[VIDEO] Watch Live Footage of Atlanta’s I-85 Rebuild After Collapse

via Youtube

via Youtube

At the end of March 2017, a massive fire underneath Atlanta’s I-85, a major highway that handles around 243,000 vehicles each day, caused a large section to collapse.  Since then, it has left traffic in the area in rough shape, and Atlanta is already known for their bad traffic, especially ITP.  That’s hip Atlanta terminology that stands for “Inside the Perimeter,” or inside of the 285 outer belt.

Since then, AJC reports that 3 suspects have been named in the fire, the cause of which is still unknown. One of the suspects has been charged with starting the fire.  There were plastic materials left under the bridge, believed to be PVC piping, which may have factored into the high temperature of the fire.

Although the wreckage has been cleared, but there is still plenty of work to get done rebuilding the project. The Georgia Department of Transportation has stated that both northbound and southbound directions of I-85 will be closed around the area for the “foreseeable future” and they expect the road to be fully open again by June 15, which is still over 7 weeks away.

OxBlue, a timelapse construction camera company, is broadcasting the repair work live on Youtube for all to watch.  You can check it out below:

Featured
Baubot.PNG
[VIDEO] Baubot, the Robot That Wants to Be Every Trade on the Jobsite

While still new in the construction industries, robots are typically designed to perform a specific task in a highly precise and efficient way, like the rebar tying robot, Tybot or the brick-laying robot Hadrian X. More recently, though, robots are being imagined as platforms for 3rd party companies to develop hardware and accessories to attach to the base robot, like the Boston Dynamics robotic dog, Spot. I recently came across a new robot, called Baubot, which hopes to one day perform tasks using every tool on a typical jobsite.

stainless steel building.PNG
[VIDEO] This Cantilevered Building Was Built With Only Stainless Steel, No Concrete

There have been many attempts to use different materials for the structural support systems of buildings over the years, but stainless steel is not one that I have come across before. The BROAD Group, based in China, recently highlights a multi-story, cantilevered building made entirely of stainless steel.

syracuse+crane+collapse.jpg
Crane Collapses on Jobsite in Syracuse, NY, No Injuries Reported

On Tuesday morning, February 23, the Syracuse Fire Department responded to a call about a collapsed crane on a construction site near the university. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

Cable Crane System.PNG
[VIDEO] Need to Get Some Heavy Equipment Up a Mountain? Try a Cable Car System

Remote jobsites with difficult terrain pose some substantial logistical challenges when it comes to getting equipment and materials on site. I’ve seen several different methods used in the past, such as heavy equipment carrying blimps, cargo planes, helicopters, and the Fat Truck, but I recently came across a new method: a cable car.

mina plaza demolition.JPG
[VIDEO] A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Recent Record Breaker for World’s Tallest Demolition

In November of last year, the 546 foot tall Mina Plaza in Abu Dhabi officially broke the world record for tallest demolition by explosion, supplanting Hudson Department Store in Detroit, Michigan, which held the record for 22 years.

Sikorsky Helicopter
[VIDEO] Helicopter Drops Cooling Tower During Lift to Roof

If you need to get some heavy mechanical equipment on the roof of your project, you could use a boring old crane – or you could gas up the bird and make that equipment take literal flight. Alright, so cranes aren’t actually boring, but some times a helicopter makes more logistical sense, either because it reduces total lift time or, in some cases, makes economical sense. Either way, there are some important safety precautions to take in case something goes wrong.

Top Demo Videos 2020.gif
Top 7 Demolition Videos of 2020

2020 was a stressful year, so let’s decompress a little bit by reviewing some of the most fun demolition videos from the past year. A demolition that broke a 22 year old record highlights the bunch and I also stretch what the definition of “demolition” is a little bit, because I think the video is so cool. Don’t @ me.

Without further ado, here are the top 7 demolition videos from 2020:

How Did they Build That.JPG
Smithsonian Channel Premieres New Show about Construction, 'How Did they Build That?"

With the large amount of people that work in the construction industry and the high visibility of many of these projects, I’m always amazed that television networks never spent any time developing shows about it. The Smithsonian Channel, however, is about to premiere a new show, dedicated to the design and construction of some of the world’s most fascinating structures and the first episode will air on Sunday night, January 3rd, 2021.

Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Plant 2020
[VIDEO] Nuclear Power Plant Site Utilizes 2 of the World’s Largest Cranes, and 55 Other Tower Cranes

2 years ago, crane manufacturer, Sarens, unveiled what is considered to be the world’s largest crane, by both size and lifting capacity. Big Carl, as the huge crane was nicknamed, began work a few months later on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in England. Now, the jobsite boasts an abundance of crane activity, a true site to behold, and it was captured on aerial footage for you to enjoy.

tallest building ever imploded.JPG
[VIDEO] New World Record For Tallest Building Demolished By Explosives

Back in 1998, the Hudson Department Store in downtown Detroit, Michigan was demolished by explosives. That building stood 410 feet tall across its 29 floors, making it, at the time, the tallest building to ever be taken down by implosion. The dust cloud covered many city blocks and the 20,000 unsuspecting people that came to watch the event. That record was just recently broken by a building over 100 feet taller than it.