VIDEO - Bridge demolition going wrong

June 17, 2015
A bridge demolition job went spectacularly wrong in Finland recently. Luckily for all concerned, there were no casualties, but it could have quite easily been a different story. A demolition contractor was using an excavator fitted with a hydraulic breaker to break up the structure, but the work was carrying on despite live traffic flowing on the road under the bridge.

Note too the behaviour of drivers on the route after the initial collapse.

This video came just as the European Demolition Association headed to Finland’s capital Helsinki to discuss best practice.

The Viitostiellä Mikkelissä bridge collapsed following a few blows from a hydraulic hammer to the deck, suggesting the structure was in a very poor condition indeed.

Related Content

  • Improving tunneling method selection
    December 11, 2015
    The tunnelling sector remains one of the most active segments of the construction industry worldwide, fuelling demand for equipment However, there have been issues with the efficiency of the selection process for the most suitable tunnelling method for a project in the past. With this in mind, the Italian hydraulic breaker manufacturer Indeco has been working on a new algorithm that allows a contractor to optimise the tunnelling method selection. The firm said that this system has been developed becau
    Read More
  • No video provider was found to handle the given URL. See the documentation for more information.
    No video provider was found to handle the given URL. See the documentation for more information.
    VIDEO - Controlled bridge demolition over motorway
    September 15, 2016

    A UK-based demolition contractor has carried out a successful bridge demolition project over the busy M1 motorway. The specialist firm, Amac Group, used a fleet of excavators fitted with hydraulic breakers and other attachments to break up the bridge in a single overnight possession from 10th-11th September 2016. The bridge demolition is the first of two being carried out as part of the improvement works for a new link road connecting the M1 and A5 routes. The second bridge removal is planned for the 24th-25th September.

    Read More
  • Efficient electric breaking
    January 21, 2025
    Lekatech offers efficient electric breaking technology.
    Read More
  • Breakers break up bridge in US state of Mississippi
    January 19, 2015
    A US contractor has carried out a successful demolition job on a bridge using excavators fitted with hydraulic breakers. The fleet of 178 Caterpillar excavators used for the work managed to break up the ageing structure in just 11 hours. The old Pigeon Roost road bridge will now be replaced with another, more modern structure better able to carry the necessary traffic load. The 1500 Mississippi Department of Transportation filmed the job using time lapse techniques to show the 11 hour job condensed into just 49 stunning seconds.
    Read More

Highlighted Content