After almost a month of rumour and speculation regarding a failed implosion in Canada, we have just been alerted to this footage which shows the Norsk Hydro plant in Becancour failing to succumb to explosive demolition.

According to the video, the contract was overseen by EDS, although we understand that the explosive works may have been subcontracted to a third-party (if anyone can confirm this we’d love to hear from you).

The National Demolition Association’s chief executive Mike Taylor was a guest speaker at the National Federation of Demolition Contractors 2009 Annual Convention. During the presentation, Taylor highlighted:

• That around 7,000 of the US demolition sector’s 22,000 employees are currently unemployed

• That President Obama’s stimulus package had yet to have any significant impact

• That the NDA is concerned at the training of future generations of demolition contractors

• That NDA members are looking overseas for new work opportunities

• And that the NDA is about to adopt the NFDC’s guidance notes on high reach excavators and track mounted mobile crushers (a subject we plan to address in more depth soon).

This is absolutely stunning. Great footage, majestic soundtrack, and a wrecking ball used with accuracy and care. This could become a Demolition News classic!

Let us know what you think or suggest your alternatives for video of the year in the Comments area below.

Picture the scene. You are the marketing manager of an Italian equipment manufacturer that is just a few months away from launching a pair of new but as yet unnamed compact crushers. It is your job to think of an appropriate name that will convey power, durability, productivity, environmental benefits and green credentials.

Tough, isn’t it?

Which is probably why Guidetti chose instead to emphasise the “Italianness” of its new offering in the increasingly crowded track-mounted compact crusher market by calling them the Caesar 1 and Caesar 2. (Sorry, but since my name is Mark Anthony, I do feel honour-bound to give them just a slight stabbing).

Full specification details are available on the Guidetti website, but we can tell you that the Caesar 1 weighs in at 3.2 tonnes and offers a crusher throughput of 20 tonnes/hour while the larger 6.7 tonne Caesar 2 is said to produce 50 tonnes/hour.

You can see both new machines in action below:

Last week, we brought you footage of Asarco Demolition’s dual implosion of a pair of smokestacks in Montana. But we’ve just uncovered this new high definition footage of the blast. If only all demolition video looked as good as this (and be sure to hit the Full Screen option – the four little arrows in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen):

Asarco Smelter Demolition [RED 4K] from Tempest HD Productions on Vimeo.

MGL Demolition this weekend completed the demolition of Fulbeck House and Glentworth House in Middlesbrough’s Netherfields area. These were built in 1968, and each 16-storey block comprised 90 flats.

A lottery to press “the button” raised money for Normanby’s Zoe’s Place and was won by schoolgirl Joanna Gray.

OK, this is not quite live, but as we’re typing this text, this implosion in Montana happened less than an hour ago:

We’re hoping there will be some more professional footage such as this which was filmed during the preparation for today’s nicely controlled implosion.

According to the English-language voice over, the implosion of this incomplete and abandoned high-rise structure in the Chinese city of Zhongshan took place in a residential area. Which calls into question the huge amount of debris discharged by the blast.

This is one of those unique occasions when we’re in danger of becoming trapped perpetually in a space/time continuum warp of self-promotion. So bear with us, as this is about to get complicated.

Back in June, we made an audio podcast on the subject of acoustic modeling in which we interviewed Campbell Associates’ founder John Campbell. As a result of that podcast, John was approached to speak at the Institute of Demolition Engineers’ Roadshow event that took place at Mercedes Benz World last week. During John’s excellent presentation, which we have captured on video here, he actually played back a part of our podcast. So, to recap, we were recording him playing back our recording of him, for future broadcast alongside that original recording!

Right, while we go for a sit down in a dark room, here’s the video. It’s a wee bit dark but it makes for an interesting 10 minutes. And don’t worry, we have edited out the bit of John talking to us preiously. If you’d like to hear that original audio, click here

Having bowed to reader pressure (temporarily at least) to continue to show videos of demolition gone wrong, here’s one from the (fairly recent) archives displaying at least one reason why the crawler crane and ball combination gave way to the high reach excavator in the ongoing evolution of demolition equipment.