IMAX falls to a low

UK contractor 777 Group has recently completed the demolition of the IMAX complex in Bournemouth, on the south coats of the UK. The building was completed in 1998 but drew heavy criticism from locals at the time. It has lain empty from 2001 and the local council decided to buy the site and clear it to create a new outdoor events space.

777 Group won the demolition contract and entered the building over the final six weeks of 2012 to secure the site, carry out soft strip and remove rubbish that had accumulated over the years, with 30 personnel deployed on the contract. Once this work was completed, additional support frames were installed in the basement to allow ground floor operation by plant and equipment in total safety.

A pair of Komatsu PC450 high reaches were deployed by the company to carry out the high level demolition, supported by a Hitachi ZX350LC that carried out ground level debris sorting. 777 first brought down the entrance hall into the complex and then demolished the remaining structure in four stages. All work had to be carried out within the original perimeter of the site, which was ringed by secure hoarding with manned access points. Demolition operatives were also deployed to temporarily seal adjacent footpaths during specific phases of the demolition to ensure onlookers remained at a safe distance, given the high profile of the project.

A total of 13,500 tonnes of waste was separated and removed from the site, with 3,000 tonnes and steel and 8,000 tonnes of concrete successfully recycled. 777 Group’s contracts manager, David Wilcott explained: “The site was very small and as a result there was not a great deal of room to sort or store waste material. However, by carefully planning the process of deconstruction we were able to safely demolish the building and ensure material was segregated in a timely and efficient fashion. Recycling rates exceeded 97% despite the restrictive nature of the site.”