system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How do construction workers determine which type of charge they will use to destroy a structure?

When removing a building, how do engineers figure out how to remove a building safely? Once they decide to blow it up, how do they determine which type of charge (I hope this is the correct term) to use? When I say charge, I mean what factors determine the relay series that will detonate the bomb.
gpt
There are usually a bunch of rules and regulations to follow first.

Survey the building, remove hazardous material, preparation of plan, install safety measures.

Most implosive demolitions "fall like a tree".  The explosive is small because it only needs to weaken most of the structural beams on one side.  The building then falls over towards the weakened side.

Rarer, but more interesting, is "falling in it's footprint".  The building appears to collapse in on itself.  The explosives are planned to follow a design procedure called *progressive collapse*.  Remove keys supports and make sure there is space for the material to fall into, otherwise it will fragment outwards and create a huge dust cloud.  Any timing and arrangement is unique to the building and what's around it - for instance, chimneys, elevator shafts, stairs, walls, etc can all be supporting or floating.  The explosives are designed larger and as close to simultaneous because you don't want the building to fall to any side.

This "relay" is all controlled through the *initiation system*.  Wireless blasting systems are the latest sexy tech, however, traditionally demo crews time the charges by running different lengths of wire to the controller.  Can be electric system or non-electric with detonating cord/shock tubes.  If you play Minecraft it's really similar to redstone wiring.