This Article is From May 22, 2019

16,000 Tonnes Of Steel Gone In 16 Seconds. Video Is Viral

The 21-storied Martin Tower was opened in 1972, but had been vacant for the past 12 years

16,000 Tonnes Of Steel Gone In 16 Seconds. Video Is Viral

The demolition of Martin Tower took all of 16 seconds.

Sixteen thousand tonnes of steel were brought down in a matter of seconds on Sunday as a demolition crew imploded Martin Tower in Pennsylvania, USA. The defunct headquarter of Bethlehem Steel was a historic 21-storey building that was brought down with dynamite. The implosion, which took all of 16 seconds, was recorded by several who had gathered to watch the demolition. The building's demolition left a thick plume of dust and smoke in its wake.

According to CBS News, the implosion rocked parts of the Lehigh Valley, where residents said it was louder than they thought it would be and that "you felt it in your feet." It took around 219 kilograms of explosives to bring down the structure - the tallest in its vicinity.

BBC reports that the 21-storied Martin Tower was opened in 1972, but had been vacant for the past 12 years after America's second-largest steelmaker went out of business.

According to NBC, Martin Tower's current owners spent years trying to redevelop the 332-foot structure before deciding that it made more economic sense to knock it down. Videos of the demolition have now gone viral online.

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