Demolition
specialists at Dykon Explosive Demolition were recently put
to the test by no fewer than six clients in a 3-1/2 week period,
traveling over 9,000 miles to demolish various structures throughout
North America. Projects included an outdated warehouse complex,
a sports stadium grandstand, a series of compressor foundations,
a heavily fortified grain storage facility, a hospital, and
military barracks that formerly housed American NATO troops.
The team's
journey began in Buffalo, New York with the explosive demolition
of the Fargo Packing Complex. Working alongside general contractor
Ontario Specialty Contractors, Blaster Jim Redyke oversaw
the loading of 400 pounds of conventional dynamite into 36-inch
diameter reinforced concrete columns on four floors. The structure
collapsed gently into its own footprint, and all nearby roadways
were re-opened to traffic within the hour.
From
Buffalo the team traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where crews
from Midwest Wrecking were hard at work demolishing the historic
Milwaukee Mile Raceway. Dykon felled the facility's 660-foot
main grandstand using 108 linear RDX charges, initiating a
progressive west-to-east collapse.
The following
day Redyke traveled to Gabe, Kentucky to oversee the blasting
of 16 large compressor foundations for Gulf Coast Dismantling.
While perhaps not as visually aesthetic as Dykon's high-profile
implosion jobs, the blast successfully shattered the concrete
foundations quicker, easier, and with less expense than conventional
demolition methods, and Redyke departed the site with accolades
from another satisfied client.
Later
that weekend, the Dykon crew met with representatives from
M&D Construction Co. to fell the 270-foot tall Port of
Pascagoula Grain Head House in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Although
city officials were initially concerned that the blast could
damage an active shipping dock and seawall located just ten
feet away, Redyke's 30 years of experience with similar projects
allowed him to successfully fell the structure with no adverse
effects.
With their
work in Mississippi complete, Dykon Project Manager Ryan Redyke
headed straight to Moline, Illinois to begin preparing Moline
Public Hospital for its explosive demise. General contractor
D.W. Zinser Demolition had spent the previous ten months on
site demolishing smaller structures and removing asbestos
from the main structure. Upon drilling 350 holes and detonating
88 lbs. of strategically loaded explosives, the historic facility
was reduced to rubble in nine seconds.
Five
projects were now down with one remaining, and the team embarked
on a three-connection flight to the remote Canadian outpost
of Goose Bay, Labrador for the month's most anticipated project.
A local contractor, JJ's Trucking, had been contracted to
demolish several outdated structures on NATO's primary air-combat
training base, and the contract included razing the tallest
structure in Labrador, the "Goose Bay Hilton."
Working
under pristine blue skies during the day and gazing spellbound
towards the northern lights at night, the Dykon team thoroughly
enjoyed the task of setting and wiring three 100-column floors
with RDX explosive charges and successfully initiating the
blast in the presence of the entire Goose Bay community.
With
the completion of their NATO project, Dykon Explosive Demolition
concluded a whirlwind month and further solidified their reputation
as one of the most reputable and successful teams of specialists
in the industry.
