# Tool Talk >  Perfect controlled demolition of twin chimneys - video

## Jon

Controlled demolition of twin chimneys at Cockenzie Power Station in East Lothian, Scotland in 2015. Best demolition vid I've ever seen. Gorgeous.



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Previously:

Floor-by-floor Japanese building demolition - GIF and video
116 excavators demolish bridge overnight in China - video

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## ChrisB257

Sheer perfection Jon - poetry in motion!

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## wizard69

That is awesome!!!

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## Paul Alciatore

Unbelievable that they could get them to fall at the exact angle toward each other and in perfect sync. That guy was one heck of a demolition man. 

Makes me wonder if digital effects were involved. But then it is the perfect solution. If you brought them down one at a time, the first one may have damaged the other and made the job a lot more dangerous. And they probably wanted to contain the rubble in a small area.

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## Frank S

Clean up on isle 1. Demolition experts get paid the big bucks for a reason. These chimneys could have been brought down individually or together in a straight down vertical drop however either of those scenarios would have required a lot more explosives and some very precise detonations with a much higher risk of something going wrong. Just dropping 1 of them in any other direction than the way it was done would have scattered debris over a larger area. Even dropping them the way it was done if the drop angle had been slightly off on either chimney would have taken out that nearby building and the damaged road as well.

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## Jon

2:59 video of the demolition:




The company doing the demolition was Brown and Mason. They have more demo vids here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC41...csDgxlQ/videos .

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## Jon

Third-world version:



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## Jon

Impromptu, but effective.



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sak778 (Apr 19, 2020)

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## Frank S

Kind of reminds me of a scene from an old movie.

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## Jon

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## Radioman

What did he expect was going to happen?

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## ranald

I'm not surprised that onlooker was running away. Why would anyone be that close a silly demolition attempt like that. Guess that because it is a "cat" it was decided it was bullittproof & Steve MacQueen was driving.

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## ranald

I wonder if the driver of the prime mover left behing some brake fluid and the skid marks=wow. Too fast to jump out like the Green Hornet would done back in 50's.

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## marksbug

thats funny.

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## Clockguy

> 2:59 video of the demolition:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The company doing the demolition was Brown and Mason. They have more demo vids here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC41...csDgxlQ/videos .




I'm a bit curious, do you think that there was a secondary explosion to drop the small open glass hangar type building behind the large building after the chimneys came down?? Or was that caused by the concussion of the chimneys hitting the ground?

That part of the large building collapsed before the debris stopped moving about from the chimney drop and I thought I heard another blast directly after they came down.

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## Jon

An interesting building demo fail. Now what do they do?



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Harvey Melvin Richards (Sep 28, 2018),

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## owen moore

Bill said "John, did you put charges on both the north and south sides of the building?"
John answered "I thought you said the north only"!

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## Jon

Chimney collapses onto excavator. This attempt was made after a failed dynamite detonation.



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1:43 mainstream news report:





The cab, now in possession of Komatsu:

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Seedtick (Sep 29, 2018),

Sleykin (Sep 30, 2018)

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## PJs

God And Komatsu's Cab design...that is a well designed and built cab!

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## suther51

My uncle was in evolved with taking down an agricultural silo. The heavy equipment operator came as close to making a fatal mistake as most get. Using his excavator he knocked two adjacent holes in the bottom of the silo leaving just a few blocks in between. Then went in on foot with a sledge hammer to knock out the blocks between the larger holes made with the excavator. After the dust settled and he was dug out it was only the metal hoops that made something like a cage around him that saved him with only a broken hip an bruises n so forth. Some of the barbershop talk latter was the "proper" way to do it would have been to take out the "key" blocks with a 12ga deer slug at distance. The farmer next valley over was most likely right when saying, top down block by block is the only right way with out an explosives licence for demo. Even dumb people survive sometimes.
Eric

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KustomsbyKent (Sep 30, 2018)

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## G.Paul

I saw this chimney take down about 2 years ago on another site. All I can say this guy is lucky to be alive, there is a much saver way to take down a chimney

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## Frank S

A friend of mine has a PC200 with that exact same cab. his machine fell through a slab into a basement that no one knew was there. His cab hung on the edge of a wall and the floor almost as much damage as the one in the picture except the impact was on the front corner broke all of the glass out and destroyed the door He never bothered having the cab repaired just uses it without glass and removed the door.

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## ranald

looks like the boom may have helped but a seriously good design rops frame in the cab. very lucky fella.

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## Jon

We may never see a demolition as beautiful as those twin chimneys, but that doesn't mean we can't spend the rest of our days looking. I didn't realize silos can demo this cleanly:



Different silo, but a similar collapse pattern. Unusual detonation method, and this one is appropriately doodled:



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## mklotz

Why are there so many videos of silo demolitions? Do silos wear out or become infected or something? The amount of land they occupy on farms of considerable acreage seems minimal. They must be moderately expensive to construct so, even if unused, why destroy it? Won't they be value added when the farm is sold?

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## G.Paul

The farmers and grain storage people use metal silos easier to maintain

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## Frank S

Marv, you may note that almost all of them are either block construction or galvanized corrugated sheet metal that are being destroyed with a few exceptions of the random reinforced concrete silos.
the mortar used it the block silos deteriorates or the ground they are sitting on sometimes settles causing them to develop cracks once this happens they are more of a liability than an asset. the ones made out of sheet metal naturally rust out over time creating a liability.
The well constructed poured reinforced concrete silos are probably only demolished should they develop very large cracks or simply the farm owner decides he is tired of looking at it. or tired or having to have it included on his insurance policy. but mostly if it is not being used he still has to pay property taxes on having the thing.
in some states or counties that can really ad up over time especially in states or counties that add an overall height tax to the structures on a property. This is why taxes are at a higher rate for 2 or 3 story homes of the same square footage of roof than single story units of the same size, In those areas the tall slender silo can near equal the amount of tax owed as their barn due to its height.

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Jon (Oct 12, 2018),

KustomsbyKent (Oct 14, 2018),

PJs (Oct 14, 2018),

Toolmaker51 (Oct 11, 2018),

volodar (Oct 11, 2018)

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## marksbug

somehow I dont see me being able to do that....well not that nicely.

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## G.Paul

A farmer in Michigan has no restrictions on what he builds no permits are required but has to pay taxes, that may also be true in the rest of our country

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## suther51

Here in central ny I have heard 2nd hand that insurance companys will no longer cover silos. On the large, 1000 head and bigger farms bunkering silage is most common. The volume of silage is just totaly impractal to put in silos. Also just backing up and dumping a load and "stacking" it with an articulated tractor with a degelman blade is likely much faster. Often farmers sell their block silos to the amish who put them back up with a smaller diameter so several families get a small silo out of one larger one.
Eric

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## Toolmaker51

Where I bought recently acquired Tool Grinder, was also an operative farm. They had a few smaller corrugated silos with shallow conical roofs; re-utilized as playhouses and guest rooms. Externally, all it took were pre-hung exterior doors and double hung windows. One taller silo used a circular stairway for a second story.

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## Toolmaker51

> in some states or counties that can really ad up over time especially in states or counties that add an overall height tax to the structures on a property. This is why taxes are at a higher rate for 2 or 3 story homes of the same square footage of roof than single story units of the same size, In those areas the tall slender silo can near equal the amount of tax owed as their barn due to its height.



That was justification for Mansard Roofs, France I believe. Dwellings were taxed on number of stories under roof line. One or two inside that pitch and eave is a substantial reduction.

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## Frank S

My shop[ basically consist of being 2 house hold goods trailers with a tent between them considered a temporary structure there are no taxes on it.
I had the bright Idea to relocate them and add a shipping container or 2 then building a roof over that attached to them. But as soon as I connect everything together with a permanent roof and end walls this becomes a taxable structure. I've already checked due to the size I am planning for my shop the taxes on the property will raise significantly. The good thing is they only evaluate once every 5 years the last evaluation was this year. So if I hurry I may have a few years before I have to worry about coming up with the additional amount.It really doesn't matter though because I need a solid shop that I can heat in the winter and have a good dry work space other than just inside the trailers. The tent helps mostly for only keeping the direct sunlight off and some of the rain.but open ended it PITA. when the wind blows

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## suther51

https://goo.gl/images/E6CFmQ
Clearspan structure with shipping containers. 
Eric

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Jon (Oct 12, 2018)

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## Frank S

> https://goo.gl/images/E6CFmQ
> Clearspan structure with shipping containers. 
> Eric



yep I cold do it that way and I won't deny that the thought has crossed my mind

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## Toolmaker51

In Paramount CA, the 90's there was a very large machine shop. Part of it fronted on Garfield Avenue occupying most of it's block. Other than a small residence and garage there was no taxable structure. Every machine was covered by roof, metal stock and cutting were in the shops yard, and there were only two walls.....Paramount is Los Angeles area, so weather is no problem, other than occasional strong wind. 
So how was it not taxed? Walls [corrugated] and chain link fence were attached to framing of vented roof. And each pillar was on a big rubber tired caster. Was it stable? Lol stable enough; the tires weren't inflated! The old codger owner had a fortune in property, taxed at vacant rate, being separate to residence, all grandfathered in a manufacturing zoned property. I'm surprised he didn't attempt sedition or some kind of sovereign state; but I know he was a thorn for the local tax district.

If we didn't have such weather I'd replicate his tricky shed, and my impersonation of Galileo's finger for our local taxing body. They certainly have managed a intricate form of triple jeopardy, and the equivalent of lobbyists to enact more.

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## Jon

What did he think was going to happen?



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Priemsy (Oct 13, 2018),

Seedtick (Oct 13, 2018)

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## ranald

> What did he think was going to happen?
> 
> <video controls autoplay loop>
> <source src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/hmt-forum/excavator_destroys_arch_bridge.mp4" type="video/mp4">
> Your browser does not support the video tag.
> </video>



May as well been Quicksand. 
a wee side track (yet again). Years ago, my opposition in park mtce got a small 4x4 tractor stuck so got his bigger tractor to tow & it became bogged in the mud so got a 4x4 truck which became stuck : then another bigger one became stuck. Eventually he gained help from a 4x4 backhoe which also became bogged then Council sent in its biggest equipment a CAT Grader and towed the lot out. ha ha should have used very long chains to a location where the surface would not be broken in the first place.

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Priemsy (Oct 13, 2018)

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## Toolmaker51

Could have looked that his tracks were on the bridge foundation. Lemme see......is the arched structure reinforced, tied into what is beneath me? Seems like I'd have hammered the arch barely beyond the vertical bulwark. I'll bet the collapse would progress almost identically, and no bigger crane trolling to get me out.
But I'm no EO, what do I know...

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Priemsy (Oct 13, 2018)

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## Frank S

sitting on the limb with a chain saw cutting the limb off at the trunk comes to mind.

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Priemsy (Oct 13, 2018)

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## ranald

Like the road runner cutting out a circle he was standing on or from below and its above his head. simply looney toones.

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## 12bolts

> sitting on the limb with a chain saw cutting the limb off at the trunk comes to mind.



Ironically enough Frank, I do know someone who has done that

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PJs (Oct 14, 2018)

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## Jon

Controlled silo demolition in populated area in Aalborg, Denmark.



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33-second video:

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MeJasonT (Dec 9, 2018),

PJs (Dec 2, 2018),

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## PJs

Wow the speed of the sequencing was off the charts. Particularly like the openings on the top and large doorway on the bottom for pressure relief...wouldn't have wanted to be standing anywhere near that doorway...had to be a hurricane force wind.

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## Jon

Guy takes down a chimney with a handheld power hammer. Don't worry folks, he's wearing a hardhat. 0:53 video:




The video description is a gem:




> Manual demolition of the chimney. It was impossible to use explosives, the chimney contained arsenic. Czech Rebublic - 2018 - old textile factory Benar.
> Info update 26.9.2018: i have new information. Chimney contained arsenic not asbestos! I am sorry. This method used because: Arsenic, low budget (the city council was paying for this 35 000 USD) and very low byrokracy with compared the dynamite blast.

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Tonyg (Dec 9, 2018)

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## Frank S

like that hard hat would have done a lot of good

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PJs (Dec 8, 2018)

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## PJs

or holding it up with his other hand...at :28

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MeJasonT (Dec 9, 2018)

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## Toolmaker51

Since he collected most of the 35 grand, maybe all if he salvaged bricks, pretty non-nonchalant step off rubble pile, picked up shovel and exited path of falling tower. He knew what he was doing, visibly selecting areas to penetrate and achieve fall away from structures.
I cannot remember his name, but a very well known British mason did things like this. A working class hero, even had a TV program, blogging if you will, traveling about to document demise of industry and labor in the UK.

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## Ralphxyz

Loved how he calmly walked off!!

Ralph

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PJs (Dec 9, 2018)

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## Jon

> I cannot remember his name, but a very well known British mason did things like this. A working class hero, even had a TV program, blogging if you will, traveling about to document demise of industry and labor in the UK.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Dibnah

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baja (Dec 11, 2018),

bimmer1980 (Dec 10, 2018),

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PJs (Dec 9, 2018),

Seedtick (Dec 8, 2018),

Tonyg (Dec 9, 2018),

Toolmaker51 (Dec 9, 2018)

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## Toolmaker51

> like that hard hat would have done a lot of good



Hard hat's definite safety aid. 
To find where chimney pounded him into the ground like a stake. Under the hard hat he wears a knit cap, to cushion the blow.

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## nova_robotics

Then there's this guy.

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Jon (Dec 8, 2018),

PJs (Dec 9, 2018)

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## wizard69

> [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Dibnah



Now that is something I would never want to do. No safety tie ins either. 

What I wonder is if he will be taking the entire chimney down. Talk about making on job a career.

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## wizard69

There are significant safety issues associated with silos. They can be deprived of oxygen leading to deaths. 




> Here in central ny I have heard 2nd hand that insurance companys will no longer cover silos. On the large, 1000 head and bigger farms bunkering silage is most common. The volume of silage is just totaly impractal to put in silos. Also just backing up and dumping a load and "stacking" it with an articulated tractor with a degelman blade is likely much faster. Often farmers sell their block silos to the amish who put them back up with a smaller diameter so several families get a small silo out of one larger one.
> Eric

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## aphilipmarcou

yep, wouldn't want to trip up.....

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## toma

He had a time to pick the shovel..and hammer ...!!

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## toma

He had a time to pick the hammer and shovel too...someone would trow away everything to save his head...

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## Rorschach

I think the Dibnah method would have been a lot safer for the person doing the job there, barely more expensive either.

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## Philip Davies

Yes, Fred Dibnah at least used props as he went round. Then he lit a bonfire and burned them out. Even so, he had a narrow escape. Must have taken him a lot longer, especially using a club hammer and chisel!

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## MeJasonT

Cheers Jon
I was going to mention Fred - he is an absolute hero of mine.




If you are interested in Victorian Engineering, he is a man well worth researching, If he wasn't repairing or felling chimneys he was building steam traction engines. he even sunk a brick mine shaft in his garden. He built a steam lift so he could get in and out like those seen in coal mines.

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PJs (Dec 9, 2018)

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## MeJasonT

Run Forest Run

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PJs (Dec 9, 2018)

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## MeJasonT

Re silos, i grew up on a farm and we were always getting in the silo to get the last of the barley out or clean out any moulded stuff at the bottom. working on the rigs we were made very aware of H2S gas (Hydrogen Sulphide) or rotten egg gas. In its lowest concentration you could smell something like rotten eggs, unfortunately at higher concentrations you would not be able to smell it at all as it would have destroyed your sense of smell - shortly followed by death. water tanks, confined spaces and even rusty steel oil drums can have H2S present. Rusty steel gasses as it decays gents, stale air is where this beast lives. We engineers should all be aware of this silent killer. There was an incident in the UK where a father and two sons died working at sea. The father had entered a confined space and was overcome, his son had not seen him for a while and went looking for him, he climbed into the space to rescue his father and was overcome also. His other son concerned for his father and brother went to find them both, on discovering them he raised the alarm and then climbed into the space to try and rescue them, he later died from the effects of the gas in hospital. There is a very good reason we are scared of dark places as a child. If you enter a space which has not been ventilated for some time or open a container where the air has been left stagnant for some time then please be aware of the risks. If you have ever worked on rusty metal and smelt something that smelt like rotten eggs - that was it, so you know.

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PJs (Dec 9, 2018),

Toolmaker51 (Dec 9, 2018)

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## Frank S

> Cheers Jon
> I was going to mention Fred - he is an absolute hero of mine.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you are interested in Victorian Engineering, he is a man well worth researching, If he wasn't repairing or felling chimneys he was building steam traction engines. he even sunk a brick mine shaft in his garden. He built a steam lift so he could get in and out like those seen in coal mines.



Fascinating

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## Frank S

> Re silos, i grew up on a farm and we were always getting in the silo to get the last of the barley out or clean out any moulded stuff at the bottom. working on the rigs we were made very aware of H2S gas (Hydrogen Sulphide) or rotten egg gas. In its lowest concentration you could smell something like rotten eggs, unfortunately at higher concentrations you would not be able to smell it at all as it would have destroyed your sense of smell - shortly followed by death. water tanks, confined spaces and even rusty steel oil drums can have H2S present. Rusty steel gasses as it decays gents, stale air is where this beast lives. We engineers should all be aware of this silent killer. There was an incident in the UK where a father and two sons died working at sea. The father had entered a confined space and was overcome, his son had not seen him for a while and went looking for him, he climbed into the space to rescue his father and was overcome also. His other son concerned for his father and brother went to find them both, on discovering them he raised the alarm and then climbed into the space to try and rescue them, he later died from the effects of the gas in hospital. There is a very good reason we are scared of dark places as a child. If you enter a space which has not been ventilated for some time or open a container where the air has been left stagnant for some time then please be aware of the risks. If you have ever worked on rusty metal and smelt something that smelt like rotten eggs - that was it, so you know.



One day a dozen ambulances showed up at the scrap yard across from where I used to live some of the guys were cutting up some huge steel tanks when 1 of the workers was overcome, Just by accident the foreman just happened to notice the guy go down for no apparent reason. He started out to the guy and had only made it a few feet before he saw another worker start to slump in his tracks. The foreman radioed the office and an alarm started going off. From my place across the street I cold see through the 60 ft wide open gate that something was going on. The loud alarm and lots of guys running towards the gate. 2 guys bravely drug the 2 fallen men out as they ran by. A few minutes later there were ambulances the Fire department the local police and the Sheriffs department there. 
No one died but several were hauled off in the ambulances others were checked out. The health department people came around to my place and the other businesses near by. Turns out they had crushed a large pressurized liquid chlorine tank that no one knew was there.

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MeJasonT (Dec 9, 2018),

PJs (Dec 9, 2018)

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## MeJasonT

wow, Chlorine is nasty stuff. To think our local water company puts it in our drinking water. our water has between 1.6 and 2 parts per million which is what the EU deem safe. our water used to be supplied through cast iron pipes, the chlorine was pumped in at a stronger dose as cast iron pipes had a tendency of absorbing it, someone needs to tell the idiots in the water authority they have replaced the old pipes for plastic now - as a result our water is unpalatable.

Its something like, if 1/2 pint was discharged from a tanker it has the potential of killing everyone in a 1/2 mile radius, seeing them things on the motorway gives me the creeps (as do nuclear flasks, just saying). 

I watch our local scrap yard drilling holes in calor/propane gas canisters, pure madness, to be fair they are now starting to use a hydraulic spike, but still mental.

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PJs (Dec 9, 2018)

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## Frank S

> wow, Chlorine is nasty stuff. To think our local water company puts it in our drinking water. our water has between 1.6 and 2 parts per million which is what the EU deem safe. our water used to be supplied through cast iron pipes, the chlorine was pumped in at a stronger dose as cast iron pipes had a tendency of absorbing it, someone needs to tell the idiots in the water authority they have replaced the old pipes for plastic now - as a result our water is unpalatable.
> 
> Its something like, if 1/2 pint was discharged from a tanker it has the potential of killing everyone in a 1/2 mile radius, seeing them things on the motorway gives me the creeps (as do nuclear flasks, just saying). 
> 
> I watch our local scrap yard drilling holes in calor/propane gas canisters, pure madness, to be fair they are now starting to use a hydraulic spike, but still mental.



An old couple who now 1 of them has passed away and the other in in a nursing home heard somewhere that the way to preserve water for long term storage was to put bleach in it . Probably some misguided survivalist ramblings on the internet was where they found their information. While it is regular practice for water treatment facilities to use various chemicals in the purification of water clorine being 1 of those. These are done supposedly under a controlled environment Just like putting Iodine in water to kill the pathogens. or certain salts to soften the water. you don't just wake up 1 morning and decide to pour a few ounces of Clorox in your coffee pot to make coffee with. 
A friend of mine and his wife had the task of cleaning out the old couple's house they found 61 gallons of water in galon milk jugs stored under the bed. He asked me what to do with it. 
I thought to my self you had to call me to ask what to do with 61 dusty gallon jugs of water Oh well.
Pour it down the drain I said then recycle the empty jugs.
But the jugs have dates on them and a note that there is half a cup of bleach in them.
So whet. it is only good for flushing to commode.
Then he said his wife wanted him to load it up and bring it to me.
OK fine then I'll pour it out and recycle the jugs.
In the end when he went to pick up the jugs some of them ruptured leaving them with a wet carpet to clean.

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## zippom2

> Guy takes down a chimney with a handheld power hammer. Don't worry folks, he's wearing a hardhat. 0:53 video:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The video description is a gem:



What an IDIOT!!!

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## NortonDommi

There is a video of Fred Dibnah bring down a chimney with a fire. A lot of the base removed and shored with wood then a fire built and the wood supports burn away and down she come.

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## Jon

Just when you thought we had reached maximum chimney demolition danger. 1st GIF for context; 2nd GIF for utter disbelief. Click each GIF to play, with sound.



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I will say that I do like the breaking hammer sling/support in the first GIF. As long as you're not supporting it on something you're demo'ing!

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baja (Dec 12, 2018),

EnginePaul (Dec 11, 2018),

MeJasonT (Dec 12, 2018),

PJs (Dec 12, 2018),

Seedtick (Dec 11, 2018),

that_other_guy (Jan 13, 2019)

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## MeJasonT

This has got to be fake Jon - he's not in flip-flops

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PJs (Dec 12, 2018)

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## Ralphxyz

yeah right get inside to work those timber will keep it standing.

Ralph

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MeJasonT (Dec 12, 2018),

PJs (Dec 12, 2018)

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## Frank S

it only takes 1 brick to keep it standing or 1 brick to make it fall the key is knowing how many other bricks are needed to keep that 1 brick in place until you want to remove it.

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MeJasonT (Dec 12, 2018),

PJs (Dec 12, 2018)

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## Toolmaker51

> This has got to be fake Jon - he's not in flip-flops



No flip flops is one clue; but again, notice carefully selected and fully engineered shoring beams. There is an operator INSIDE hammering away, obviously those pilings offer sufficient confidence. 
In lieu of mythical skyhooks...

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MeJasonT (Dec 12, 2018),

PJs (Dec 12, 2018)

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## wizard69

Further proof that explosives are often the right answer. Actually artillery might be even better as you can keep your distance.

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PJs (Dec 12, 2018)

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## owen moore

That guy's cornbread ain't done in the middle!

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## basil3w

He must think he's going to survive, after all, he's wearing a dust mask!

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## Jon

Admittedly, that demolition-from-inside is probably at or near maximum craziness. I don't think we'll be able to beat it. However, maybe we can _top_ it:



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PJs (Dec 12, 2018),

rlm98253 (Dec 12, 2018),

Seedtick (Dec 12, 2018),

that_other_guy (May 24, 2019)

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## PJs

Yep, that tops it!  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## Frank S

While I don't have any pictures of it in operation in the early 90's I made what I called the arms of destruction for a customer to use in demolishing a reinforced concrete chimney that was inside of a 41 story hotel. The top 30 feet that stuck above the building was brick. That was the easy part just erect a scaffold around it and use electric hammers to break the bricks loose let them fall to the bottom and hauls them away with a skid steer. But from roof level on down it was concrete with a 2 ring re bar reinforcement spaced every 10 inches with vertical bars on 6 inch spacing's.
Prior to his getting the contract 2 other companies had tried the demo of it. they had taken a few months just to remove the brick work down to the roof. 
When he got the contract His initial plan was to just cut the concrete into small blocks and remove it that way. but after only 2 days he decided there had to be another way. So he and I sat down and came up with a design for breaking the concrete from inside. this is what we came up with 




 
I made the arms out of 2 inch thick t1 steel . I made the turnbuckle out of 3" hydraulic cylinder rod the nut for the turnbuckle was just a piece of 5" hex I found at the scrap yard the pins were made out of cylinder rods as well.
we powered it with a 16 Hp Honda with a 4 to 1 2 s stage pump. We had to carry it to the roof in pieces since the arms alone weighed 150 Lbs. used a chain hoist to lower it into the chimney. then once adjusted it was simply a matter of open and close then rotate and do it again the foot thick concrete broke up in chunks we used a torch to cut the re bars as the concrete was broken away. in 18 days we had the chimney removed. At times so much concrete was falling out the slanded steel ramp we had made at the bottom that 2 skid steers couldn't keep up with the removal.

----------

IAMSatisfied (Dec 12, 2018),

PJs (Dec 12, 2018),

rlm98253 (Dec 12, 2018),

that_other_guy (May 24, 2019),

Toolmaker51 (Dec 12, 2018)

----------


## PJs

Nice design, Very cool Frank. Curious how you fed and released the cylinder...must have been a double acting cylinder and switch/valving? And keeping the lines (400ft) & fittings from harm must have been a bit of a challenge.

----------


## Frank S

Pjs When I made the cylinder I used a 4" rod the piston was 8" the wall thickness on the cylinder was 3/4" and yes double acting the main problem in making the cylinder was I had to make such a short head or gland and a thin steel piston of only 1.5" the head was only 2 inches thick and made of steel as well os I had to use a bronze bearing in it the power unit was basically like you would find on a larger log splitter or pony unit on a hydraulic operated trailer. so it had a 4 way valve you just moved the leaver left right or center. the hosed were only about 25 feet so we just lowered everything from floor to floor as we went down. Simple fast and very efficient Hung from a chain hoist on a tripod. I imagine the company called Concrete cutters probably still has it leaning against a wall in their shop I can't imagine them ever getting rid of it.

----------

PJs (Dec 13, 2018)

----------


## basil3w

Certainly does top it! Just think about how efficient the crane/excavator combination actually is: After weakening a section of stack, the crane operator could signal the guy in the excavator to buckle his seat belt and then use the excavator as a wrecking ball!

----------

PJs (Dec 13, 2018)

----------


## drivermark

An operator in a machine dangling from a crane ..... that would almost make an OSHA inspectors head explode.

----------

PJs (Dec 13, 2018),

Toolmaker51 (Dec 13, 2018)

----------


## Toolmaker51

> An operator in a machine dangling from a crane ..... that would almost make an _OSHA inspectors head explode_.



Will now employ an adjective I never use.
AWESOME
How many cranes and operators can we get together?

----------


## hemmjo

> An operator in a machine dangling from a crane ..... that would almost make an OSHA inspectors head explode.



That would be an improvement for many of them!!!!

----------

MeJasonT (Dec 28, 2018)

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## Jon

Your browser does not support the video tag.

----------

glenntref (Dec 19, 2018),

MeJasonT (Dec 28, 2018),

PJs (Dec 20, 2018),

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 23, 2019),

Seedtick (Dec 19, 2018),

Toolmaker51 (Dec 19, 2018)

----------


## PJs

Finally, now we know how they feel!  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## ranald

CUSTOM acro props. Life is too short!

----------


## Jon

Demolition of a cooling tower on a German nuclear power plant. It was done this way (instead of with explosives) because of its proximity to a highway, a railroad, the former reactor, and the Rhine river.



Your browser does not support the video tag.


1:21 timelapse of a portion of the demolition, which I believe took about 7 months total:




More: https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kern...m-K%C3%A4rlich

----------

baja (Jan 13, 2019),

cmarlow (Jan 12, 2019),

oldpastit (Jan 13, 2019),

PJs (Jan 13, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 23, 2019),

Seedtick (Jan 12, 2019)

----------


## PJs

Wonder how they refueled the dinosaur eating the tower for 7 months? One bad crack and down the dino comes. Cool but agonizing, monumental task.

----------

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 23, 2019)

----------


## skibo

NOPE! I don't think so, I remember doing some crazy things when I was young and impervious to any danger,(so I thought)! But the tinniest little talk of getting me hanging on the raged edge of a 300 foot tower and a very large chance of busting my support out from under me, you couldn't pay me enough!

----------


## Jon

> The demolition of the smoke stack at the defunct power plant in Muskegon, Michigan.

----------

ranald (Jan 15, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 23, 2019)

----------


## Frank S

> 



Would have been a lot more fun to drop that 500 ft tall monster into the water and create a tsunami

----------


## PJs

A unique dinosaur on this one with the offset wheel...but excruciatingly slow in demolition. The noise of the refrigerator size pieces falling into the center bottom must have been horrendous, coming back up the stack at them. I'm with Frank, drop it in on itself or the water for effect and expedients. But they can't because of Laws about smokestacks in Michigan.

As a side note back in the day we had equipment there and as I remember the techs hated the cold there (lake effects) when they went for the installation and later maintenance. Cobb is/was a medium station which supplied power for about 200k and was running for 70 years. He is a link to some other pics and a story a year after the shutdown.

Here is a news video from Oct. 2018 https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/...k/69-599821188

----------


## skibo

Well I must say that option to knock down a stake is a lot better, or safer than the first one! WOW 650 feet tall!!!

----------


## ranald

I was trying to get a grip & comprehend the size & then the miniscule ants driving along the road came into view.

----------


## Jon

Your browser does not support the video tag.

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Scotsman Hosie (Apr 23, 2019)

----------


## Frank S

you alright dude?

----------


## ranald

Ah: you bunch of wooses; this is how it's done.

----------


## hemmjo

Oh that one brought back a tragic memory. As I have watched all many of the previous videos, I have thought to myself how lucky many of these workers have been.

I am retired teacher from what used to be small farming community. Had twin boys in the 7th grade back in the 80's. They were playing around an abandoned old barn and brick silo. The bricks were pretty loose from the poor quality mortar. One was apparently "tunneling" through the side of the silo, the other exploring someplace else in the barn, when the worst happened. The whole thing did not come down, but it was fatal anyway.

Be careful out there.

----------

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 23, 2019)

----------


## Ralphxyz

> you alright dude?



Documented stupidity!!

Ralph

----------

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 23, 2019)

----------


## Toolmaker51

The outcome of hemmjo's tragic story notwithstanding, what other result did workmen in GIF expect? !

----------

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 23, 2019)

----------


## ranald

> Oh that one brought back a tragic memory. As I have watched all many of the previous videos, I have thought to myself how lucky many of these workers have been.
> 
> I am retired teacher from what used to be small farming community. Had twin boys in the 7th grade back in the 80's. They were playing around an abandoned old barn and brick silo. The bricks were pretty loose from the poor quality mortar. One was apparently "tunneling" through the side of the silo, the other exploring someplace else in the barn, when the worst happened. The whole thing did not come down, but it was fatal anyway.
> 
> Be careful out there.



It's unfortunately a regular occurance with kids exploring. For adults it's plain stupidity in my opinion as limited as it is.

----------

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 23, 2019)

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## Jon

Your browser does not support the video tag.

----------

baja (Feb 17, 2019),

PJs (Feb 13, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 10, 2019),

Seedtick (Feb 13, 2019)

----------


## Ralphxyz

Impressive, I guess they actually knew what they were doing!

Ralph

----------


## neilbourjaily

And finally, the straw that broke the camel's back. Excellent.

----------


## 12bolts

> I guess they actually knew what they were doing!



The fact they got themselves in such a situation tells me they probably didnt...

----------


## Jon

2:54 video:

----------

baja (Apr 11, 2019),

KustomsbyKent (Apr 15, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 10, 2019),

Seedtick (Apr 11, 2019),

Tule (Apr 11, 2019)

----------


## Ralphxyz

Now that is a SLOOOOOOOOOOW job! Looks like one could take out retirement on that one job.

They at least could have a guy with a torch to cut the rebar.

Ralph

----------

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 10, 2019)

----------


## Jon

Your browser does not support the video tag.

----------

Andyt (Apr 23, 2019),

baja (Apr 23, 2019),

ranald (Apr 22, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 22, 2019),

Seedtick (Apr 22, 2019)

----------


## Toolmaker51

Serious remodel project. Didn't know picture windows available that big.

----------


## Frank S

> Serious remodel project. Didn't know picture windows available that big.



Its called curtain wall cladding where they use fixed point glazing if you look close you can see a structure behind some of the sections often times the architect will specify no frame work around the panels using only a clear adhesive in the panel joints from a distance it gives the illusion that the glass is 1 piece for the whole wall

----------


## ranald

Thar she blows: what about the other 1/2? Pretty to watch but the music was annoying!

----------


## Jon

Also found this cool GIF:

----------

baja (Apr 27, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 27, 2019),

Seedtick (Apr 26, 2019)

----------


## Ralphxyz

I start at the bottom build a big hole than push it down with the backhoe. This should be a one day project if not a 1/2 day project.
Taking it down from the top is going to take a week.

Ralph

----------

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 27, 2019)

----------


## Frank S

> I start at the bottom build a big hole than push it down with the backhoe. This should be a one day project if not a 1/2 day project.
> Taking it down from the top is going to take a week.
> 
> Ralph



longer than that with that bosh electric hammer drill

----------


## Jon

Much better.



Your browser does not support the video tag.

----------

baja (Apr 27, 2019),

EnginePaul (Apr 27, 2019),

mklotz (Apr 27, 2019),

ranald (Apr 27, 2019),

Rangi (May 2, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 27, 2019),

Seedtick (Apr 26, 2019),

Tonyg (Apr 27, 2019),

Toolmaker51 (Apr 26, 2019)

----------


## Toolmaker51

I like how the concrete dust plumes out top of the stack; perfectly straight. Really exhibits how well the demolition was planned and carried out.

----------

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 27, 2019)

----------


## hemmjo

> I like how the concrete dust plumes out top of the stack; perfectly straight. Really exhibits how well the demolition was planned and carried out.



That is one of those jobs that would be pretty cool to do. In schools, they never talk about about all of the really cool jobs that are available to people.

----------

baja (Apr 28, 2019),

Drew1966 (Apr 27, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 27, 2019)

----------


## Toolmaker51

> That is one of those jobs that would be pretty cool to do. In schools, they never talk about about all of the really cool jobs that are available to people.



That's because the _really cool_ jobs are blue collar, with involved skills and don't fill universities with wealthy students. While immense corporations spend real physical time and money on STEM education to support their future; it reflects poorly that trade unions participate so little.

----------


## hemmjo

> That's because the _really cool_ jobs are blue collar, with involved skills and don't fill universities with wealthy students. While immense corporations spend real physical time and money on STEM education to support their future; it reflects poorly that trade unions participate so little.



I was an Industrial Technology teacher for 35 years. Many, perhaps MOST of the original STEM activities were developed by leaders in Industrial Technology classrooms. We used to teach workshops on how to inspire students pursue careers in those good blue collar areas. Now that STEM has become big business big companies that market to the educational "machine" have created "packaged" programs to sell to districts wishing to have a STEM program.

Regrettably, schools have shutdown the Industrial Technology programs that actually created the STEM concept. Now, fueled by the educational materials business, too many STEM programs have morphed away from the truly creative, open ended activity based programs, to "canned" activities where all of the outcomes are known before the activity really begins. Thus, students are once again, cheated out of the true learning the comes with the "...we'll learn more by wandering than searching..." type of activites.

----------

Jon (Apr 29, 2019),

Toolmaker51 (Apr 27, 2019)

----------


## diyfixman

wow nice man

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## Toolmaker51

in re to hemmjo's post #121;
Imagine results if participants in sites like HMT.net were polled on their 'trail' from school to work, the number directly connected to vocational education. Wild guess is in excess of 70%. Another guess says age group is quite comparable.

As I've stated many times, even the 'hobbyist' is still operating a machine shop; only real difference is a smaller footprint. Compared to more hobby-like pursuits, this is still the real thing.

----------


## ranald

> I like how the concrete dust plumes out top of the stack; perfectly straight. Really exhibits how well the demolition was planned and carried out.



Oh Gee. I was musing that it was the spirit of the chimney. Looking for Whoopi Goldberg or the white light.

Just perfect demo.

----------


## Hoosiersmoker

So is it just my imagination or is there a vehicle directly below the stack moving ,very quickly, to the left staying just beyond the ground cloud?

----------


## Toolmaker51

> So is it just my imagination or is there a vehicle directly below the stack moving ,very quickly, to the left staying just beyond the ground cloud?



Why, yes there is! 
It's the Local Action News Team, filming on a slow day, desperate for content. . .

----------


## Jon

Recent controlled demolition of Martin Tower in Bethlehem, PA.

1:31 video:

----------

high-side (May 22, 2019),

Scotsman Hosie (May 22, 2019),

Seedtick (May 21, 2019),

that_other_guy (May 24, 2019)

----------


## hemmjo

Wondering what was the flash of lights running up the extreme right side of the building at 0:14 seconds. They did not look like explosions, seemed to be in the windows.

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## Hoosiersmoker

> Wondering what was the flash of lights running up the extreme right side of the building at 0:14 seconds. They did not look like explosions, seemed to be in the windows.



Likely charges to weaken that side of the building to ensure it didn't fall the other way. Probably more room on that side, less to damage there.

----------


## IAMSatisfied

> Wondering what was the flash of lights running up the extreme right side of the building at 0:14 seconds. They did not look like explosions, seemed to be in the windows.



They're interior explosions... if you scroll through the video frame by frame at that point you can see the flame spread. 

For those who may not know, you can scroll through a youtube video frame by frame by using your < & > keys while the video is paused.

----------

that_other_guy (May 24, 2019)

----------


## Toolmaker51

Quote Originally Posted by hemmjo;
Wondering what was the flash of lights running up the extreme right side of the building at 0:14 seconds. They did not look like explosions, seemed to be in the windows.
Quote by Hoosiersmoker;
Likely charges to weaken that side of the building to ensure it didn't fall the other way. Probably more room on that side, less to damage there.

Quote by Toolmaker51; [always the wise-guy]
Probably not a night watchman, shutting lights off one last time.

----------


## Jon

Implosion last April of two 500' cooling towers at the former Brayton Point Power Station in Somerset, MA.

0:53 video:



0:50 video:



2:19 video:



More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brayto..._Power_Station

----------

baja (Jan 22, 2020),

Rangi (Jan 25, 2020),

Scotsman Hosie (Jan 27, 2020),

Seedtick (Jan 21, 2020),

Tule (Jan 26, 2020),

volodar (Apr 19, 2020)

----------


## old kodger

> Since he collected most of the 35 grand, maybe all if he salvaged bricks, pretty non-nonchalant step off rubble pile, picked up shovel and exited path of falling tower. He knew what he was doing, visibly selecting areas to penetrate and achieve fall away from structures.
> I cannot remember his name, but a very well known British mason did things like this. A working class hero, even had a TV program, blogging if you will, traveling about to document demise of industry and labor in the UK.



Could be "Blaster Bates", but might not be the same bloke, because as far as I know he was not a mason, he was a "jelly monkey"

----------


## Philip Davies

> Could be "Blaster Bates", but might not be the same bloke, because as far as I know he was not a mason, he was a "jelly monkey"



Maybe you’re thinking of Fred Dibnah.

----------


## owen moore

Did Fred Dibnah use explosives? I saw a video where set the cribbage on fire and as the wood burned, the chimney would collapse. I guess he was a legend over in the UK. Anyone who could climb like he did had nerves of steel.

----------

Philip Davies (Jan 27, 2020)

----------


## Philip Davies

> Did Fred Dibnah use explosives? I saw a video where set the cribbage on fire and as the wood burned, the chimney would collapse. I guess he was a legend over in the UK. Anyone who could climb like he did had nerves of steel.



No, Fred Dibnah did not use explosives. Once he had to leg it away smartly when he ventured close to see how it was burning! Did you see that? He was a remarkable man, made lots of TV. Sadly his collection was dispersed after an attempt to sustain a museum failed.

----------

HobieDave (Mar 16, 2020),

MeJasonT (Oct 23, 2020)

----------


## Paul Alciatore

I love it when a plan comes together! 

Ahhh, or is that apart?

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## Jon

Helicopter wrecking ball chimney demolition. 1:42 video queued to 0:21:

----------

baja (Mar 17, 2020),

clydeman (Mar 16, 2020),

Duke_of_URL (Mar 16, 2020),

high-side (Mar 16, 2020),

MIGuy (Mar 16, 2020),

nova_robotics (Mar 16, 2020),

Rangi (Mar 21, 2020),

sak778 (Apr 19, 2020),

Scotsman Hosie (Mar 22, 2020),

Scotty12 (Mar 16, 2020),

Seedtick (Mar 16, 2020),

Slim-123 (Mar 16, 2020)

----------


## Scotsman Hosie

I'm thinking that this could be waaaay more risky, than this guy might've even realized.

----------


## Jon

Cranes (or excavators with very long booms?) demolish a building.



Your browser does not support the video tag.

----------

Andyt (Apr 19, 2020),

baja (Apr 19, 2020),

clydeman (Apr 18, 2020),

Dragonhand (Apr 18, 2020),

Drew1966 (Apr 18, 2020),

dubbby (Apr 20, 2020),

EnginePaul (Apr 22, 2020),

jimfols (Apr 18, 2020),

Karl_H (Apr 18, 2020),

MIGuy (Apr 18, 2020),

n9dug (Apr 18, 2020),

Rangi (Apr 18, 2020),

rlm98253 (Apr 18, 2020),

sak778 (Apr 19, 2020),

Scotsman Hosie (Apr 19, 2020),

Scotty12 (Apr 18, 2020),

Tule (Apr 19, 2020),

VinnieL (Apr 19, 2020)

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## Ralphxyz

Very long and sturdy booms

----------


## old kodger

OK, it's time lapse, but still very nicely done

----------


## MIGuy

Ouch, my aching neck! (says the guy doing the demolition)

----------


## desbromilow

> Ouch, my aching neck! (says the guy doing the demolition)



no, those type of machines have tilting cabs, and remote cameras - he'd be as comfy as sitting in a recliner playing a very unusual computer game

----------


## dave_rupp1

Where is all the debris going?

----------


## McDesign

That's cool - wonder how long it took?

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## old kodger

> Where is all the debris going?



ants are carrying it off

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## hemmjo

> Where is all the debris going?



if you watch the ground level, you can catch some truck traffic on the site.

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## Jon

Water cannons used to control debris during demolition.



Your browser does not support the video tag.

----------

Dragonhand (Oct 24, 2020),

Duke_of_URL (Oct 24, 2020),

EnginePaul (Oct 27, 2020),

rlm98253 (Oct 23, 2020)

----------


## McDesign

Huh - first I've seen that - wonder how well it works?

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## MeJasonT

is it me or are they getting the timing a bit out
when the explosion is triggered the cloud of debris starts at the base of the building
it looks like triggering it more in time with the explosion would dampen more debris than having the water cannons launch their load to produce a thin water shower curtain to fall on the debris ?

----------


## MeJasonT

Perhaps the future of demolision is to burn aluminium and jet-a fuel inside.
Not meaning to be sick or impersonal but i recently watched a program relating to 911 where a UK engineer had provided expert opinion as to why the aircraft impact had been so sever to bring down the towers and put the myth to bed that explosives had been used. it didnt explain why tower 5 came down first (a smaller black tower to the west of the twin towers). Very little aircraft debris was found down on the street, most was contained within the floors and during the collapse. The claim that sections of the aircraft fell on tower 5 bringing it down is a far stretch.

----------


## old kodger

> Huh - first I've seen that - wonder how well it works?



clearly not well enough to control the dust cloud which I would have thought the easiest part to quell.

----------


## old kodger

> Perhaps the future of demolision is to burn aluminium and jet-a fuel inside.
> Not meaning to be sick or impersonal but i recently watched a program relating to 911 where a UK engineer had provided expert opinion as to why the aircraft impact had been so sever to bring down the towers and put the myth to bed that explosives had been used. it didnt explain why tower 5 came down first (a smaller black tower to the west of the twin towers). Very little aircraft debris was found down on the street, most was contained within the floors and during the collapse. The claim that sections of the aircraft fell on tower 5 bringing it down is a far stretch.



see if you can get a vid , i think it's entitled "911 no planes" it's a very interesting tear down of the possible photo-shopping of the media transmissions.

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## MeJasonT

Thats what im talking about lol

----------


## MeJasonT

The plane that appaertly flew down the street into the pentagon was also interesting, im thinking it would hit tons of street hardware before hitting the building and the media footage of that looks nothing like a plane. more like a missile.

----------


## MeJasonT

The down draft of a jumbo sized plane would be causing a huricane as it flew down the street at <100 feet, cars and **** would be blown all over the place.

oh no we cant say poop

----------


## MeJasonT

Jon, this language filter is seriously intensive, where i come from poop is fertiliser. Is the site racist, is it because im an uneducated farmers son youkel.

----------


## hemmjo

> Huh - first I've seen that - wonder how well it works?



Did not appear to work very well, seems like a lot of dust was blown out the bottom. It is possible that huge cloud was dust mixed with water..

----------


## ibdennyak

Ingenious.....wonder if it works as well as hanging barricades.

----------


## suther51

Is that backyard frame less pools riged with explosives? Tiny screen here but the blue round shapes are suspicious looking.

----------


## neilbourjaily

The way I see it is the water in tanks is blasted not simultaneously with the explosive. The lack of continuous water allows the detritus to scatter after the blast. I think there is less control than the concept may suggest.

----------

MeJasonT (Oct 24, 2020)

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## marksbug

I think they needed more h20...in stages.

----------

MeJasonT (Oct 24, 2020)

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## MeJasonT

I guess they figured that the waterfall would come down on the blasted debris as opposed to scren the debris. The blue discs i would suggestare water cannons, prhaps not triggered by a charge themselves but compressed air. But suerly blowing out the base of the building is when the initial cloud is produced so the water screen needs to trigger almost simultaniously in my view. The most water will be at the initial point of firing, that would truely make a wall of water, by the time it reached height and gravity took over the cloud of bebris from the collapse would then be permiating from the site. Smaller particals being damped down reducing the spread.

Dont you just want to try it to proove their theory.

I guess they fire it before theb explosion to make sure it gains height and doesnt get blown out sideways with the explosion, which it would.
ok analysed that one i can go back to sleep now.

Not being funny but this is a subject which gets men all conversing, Big bangs and and adveaced weaponry usually get us all excited. Young females want to be engineers ? what gets them enthusiastic about the industry. I couldnt go into a workshop without scanning the room and finding someething shiny to look at.
Destruction, fabrication reconstruction is my thing. If somthing was once built it can be re engineered/repaired or replaced. once you have the skills to carve a wheel in stone you can make another one.

Air accident investigation is somthing else that fires my interest, fault finding and theorising over deconstruction is a good way of improving ones skills - has an add on benifit of pointing out the pitfalls in a design or aids in applying additional safety awareness to designs and products of your own.

id love to start a thread based on the difference between grummpy men and our brainey glamour pusses but the PC human race is not ready for that debate yet.
personally if the little Princesses want to do all the crappy underpaid and dangerous work ive done in my life, feel free. I want to live and be treated like a prince, or as a frind of mine replied to this topic he wants to be a princess.

It looks like i have taken another oportunity to bang home this pointless gender argument yet again, ok i have but its the fascination of all things engineering which sadly i feel is lacking in this new PC gender neutral thing. I gave myself an electric shock aged ten, i was trying to get an old record player to work. i had the lid off the plug so i could test the fuse, next was to test for mains - i only went and tried to push the plug in without the lid on placing my thumb across the fuse.

My farther was a framer and my mum a housewife, no one inspired me to be an engineer from a parental point of view. When i hear a young lady say i did that then i will have found a truely inspired young engineering female, especially if she turned up in a car she fixed herself and gets all enthusiastic about demolision.
There are some young ladies trained in demolision around the world but sadly by wearing a vest.

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Toolmaker51 (Oct 24, 2020)

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## IAMSatisfied

Yes, it'd be interesting to know how the water cannons are built, as well as how effective the whole effort is at stopping the debris capable of causing damage to adjacent buildings... or was this only to minimize dust?

----------


## TheElderBrother

> Huh - first I've seen that - wonder how well it works?



I was going to ask, is this evidence of a successful use or a failure?

Inquiring minds want to know...

----------


## Ralphxyz

Well the technique was used in more than one site/job so it seems as if it might have been successful.

Ralph

----------

MeJasonT (Oct 25, 2020)

----------


## neilbourjaily

Watt is about lifting a pound of water 1 foot in 1 sec. It takes 1.345 watts to do so. Let's guess, 500 gals per tank X 8.35 lbs per gal X (lets say) 24 tanks X 1.345 watt per foot X 60 foot=8,086,140 watt or X 1 horsepower per 745.7 watt=10,843.7 horsepower. 
I don't think it's compressed air.

----------

Toolmaker51 (Oct 25, 2020)

----------


## Duke_of_URL

No dust, just mud everywhere.

----------


## Toolmaker51

I'm caught up figuring what 10.8k hp of compressed air would look like

----------

neilbourjaily (Oct 26, 2020)

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## hemmjo

Here is some more info on the demolition using water from pools...

https://www.constructionjunkie.com/b...ower-in-france

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## MeJasonT

My trin of thought went towards marine seismic survey and the use of intensifiers, Ok the air cannons in this case are sat in the medium and used to produce an almighty bang (and it is, every minuet - i worked in marine survey although my job was gravity and magnetics).
this should explain the theory

https://www.marineinsight.com/types-...ations-at-sea/

And this is an image of one of the cannons/guns

https://www.tes.com/lessons/gQNP5-RZ...seismic-survey

tried to attach image as it had more impact but site is playing silly beggers again 138k jpeg ?

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Frank S (Oct 25, 2020)

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## mlochala

Didn't do anything for the dust. Seems like it might have been more effective if the water cannon ignition was more simultaneous or perhaps slightly later than the demolition charges. But, that is certainly not my area of expertise.

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marksbug (Oct 26, 2020),

MeJasonT (Oct 26, 2020)

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