RUReadyND - Career Profile

Blaster/Explosives Worker

Real-Life Activities

Wreck big buildings and get rid of the debrisTools of the trade: wrecking balls, backhoes, front-end loaders and dump trucksDeconstruction is a growing trendYou may need to pass a licensing exam

Each year, the National Association of Demolition Contractors meets to network and share ideas and concerns. According to Corrine Fulton, who manages a demolition company, some of the contractors dispose of explosive debris in rivers, while others see this as environmentally disastrous. The conferences provide a place for discussion on such topics.

Building demolition experts use their knowledge of construction, engineering and explosives to safely bring down buildings and other structures. But blowing things up is only part of the job. These experts also dispose of demolished buildings in ways that do as little harm as possible to the environment.

While there are only a few hundred such experts across North America, industry groups say increased environmental awareness and concerns about preserving old buildings will open up new opportunities over the next five years.

Corrine Fulton, who owns a demolition company, compares environmental demolition to household recycling. In a few years, she hopes, it will become the standard. "I think deconstruction demolition is where the blue box was 10 years ago. People are just starting to tweak into it. They're just starting to recognize that some of the products, like the lumber, [are] just not available anymore."

The most exciting demolition process is an implosion -- a series of blasts timed carefully so that the building collapses in on itself like a deck of cards, rather than shooting out in all directions. Demolition experts use as little explosive power as possible to get the job done. That cuts down on the amount of dust and debris flying through the air.

But few demolitions involve spectacular explosions or implosions. The most common methods of demolition today are good old-fashioned wrecking balls, backhoes, front-end loaders and dump trucks.

But ripping and tearing isn't the only way to get rid of a building. The growing trend is deconstruction, which involves carefully taking apart a building one piece at a time. Often, the wood and other materials are salvaged and sent to recycling companies. No matter how old or abandoned a building is, its parts could be used to construct something entirely new.

Fulton's specialty and passion is recycling and reusing. There is a lot, she says, that we waste by exploding buildings, or taking materials to the dump.

"Some of this timber that people have been smashing and throwing into the landfill for years -- it's just not available anymore," she says. The ultimate goal, she explains, is to not tear down buildings at all. "The ultimate of user-friendliness is to take the entire building and use it in its entirety."

A safe and successful demolition project requires a working knowledge of both construction and the law. Most communities require demolition permits, and any project involving explosives will be scrutinized by local authorities.

Many construction jobs are union backed. The average salary for construction managers in 1998 was $47,610, says the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH).

Jim Redyke has been blasting for over 25 years. He says, "Anybody in the implosion business is not union. They're all small companies, very closely held."

Since demolition is a specialized field in the construction industry, the experts will make more money than they would in basic construction. Redyke expects his employees to have engineering skills and explosives experience.

And he pays them accordingly -- he says he pays more than the OOH's salary average to his employees.

The OOH says employment of construction managers is expected to increase as fast as the average for all occupations through 2008. Job growth will follow as the level of construction activity -- and complexity of construction projects -- continues to grow.

"There's a real shortage of construction people," says Redyke.

However, he does not expect to hire many newcomers. "In the '70s and the '80s, there were two companies that did this. Now there's four or five. There [are] not very many [jobs], so that thins the work out," he says.

RegionAverage Annual EarningsAverage Hourly EarningsU.S. National$54,580$26.24RegionOutlook2016 Workforce2016 to 2026 Growth RateU.S. NationalStable6,3006.8%

Most demolition experts begin as laborers and work their way up the ladder. Corrine Fulton started by cleaning the bricks that were used to build an entire commercial area.

"I used to get paid to clean these bricks. It was brick by brick, so I cleaned bricks until my fingers were raw. Then I got smart and hired more people. I paid them half of what I got paid and oversaw what they did," she recalls.

Several of the largest demolition firms are family owned, with successive generations learning the business from their parents.

Blaster Jim Redyke agrees that a lot of people get into the field through family. But he also says that he wants "to interview the people that have an explosive background, they've got engineering skills, they've got communication skills, and they've got computer skills. I'm looking for people that are not just laborers," he says.

There are no schools that offer specific training in demolition. An educational background in engineering, mining, explosives and computer systems such as CAD would be helpful, says Redyke.

"I get this question all the time: 'How can I get started in this field?'" says Redyke. His answer? "You have to work for a company that does this because there's no schooling for it."

Those who can't learn the business through their family can still get a foothold in the field without expensive formal education. A solid background in construction methods and materials is a good first step. This can be obtained at a trade school or on the job.

Experts who handle explosives are licensed by their state government and, in many cases, have to pass licensing exams.

Here is one example of a related program:

Iowa State University
Department of Civil and Construction Engineering
Ames , IA 50011
USA
E-mail : online@iastate.edu
Internet : http://www.cce.iastate.edu/

Associations

National Demolition Association
Internet : http://www.demolitionassociation.com/

International Society of Explosives Engineers
Internet : http://www.isee.org/

RuReady.nd.gov - Education & Career Planning

RuReady.nd.gov - Education & Career Planning

Blaster/Explosives Worker

Real-Life Activities

Associations

Links