Cheaper than explosives…

Chinese demolition firm hires man to knock down structures one brick at a time.

The following story comes from the UK’s Daily Mail “newspaper” and should, therefore, be read with a hefty side order of sodium chloride (that’s salt to the non-scientists among you).

According to the story, a Chinese demolition company has decided that the best way to tear down buildings is one brick at a time – even when that building is a 45 metre high chimney.

The firm, which knocks down buildings in the city of Taiyuan in north China, believes – so long as you are not in a rush – it is more economical to have a single man hammering out the bricks one by one than it is to shell out for explosives.

Company boss Chung Lei (they’re always called Chung Lei, aren’t they) explained that he is able to offer the firm’s demolition services at a knock-down price as his methods are so cheap.

He said: ‘If you are looking at demolishing anything here you need to spend a fortune for the explosives and the license to use them, as well as demolition experts and all sorts of insurances against making any mistakes. “In contrast you can also do it with one man and a hammer, it takes longer, but if there is no rush then you save a fortune.

Lei says that he has a dozen workers knocking down buildings across the city in Shanxi Province and business is booming (no pun intended).

The story might have only a tenuous grip on fact but the photos are certainly worth seeing – Click here to check them out.