Autobahn bridge in Bavaria demolished with explosives (VIDEO)

A demolition contractor in the north of Bavaria recently used 200kg of explosives to demolish an old autobahn viaduct. Situated close to the town of Bad Kissingen and to the north of the city of Nuremberg, the 46 year old A7 viaduct had reached the end of its working life and a new structure had been built alongside in this scenic rural area. Pre-weakening work had been carried out using hydraulic breakers along with drilling the necessary blastholes, to ensure the supports and deck collapsed in a controlle
July 1, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A demolition contractor in the north of Bavaria recently used 200kg of explosives to demolish an old autobahn viaduct. Situated close to the town of Bad Kissingen and to the north of the city of Nuremberg, the 46 year old A7 viaduct had reached the end of its working life and a new structure had been built alongside in this scenic rural area. Pre-weakening work had been carried out using hydraulic breakers along with drilling the necessary blastholes, to ensure the supports and deck collapsed in a controlled fashion. Traffic on the new viaduct was halted briefly by the police for the duration of the blast, which was carried out safely and successfully by the contractor. An enterprising local farmer had clearly allowed spectators to congregate in a field on the nearby hillside to watch the demolition, while coffee and beer were being sold to those with a thirst.
Road Structures

Related Content

  • Skanska carrying out collapsed bridge removal
    June 13, 2024
    Skanska is carrying out the removal of the collapsed Francis Scott Bridge.
    Read More
  • Safety measures aid workzone accident reduction
    February 20, 2012
    Everyone connected with the highway industry is involved in the efforts to cut down the number of work zone accidents. Patrick Smith reports. A few months ago, as road work resumed on America's highways and bridges, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called on drivers to use extra caution in work zones. At the same time he commended the success in reducing overall roadway fatalities in each of the last seven years.
    Read More
  • Bridge inspection: destructive versus non-destructive methods
    January 6, 2015
    Tens of thousands of bridges in the United States are in desperate need of repair. But where to begin analysing their deteriorating state? Roger Roberts* investigates tips and techniques for ensuring bridge safety The average age of America’s more than 600,000 crumbling bridges is 42 years – many are 60 to 80 years old. The situation is dire, with many described as functionally obsolete, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ latest edition of its Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.
    Read More
  • Successful Nebraska bridge explosive demolition
    February 24, 2014
    The final phase of the Nebraska Bridge demolition has now been carried out successfully. The work went according to plan, despite low temperature conditions and a blizzard on the night before the planned blast. The poor weather did not prevent this last phase of the bridge demolition, located at Rulo in Nebraska. In spite of temperatures well below freezing, the charges placed in the final section of the bridge were detonated and the structure fell into the Missouri River.
    Read More

Highlighted Content