Explosives Added to Arsenal of Key Bridge Demolition Tools

Explosives Added to Arsenal of Key Bridge Demolition Tools
Each with a gargantuan two-million-pound lift capacity, the Chesapeake 1000 and the HSWC500-1000 hydraulic claw are lending a big hand to Unified Command’s mission of removing what remains of the estimated 50,000 tons of Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage. Nicknamed “Chessy” and “Gus” by its crewmembers, the two mammoth pieces of salvage equipment are touted as “the largest floating barge on the eastern coast” and “the largest hydraulic grabber in the United States” respectively. Chessy

BALTIMORE, MD – The Key Bridge Response Unified Command plans to employ precision cuts using small charges to extract a significant part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge debris from atop the M/V DALI. The specific timing of the precision cuts hinges on various environmental and operational elements.

These small charges, a conventional controlled demolition method, will divide the large truss segment into smaller sections, enabling salvors to deploy existing cranes and barges to eliminate these bridge portions and, ultimately, clear the channel of the M/V DALI. “We remain focused on re-establishing the Marine Transportation System while safeguarding the public and the environment,” stated Capt. David O’Connell, Key Bridge Response Federal On-Scene Coordinator. “Using precision cuts minimizes risks to our personnel, allowing for the safe and efficient progress of channel clearance for the Port of Baltimore.”

The efforts of the Key Bridge Response Unified Command have been in coordination with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management to issue a cellular notification ahead of the controlled demolition. This measure aims to maximize awareness among communities residing near the bridge.