Demolition: The Art of Demolishing, Dismantling, Imploding, Toppling and Razing - Hardcover

Liss, Helene; Loizeaux Family Of Controlled Demolition Inc.; Loizeaux Family

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1579121497 ISBN 13: 9781579121495

Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2000

Synopsis

This exciting illustrated tour takes you step-by-step behind the scenes of the most incredible implosions in the world from standing skyscrapers to-kaboom!-a pile of rubble. A hotel in Atlantic city, a bridge in France, an office in Tokyo, a factory in Pittsburgh, a casino in Las Vegas-these incredible demolition projects and more are illustrated with huge, full-color photographs satisfying our fascination with destruction through second-by-second views of each structure as it takes its final, devastating plunge back to earth. The author, with the help of the Loizeaux family of Controlled Demolition, Inc., relates stories and describes techniques for imploding structures-from bridges to skyscrapers-in this most arresting form of demolition where strategically placed charges fired with precision timing can make a huge building collapse onto itself without disturbing the surrounding buildings. Detailed blueprints attest to the careful months of planning, and discussions with expert contractors and engineers reveal the secrets, strategies, sheer power and excitement of one of the world's most dangerous trades. Dramatic picture sequences give second-by-second displays of famous and elaborate demolition projects including the implosion of Seattle's Kingdome, the destruction of missile platforms in Bulgaria, the final take-down of buildings decimated by earthquakes in Mexico City, and takes us onto the sets of movies like Lethal Weapon and Mars Attacks! for amazing implosions laced with spectacular pyrotechnics.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - FIRE

The rumble builds to a deafening crash as the 32-story skyscraper plunges to the earth in a single, breathtaking, earth-shattering collapse.

DEMOLITION: THE ART OF DEMOLISHING, DISMANTLING, IMPLODING, TOPPLING & RAZING takes you behind the scenes of one of the world's most awe-inspiring trades: large-scale controlled demolition. Hundreds of huge, full-color photographs-alongside stories, structure specifications and descriptions-capture every detail as buildings from around the world are reduced to rubble. A hotel in Atlantic City, a tower in France, a factory in Pittsburgh, a casino in Vegas-each project is captured in second-by-second photographs that follow structures that are aging, damaged, or simply in the way of progress, as they take their final, devastating plunge to the ground.

Perhaps the only thing that captivates man more than assembling towering constructs is watching them come tumbling down-witness any child with a pile of building blocks. DEMOLITION speaks to this timeless fascination with amazing views of dozens of demolition projects. It explores the most modern technique-implosion-for taking down structures that have outlived their usefulness, but also examines the history of demolition, from Ancient Egypt to Ebbets Field, and the fundamental methods upon which the industry has been built.

The Loizeaux Family of Controlled Demolition, Inc., has pioneered the process of implosion whereby explosive charges are placed at strategic positions within a building's frame, weakening the structure and allowing it to fall in on itself. Elaborate planning and engineering precision are required to bring down these massive structures without disturbing the surrounding buildings, and with thousands of tons of concrete and steel crashing down in seconds, safety is always a primary concern.

In DEMOLITION, Helene Liss-with the help of the Liozeaux family-shares insider stories from colossal demolition projects like the Seattle Kingdome, and describes the techniques that Controlled Demolition, Inc., uses to implode buildings around the world. It also takes us to Hollywood and the sets of movies like Enemy of the State and Mars Attacks!, where demolition contractors consult with special effects coordinators to produce amazing implosions laced with spectacular pyrotechnics.

Implosion combines the raw power of explosives and the complex precision of engineering. Through dazzling photography and description, DEMOLITION reveals this fascination and little known world-a world of constructive destruction.

From the Back Cover:

WITNESS THE RAW POWER AND TECHNICAL PRECISION OF LARGE-SCALE IMPLOSION AS YOU ENTER THE WORLD OF CONSTRUCTIVE DESTRUCTION

About this edition

• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1579121497
• ISBN 13: 9781579121495
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 128