tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9196907.post-1147894530951189452006-05-17T12:23:00.000-07:002006-05-17T13:04:50.240-07:00<p> <img src="http://www.katu.com/news/images/story2006/060509graphic_422.jpg" /> </p> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:130%;" >Wish I were there to watch this!! -Tom</span><br /><br /></span>On Sunday at 7am, the ol' eyesore cooling-tower at the Trojan "noo-cue-ler" (as Dubya says) power plant along the Columbia River is being brought down.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Demolition crews are busy getting ready for the big day having nearly completed the task of mining the tower with explosives.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> More than 3,300 holes have been drilled into the concrete, holes that have been, or will be, filled with a nitroglycerin-based dynamite.</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span> <p> </p> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Doug Loizeaux with Controlled Demolition, Inc., is the man in charge of the project.</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><blockquote>"Cooling towers have been taken down all over the world," he says. "But this is the largest one that's ever been taken down and it's the only one that has a double reinforcing mat."</blockquote></span> </span> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The walls were built extra thick so they could withstand an earthquake and it will take 2,500 pounds of explosives to bring them down.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"> The dynamite is being placed in two horizontal layers, one at 100 feet up and the other at 250 feet up. They are connected by several vertical lines of explosives and when they go off, the tower will be knocked off balance by a few degrees.</span></span><br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> The tower will come almost straight down, 150 feet off center, and far away from the radioactive spent fuel rods that are still stored at the site.<br />The entire demolition is expected to take just 14 seconds.<br />Interstate 5 and Highway 30 will be shut down immediately before and after the demolition. </span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><a name="#more"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">If you want to see the demolition, the best way to do that is from your own livingroom because there will be no public viewing spot.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Most local-news stations will be airing this live Sunday starting at 6 a.m. The demolition is scheduled to take place at 7 a.m.</span> </a></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9196907-114789453095118945?l=timbertrucktom.blogspot.com'/></div>ScottBnoreply@blogger.com2