Cowell Smokestack Demolition

In the small community of Cowell in Concord, CA once stood a smokestack that towered 235 feet above the residential development. The stack was originally built in 1935 for the Cowell Portland Cement Co. that operated on the site, and was preserved as a monument after the plant was dismantled and replaced by the residential development.  The stack had deteriorated over the years and it was determined that the stack should be removed in the interest of safety.

Utilizing a 250 ton crane with a concrete pulverizer attached to the main line and a reel to support the hydraulic hoses attached to the whip line, EBI methodically “chewed” the stack down, bite by bite, with concrete rubble directed to the inside of the stack. Once the stack was gone and the site cleared of rubble, the site restoration work began. The ring of the stack was left 4’ high and a bronze plaque was placed to memorialize the stack that was once the signature of the Concord skyline.