Baltimore Bridge Blast, Other U.S. Projects Make World Demolition Award Finals (Videos)

Nine U.S. contractors are in the running for the 2024 World Demolition Awards.

Projects that have made the short list include the controlled demolition of debris that landed on a cargo ship that crashed into the Key Bridge in Baltimore; the renovation of Cleveland Guardians’ stadium; and the demolition of the Gerald Desmond Bridge at the Port of Long Beach.

The annual awards will be presented in Stockholm, Sweden, at the World Demolition Summit set for November 6-7.

Here’s a rundown of the U.S. finalists, as well as some dramatic video from some of the projects:

EXPLOSION CATEGORY

Controlled Demolition Inc., Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge

After the cargo ship Dali crashed into the Key Bridge on March 26, the ship was trapped by tons of debris that fallen on it. The ship and its 22 crew members were unable to return to port until the debris was removed.

Controlled Demolition Inc. was hired to remove the debris and did so through precision blasts May 13 while the ship’s 22 crew members remained on board (see the video above). After making a series of cuts to the metal truss remains, Controlled Demolition crews placed small explosives in the incisions. After the debris was removed from the ship, the Dali and its crew were able to return to port with none of its crew members injured by the blasts.

Lindamood Inc., Paul M. Bass Administrative and Clinical Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas

The demolition at the UTSW Medical Center in Dallas involved demolishing three high-rise towers, low-rise support and parking facilities at the center of campus without interrupting campus activities in 2023.

More than 800 pounds of dynamite and 640 feet of charges were placed in more than 1,200 locations throughout the three towers for the implosion (see the video above). The explosives were detonated by over 1,500 delays, which helped control the speed and direction of each building's fall, break the buildings into smaller pieces for easier cleanup and lower the noise and vibrations of the collapses as much as possible. Over 134,000 tons of debris from the implosion were removed. 

Target Contractors, Lashkowitz High Rise Apartment Complex in Fargo, North Dakota

The 204-foot-tall Lashkowitz High Rise in downtown Fargo opened in 1971 and had over 200 apartments for low-income housing. The building was riddled with asbestos and other contaminants.

Target imploded the building on September 16, 2023, using 400 pounds of dynamite to bring down the 22-story structure in 15 seconds. After the blast, Target removed 195 tons of asbestos material, 2.3 million pounds of scrap metals that was recycled, 8,481 tons of soil, and 15,190 tons of concrete. That resulted in a diversion of 96% of the waste from landfills. The demolition makes way for the future 110-unit affordable-housing complex Lashkowitz Riverfront, expected to be completed by 2025.  

CONTRACT OF THE YEAR OVER $1 MILLION

Total Wrecking & Environmental, CD McIntosh Power Station in Lakeland, Florida

Total Wrecking & Environmental of Buffalo, New York, is demolishing Units 1, 2, and 3 of the CD McIntosh Power Station for Lakeland Electric.

The project required the company to safely abate and demolish the units, including stacks, boilers, cooling towers, coal conveyors and more while maintaining operations at the facility (see video above). The team faced such challenges as working near live overhead power lines and sensitive wetlands, lakes and the Tenoroc Public Nature Preserve.

The company also processed and reused concrete from the demolition for backfill. 

Independence Demolition, MLB Progressive Field renovations, Cleveland

During the 2023 Major League Baseball season, Independence Demolition demolished structures at the Cleveland Guardians’ home field to make way for renovations. The work involved over 700 picks in less than two months with crawler cranes, with over 50,000 man hours in confined areas with no incidents. 

CONTRACT OF THE YEAR UNDER $1 MILLION

Clemson University's Tillman Hall after demolitionTrifecta Service CompanyTrifecta Service Company, Clemson University’s Tillman Hall Auditorium renovation

The historic Tillman Hall Auditorium at Clemson University had not been renovated in 40 years. The university wanted to preserve its historical aspects – such as mosaic tiles and historic windows – of the building built of brick and wood, yet make it structurally safe.

Trifecta crews stripped out the building by adding steel structures for support and monitoring for vibration. The crews used demolition robots for precision and took efforts to reduce noise levels and used weight-distribution methods to protect the floor. The project also involved lead-based paint abatement while the building was occupied. 

COLLABORATION CATEGORY

The 50-year-old Gerald Desmond Bridge was demolished after a new replacement bridge opened in 2020.

Kiewit first built the new bridge, then took out the old. The first part of the demolition involved dismantling the bridge’s 410-foot-long suspended span and lowering it onto a barge (see video above).

Throughout 2023, Kiewit West Inc. dismantled and removed the main steel truss spans, steel plate girder approaches, abutments, columns, access ramps and other pieces of the bridge as part of the $59.9 million contract. Metal, concrete and other materials were recycled whenever possible. All stages of the project required a high degree of collaboration among many stakeholders. 

RECYCLING & ENVIRONMENTAL CATEGORY

Adamo Demolition, former Kmart Headquarters in Troy, Michigan

Adamo Demolition’s project to demolish the former Kmart headquarters required precision and working in a confined urban space without disrupting Detroit’s largest shopping center.

The company developed detailed plans and used cutting-edge techniques to reduce dust and noise. It achieved a material recycling rate of over 97%, preventing 108 million pounds of debris from ending up in a landfill. Material was repurposed to build a road at the landfill. 

URBAN CATEGORY

Homrich, Detroit Waste-to-Energy Facility

The city of Detroit closed its Waste-to-Energy Facility, which converted municipal waste to electricity, in 2019 and hired Homrich to demolish the structure in 2022 to make way for redevelopment.

The demolition involved the removal of hazardous materials such as asbestos as well as the deconstruction of large boilers and smokestacks. The company used high-reach excavators and other specialized equipment to reduce dust and noise to protect nearby residents. It also used explosives to implode structures.