Adamo Group’s controlled implosion of the Pontiac Silverdome upper ring went off safely on Monday December 4th. In just a few seconds the upper steel and concrete ring surrounding the structure was on the ground. 

On November 20, 2017 the Adamo Group used 5000 pounds of explosives to bring down the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Richard Adamo, president of the Adamo Group, had the honor of pressing the button to begin the implosion at 7:30am that frigid Monday morning. People from all over the city watched from various vantage points as the dome came down in a short 12 seconds without incident. The preparations, which began for the project over a year earlier, culminated on Monday morning in the successful felling of the structure without damage to the nearby buildings.

One of the biggest challenges for the Adamo team was how to implode the dome without damaging the brand new Mercedes Benz Stadium only 83 feet away. A large temporary barrier set up between the two buildings during the implosion aided in protecting the new stadium. Additionally, Adamo attacked the upper concrete ring, which was nearly 26 feet across and 8 feet deep to insure the building fell as intended. The nearly half mile long concrete ring had buttressed the world’s largest cable-supported fabric roof on the nearly 29 story structure.

History is the chronicle of life-changing events. The strategic implosion of the long-abandoned Park Avenue Hotel on July 11, 2015 was a significant step in the ongoing growth and renewal of the City of Detroit. Just as the erection of this hotel tells part of Detroit’s storied history, its demolition will do the same.

The 13-story hotel, built in 1924, featured luxurious and innovative decor and was a great success until 1928, when it was taken over by the Salvation Army. The property continued to experience ups and downs over the next 87 years serving as a senior housing facility and eventually the Salvation Army’s Harbor Lights Center, a rehabilitation center for the homeless until it was eventually shuttered for good in 2003. 

Using precision demolition techniques, Adamo Group together with Dykon Explosive Specialists strategically placed and discharged 200 pounds of linear shape charges to implode the former Park Avenue Hotel in approximately 17 seconds. Weeks of preparation work were required to accomplish this massive task while simultaneously preserving the nearby historic Eddystone Hotel located a mere 28 feet away.