Massive blast at Trident Park

UK contractor Cuddy Group used explosives during the final stage of an 18 month, £5 million (US$9.8 million) contract to demolish a former Nippon Electric Glass facility, Trident Park, in Cardiff Bay, Wales.

Cuddy blew down the site's batching plant – a structure 40 m (132 ft) high, 40 m wide and 25 m (82 ft) deep that had been used to process materials used in the manufacture of television screens.

It took Cuddy's eight man team six months to prepare for the blowdown, with the final eight weeks of the job involving strip out and preweakening. The blowdown was designed so that 18 of the structure's legs were basted at intervals of 25 milliseconds to spread the effect of the blast over half a second. This significantly reduced vibration, noise and dust levels. Cuddy intends that the 5,000 tonnes of concrete rubble and steel scrap that resulted from the job will all be recycled.

The site is being redeveloped by Welsh property developed PMG, who bought the site for £18 million (US$35 million), into a major trade park for South Wales.