ABSTRACT
The use of explosives for demolition of civil engineering structures such as buildings, bridges, and chimneys, constitutes an economic and sometimes complementary system of the conventional ones that are accomplished by hand or with mechanical means. The demolition of buildings by controlled blasting is a technique that was developed in Europe during the reconstruction of the cities destroyed in the 2nd World War and it was later extended to the rest of the world. In the buildings, the first work is to eliminate the door and window frames and other element which could interfere with demolition. In the design of the blasts, a first division is made between isolated structural elements and complete structures or construction. The industrial chimneys, or stacks, usually are annexed to other installations, and have circular, square or polygonal sections, constructed of brick or reinforced concrete. In the type of demolition, once the chimney has become slightly inclined, the remaining base is blasted to provoke collapse.
