Large buildings of various structural types such as masonry, steel frame, or reinforced concrete may be reduced to an easily removed pile of rubble by selective destruction of supporting elements by sequenced and confined explosions. The goal is to confine the materials to specific areas, usually to avoid harm to nearby structures. The technique involves the firing of precisely placed demolition charges in specific timed intervals that use gravity to cause the center of the building to fall vertically while simultaneously pulling the sides inward, a process often erroneously described as an implosion.