One of the largest remaining chunks of San Francisco’s Bay Bridge is coming down tomorrow, as engineers continue to dismantle the aging piece of infrastructure. But how to protect the fish and other wildlife in the area as it gets taken down? By blowing bubbles. The implosion of the large pier, named E3, has been delayed for months due to environmental concerns. After scientists were worried about the many birds which live in the old spans and piers, a November date was finally decided upon because it would be the least disruptive when it came to migration and mating. The blast will happen at slack tide so fewer creatures will be in the water. But there are a few other tech tricks in place to keep animals far away from the explosion.
Sadly, even the bubble curtain will not be able to stop the shockwave entirely, which is still expected to kill 1,775 endangered longfin smelt (an oddly specific number). But engineers claim that this is the better solution: The environmental impact from slowly dismantling the pier by hand during many months and potentially years would only drag out the process and kill more animals over time.
Credits:
http://gizmodo.com/this-bubble-curtain-will-protect-san-franciscos-marin-1742425516
The blast: http://abc7news.com/traffic/largest-remaining-pier-in-eastern-span-of-old-bay-bridge-demolished/1084741/
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