The Guardian has reported that a former 75 year old steelworks in Redcar has been pulled down in what is believed to be one of the biggest explosive demolitions in the UK. In dramatic scenes, in which the structure disappeared in a cloud of dust and smoke with a blast that could reportedly be heard eight miles away, the 65-metre-high Basic Oxygen Steelmaking plant was blown up on 1 October morning with 1.6 tonnes of explosives.The Tees Valley Mayor Mr Ben Houchen, who pressed the detonation button in front of a crowd of spectators, said it was a bittersweet moment. He said “Each demolition of the former steelmaking structures on this site is a bittersweet moment as they have played such a huge part in shaping our communities, people and identity for decades. Ever since the SSI steelworks closure brought so much heartache to our region almost seven years ago to the day, this plant has laid dormant and unused.”The building is understood to have held about 105,000 tonnes of steel.The plant was shut down and liquidated in 2015, 98 years after the steelworks, which supplied the steel for Sydney Harbour Bridge, was built and four years after it was bought by SSI UK. Production was stopped in the same month when it was announced that there was no realistic prospect of it being bought.
The Guardian has reported that a former 75 year old steelworks in Redcar has been pulled down in what is believed to be one of the biggest explosive demolitions in the UK. In dramatic scenes, in which the structure disappeared in a cloud of dust and smoke with a blast that could reportedly be heard eight miles away, the 65-metre-high Basic Oxygen Steelmaking plant was blown up on 1 October morning with 1.6 tonnes of explosives.The Tees Valley Mayor Mr Ben Houchen, who pressed the detonation button in front of a crowd of spectators, said it was a bittersweet moment. He said “Each demolition of the former steelmaking structures on this site is a bittersweet moment as they have played such a huge part in shaping our communities, people and identity for decades. Ever since the SSI steelworks closure brought so much heartache to our region almost seven years ago to the day, this plant has laid dormant and unused.”The building is understood to have held about 105,000 tonnes of steel.The plant was shut down and liquidated in 2015, 98 years after the steelworks, which supplied the steel for Sydney Harbour Bridge, was built and four years after it was bought by SSI UK. Production was stopped in the same month when it was announced that there was no realistic prospect of it being bought.
