CDI claims world record for Leaning Tower implosion. But do the maths stack up?
The demolition industry is blessed with more than its fair share of giant egos and it seems that rarely a month goes by when someone isn’t claiming their latest contract is the biggest, tallest, widest or loudest on record.
So when we saw news reports claiming that the implosion of the South Padre Island’s “leaning Tower” this past weekend claiming that it had set a new world record for the tallest reinforced concrete structure ever imploded, we were willing to just let it slide and leave the people at Guinness to do the math. However, when we we looking ahead to the forthcoming implosion of the 1515 building in West Palm Beach, something just didn’t stack up.
Before CDI pressed the button, the Leaning Tower stood 31 storeys tall and apparently measured 378 feet (115.21 metres). Meanwhile, the soon-to-be-shot 1515 condo building in West Palm Beach stands at 30 storeys and yet measures just 312.28 feet (95.18 metres).
So the South Padre tower was one storey and a full 66 feet taller than the 1515 condo? Really? Even though it had been sinking from the time it was built?
I realise that storeys vary in height and it’s just possible that these figures are totally legitimate.
But with world records and, more importantly, giant egos at stake, are we all absolutely certain that all demolition companies are using the same units of measurement?
