World Demolition Awards shortlist – part 5

Contract of the Year under US$1 million

Judges: Henrik Bonnesen, Cowi, Denmark; Dan Costello, Costello Dismantling, USA; Jim Graham, Winter Environmental, USA

C&D Consultancy, Apex Group (United Kingdom)

Project – Alltech Stamford

Client – John Paul Construction

Apex and C&D Consultancy were set a number of technical challenges in what seemed to be a relatively straight-forward demolition of a steel frame building for John Paul Construction.

Careful planning and using each other’s strengths proved critical in meeting the stringent timelines and the smooth execution of the demolition, while being mindful of environmental considerations and the small matter of preserving a US$2 million treasure chest of Japanese artefacts during the work.

Ceres New Zealand

Project – Deconstruction of Haywards HVDC Pole 1 Building

Client – Transpower New Zealand

Ceres New Zealand was contracted for the demolition of Pole 1 Building at Haywards HVDC station through a competitive tender process in December 2016.

The scope of work included asbestos cladding removal, dust and sediment controls, demolition of Pole 1 Building, demolition of cable tunnel, crushing concrete debris, backfilling basement, installation of switchyard aggregate and installation of monitoring wells.

Ginlee Construction (Singapore)

Project – Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital

Client – Guan Ho Construction Co

The Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital project was especially challenging as the building is a government certified conservation site. This regulation posed a challenge to the demolition works and through careful planning, good foresight and innovative machines, the team was able to meet the owner’s needs and complete the project.

The main challenge was to demolish the internal structure of the building while retaining the façade. The presence of live buildings and nursing homes in the area also required a more controlled demolition procedure. The team thus chose not to hack the whole structure, but used cutting and crushing for structures close to the facade to minimise noise and vibration transfer

Priestly Demolition (Canada)

Project – St Michael’s Hospital Redevelopment

Client – Bondfield Construction Company (owner IO)

Priestly Demolition was contracted to perform the demolition of the existing 17 storey stair tower which was land or “building” locked within the existing functioning hospital. The only access to the work was by foot or tower crane. Priestly’s demolition plan called for the use of the on site tower crane. The obvious challenge with demolishing a stair tower is that nothing is level, so Priestly designed and fabricated a self-levelling platform to work from. This platform was installed and moved down through the floors as we went, helping us make short work of the removal.

Contract of the Year, US$1 million and over

Judges: Clinton Dick, Liberty Industrial, Australia; Bill Moore, ERM, USA; William Sinclair, Safedem, United Kingdom

Ceres New Zealand

Project – 61 Molesworth Street

Client – Wellington City Council

After the Kaikoura earthquake in November 2016, Ceres mobilised demolition equipment from Christchurch to assist in the emergency demolition works in Wellington. Ceres was contracted by Wellington City Council for the demolition of multi-storey building at 61 Molesworth Street, which was in danger of imminent collapse due to the damage caused by the earthquake.

The building was in one of the elite areas of the capital and in direct line of sight from the prime minister’s office. The key challenges on the project were mobilisation, winning the contract, asbestos management, service disconnections and demobilisation.

Erith Contractors (United Kingdom)

Project – Marble Arch Place

Client – Almacantar

Erith was awarded the contract to undertake the demolition works at London’s Marble Arch Place in May 2016, inclusive of Marble Arch Tower and an Odeon Cinema at its base. The demolition paves the way for a £400 million (US$ 518 million) development, aiming to improve the western part of Oxford Street.

A number of intricate demolition techniques were undertaken successfully and impressively considering space constraints of the inner city.

The works involved a number of challenges including; demolition of post-tension beams at the cinema, underpinning of the party wall in the adjacent building and around 200 m (656 ft) of sheet piling/basement propping.

Ferma Corporation (USA)

Project – Schulyer Heim Bridge

Client – MCM Construction

Ferma Corporation was contracted by MCM Construction to remove the existing draw bridge and supporting structures to enable the completion of the new Schuyler Heim Bridge in Long Beach, California. The specific scope of work for this phase of the project included four primary bridge piers. Two of these piers are within the main active channel and extend with their concrete footings to a depth of 19 m (63 ft) below mean sea level.

Rachel Contracting (USA)

Project – Deconstruction of ADC & RCGC West Buildings

Client – Ramsey County

Deconstruction of the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center (ADC) and Ramsey County Government Center (RCGC) West Buildings in St Paul, Minnesota presented a tough task, but Rachel Contracting stepped up to the challenge. Seven buildings, sprawling 10 storeys tall across two city blocks of a busy metropolitan thoroughfare made for a challenging demolition project. This project was further complicated because the structures were literally built into the bluffs of the Mississippi River in downtown St Paul.

Collaboration

Judges: Henrik Bonnesen, Cowi, Denmark; Patrick Frye, Cardem, France; Jim Graham, Winter Environmental, USA

Brandenburg Industrial Service Company (USA)

Project – IL1846 Radisson Hotel

Brandenburg was contracted to perform the demolition and asbestos abatement of the Radisson Star Plaza Hotel and Convention Center, which stood in north-west Indiana for over 48 years. The iconic Radisson at Star Plaza hosted several famous acts over the decades from Johnny Cash to Chris Rock. The demolition of the hotel is making way for a redevelopment legacy project to honor the late billionaire Dean White’s contributions to the area and to continue to make the area a destination. The location of the project at US Route 30 and Interstate 65 made for a logistical challenge as it is one of the most travelled intersections in that part of the state. The close proximity to major roadways required detailed planning and careful performance of the proper removal and disposal of approximately 14,000 sq m (150,000 sq ft) of roofing that had asbestos containing material.

C&D Consultancy, 777 Demolition (United Kingdom)

Project – M20 Emergency Motorway Demolition

Few demolition projects could have impacted on so many people and stakeholders as taking down the M20 bridge following a Bank Holiday collision.

One of the UK’s busiest motorways would need to be closed and this would inevitably throw up a multitude of issues for commuters struggling to get away for their holidays, travelling to work or just getting from A to B. Throw in the fact that the M20 is the main route into Dover and the Channel tunnel and the issue goes from being domestic to European.

This was the scenario facing demolition contractor 777 when it received a call out of the blue from the Highways Agency. It also had to contend with a lack of information on the bridge and an imposed timeline of just 36 hours to get the job done and the road re-opened…usually this would be a six-month project.

Erith Contractors Limited, National Grid Property Holdings Limited, Advisian (WorleyParsons Group), AECOM, Mace, Newgate Communications (United Kingdom)

Project – Rochdale Gasholder No.4 Demolition and Infilling

National Grid has previously dismantled two gasholders at the Rochdale site. This project represents the final giant step for the site to bring it back into beneficial use for the local community. The integrated project team included National Grid, Advisian (WorleyParsons Group), Erith Contractors Limited, AECOM, Mace and Newgate Communications.

The last remaining gasholder at the site dominated the town’s skyline and was considered a local landmark. By collaborating for over six months before demolition, the team identified the project constraints and sensitive aspects.

To address concerns, the team implemented a programme of early engagement including direct mail-outs, community drop-in sessions, proactive press engagement and presentation at local council area forums. To ensure the local community could engage with National Grid, a community hotline and bespoke project email were established.

The World Demolition Awards are part of the World Demolition Summit, which takes place in London, UK on Thursday November 2. The event is organised by Demolition & Recycling International in co-operation with the European Demolition Association and with the support of the National Demolition Association of the USA. The headline sponsor is Volvo Construction Equipment.

For more details please visit www.demolitionsummit.com