Department of Civil Engineering M.

Tech Seminar
Report 2021

1. INTRODUCTION
Every structure is designed for a life period. After that service life period its existence
becomes very dangerous to its occupants and surrounding buildings. The building act
usually contains provisions to control demolition works for the protection of public safety
and to ensure adjoining premises and the site are made good on completion of the
demolition. When demolition of a building takes place, the owner must inform the
council and permission for the same shall be obtained. Greenhouses, conservatories,
prefabricated garages and sheds do not require permission to be demolished. Permission
for demolition is not required if building to be demolished has a volume of less than 1750
cubic feet (49.56 cubic meters)[4]. Demolition of any structure is a ground to earth
technique which means destroying down or falling down of a building with the help of
equipments, machineries, and explosives or with manual techniques without affecting the
surrounding. When explosives are used for this then the demolition process are called as
an implosion.

Blasting is the preferred method for safely and efficiently demolishing large buildings
and skyscrapers. In recent years, it is more difficult to demolish high-rise buildings by
controlled blasting in urban areas because of the increase of building density, strength and
stiffness. To solve the problem of insufficient scope of collapse in blasting demolition
projects, some blasting companies have invented the building implosion technology .
This term was coined in the late 1950s to describe using the minimum explosive charges
to destroy a building to collapse within its footprint. This technology weakens or removes
the main columns of a building so it can no longer withstand the gravity and falls under
its own weight. Engineers adopt building implosion for high-rise buildings in urban areas,
where other demolition methods are not acceptable.

The building implosion is also popularized in China [6–8], and the authors developed a
new folding implosion technology to demolish high-rise buildings. This technology
divides a building into several segments linked with plastic hinges and makes these
segments fold in the collapse process. In recent years, this technology has been applied in
many demolition projects.

Compared with the conventional implosion, the quantity of blast hole and pre-weakening
is less; the initiation network is simpler; and it is more suitable for the slender structures.
Any demolition activity to start with, there are many steps that need to take place

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forehand including but not restricted to performing asbestos abatement, removing
hazardous or regulated materials, obtaining necessary permits from the authority,
submitting necessary notifications, disconnecting utilities, and development of site-
specific safety and work plans for the workers as well as the surroundings with a detail
planning of every stage with a working strategy. We know every structure is designed for
a specific life period generally 100years. The existence of the structure after the service
life period is over is very dangerous to its occupants and surrounding buildings .The
building act usually based on the provisions that enable in charge authorities to control
demolition works for the protection of public safety with their belongings and to ensure
adjoining premises and the site are made good on completion of the demolition.

One technically and temporally effective way of dismounting brickwork, reinforced

concrete and steel constructions is blasting demolition by detonating explosives:
Compared to other methods using breakers or systematically organized mechanical
dismantling methods, demolition by blasting, usually with locally weakened structural
parts (i.e., before blasting, some reinforcements are cut, or supporting parts are destructed
with special machines), allows the teardown (collapse) of a structure within a relatively
shorter period of time of operation. Because of this short time span and therefore possibly
the minimum disturbance to the local business and transportation in the surroundings, the
load to the environment by this method tends to be smaller. However, since blasting itself
is an extraordinary dynamic event, demolishing structures by blasting unnecessarily gives
rise to the anxiety of neighbouring residents – The technical details of blasting design,
i.e., the selection of the structural elements to be destroyed by the explosives and the
amount and timing of ignition of the explosives, are still empirically determined by well-
experienced engineers and it is very error sensitive if the building construction is
complex. From a physics point of view, blasting demolition consists of two dynamic
stages: (1) wave propagation and development of fracture network in the structure upon
detonation of explosives; and (2) the collapse of the structure, weakened by dynamic
fracture, due to the gravitational effect. Usually if the building to be demolished has a
volume of less than 1750 cubic feet (49.56 cubic meters), then permission is not required
to knock it down.

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2. GENERAL STEPS IN DEMOLITION

2.1 PRE-PLANNING OF DEMOLITION ACTIVITY

Pre-Planning of the Demolition activity starts with Surveying of the site. Study of
different parameters of the structure and its surroundings with structural point of view is
carried out in surveying. Two types of surveying are mainly conducted. They are
Building Surveying and structural surveying which includes the (a) Record Drawings and
(b) structural details of the building to be demolished.

2.2 STABILITY REPORT

According to Building (Administration) Regulation, the Demolition Plan must

accompanied by Stability Report

 A report on the stability of the building to be demolished during all stages of the
process.
 In the case when powered mechanical plants or equipment are used, a report on
the stability with supporting calculations to demonstrate the use of the plants and
equipment will not render inadequate the margin of safety of, or cause damage to
any building, structure, street, land and services
 In the case when powered mechanical plants or equipment are used, structural
calculations for all temporary supports and bracings should be done.
 A report on the stability of neighbouring buildings and adjoining properties.
 In the case when temporary or permanent supports are required to neighbouring
buildings, adjoining properties and party walls, structural calculations for these
temporary and permanent supports.
 A report with calculations demonstrating that the demolition work will not render
inadequate the margin of safety, or cause damage to any building, structure, street,
land and services.

2.3 SAFETY MEASURES

(a) Training and Communication: Demolition workers, including plant or equipment

operators, shall go through proper job safety training and be aware of the potential
hazards by attending training sessions as well as on-the-job training.

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(b) Equipment Maintenance: All equipment shall be examined before use. They shall be
properly tested, stored and maintained. The equipment shall be inspected daily and results
of the inspection shall be recorded. A detailed safety instruction shall be provided to cater
for specific situations of the project, if necessary.

(c) Electrical Safety: A properly connected power source from a local electric utility
supplier or a mobile electricity generator shall be utilized in demolition sites. The safety
requirements given in the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Electricity) Regulations
shall be adhered to.

(d) Fire: All flammable goods shall be removed from site unless they are necessary for
the works involved. Any remaining flammable goods shall be stored in proper storage
facilities. All furniture, timber, doors, etc. shall be removed before any welding work is
performed. Fire fighting appliances shall be provided and maintained in working
conditions. The Construction Site (Safety) Regulations require the contractor to maintain
in good condition and free from defects all fire fighting appliances provided in such
construction site.

(e) Occupational Health: The health of workers on site shall be properly protected in
accordance with the relevant subsidiary regulations of the Factories and Industrial
Undertakings Ordinance and the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance with
particular attention to areas such as: Exposure to Dust, Chemical Exposure, Heat Stress
and Ventilation, Noise Exposure, Medical and First Aid Facilities, Sanitation and
Occupational Diseases.

(f) Emergency Exit Requirements in Demolition Sites: Emergency exits shall be provided
during building demolition. In case of any emergency evacuations, the emergency exit
will serve as a lifeline for transportation of injured workers. A minimum of one exit route
shall be maintained and designated as the emergency exit at all times during the
demolition. Adequate lighting and fire extinguishing equipment shall be provided.
Emergency exit shall be properly protected, free of obstruction, and properly marked with
exit signs or other indications to clearly show the route. All workers shall be informed
about the exit route.

(g) Vibration: Demolition work will cause vibration to neighboring buildings or

structures to various extents, depending on the method of demolition. The most serious
vibration is caused by implosion.

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(h) Environmental Precautions:

 Air Pollution: Concrete breaking, handling of debris and hauling process are main
sources of dust from building demolition. Dust mitigation measures complying
with the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust). Regulations shall be adopted
to minimize dust emissions. Burning of waste shall not be allowed. Diesel fumes
generated by mechanical plant or equipment shall be subject to the control of the
Air Pollution Control (Smoke) Regulations.
 Noise: Noise pollution arising from the demolition works including, but not
limited to, the use of specified powered mechanical equipment (SPME), powered
mechanical equipment (PME), such as pneumatic breakers, excavators and
generators, etc., scaffolding, erection of temporary works, loading and
transportation of debris, etc. affects the workers, and the sensitive receivers in the
vicinity of the demolition site. Silent type PME shall be used to reduce noise
impact as much as practicable. Demolition activity shall not be performed within
the restricted hours as established by Environmental Protection Division (EPD).
Currently under the Noise Control Ordinance, noise from the use of SPME and
PME within restricted hours is governed by a Construction Noise Permit (CNP)
system.
 Water: The discharge of wastewater from demolition sites requires a valid
discharge license from the EPD and the application of such a license shall be
made under the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO). Effluent shall be
treated to the standards as stipulated in the license before discharge.
 Hazardous Materials: If removal of asbestos containing material is needed, an
Asbestos Investigation Report (AIR) shall be submitted to EPD. An Asbestos
Abatement Plan (AAP) shall be submitted at least 28 days before the asbestos
abatement work commences. The asbestos abatement works shall be carried out in
accordance with the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (APCO) and the Factories
and Industrial Undertakings (Asbestos) Regulations before demolition. Other
materials such as LPG cylinders in domestic flats, toxic and corrosive chemicals
for industrial undertakings, and any other hazardous materials have to be
identified and properly handled and removed prior to the commencement of the
demolition of the building. The management of waste must fully comply with the

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Waste Disposal Ordinance. Additionally, management of waste which is
classifiable as a chemical waste must also comply with the Waste Disposal.

3. DEMOLITION USING IMPLOSION

Implosion is the term that was coined in the late 1950s to describe the process of using
the minimum amount of explosives with minimal structural preparation expense to get a
structure to collapse in a controlled fashion. The term is technically incorrect, since
implosion implies a collapse from external pressure. A true implosion usually involves a
difference between internal (lower) and external (higher) pressure, or inward and outward
forces, that are so large that the structure collapses inward into itself. Building implosion
techniques do not rely on the difference between internal and external pressure to
collapse a structure. Instead, the technique weakens or removes critical supports so that
the building can no longer withstand the force of gravity and falls under its own weight.
Implosion method is adopted for high raised buildings in urban areas, where the other
demolition methods are not acceptable. In order to demolish a building safely, blasters
must map out each element of the implosion ahead of time. The first step is to examine
architectural blueprints of the building, if they can be located, to determine how the
building is put together. Next, the blasting crew visits the building noting down notes
about the support structure on each floor. Once they have gathered all the raw data they
need, the blasters figure out a plan of attack. Drawing from past experiences with similar
buildings, they decide what explosives to use, where to position them in the building and
how to time their detonations. In some cases, the blasters may develop 3-D computer
models of the structure so they can test out their plan ahead of time in a virtual world.
Implosion is considered when the building to be demolished is surrounded by structures
that must be preserved. Demolishing the building in such a way that it collapses straight
down into its own footprint (the total area at the base of the building).

Blasters will explode the major support columns on the lower floors first and then a few
upper stories. For example, In a 20-story building, the blasters might blow the columns
on the first and second floor, as well as the 12th and 15th floors. In most cases blowing the
support structures on the lower floors is sufficient for collapsing the building, but loading
columns on upper floors helps break the building material into smaller pieces as it falls.
This makes for a perfect demolition and easier cleanup following the blast.

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3.1 EXPLOSIVES USED FOR IMPLOSION

Once the blasters have figured out how to set up an implosion, it's time to prepare the
building and selection of the explosives used for the demolition. The most common
explosives used in demolition are dynamites (straight, ammonia and gelatin), water gels,
emulsions, PETN (penta-erythritol tetra-nitrate) and RDX (Cyclotrimethylene-trini
tramine).

(a) Dynamite: Dynamite is a combination of nitroglycerin with inert filler, making the
end product stable for handling which was invented by Alfred Nobel in 1866. Dynamite
is just absorbent stuffing soaked in a highly combustible chemical or mixture of
chemicals. When the chemical is ignited, it burns quickly, producing a large volume of
hot gas in a short amount of time. This gas expands rapidly, applying immense outward
pressure (up to 600 tons per square inch) on whatever is around it. Blasters cram this
explosive material into narrow bore holes drilled in the concrete columns. When the
explosives are ignited, the sudden outward pressure sends a powerful shock wave busting
through the column at supersonic speed, shattering the concrete into tiny chunks. For
concrete columns, blasters use traditional dynamite. This has the advantages of being
good to excellent for water resistance as well as being predictable and reliable. Dynamite
comes in a wide range of small and medium-diameter cartridges of different lengths. A
most commonly seen dynamite available in the market is shown in Fig. 3.1

Fig. 3.1 Dynamite [1]

(b) Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX): RDX-based explosive compounds expand at a

very high rate of speed, up to 27,000 feet per second (8,230 meters per second). Available
in powder form as shown in Figure 3.2. It is a high-velocity explosive. Instead of
disintegrating the entire column, the concentrated, high-velocity pressure slices right
through the steel, splitting it in half. Additionally, blasters may ignite dynamite on one

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side of the column to push it over in a particular direction. Demolishing steel columns is a
bit more difficult, as the dense material is muchstronger. To bring down the buildings
with a steel support structure, blasters typically use this specialized explosive material.

Fig. 3.2 RDX [1]

(c) Water Gel and Emulsions: This consists of water-containing chemical mixtures that
are either water gels or emulsions. Water gels contain oxidizing salts and fuels that are
dissolved in water. Emulsions are fine droplets of oxidizing salts and water surrounded by
a fuel mixture of wax and oil. These explosives are even more stable. These products are
available in several forms and sizes. The standard size used to demolish concrete and
brick structures is 31mm diameter by 200mm long cartridge configuration or in bulks.

 Quantity of Explosives: Blasters determine how much explosive material to use

based largely on their own experience and the information provided by the
architects and engineers who originally built the building. But most of the time,
they won't depend on this data alone. To make sure they don't overload or under-
load the support structure, the blasters perform a test blast on a few of the
columns, which they wrap in a shield for safety. The blasters try out varying
degrees of explosive material, and based on the effectiveness of each explosion,
they determine the minimum explosive charge needed to demolish the columns.
The cross-sectional dimensions of the column, its concrete compressive strength,
its condition, and details of its reinforcement are all variables which affect the
column charge quantity and type of explosive required. By using only the
necessary amount of explosive material, the blasters minimize flying debris,
reducing the likelihood of damaging nearby structures.

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 Placement of Explosives: Almost all the explosives used in implosions are placed
in or on columns and load bearing walls.

Columns at the lowest floor levels are the most important as that is where the stored
potential energy in the structure is most effectively released. Usually, explosives will be
placed on the lowest floor level and then are spaced out in blast floors along the height of
the building, closer together at lower floors and more spread out at upper floors. The type
of explosives placed on steel columns is very different than the ones used on reinforced
concrete columns. Steel is very ductile and tough. Further, when the steel sections
(flanges and webs) are thin, making internal confinement of explosives impossible, as
compared to concrete columns, it can have explosives loaded into drilled holes. For steel
columns shaped charges are used. Commercial shaped charges are typically Chevron
shaped copper clad linear elements filled with RDX explosive. For reinforced concrete
columns, holes are first drilled in the column, the cartridge explosive is placed in the hole
and stemming (typically tubular bags of sand or high density foam) are placed in the
balance of the hole to confine the charge. When the explosive detonates, the concrete in
the column is fragmented, leaving the reinforcing bars bent, but intact. When tightly
pitched spirals or stirrups are encountered, they must often be exposed and cut first,
depending on structural analysis allowances, site conditions and possible live loading. If
they are uncut, unfractured concrete might remain and the column may retain some of its
load carrying capacity. Hence, tight spirals and other robust reinforcing in concrete
columns help resist progressive collapse. This is one of the reasons that reinforced
concrete structures designed intense earthquakes have some innate resistance to
explosives, because their columns contain tight spirals. To further reduce flying debris,
each column may be wrapped with chain-link fencing and geotextile fabric. The fence
keeps the large chunks of concrete from flying out, and the fabric catches most of the
smaller bits. Blasters also wrap fabric around the outside of each floor that is rigged with
explosives. This acts as an extra net to contain any exploding concrete that tears through
the material around each individual column. Structures surrounding the building may also
be covered to protect them from flying debris and the pressure of the explosions.

(d) Electrical Detonator: To ignite both RDX and dynamite, you must apply a severe
shock. In building demolition, blasters accomplish this with a blasting cap, a small
amount of explosive material (primer charge) connected to some sort of fuse. The
traditional fuse is a long cord with explosive material inside. When we ignite one end of

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the cord, the explosive material inside it burns at a steady pace, and the flame travels
down the cord to the detonator on the other end. When it reaches this point, it sets off the
primary charge. Now-a-days blasters use an electrical detonator instead of a traditional
fuse. An electrical detonator fuse (lead line) is just a long length of electrical wire. At the
detonator end, the wire is surrounded by a layer of explosive material. This detonator is
attached directly to the primer charge affixed to the main explosives. When current is
passed through the wire (by hooking it up to a battery), electrical resistance causes the
wire to heat up. This heat ignites the flammable substance on the detonator end, which in
turn sets off the primer charge, which triggers the main explosives.

3.2 FALL OF BUILDING BY IMPLOTION

The main challenge in bringing a building down is controlling which way if falls. There
are mainly two ways to implode a building they are

 Falling like a tree

 Falling into its own footprint

3.2.1. Falling Like a Tree

The implosion makes the building fall like a tree sideways and is the most common
method of implosion. Where the building has sufficient area around it available besides
the building, this type of Demolition is preferred. If there is free space available on the
left side of the building the explosives are placed on the lower level of the building on the
left-hand-side columns. As the explosives detonate, the columns bursts and the building
will fall towards the left-hand side. Cables are tied to the building and control the
direction of the fall.

Fig. 3.3 Felling like a tree [2]

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3.2.2. Falling into its Own Footprint

A building is surrounded by structures that must be preserved. In this case, the blasters
proceed with a true implosion, demolishing the building so that it collapses straight down
into its own footprints (that means the total area of building is removed into the base of
the building). This feat requires such skill that only a handful of demolition companies in
the world will attempt it. Blasters approach each project a little differently, but the basic
idea is to think of the building as a collection of separate towers. The blasters set the
explosives so that each “tower” falls toward the center of the building, in roughly the
same way that they would set the explosives to topple a single structure to the side. When
the explosives are detonated in the right order, the toppling towers crash against each
other, and all of the rubbles collect at the center of the building. Another option is to
detonate the columns at the center of the building before the other columns so that the
building’s sides fall inward.

Fig. 3.4 Falling into its own Footprint [2]

4. FOLDING IMPLOSION

If the collapse scope of a building to be blasted is insufficient controlled building

implosion technology is preferred. However, for the conventional implosion, there is a lot
of pre-weakening work that has to be done, and it is almost impossible to demolish the
high-rise thin wall structures such as reinforced concrete (RC) chimneys. Therefore, a
folding implosion method is proposed. In this method, several wedge-shaped notches
should be blasted out in the high-rise building or structure, then these notches will turn to
“plastic hinges”, meanwhile, the building or structure will turn to a folding kinematic

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chain, and the segments will overlap each other after falling down. For this method, some
design criteria for the main parameters such as the position, initiation sequence, and
initiation time delay of blast notches are proposed. The multi-body dynamics models for
bi-folding implosion and tri-folding implosion are deduced to analyze the folding motions
and rationality of the blasting plans.

4.1 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF MAIN PARAMETERS

4.1.1 Basic Principle

In the folding implosion of an RC building or structure, 2 or 3 wedge-shaped notches

should be blasted out at the specific heights. In the blast notches, most of the columns and
shear walls should be destroyed, then their vertical load will transfer to one or two rows
of undamaged columns. Meanwhile, the blast notches will become some “plastic hinges”,
and the building will become a folding kinematic chain. The opening directions of the
adjacent notches are opposite, which causes the divided building to represent a Z-shaped
pattern in its collapse process. The collapse scope is mainly controlled by the bottom
segment. Thus, the opening direction of the bottom notch should turn towards the
spacious area. And other parameters such as the position, explosive initiation sequence
and initiation time delay of the notches control the movement of blasted building. These
main parameters should be designed carefully and accurately.

Fig. 4.1 Diagram of folding implosion [2]

4.1.2 Layout of Blast Notches

In a folding implosion plan, the number, position, and direction of the wedge-shaped
notches should be designed firstly. The number of notches determines the collapse scope

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of the building. However, superfluous notches are unnecessary. To cut the costs and
increase the efficiency, the suggested height (Hi) of a single segment should be greater
than twice its width (W), which is expressed as Hi >2W. To ensure the stability of folding
movement, the moment of inertia of segments should be approximately equal to each
other. Therefore, the weight of each segment should be almost equal.

4.1.3 Initiation Sequence of Blast Notches

If the initiation sequence of blast notches is from top to bottom, the destabilization of
notches and formation of plastic hinges is easier, and the closure of the upper notch has
less impact on the movement of lower segment. If the initiation sequence is from bottom
to top, the formation of the upper plastic hinges is harder because their gravity moment
may become much lower in the rotating process of intact building, which makes the
blasting plan unreliable. Therefore, the top-to-bottom initiation sequence for blast notches
are recommended.

Fig. 4.2 Diagram of initiation sequence of notches [3]

4.1.4initiation Delay Time of Blast Notches

The initiation delay time of notches is the most important parameter for folding
implosion, which influences the posture of the kinematic chain significantly, especially
for the short segments. some criteria can be followed in determining the initiation delay
time.

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 To create an ideal kinematics chain, the blast notches should lose stability and
turn to plastic hinges one by one. Therefore, enough time for the formation of
plastic hinges is needed, and the suggested minimum initiation delay time of
neighboring notches is equal to the time taken for the ideal hinge to rotate 1to 2
degree.
 The blast notches will close finally. The strong collision between the upper and
lower segments in the closing process may make the moving kinematics chain out
of control. Therefore, the suggested maximum initiation delay time of neighboring
blast notches is equal to the time taken for the ideal hinge to close.
 In a folding implosion, the closings of blast notches are unavoidable. However, it
should be ensured that the kinematics chain presents a Z shape in air before any
blast notch close.
 To ensure the smooth and safe collapsing of a building, the lower (bottom)
segment must land first, and the upper segment must land later. Meanwhile, when
the lower segment lands, the included angle between the upper and lower
segments must be less than 90◦.

4.2 KINEMATIC MODELS FOR ESTIMATING COLLAPSE PROCESS

4.2.1 Bi-Folding Mode

The bi-folding implosion mode is the simplest, in which the building can be divided into
two segments by two notches. And the bi-folding collapse process can be divided into
two stages. stage (1) is from the initiation time of the upper notch (t = 0) to the initiation
time of the lower notch (t = t1); stage (2) is after the initiation time of the lower notch.

Fig. 4.3 Bi-folding implosion in North Lanarkshire, The United Kingdom [3]

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Fig. 4.4Bi folding implosion mode.[3]

4.2.2 Tri-Folding Mode

Similar to the bi-folding implosion mode, a building can be divided into the upper,
middle and lower segments by three blast notches. And the collapse process can be
divided into 3 stages: stage (1) is 0 s to t1 (From the initiation time of the upper notch to
the initiation time of the middle notch); stage (2) is t1 to t2 (From the initiation time of
the middle notch to the initiation time of the lower notch); stage (3) is after t2 (After the
initiation time of the lower notch). Similar to the bi-folding implosion mode, a building
can be divided into the upper, middle and lower segments by three blast notches. And the
collapse process can be divided into 3 stages: stage (1) is 0 s to t1 (From the initiation
time of the upper notch to the initiation time of the middle notch); stage (2) is t1 to t2
(From the initiation time of the middle notch to the initiation time of the lower notch);
stage (3) is after t2 (After the initiation time of the lower notch).

Fig. 4.5 Tri folding implosion (Guanzhou, China) [4]

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Fig. 4.6 Tri folding implosion [3]

5. BLASTING DEMOLITION

The number of old structures that are at the final stage of their average life has largely
increased during the last years. Many of them are pulled down for rebuilding, and for the
demolition of such structures, it is indispensable to choose and design controlled and
efficient methods. One technically and temporally effective way of dismounting
brickwork, reinforced concrete and steel constructions is blasting demolition by
detonating explosives. Compared to other methods using breakers or systematically
organized mechanical dismantling methods, demolition by blasting, usually with locally
weakened structural parts (i.e., before blasting, some reinforcements are cut, or
supporting parts are destructed with special machines), allows the teardown (collapse) of
a structure within a relatively shorter period of time of operation

Because of this short time span and therefore possibly the minimum disturbance to the
local business and transportation in the surroundings, the load to the environment by this
method tends to be smaller. However, since blasting itself is an extraordinary dynamic
event, demolishing structures by blasting unnecessarily gives rise to the anxiety of
neighbouring residents – The technical details of blasting design, i.e., the selection of the
structural elements to be destroyed by the explosives and the amount and timing of
ignition of the explosives, are still empirically determined by well-experienced engineers
and it is very error sensitive if the building construction is complex. Unsafe situations

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may arise, if planned collapse is incomplete and the remaining parts of the structure must
be removed manually. This may be one of the reasons blasting demolition is usually
avoided in urban areas, and precise, quantitative evaluation of structural damage caused
by blasting is needed for a more physics-based design of blasting demolition.

Fig. 5.1 Blasting demolition of the old Fudo Bridge: (a) the bridge was located just next
to the new national road and a railroad; (b) the suspended span in the middle was
removed mechanically; (c) blast holes in preparation; and (d) the remaining parts, with
piers covered by protection materials, were successfully demolished by blasting.[4]

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6. CASE STUDY: THE SEQUENCE OF DEMOLITIONS (MARADU)

The demolitions of four apartment blocks with a carpet area of about 80,000 square
meters are less than 10 years old and the tallest buildings demolished in India. The area is
densely populated; there are high-value, critical infrastructures like oil and gas pipelines
in the area and above all, the buildings are located on the Shore of Vembanad Lake, a
Ramsar site and a critically vulnerable coastal area (CVCA). The first demolition will
naturally be an experiment. The sizes and symmetry of the buildings under demolition
and the vulnerability of their neighborhoods differ significantly. The impact areas of three
demolitions have the highest population density. More importantly, all the complaints of
damages to the houses, dust pollution and flying debris into the nearby properties during
the pre-implosion preparations were reported from the above sites. The population
density in the area of two other buildings is very low; there has been complaint from the
neighborhood either. So, one would expect that the experiment will begin with one of
these low-risk-low-vulnerability buildings.

6.1 DETAILS OF DEMOLITIONS AT MARADU

The Government appointed technical committee in charge of demolition met on 08

November 2019 and announced that all the apartments would be demolished on the same
day. In the next meeting dated 11 November, Dr Rajagopal from the petroleum and
explosives safety organization (PESO) opposed this adventurous move and demanded
that the implosions should be conducted in three days.” Finally, the meeting decided to
complete demolitions in two days on 11 and 12 Jan 2020. According to this schedule,
Holy Faith and Alfa Serene were to on the first day, i.e.; 11 January 2020 and Golden
Kayaloram and Jain Coral Coves on the next day. There are two towers in the Alfa
Serene complex; these will be demolished in two implosions, while the other three
buildings would be subjected to one implosion each.

6.2 PEOPLES CONCERNS ABOUT DEMOLITION

The ongoing demolition works at Maradu is a First of Its Kind (FOIK) project in Kerala
and also in India – considering the enormity of work, density of population, sensitivity of
the site and vulnerability of the eco-system. The buildings to be razed are also different in
size, design complexity and location. As there are lots of unknowns, failures cannot be
ruled and they have the potentials of immense damage and destruction. In such a

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situation, it is only natural to raze the building with the lowest risk first time. In view of
the structural damages and cracks on 16 buildings during the pre-implosion works and
high density of population near Alfa Serene and Holy Faith, the people have been
demanding to postpone the implosions of these buildings from 11 January to 12 January
2020. On 25 Dec 2019, Sub Collector, who is in charge of demolition said he did not
“receive any official communication regarding a change in the schedule so far and if a
specific order comes from Chief Minister’s office, we will effect changes as per the
technical possibilities.”(TNIE) The reason for scheduling Golden Kayaloram on the
second was “the symmetry of its structure and the presence of a high-rise building in its
proximity” according to an official (on 8 Nov 19). The reason for not imploding the low-
risk buildings on the first day, reported by Newspaper on 3 Jan 2020 is that the
demolishing contractor (Edifice Engineering) cannot implode two buildings on the first
day.

6.3 DETAILS OF IMPLOSIONS AT MARADU

Of the five implosions, three are scheduled for the first day. On day 1, within 60 minutes
there would be three implosions, accounting for 57% of the total detonations, 44% of the
total explosives and 57% of the debris. Details may be seen in Table 6.1

Table 6.1 Details of Buildings, Explosives and Dates of Implosion [4]

Explosives Debris
Apartment Floors Detonations Date & Time
(Kg) (Tons)

Holy faith 19 1540 400 21450 11/01/2020 11:00 AM

Alfa Serene -1 16 1750 150 10700 11/01/2020 11:30 AM

Alfa Serene – 2 16 1750 150 10700 11/01/2020 12:00 PM

Jain Coral Cave 17 2860 700 26400 12/01/2020 11:00 AM

Golden Kayaloram 15 960 200 7100 12/01/2020 2:00 PM

6.4 THE IMPACT AREAS OF IMPLOSIONS

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Holy Faith and Alfa Serene would be demolished on the first day, 11 th January 2020 and
the other two would be razed on the next day. This decision was first announced during
October. The symmetry of Jain Coral Cove is said to be more complex. The buildings
which will go down on the first day are said to be easier to demolish and this is the reason
behind the chosen schedule. The quantity of explosives used, the volume of debris and
the number of detonations, it appears that the Jain Coral has a complicate architecture.
The reason for demolishing the less complex structure first is either to postpone or cancel
the other demolitions, if the first consequences of the first one are unacceptable. In other
words, the first event would be an experiment. The people in the neighborhood of Alfa
Serene and Holy Faith have been demanding to demolish Jan Coral and Kayaloram on the
first day, because the lower density of buildings and population around them. This
demand is justified on three grounds:

 Low population and building density around Kayaloram and Jain Coral Cove
 No complaint of dust hazards or building damages due to pre-implosion
demolition works of Kayaloram and Jain Coral.
 The distance between Kayaloram and Jain Corals is 2600 m.
 The distance between Alfa Serene and Holy Faith, two flats to be blasted on the
first day is only less than 300 m.
 16 buildings within a radius of 200 m of Alfa Serene and Holy faith sustained
structural damages and cosmetic cracks.
 Several people around these buildings had to leave their homes due to dust and
vibration hazards.

If both the complexity of the building and the vulnerability of the impacted environment
are used as the criterion for choosing the first event, Jain Coral Cove should be the best
candidate.

7. CONCLUSIONS

Demolition method applied in a structure depends upon various factors such as site
condition, type of structures, age of building, height of building and economy and most
important its location with presence of its surrounding with its structural stability.
Controlled demolition of building is necessary to ensure safety of both the workers and
the surroundings so as to cause least amount of injuries and accidents. It is concluded that
before carrying out any demolition works, building survey must be done carefully, so that

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it may not cause any severe damage to the environment, public and adjacent properties
around the building which is to be demolished. Explosive or implosion demolition is the
most preferred method for safely and efficiently demolishing the larger structures which
requires a very high precision. The procedure of demolishment should be carried out with
the aim of minimizing the risks of causing damage to persons and properties of the
public, endangering the health and safety of site personnel and damaging the
neighborhood environment. In this seminar we detailed discussed the method of
demolition, process of demolition etc. with the help of one case study i.e. sequence of
demolition at Maradu.

For the newly developed folding implosion technology, some design criteria for main
parameter selection are proposed in this paper, which involves the position of blast
notches, initiation sequence and delay time. Some guidelines are suggested as follows:

a) In the folding implosion of an RC building, 2 or 3 wedge-shaped notches should

be blasted out at the specific heights, which divide the building into 2 or 3
segments with similar mass.
b) The aspect ratio of each segment should be larger than 2.
c) The opening directions of the adjacent notches should be opposite, and the bottom
notch should turn towards the spacious area.
d) The initiation sequence of notches should be top-to-bottom.
e) The suggested minimum initiation delay time of neighboring notches is equal to
the time taken for the ideal hinge to rotate 1to 2 degree, the maximum initiation
delay time is equal to the time taken for the ideal hinge to close; the reasonable
initiation delay time should ensure that the kinematics chain presents a Z shape in
air before any blast notch close.
f) It is feasible to select the main parameters by the proposed multi-body dynamic
models; however, it is necessary to carry out the more precise numerical
simulation finally.

REFERENCES

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1. Abubakar Sharafat, Waqas Arshad Tanoli, Georgios Rapits and Jong Won Seo
(2019), “Controlled Blasting In Underground Construction”, Journal of
Tunnelling And Underground Space Technology, Vol.22, Issue 17, pp. 61-72.
2. Devkota & Kanchan (2019), “Full Scale 13-Story Building Implosion and
Collapse: Effects on Adjacent Structures”, Civil Engineering Theses,
Dissertations, and Student Research, Vol.6, Issue 02, pp. 236-239.
3. Koji Uenishi, Hiroshi Takahashi, Hiroshi Yamachi and Shunsuke Sakurai (2010),
“PC-based simulations of blasting demolition of RC structures”, Journal of
Construction and Building Material, Vol.33, Issue 01, pp. 215-225.
4. M. G. Bhandari, V. K. Kulkarni & R. K. Malviya (2013), “Building Demolition:
Ground to Earth Important as Construction”, Journal of Emerging Technology
and Advanced Engineering, Vol.18, Issue 09, pp. 55-61.
5. Jinshan Sun, Yongsheng Jia, Xianqi Xie and Yingkang Yao (2021), “Design
criteria for the folding implosion of high-rise RC buildings”, Journal of
Engineering Structures, Vol.16, Issue 03, pp. 110-125.

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