VIDEO: Explosive bridge demolition in Southern Italy

February 15, 2016
Italian contractor General Smontaggi has carried out a successful bridge demolition project in the south of the country. Explosives were used to remove the redundant Viadotto Caffaro Bridge carrying the A3 Autostrade. The 390m long structure had been found to be unsuitable for modern traffic requirements on the route, located in Calabria. The demolition project was not straightforward as the new bridge had already been constructed alongside the redundant structure. The extensive pre-weakening work for the old bridge included cutting into the deck to ensure it collapsed downwards. The charges were timed in such a way as to break up the bridge deck first and allow those pieces to fall, before a second round of charges detonated to bring down the supports. The explosives for the supports were also placed very carefully to ensure that in falling, they would not strike any part of the new bridge.

Related Content

  • New Angolan bridge offers improved connectivity
    September 30, 2013
    Drivers in Angola are benefiting from a bridge that spans the Catumbela River, taking the place of an old structure that had proven not fit for purpose. The US$35 million cable stayed bridge is located in the highway between Benguela and Lobito, around 7km from Angola’s Atlantic coast and is one of a series of new infrastructure developments in the country. Angola suffered a long period of war that impacted on its people and infrastructure. The war resulted in severe damage to the country’s road system alon
    Read More
  • Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh benefiting from major transport investment
    September 9, 2013
    Saudi Arabia is undergoing a series of upgrades to its transport network in a bid to improve Traffic flow rates and boost safety - Mike Woof reports. The massive growth in the use of motor transport worldwide since the start of the 20th century has transformed every country on the planet. But perhaps no country has changed more dramatically than Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading oil producer. At the start of the 20th century Saudi Arabia’s population was small and the country had few industries while it is
    Read More
  • Successful explosive demolition of old bridge in US state of Missouri
    December 16, 2013
    A successful explosive demolition has been carried out of the Hurricane Deck Bridge in the US state of Missouri. The Hurricane Deck Bridge carried Missouri Route 5 over Lake of the Ozarks and measured 695m long. The structure was no longer able to cope with the traffic volumes it was carrying and the Missouri Department of Transport (MODOT) opted to build a new delta frame bridge to replace it. Work started on the new bridge in 2012 and this was opened to traffic in September 2013. The steel span Hurricane
    Read More
  • Kuwait’s key causeway contract under construction
    July 4, 2016
    A new causeway, crossing the Bay of Kuwait, is under construction and providing a major engineering challenge - Mike Woof reports. The new Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway Project being built across the Bay of Kuwait is a massive engineering project that is costing around US$3 billion in all. This highly complex project involves the design, build, completion and maintenance of the causeway, which spans Kuwait Bay between Kuwait City and the Subiyah area. The 36km Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Cau
    Read More

Highlighted Content