Camelia Silos

The controlled blasting (implosion) of the Camelia wheat silos occurred in August 1995. The overall structure consisted of six attached 35 metre high concrete silos.

Prior to the structures being imploded, ventilation and wash out of the silos was required to ensure that no fires or secondary explosion could occur. Once ventilated, mechanical pre-weakening of the structure had to be undertaken to ensure a total collapse could be achieved. This involved removing a sufficient section of concrete along the front portion of the silos so that a minimal amount of explosives could be used. Without the removal of this section, the thirteen metre width would restrict momentum and prevent the group from falling sufficiently forward and would most likely stall it at a thirty degree angle.

The detonation sequence also played a large part in the planning in order to maintain a straight line of fall, keeping the structure upright until the very last moment. The lead up preparation works for the silos took one and a half weeks to complete, with the silos being brought down to ground level safely eight seconds after initiation.