It's called daruma-otoshi apparently, and looks very weird indeed when you show it in time-lapse.

Daruma-otoshi skyscraper demolition (0 min 35 sec)

That was insane.

Hat's off to engineers. The often unsung heroes of our age. Usually we only talk about them when they make their very rare errors. But this is an example of what they do less dramatically every day.

It looks bizarre doesn't it? Excellent solution to demolition in crowded cities.

OK, I give up. How does it work? It looks as though the reddish columns sink into the ground, but beyond that I'm baffled.

I googled "daruma-otoshi", and it is some sort of children's game where you knock blocks out from a stack of blocks.

--Bill

It is a very old technique of engineering used for more than hundreds if not a couple thousands of years with some modern updates, technology etc...

Originally Posted by Bill Harris

OK, I give up. How does it work? It looks as though the reddish columns sink into the ground, but beyond that I'm baffled.

I googled "daruma-otoshi", and it is some sort of children's game where you knock blocks out from a stack of blocks.

--Bill

There's an explanation here: http://translate.google.com/translat...804/22a1-j.htm

Ah, now we know how they brought down the twin towers so straight! Amazing how fast those guys are... but the ones in the video must be new, as they are not as fast as the ones that did the towers.

It took me two tries before I got it.

They gut bottom floor, then replace each supporting column with something that can be lowered into the ground. Lower it down. Repeat.

Neato.

That is the coolest thing I've seen this week!

Ah, I see. Those "reddish columns" are hydraulic jacks and support the building while that floor is being demolished (dismantled?).

The translation was quaint. Reminds me of a 1960's Honda motorcycle owner's manual...

--Bill

Or even later. My 1979 Honda Civic discussed the 'tootle' of the horn.

Originally Posted by Indiana_Geoff

That was insane.

Hat's off to engineers. The often unsung heroes of our age. Usually we only talk about them when they make their very rare errors. But this is an example of what they do less dramatically every day.

I guess you don't know the engineers at the place where I work or any of the US car manufacturers either.

Over in the Ukraine they do it slightly differently....



http://youtube.com/watch?v=wcooBGQxK3g

Originally Posted by tukkus

I guess you don't know the engineers at the place where I work or any of the US car manufacturers either.

I have found most US cars to be well engineered in the past 20 years.