Behind the MythBusters Cement Truck Explosion

my favourite drink, diet ginger by Bundaberg (love the sars as well) didn't know you could get in America

I loved the cement truck explosion, the lack of high speed made it even more one-off to me, but im surprised they didn't have a backup high speed camera (i assume they were more expensive back then to get two)

Honestly I have learned more from your behind the scenes experience with Jamie and mishaps with Mythbusters than most of your other content. I don’t think a lot of people realize the value of knowledge in a mistake especially when it’s someone else’s and they are explaining it so you can learn and understand; not just be entertained

It's a "Concrete truck", not a "Cement truck"!

Adam, this channel and you Sir bring a smile to my face, every time. I remember meeting you and Jamie at an event at Anne Sobrato High School in Gilroy. I've never got to thank you for the 30 Seconds of your time, and the opportunity to shake your hand. So, thank you for that opportunity. Sincerely, Shane McGuire

A neighbor, about a block away, was reloading bullets, when five pounds of power exploded, removing the roof, and pushing all the interior walls to the outside walls. It sounded like a sonic boom.

750 feet. How much is that in real units?

I’ve given up on dreams. America hates you for having them.

Jesus. I just realized my computer chair is DIRECTLY above my water heater. I, uh, need to rearrange my office.

My favorite was the chicken through the windshield of a small airplane. Explosions are fun, but as a kid with grandparents who held pilot licenses, this was more of an actual fear for me.

Loved the cement truck explosion - I can only imagine what it was like to actually be there - slow-mo multi-spectral footage would be amazing to show the blast wave and the exothermic energy release over the milliseconds.

Oh so that is where the “toke the Chevy to the BLEVE but the BLEVE was dry” lyrics comes from.

The best bit is the drink in your hand,love Bundaberg ginger beer,their rum is just excellent 🎉🎉

The sound pressure wave was AWESOME !!! Just like Hydrogen bomb wave in Chain Reaction(Keanu Reeves).

The Kurt Vonnegut recollection was gold. As an actor, in training decades ago, I learned that when on camera you direct to someone real who needs to hear what you have to say. Now I work with a team of brilliant writers. Ill pop this question to them.Thank you!!!

Ahh yes, the reverse titan.

I just recently discovered these videos, during the time that MythBusters was on television, it became a staple in our home, my sons, and I rarely ever missed an episode, and really looked forward to them. Now my sons are grown and gone with lives of their own, and to have one of our favorite personalities candidly discussing all of these episodes that are a part such wonderful memories in my mind —-of time spent with my children is very neat, and appreciated

My inner child loved the hell out of this.... You couldn't have described detonations better. :)

shoutout from Central QLD. Love seeing the Bundy Gingerbeer making its way to California!

Lol I guarantee you it exceeds the speed of sound 😂

I watched the concrete truck explosion episode first run. When it exploded and I saw the truck completely obliterated, I laughed hysterically for a couple minutes and ran out of breath! I can't explain why. It wasn't 'WOW' just laughter. Somone please tell me.

At the local sheriff’s day the local bomb squad does small controlled explosions for people to hear and it’s so cool

Mate just to let you know its a concrete truck not cement. Cement is the powder that you use to make concrete,with sand gravel and water.

That's no cement truck 😊

Any time I think of the dump truck explosion I can hear it's exact sound every time.

Came for the cement truck, but really enjoyed your comment on who you picture behind the camera.

Very little bugs me more than the ridiculous term “Mansplaining”. Everyone, man, women or child, will talk about a topic they are knowledgeable on. It is not a uniquely man thing.

a transformer explosion actually does sound like a bleve such as you are describing. I have witness such an earth shaking explosion.

I just appreciate that he used a lil Australian slang. I’m not nationalistic but it always makes me happy hearing non Aus ppl using our terms

See you still love your Bundaberg Ginger Beer mate?, that’s top notch stuff right there 😁

"mansplainer" lol.
Adam, there is no such thing, you're better than that to be using such stupid word.

Funny how he always says "partner" because it's probably more "socially acceptable." Sad.

I loved Mythbusters and remember seeing several episodes involving rockets of one sort or another including the first one - the JATO car launch. I was excited to watch them as I've been a space geek since I was a kid. Unfortunately I was always disappointed because not once did anyone do the basic task of checking if their rocket thrust went through the vehicle's center of mass. As a result, every single one of them spiraled one way or another, often with terrible consequences for Buster. The shows were fun and well made, but ended up being unsatisfying.

Water expands to 1600 times its original mass when instantly turned into steam... thats why water heaters and boilers can be so dangerous

I worked at lake melones when you guys did this. It was the most exciting thing that ever happened in Tuolumne/calaveras counties!

R.I.P. Grant and Jess.

Cement truck exploding is still my favourite ever.

Not everything expands when you heat it. Look at shrinky dinks.

I have actually drilled and shot a cement truck the proper way before..I used the equivalent amount of explosive material that all together it would fit in one hand

Adam, you are the most wonderful story teller.

I lived in Esparto when they blew up that cement truck. Locals said it was LOUD!

OOPS! My mistake. The Esparto explosion was knocking the guy (mannequin) out of his socks. It was still VERY loud, though.

I love that the production company was actually the one that was like "hey y'all gotta blow this up" and not you or Jamie. AND had already done the footwork with discovery to make it happen.

👍

You want to hear a bang? I took my oxy--acetylene torch, lit a welding flame, extinguished the flame and inflated a sandwich size zip lock bag. I zipped it shut, poured a 4 foot acetone fuse in my driveway and lit it at 3:AM. I didn't get to stand up before it went off. It literally popped like a flash bang grenade. A bright white flash and a punch like shockwave in the face that was disorienting to say the least not to mention a permanent degradation of my hearing for which I have hearing aids now.

Concrete truck

Did you forget to put the clip in the video?

Your astonishing man, keep it up. We all love diving into your brain thank you.

Thats a damn shame about the high speed camera

The sound of an explosion is highly dependent on the distance from the observer. The best example is thunder. A close lightning strike will get you the sharp crack sound but the same strike heard at a distance be perceived as the classic idea of what an explosion sounds like. With the water heater the water likely dampens the high pitched sounds leaving just the rumble.

Being close to a cloud to ground lightning strike really sucks. Feels like getting kicked in the chest by a horse along with being blindingly bright and loud enough to physically hurt and leave your ears ringing indefinitely.