Marine Demolition

Marine Demolition

If dismantling and demolition on land necessitates skill, a marine environment simply complicates things more. Our clients call on us for their marine demolition needs since they know they can count on our experience & service to get the work done every time. Horizon Marine Construction offers marine demolition for bulkheads and piers, and our processing capabilities comprise pier dismantling, barging, cutting lifting of heavy objects, salvage, and welding.

Underwater Explosives: Not Just for the SEALs

As many recognize, the Navy SEALs are the most privileged fighting force across the globe training through unreal amounts of physical conditioning, sleep deprivation, & training. What many do not know is that the SEALs were produced as to focus in marine demolition. While the SEALs underwater demolition experience normally deals directly with sabotage & covert operations, there are sensible, business uses for underwater demolition teams & equipment.

For example, old oilrigs that have pumped their last ounces of black gold must be demolished & removed from the sea but a noteworthy portion of the foundation of such rigs are found hundreds of feet below sea level. Particularly designed with an encasement of chemicals that form a gelatinous, rigid, membrane around explosive material, underwater explosives are merely as powerful as SEALs and TNT have direct experience planting, mixing, & detonating such explosives.

Practical Applications of Marine Demolition

Most frequently, underwater demolition is utilized when there is a major amount of bedrock or concrete foundation material of structures such as oilrigs that needs to be blown away & removed. Getting to ore beneath bedrock & destroying concrete is simplified utilizing a powerful explosive but there are other substances utilized when demolishing structures underwater. 

For example, to cut through steel I-beams utilized in the construction of oilrigs, Thermite is frequently utilized which when “detonated”, heats to intense temperatures hot enough to melt metal. Sea labs are frequently constructed underwater for research purposes. When research has run its own course and the lab has grown undependable with degradation after years, these structures are demolished likewise to structures above sea level. Placement of volatile charges throughout the structure will cause it to collapse under its own weight.

Turning an Already Risky Job Riskier

Demolition work is by now a huge risk even when it’s on land: performing underwater demolition needs a skilled team that has experience not merely in demolition but as well diving. Scuba specialized individuals with thousands of hours of diving time may well not even be considered without experience in destruction. 

Professional demolition workers cannot get near underwater projects without diving years under their belt. Because the work is done underwater, the team should be acclimated to very cold water diving and they have to know precisely how to surface & take corrective action if something goes wrong with their equipment. Though risks are lofty, payoff is great: underwater demolition experts can make bank!