Technical and safety aspects at the demolition by blasting works of a cooling tower with a high of 72.00 m

From the point of view of demolition, one of the most interesting construction categories is the hyperboloid shape cooling towers. These seemingly fragile structures support at the base on a reinforced concrete belt and pillars. An important element to be taken into account when choosing the demolition solution is the slope of the tower. As this ratio between tower height and base diameter is greater (4-5), the easier is the demolition of the tower by overturning, respectively by moving the centre of gravity of the construction away from its base. In the case of the cooling tower described in this article, its height was 72.00 m and the base diameter of 52.00 m - the slope ratio index being less than 2, which was why the chosen solution of demolition was that of partial lateral collapse followed by a total crash of the tower on its position. The article describes how to perform the demolition of the cooling tower, the technical and safety solutions adopted for its successful collapse in the intended direction, in very sensitive location conditions regarding the constructions and installations in its immediate vicinity