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Merry 9/11 and Happy Holidays - New General Megathread for the 11th-13th of September 2024

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Building implosion

In the controlled demolition industry, building implosion is the strategic placing of explosive material and timing of its detonation so that a structure collapses on itself in a matter of seconds, minimizing the physical damage to its immediate surroundings. Despite its terminology, building implosion also includes the controlled demolition of other structures, like bridges, smokestacks, towers, and tunnels. This is typically done to save time and money of what would otherwise be an extensive demolition process with construction equipment, as well as to reduce construction workers exposure to infrastructure that is in severe disrepair.

Building implosion, which reduces to seconds a process which could take months or years to achieve by other methods, typically occurs in urban areas[citation needed] and often involves large landmark structures.

The actual use of the term "implosion" to refer to the destruction of a building is a misnomer. This had been stated of the destruction of 1515 Tower in West Palm Beach, Florida. "What happens is, you use explosive materials in critical structural connections to allow gravity to bring it down.

The term "implosion" was coined by my grandmother back in, I guess, the '60s. It's a more descriptive way to explain what we do than "explosion". There are a series of small explosions, but the building itself isn't erupting outward. It's actually being pulled in on top of itself. What we're really doing is removing specific support columns within the structure and then cajoling the building in one direction or another, or straight down.

  • Stacy Loizeaux, NOVA, December 1996

Building implosion techniques do not rely on the difference between internal and external pressure to collapse a structure. Instead, the goal is to induce a progressive collapse by weakening or removing critical supports; therefore, the building can no longer withstand gravity loads and will fail under its own weight

Numerous small explosives, strategically placed within the structure, are used to catalyze the collapse. Nitroglycerin, dynamite, or other explosives are used to shatter reinforced concrete supports. Linear shaped charges are used to sever steel supports. These explosives are progressively detonated on supports throughout the structure. Then, explosives on the lower floors initiate the controlled collapse.

A simple structure like a chimney can be prepared for demolition in less than a day. Larger or more complex structures can take up to six months of preparation to remove internal walls and wrap columns with fabric and fencing before firing the explosives.

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  • Watching Kevin Can Fuck Himself, I love the format. If you don't know the show is a satirical take on King oF Queens style battle-of-the-sexes sitcoms. You've got the B plot, which is a single camera brightly lit sitcom in which a boorish husband gets in dumb manly shenanigans in which he is broadly insensitive towards his wife and uncaring of her needs and desires. Then the A plot of the wife, Allison, which is all moodily lit and darkly color graded, like a serious drama, in which she fantasizes about the violent murder of her husband.

    So I'd love to see a political thriller done in the same way. Like the A plot is, I dunno, maybe some unelected government bureaucrat who stumbles across a conspiracy and starts getting harrassed by feds and/or non-state actors. Like that movie The Report starring Adam Driver, about the guy investigating the Torture Memos in the aughts. But then anytime he's in a room with an elected it's like a scene out of West Wing or VEEP, brushing off his concerns as they're more worried about that week's antics and ignoring any pleas for help with a see no evil hear no evil attitude or else so ready to give grandiose speeches about civility and the strength of our democracy that they ignore the cloak-and-dagger drama playing out in front of them.

    Edit: I think the show is actually a multi-camera sitcom.

    • I just watched the trailer and got "because you watched this you might be interested in The Minecraft Movie" and it made me sad

    • And then i read your second paragraph and you're so spot on because that would 100% capture the average day in the life of any of us interacting with the brunch crowd.

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