667:Austin, Bill (2012-01-31).
520:(City ed.). p. 2.
438:Controlled Demolition, Inc.
431:
10:
787:
357:
298:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
586:Madden, Shane G. (1999).
344:South Padre Island, Texas
316:On October 24, 1998, the
146:Christchurch Central City
117:West Palm Beach, Florida
618:"Farewell, Intel Shell"
310:Royal Canberra Hospital
649:The Brownsville Herald
265:low velocity explosive
237:
235:New Haven, Connecticut
229:The demolition of the
222:
169:
148:
69:
48:
36:
731:www.howstuffworks.com
723:by Brent L. Blanchard
715:Demolition Simulation
562:Controlled Demolition
467:www.palmbeachpost.com
228:
217:
200:Linear shaped charges
150:
139:
74:controlled demolition
63:
45:Athlone Power Station
42:
31:
761:Building engineering
185:progressive collapse
16:Method of demolition
736:Building Implosions
473:on 13 February 2010
396:Arlington, Virginia
305:on March 26, 2000.
210:Historical overview
342:, was imploded in
238:
231:New Haven Coliseum
223:
173:building implosion
149:
82:explosive material
78:building implosion
70:
49:
37:
729:by Tom Harris on
419:
378:Frankfurt am Main
374:Henninger Brewery
322:Detroit, Michigan
220:Buffalo, New York
137:
61:
43:Implosion of the
29:
778:
702:
701:
695:
686:
680:
679:
673:
664:
658:
657:
640:
634:
633:
631:
630:
623:Austin Chronicle
613:
607:
606:
604:
603:
583:
577:
576:
574:
573:
564:. Archived from
554:
548:
547:
531:
522:
521:
513:
507:
506:
504:
503:
489:
483:
482:
480:
478:
469:. Archived from
459:
421:
420:
390:
368:
331:was imploded in
303:Seattle Kingdome
167:
162:Stacy Loizeaux,
138:
62:
30:
786:
785:
781:
780:
779:
777:
776:
775:
751:
750:
748:
711:
706:
705:
693:
687:
683:
671:
665:
661:
642:
641:
637:
628:
626:
614:
610:
601:
599:
584:
580:
571:
569:
556:
555:
551:
532:
525:
518:The Irish Times
514:
510:
501:
499:
491:
490:
486:
476:
474:
461:
460:
456:
451:
434:
427:
426:
422:
409:
404:
403:
391:
382:
381:
369:
360:
240:As part of the
212:
168:
166:, December 1996
161:
127:
125:
51:
19:
17:
12:
11:
5:
784:
774:
773:
768:
763:
746:
745:
739:
733:
724:
718:
710:
709:External links
707:
704:
703:
681:
659:
656:on 2012-08-25.
635:
608:
578:
549:
523:
508:
484:
453:
452:
450:
447:
446:
445:
440:
433:
430:
429:
428:
424:
423:
407:
405:
393:
392:
385:
383:
371:
370:
363:
359:
356:
280:nitroglycerine
211:
208:
159:
124:
121:
47:cooling towers
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
783:
772:
769:
767:
764:
762:
759:
758:
756:
749:
743:
740:
737:
734:
732:
728:
725:
722:
719:
716:
713:
712:
699:
692:
685:
677:
670:
663:
655:
651:
650:
645:
639:
625:
624:
619:
612:
598:on 2009-06-09
597:
593:
589:
582:
568:on 2019-01-04
567:
563:
559:
553:
545:
541:
537:
530:
528:
519:
512:
498:
494:
488:
472:
468:
464:
458:
454:
444:
441:
439:
436:
435:
406:
401:
397:
389:
384:
379:
375:
367:
362:
361:
355:
351:
347:
345:
341:
336:
334:
333:Austin, Texas
330:
325:
323:
319:
314:
311:
308:In 1997, the
306:
304:
299:
294:
292:
288:
283:
281:
277:
273:
268:
266:
262:
258:
254:
249:
247:
243:
236:
232:
227:
221:
216:
207:
203:
201:
197:
193:
192:Nitroglycerin
188:
186:
181:
178:
174:
165:
158:
155:
147:
143:
120:
118:
114:
110:
105:
102:
100:
96:
92:
88:
83:
79:
75:
67:
46:
41:
34:
747:
697:
684:
675:
662:
654:the original
647:
638:
627:. Retrieved
621:
611:
600:. Retrieved
596:the original
591:
581:
570:. Retrieved
566:the original
561:
552:
535:
517:
511:
500:. Retrieved
496:
487:
475:. Retrieved
471:the original
466:
457:
352:
348:
337:
326:
315:
307:
295:
287:World War II
284:
269:
250:
248:technology.
239:
204:
189:
182:
172:
170:
153:
151:
106:
103:
77:
71:
497:www.pbs.org
340:Ocean Tower
329:Intel Shell
272:skyscrapers
123:Terminology
91:smokestacks
766:Demolition
755:Categories
698:D&D KM
676:D&D KM
629:2024-09-23
602:2007-03-07
572:2010-03-29
502:2021-03-18
477:17 January
449:References
285:Following
246:explosives
242:demolition
113:1515 Tower
76:industry,
771:Implosion
544:0732-619X
261:gunpowder
253:Waterford
177:implosion
171:The term
144:, in the
68:, Germany
432:See also
276:dynamite
196:dynamite
160:—
109:misnomer
33:AfE-Turm
398:. (See
358:Gallery
257:Ireland
99:tunnels
87:bridges
72:In the
744:Videos
738:Videos
542:
97:, and
95:towers
66:Aachen
694:(PDF)
672:(PDF)
400:video
376:" in
157:down.
540:ISSN
479:2022
164:NOVA
320:in
291:RDX
233:in
154:are
115:in
757::
696:.
674:.
646:.
620:.
590:.
560:.
526:^
495:.
465:.
255:,
194:,
93:,
89:,
632:.
605:.
575:.
546:.
505:.
481:.
402:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
