Very interesting article in Smithsonian magazine

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by Mac Cat

...so the German engineers excavate around them, then cover them with heavy blasting mats, and detonate them in place.

During the excavations for building I-81 for the Interstate system in the early 60s, I heard about a mishap with blasting mats used while they were creating cuts for the roadway through the granite that is near Alexandria Bay, N.Y. The mats weigh tons, and one of them was launched by a blast, like a sheet of paper. IIRC, it landed in the St. Lawrence River and no one was hurt... I hope they are more precise with their setups and charges while doing this in European residential areas!