Prof. Nick Glumac shared his expertise with the Baltimore Sun on the use of explosives to dismantle the remaining wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after its collapse on a container ship in March.
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Salvage experts are planning to use controlled demolition to remove pieces of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore from the bow of the container ship Dali. The bridge collapsed more than 40 days ago, on March 26.
MechSE's Shao Lee Soo Professor Nick Glumac shared his expertise with the Baltimore Sun on the use of explosives to free the ship from the wreckage:
On the Key Bridge, it’s likely crews will use devices known as “linear shaped charges,” angled pieces of metal with a small amount of explosive attached, said Nick Glumac, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois whose research focuses on explosives.
Each explosive is likely the size of a hand grenade, and when it detonates, each piece of metal essentially becomes a knife, capable of slicing through the piece of steel to which it’s attached, Glumac said.
“It has the same effect as plunging a knife into a stick of butter to make a cut, except it’s much, much, much faster,” Glumac said.
These types of charges are part of the “standard repertoire” for marine salvage and demolition companies, Glumac said, and they’re commonly used when an area is difficult to reach or there could be a hazard to crew members if cutting is done up-close.