In today’s race for most powerful cordless tools, it’s important to remember the humble beginnings of hand tools, especially those with mechanical parts. Much like cars of the early 20th century, mechanical and power tools were simple machines, as opposed to the heavily electronic tools that are becoming popular now. Easy to understand and easier to repair.
Read more[VIDEO] Construction Worker Rescued After Suspended Scaffolding Fails 15 Stories High
Two construction workers in Sarasota, Florida were recently trapped 15 stories in the air after one of the lines on their suspended scaffolding snapped. One of the two men was able to be pulled to safety by some co-workers on site, but the second was stuck on the scaffold for an hour before the fire department could rescue him.
Read more[VIDEO] A View From the Current Top of the World’s Future Tallest Building, the Jeddah Tower
Since it opened its doors in 2010, the Burj Khalifa has been the world’s tallest building, one of the most coveted titles in all of the construction industry. If all goes according to plan, the Burj’s reign at the top will come to an end when Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower is completed in 2020.
Read more{Timelapse] Construction of 57 Story NYC Skyscraper That Looks like a Jenga Tower
via Youtube
Standing 821 feet (250m) in the New York City skyline, the new 57-story residential tower, called 56 Leonard Street, has opened its doors to residents. The 145 condos that inhabit the high rise range in size from 1,418 square feet to 6,400 square feet and in price from $3.5 million to $50 million. Amazingly, even with those staggering prices, the developer told the New York Times that 92% of the units had sold in 2013, even though the tower officially opened last year.
Read more[VIDEO] 11 Story High Rise Falls on Excavator During Demolition
A nearby office worker caught video of a dramatic demolition that showed the remains of an 11 story building collapse on top of the excavator performing the demolition.
Read more{VIDEO] WWII Bomb Detonated After Being Found on Construction Site
Strange things are found on job sites across the globe all the time. We’ve shared plenty of stories in the past about the odd things construction workers have discovered, like human remains, 200,000 year old mammoth bones, ancient roman treasure, and more. When contractors dig in the dirt, there’s always a chance of uncovering history. Sometimes, though, the things found can be extremely dangerous.
Read more[VIDEO] Watch a 6 Lane Concrete Overpass be Demolished in 8 Hours
In order to get the bad taste of last week’s botched demolition, in which an adjacent building also got destroyed in the process, we needed to share a highly successful one. Priestly Demolition, a Canadian demolition contractor, has been the subject of our articles in the past and the company has even won awards for the best demolition in the world.
Read more[VIDEO] Oakland Concrete Form Collapse Injures 12 Construction Workers
While placing concrete on the second floor of a future seven-story mixed use building in Oakland, California, the concrete forms suddenly gave way, sending around 20 workers 10 to 15 feet below with the wet concrete. News reports explain the job site went into a panic, understandably so, and co-workers rushed to the scene to help.
Read more[VIDEO] Demolition Crew Accidentally Destroys Adjacent Building
Mistakes during demolitions happen. Sometimes contractors knock down the wrong buildings, other times the explosives used don’t knock the building over, and other demolitions are carried out with a complete lack of regard for human life. As fun as they are to perform and watch, they’re inherently dangerous and there should be a plan in place in case things go wrong.
Read more[VIDEO] Crane Flips While Lifting Large Section of Viaduct
Cranes collapse for a variety of different reasons. Some are overloaded, some catch on fire, and others succumb to high wind loads. Regardless of the reason, a falling crane can cause tons of damage and have the potential to kill on-site workers and pedestrians walking near the job site.
A recent crawler crane collapse in Northern Italy could have been much worse as the crane, carrying a large section of viaduct, crashed to the ground.
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