Builder died on demolition site from a blow to the head

Poole UK
A builder working on a demolition job died after a lump of barn wall 2ft long hit him on the head. He was working with his son, Jamie, at Dunbury Farm House in Winterborne Houghton, when the tragedy happened in November 2008. Giving evidence at the Dorchester inquest, his son said, “I was standing on the rubble facing the wall drilling right to left. Me and my dad were chatting now and then. A big lump came off, I looked to see where it landed and saw my dad laying on the floor face up on the rubble."

Despite CPR carried out by workmen from the neighbouring site, and by paramedics when they arrived 20 minutes later, Mr Ford never regained consciousness and died at the scene. Jamie told the inquest he believed all safety equipment would be on site, but neither man was wearing a hard hat.

Daily Echo

Scrapped plasterboard no longer considered waste in Scotland

[photo. edie]

Scotland UK
Rules that determine the legal definition of surplus building materials in Scotland have been tweaked so that plasterboard that ticks the right environmental boxes need no longer be considered waste.

SEPA, Scotland's environmental watchdog, now says that plasterboard that meets a certain standard, as laid out by the BSI PAS109:2008, it won't count as waste, cutting down on costs and paperwork when it comes to reprocessing it.

edie

London funds building waste reuse centre

The London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) are investing £0.5m into a social enterprise that will collect unwanted construction materials from building sites and sell them on to the public and trade. The project is to be led by BioRegional who are based in Croydon.

The centre will not be based on selling high value items instead it will focus on saving building materials that would otherwise find their way to landfill sites or, at best, be crushed and re-used as aggregates. The centre will also include surplus materials which have come from building sites but never used.

James Cleverly, chair of the London Waste and Recycling Board said: "Last year London created a massive 9.7million tonnes of construction and demolition waste. Around half of this was recycled but there is still much more we need to do to tackle the rest which largely ends up dumped in landfill sites. This innovative project ticks all our boxes - reusing waste, cutting emissions and bringing jobs and real social benefits to the capital."

Construction companies wanting to donate their waste a worthy cause can contact the centre at jonathan.essex@bioregional.com

edie

Deconstruction vs Demolition

My Green Home Project explains that deconstruction is the way to go and shows you how to take your house apart gently. You may say that deconstruction is 'green demolition' but the actual definition stated by My Green House Project is 'a process by which a house is taken apart - either wholly or partially - with the intention of salvaging all or part of the building materials.'

According to 3R Demolition, deconstruction specialists, 'The evolution of both recycling and the environment regulations have created a new vogue word, "deconstruction". Deconstruction has revolutionized the demolition industry. This new trend is making conventional demolition a thing of the past - it's no longer just a traditional material removal and disposal industry. Rather, it has progressed to a highly sophisticated, environmentally friendly deconstruction, recycle and salvage opportunity.'

My Green Home Project continues to discuss why we should deconstruct, the tools and techniques to use for deconstruction, giving actual examples of projects.

Don't Demolish - Deconstruct!

My Green Home Project

Landmark Liverpool church is flattened

Liverpool UK
The St John and St James Edwardian church in Liverpool was demolished at the end of April. Allegedly a victim of a deal struck between the Diocese of Liverpool and a property developer. Prior to demolition the the furnishings and fittings of the church were stripped out and sold at auction. The site is to be developed in to 16 dwellings. The leader of the local council said that the recent clearance of Liverpool's landmarks for the Pathfinder scheme had 'ripped the heart out of local communities'.

Save Britain's Heritage

Save Bootle's Heritage

Concept demolition robots

This conceptual Cynomy remote controlled demolition robot is not available yet but could be soon. We are looking forward to seeing the Dismantling Cyborg some day. Electric motors run its wheels, with the ability to move in opposite directions for easy maneuvering in tight spaces.



Treehunter Magazine

How not to get reclaimed bricks off a 14 storey building!

A ditty sung by the duo The Corries one of which, Robin Williamson, composed the Scots national anthem - The Flower of Scotland. This song is known as The Sick Note and was written by Irish singer songwriter Pat Cooksey in Coventry in 1969 based on an earlier music hall yarn of the 1920s.

Brighton gets European funding to start policing of SWMPs

Brighton, UK
Jonathan Essex of BioRegional said, "I think this is a first - a local authority actually planning to start inspecting SWMPs - and this would help compliance, which in turn could help a focus on reuse on both construction and demolition sites."

Brighton and Hove City Council together with SECBE will be visiting construction sites in Brighton area later this year, starting in June, to inspect Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs). It is a legal obligation for construction companies to comply with SWMP legislation.

A Site Waste Management Plan is required for all projects with a value of £300,000 and greater.

'In Brighton and Hove, Caroline Lucas MEP of the Greens won the European elections in 2009. A poll in Dec 2009 put the Greens in Brighton Pavilion on 35% of the vote, 8% ahead of the Tories with Ms Lucas running as an MP again.'

Prior to site visits SECBE and Brighton will be running a free SWMP training session on 10th May 2010 in Brighton to give companies a fair chance to prepare. This is an opportunity to understand what the legal requirements are and to learn how to build and develop a SWMP. There will be practical exercises to help delegates get to grips with how SWMPs work. There will also be potential access to other free services to help you implement SWMPs in your company.

In order to book your FREE place or for more information, please email Julian Carter on julian@secbe.org.uk or call on 0118 920 7200.

NFDC commit to 90 per cent recycling

London UK - AT a meeting in London on 25 March 2010 the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) pledged support, with the assistance of BRE (the former Building Research Establishment), to set a new target to recycle 90 per cent of UK non-hazardous demolition waste. This will be reviewed in 2011.

Speaking at the event, Howard Button, NFDC chief executive, said that the target is currently being exceeded by his members, but he expressed concern that it might be less achievable in future because of the increasing levels of composite and complex material to be found in more recently constructed buildings, unless more was incinerated rather than recycled.

The target was one of many set by the UK government in its Strategy for Sustainable Construction produced in 2008.

Above: Strategy for Sustainable Construction June 2008, signed by Shriti Vadera, Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR), Caroline Flint Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), Margaret Hodge, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Phil Woolas Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Ian Pearson Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills (DIUS), William Jordan Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Centre for Expertise in Sustainable Procurement, and Mike Davies Chair of the Strategic Forum for Construction.

In 2007 92 per cent of the 32m tonnes of demolition materials were either recycled and used on the site from which they were demolished or sent offsite. In order to meet their new target, NFDC members will need to divert an extra 6m tonnes from landfill by 2012. This should be relatively easy, but it was said at the meeting that there was anecdotal evidence some old industrial and office building owners were finding it cheaper to knock buildings down than pay the rates. This was good for the demolition industry, but not good for meeting targets for carbon emissions. More than one demolition person at the meeting said that there is no demand for reclaimed timber, which was suprising to the reclamation people present.

Mr. Button said that the NFDC will continue to work with other stakeholders to identify and implement solutions to maximise recovery. This will include training, reduction of environmental impacts, research, development and measurement. It was now mandatory for NFDC members to complete an annual return of volumes of materials handled.

During the meeting Salvo agreed to work with the NFDC to encourage more reclamation and reuse, including another Construction Skills Red Card Training Day for reclamation and salvage on CDM demolition sites, the last of which was more than two years ago.

Strategy for Sustainable Construction

Teenager seriously hurt on demolition site

Great Whyte, Cambridgeshire

Emergency services were called to a demolition site in Ramsey at 8.52am on 17 March, following reports that a teenager had sustained serious injuries. They arrived to find the teenager unconscious after an accident involving a claw on a demolition rig. The boy is thought to have sustained serious injuries to his arm but not life-threatening.

DeConstruction Training Program

USA
DeConstruct Training Sessions DeConstruct teaches construction skills while providing an alternative way to take down buildings. Adults and youths learn real world construction skills while working side by side with trade professionals. Attendees are taught an alternative way to take down buildings and will learn emerging deconstruction technology and LEED certification protocols.

The National Center for Craftsmanship

Moscow village of Rechnik set for demolition

Moscow, Russia

Despite human rights organisations and opposition politicians mounting a wave of protests, Russian officials have confirmed that they will go a-head with plans to demolish the picturesque village of Rechnik just outside central Moscow.

As the demolition began some villagers barricaded themselves inside their homes in an attempt to defy officials, but were later forced out by Police. "I feel numb, I built this house with my own hands. Now everything has been destroyed." said the owner, Nikolai. It has been reported that residents did not receive proper notification from the authorities that their homes were to be demolished.

The land on which the village stands is prime real estate worth billions of roubles (hundreds of millions of pounds). Many villagers believe they are being forced out so a new resort for the business elite can be built. The Moscow authorities insist their only plan is to build a park. Whatever happens now to Rechnik will be the subject of intense scrutiny in a country where violations of property rights are already a matter of real concern.

BBC News

Chinese artists protest over demolition

Beijing, China
It has been reported that about twenty Chinese artists including outspoken activist Ai Weiwei have protested in central Beijing over the demolition of an art zone in the east of the capital. Chinese land seizes are widely acknowledged to involve corrupt officials keen to secure real estate profits.

An investigation has been launched into nine assaults when the artists tried to prevent dozens of masked men from destroying their studios. These assaults were allegedly carried out early Monday 'by thugs hired by local authorities' to force out the artists who believe that their land contracts are still valid.

AFP

Extreme demolition in Nottingham

Above: Man on wall watches nearby ball and chain during the demolition of Nottingham Victoria station during the 1960s (See video below for more men and extreme demolition footage)

Palace Theatre demolition

Nelson, Lancashire UK
Despite of opposition by heritage groups and the Historical Theatres Trust permission has been granted by Pendle Council for the demolition of the former Palace bingo hall in Hole Street, Nelson.

Councillor Allan Buck, executive member for town centres said, "I am delighted common sense has now prevailed. I agree it is sad to see a historic theatre go, but it had long since lost any use as a theatre. In the short term the site will probably be used for much needed long-term car parking, but in the longer run we expect this site will contribute to an important regeneration of that part of the town centre."

Pendle Today

Burnley Pub demolition

photo. Lancashire Telegraph

Burnley, Lancashire UK
THE demolition of a landmark pub at a gateway to Burnley has started. Contractors have removed the majority of the roof at the Derby Hotel near the M65 roundabout at junction 10 and the work should be finished in around three weeks.

Burnley Council bought the pub for £290,000. It had previously been earmarked as the BNP’s Burnley headquarters. Plans to put a piece of public artwork in its place had been shelved due to a lack of money.

Lacashire Telegraph

Preston's iconic 1960s bus station set for demolition

Above: Photo Retro to Go

Preston, Lancashire UK
The large 1960's bus station in Preston houses more than 80 double decker buses, 1,100 cars and a vast interconnecting subway. Preston Council are set to demolish the building in 2011 to make way for shops, offices and apartments. The British Heritage is keen to save the building claiming that this type of structure is becoming increasingly rare, instead they want it to be imaginatively refurbished. However the culture secretary Ben Bradshaw does not share this idea, claiming the bus station is 'not of sufficient architectural or historic interest' to have protection.'

Retro to Go

Dorton Demolition start on Brighton's West Pier

Above: picture from Times Online

Brighton, Brighton & Hove UK
Low spring tides have allowed Dorton Demolition to start work removing the burnt-out shell of Brighton's Victorian West Pier. After surviving several mine explosions during the Second World War it was sadly destroyed in 2003 when a fire tour through the concert hall and engulfed the whole pier. Thankfully the West Pier Trust, who own the site, said that all historically important items would be salvaged. The pier will be replaced by the i360, an observation tower designed by the team behind the London Eye.

Times Online

'We're going to defend our castle to the death,' said farmer couple

Above: Robert and Linda Fidler stand in front of Honeycrock Castle [photo. Murray Sanders]

Honeycrock Castle, Salfords Surrey

Over the course of two years Robert Fidler a farmer from Surrey managed to secretly build a mock Tudor castle complete with ramparts and cannons. He reclaimed many pieces for the house including two chandeliers and a huge glass dome. "We found the dome smashed up in a reclamation yard; someone said it was from the old West Pier at Brighton so Rob went on a glass course just so he could learn how to repair it properly," said Linda Fidler.

Because Mr Fidler did not get planning permission for the structure it has been concealed behind a 40ft pile of straw and huge tarpaulins. He has recently unveiled the castle as he believes that because the building has been there for four years without any objections, it is no longer illegal.

However, this week, three years of heated legal squabbling concluded in the High Court with a judge's ruling in favour of the council. As things stand, the Fidlers must now return the plot to grassland within a year or the council will bring in the bulldozers. Although the Filders plan to take the case to the court of appeal and hope that they will have more luck there.

Mail Online

100's of buildings to be torn down to reach carbon emission standards

Following an interview with The Times and the Government's new chief construction adviser The Times online reports that many sixties and seventies buildings which fill British towns will have to be demolished as they do not meet carbon emission standards.

Paul Morrell, who took up his new post at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills at the end of November last year, said, “In the Sixties, everything was built cheaper, faster and nastier. If you are going to try to fix buildings, then really you won’t have too many problems with anything built earlier than the Fifties or after the Eighties. Although you can do some things to buildings from the Sixties and Seventies, like replacing the roofs, there are probably some places that need to come down entirely." According to the British Property Federation, property is responsible for 50 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions. Mr Morrell is in charge of reaching the governments target to cut UK carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.


Times Online