Building implosion is a term in use in the controlled demolition industry.
It refers to strategically placing explosive material and timing its detonation
so that a structure collapses on itself in a matter of seconds minimizing the
physical damage to its immediate surroundings. Despite its terminology,
building implosion also applies to the controlled demolition of other structures,
such as bridges, smokestacks, towers, and tunnels.
Building implosion (which reduces to seconds a process which could take months
or years to achieve by conventional methods) typically occurs in urban areas and
often involves large landmark structures.