Video: Helicopter Based Rock Scaling “Sledgehammer”

Helicopter sledgehammer used to scale loose rocks from a cliff in Norway.

Helicopter sledgehammer used to scale loose rocks from a cliff in Norway.

[Updated May 26, 2011] A new, cleaner, longer version of the video has surfaced on YouTube recently.  You can see it embedded below.  It includes some footage of attempts to "water bomb" the rock loose as well. [/Updated]

Dave’s Landslide Blog was where I found this amazing video from Norway showing a 1.8 tonne (4,000 lb) "sledgehammer" suspended beneath a helicopter being used to scale loose rocks off of a huge cliff above the approach to a tunnel. Don’t miss this one! I don’t know anything else about the video since my Norwegian is a little rusty. Anyone?

3 Comments

  1. Thanks Torehum, I saw that a better quality video was posted. This is fantastic, I appreciate you sharing.

  2. It beats climbing up there and rappelling down through all the trees with a porta-power.

    I wonder if they removed the rockfall barriers before turning a couple of those big ones loose. Or what they did about protecting the roadway.

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