AOL HQ Wrecking Ball (Part 1)

[@gtech66]

@55:07. It all comes crashing down

[@leeedwards9994]

proper old school great to see these old cranes still being used .......

[@jazkat463]

My favorite. Wrecking ball time. Ty❤

[@Silverado21]

This is awesome. Only thing is I wish the wrecking ball was a lot bigger.

[@brucemartini2288]

me too , like 4xs. odd the buildings ground decor- concrete spheres🤔😆

[@kingahmahn7753]

Great to see Berg demolition back in action haven’t seen them in a while in Baltimore I was wondering where they were at

[@mdg936]

End of an era right here that first faded into irrelevancy and then out with a bang.

[@Aaron-is9xo]

Good sounding engine along with a nice demo with a wrecking ball. Love it.

[@constructionwatcher5381]

Good one, John! Well shot, and it's fun to see a wrecking ball in action. That's a serious crane.

[@mariotorres6287]

Yes, I always liked wrecking ball action. The crane is a Manitowoc 3900W. Nice friction crane.

[@uwedietsch1102]

I love this Video, thank you!

[@silentepsilon888]

oh nooo, does this mean there will be no more free AOL installation CD's coming in the mail?

[@paulkandi]

Love the sound of that big old diesel engined crane...

[@michaelb8245]

Looks to be the Berg buster that took out the Landmark Mall last year! My old housemate from the '90's used to work for AOL. It was 1997 and I remember this building was new! I can't believe they're taking this building down but the '90's are quickly fading into history. I wonder what's going to be put there? Probably another datacenter.

[@johnfoltz8183]

Or “luxury” apartments

[@xzy89c]

Someone posted it was data center coming in

[@k.c.beagle7102]

Lets play ball !!! Fun to watch, thanks John.

[@bettyprice6316]

Love it, a wrecking ball is the best.

[@brucemartini2288]

buildings ground decor- concrete spheres, IRONIC

[@kjrehberg]

CC2 was a state-of-the-art office building. It even had raised floors to pinch-hit as a data center!! It's a damn shame it was demolished.

[@80evgeniy]

Good old friction crane/dragline/shovel

[@jeffreymitchell6405]

I always cringe when I see the wrecking ball used in this manner (vertical drops through multiple floors intertwined with tons of rebar) Its just asking for an entanglement. I'm no engineer, but it seems that vertical drops add needless strain and shock to all parts of the system both when trying to pull the ball up through entangled rebar and in situations where the ball glances off the intended target and the crane is forced to absorb that drop energy. Also, why was there no water based dust suppression. 1:50:46

[@gtech66]

PowerHouse Data Centers has begun demolition work on the former AOL headquarters in Sterling, Virginia. They are clearing a 43 acre site, there is nothing around it and it's not near any major highways, so dust isn't an issue.

[@mariotorres6287]

While true that punching vertically runs the risk of entanglement with rebar, it looks here that such rebar are thinner bars, and the tendons that post-tension the floor slabs are flexible. The entanglement with rebar is much greater if the crane had a truck tire that is often used between the hoist line and the ball to absorb the shock. In this case, using the chain attached the ball directly to the hoist line tends to minimize catching on rebar. This crane has plenty of line pull to extract the ball. Nevertheless, wrecking ball work is tough work for a crane, and work for the operator, especially on a friction machine like this. Drum clutches and brakes take a whipping with the constant hoisting and braking. This old Manitowoc 3900W is a tough crane, with a stout angle boom. They have been around a long time since the 1970s.

[@micoasters]

I got a question, what’s the oldest machine you have seen on a job?

[@marklanger1627]

I was about to question why a wrecking ball was being used, which seems ridiculously obsolete, until a huge section of the building came down at the 55 minute point.

[@Darkk6969]

Ya. Nowadays they use powerful crushing jaws to cut through those concrete columns faster than wrecking ball. I guess if they aren't in a hurry wrecking ball works.

[@brucemartini2288]

☎: i need a building Demoed" 👷‍♂ok how would you prefer, dynamite, excavator,...? ☎" wrecking ball please?" 👷‍♂ " sure, i'll take a whack at it!"🤣

[@randomjdy]

If only i could get back all the money i wasted on dial up Internet .. Somehow my life would feel complete !!

[@johnfoltz8183]

How old was this building?

[@leeedwards9994]

doesnt look very old possibly five or fifteen years guess its the old if you own it you get to smash it up if you wish ..... possibly being replaced by residential more profitable and useful ....

[@constructionwatcher5381]

@@leeedwards9994 Five or fifteen years old doesn't seem likely. AOL moved there in mid-1996.

[@leeedwards9994]

@@constructionwatcher5381 from what i have looked up it seems it was built early 90s so not old im 50 so 90s seems like yesturday for me lol ......

[@constructionwatcher5381]

@@leeedwards9994 I agree, I retired in the late 90's, so that's not old. Demolishing a building under 30 years old does seem odd, but there's a big drop in demand for office space.

[@leeedwards9994]

@@constructionwatcher5381 indeed the old work from home thingy i can see the merits in that both for the companys and employees .... however knowing the amount of work that goes into a building it is a shame but depending on use it is sometimes better and to start from scratch .......

[@brucemartini2288]

can i see more wrecking ball tree trimming please😁

[@smf2072]

That building could take some hits though.... definitely was built with the thought of it being around longer than it was.

[@sigglass2183]

Was that the same crane used to demolish Landmark Mall?

[@JohnZWetmore]

Yes, it was. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppuUeKuOa7Z0nJI

[@sigglass2183]

@@JohnZWetmore I noticed it has a different ball now.

[@andyhughes5885]

I think i know where you`ll be at Xmas John - here.

[@nickruark3693]

This is gonna take awhile.....

[@Whitehousebeetle]

I know a wrecking ball is awesome to see a work but I think this was not the proper equipment to do this job.

[@Thatsmybikeproductions]

this is literally me -jarret

[@brucemartini2288]

W.B vs parking lot lights please🤔😁

[@brucemartini2288]

there's got to be a good joke, with wrecking ball, and the term "to drop the ball" on something?🤔🤣

[@brucemartini2288]

🤣🤣concrete spheres as decor, infront of building, demoed by a big concrete sphere😆

[@brucemartini2288]

buildings ground decor- IRONY!!!!!! HUGE concrete spheres🤣🤣🤣 as building by wrecking ball🤔

[@tpep1693]

I like dynamite better.

[@justaperson8560]

Doesn’t know how to properly use a wrecking ball my goodness that is so frustrating I’m unemployed while people get paid to do shit like this.

[@IamP3ngu1n]

😃"You've got Mail !" 📬 Not anymore ! Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep....AOL 0.00000