Hey Mike, I work at a cement manufacturing plant in Indiana. What could be more dirty than making thousands of tons of gray dust? Right?
We have three cement kilns, each about 300 ft. long by 11 ft. in diameter, which operate at about 2500-3000 degrees. Sometimes these kilns get large balls or feed-rings in them. Now how do you get something like that out, you may wonder? Well, you have to shoot it. Using an 8 gauge shotgun.
Our kilns are also lined with brick, which wears out and has to be replaced at times. The old brick is removed by a remote-control machine which drives into the kiln and jackhammers out the brick. Then some lucky guys get to go in and lay new brick. Fun eh?
We also have two bridge-cranes with 10-ton clamshell buckets, which operate in the material storage building. Each crane is the size of a small house, and its bucket is about the size of a car. Fun to operate, as long as you don't break any cables in the process. The bucket hangs on four 7/8 inch steel cables, which a careless operator can snap like fishing line. ( I know, I've done it )
Believe me, MAKING cement is hot and dirty. Much more so than most people would imagine. You should come hear and check it out. Would make a great show.
Of course I would have to clear it with my superiors. And your crew would have to wear hardhats and safety glasses. Govt regulations are pretty strict on that.
