Cypriot solution sought

December 11, 2019 News

RVA appointed to oversee dismantling of Cypriot power station

Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) has awarded RVA Group a consultancy services contract for Moni Power Station (MPS) dismantling and associated works. MPS is located on the south coast of the island of Cyprus, approximately 14 km east from Limassol. It started operation in the mid-1960s and was taken out of commercial operation in 2013.

The consultancy services will include the provision of independent expert support to EAC during the planning and preparations phase, confirming the demolition contractor’s scope of work and developing contract and technical specifications.

The major items for dismantling/demolishing include six 30 MW steam/heavy fuel oil-fired turbine/boiler generating units and all their ancillary equipment including all pipework; six chimneys; the fuel oil pump house; and the 66/132KV Switchyard.

An international tender procedure for the selection of a dismantling demolition contractor for a turnkey project, is envisaged to be issued in February 2020 and the contract award is expected to take place in October of the same year.

And they’re down…!

December 6, 2019 implosion, Video

Implosion fells Ironbridge cooling towers.

At 11 am this morning, a controlled blast felled the four cooling towers at the Ironbridge Power Station. We will be nringing you more news and more footage as it arrives.

Sinclair goes global…

December 3, 2019 People

“Grandfather of demolition” shows no signs of slowing.

Someone recently described David Sinclair as the “grandfather of demolition”. I am sure it was not intended to be disparaging in any way. Sinclair turns 74 fairly soon and he has spent much of his working life in the demolition sector. He is also a grandfather.

But the term grandfather of demolition suggests that he will soon be sat in a rocking chair, a blanket strewn across his lap, reminiscing about the “good old days” in his native Scotland; Australia, where he lived for some time; and the US where he now resides.

And that could not be further from the truth. Sinclair was recently recruited by the international firm of consulting engineers, Wood Environmental & Infrastructure Solutions Inc. He will operate from his base in the USA and will be involved in the future with Wood on demolition and dismantling projects on a global basis.

He plays a major role in the development of project specific demolition and decommissioning execution plans including assisting with the preparation of the health and safety plan, means and method statements, risk assessments, scheduling and project budget costing.

In addition to his new role, Sinclair will continue to assist US-based Envirocon Inc.

A grandfather he might be. But David Sinclair shows no signs of slowing. If anything, he just got his second breath!

Demolition thrill ride…

December 3, 2019 Drone, Video

You will not see a better demolition drone video in this lifetime.

If you uffer from motion sickness, look away now. If you have just eaten breakfast, hold on tight as you might be seeing it again VERY soon.

We were sent the video below all the way from Russia and, without wishing to spoil the surprise, it is an astonishing thrill ride through, over and around a demolition site like nothing oyu have ever seen before. So strap in, brace yourself for the G-force, and hit the play button below:

Indian cooling towers felled…

December 2, 2019 General, implosion, Video

Video captures double cooling tower demolition.

Crews have carried out the controlled explosive demolition of a pair of cooling towers at the Gandhinagar power station in the Indian province of Gujarat.

Ironbridge implosion imminent…

November 30, 2019 implosion, Video

Less than a week till the colling towers come down.

Work is progressing one the demolition of the Ironbridge Power Station. But on Friday this week, the project will hit a major landmark as the former power station’s cooling towers are blasted.

Jet powered implosion…

November 25, 2019 General, implosion, Video

Precision blast fells former bank building in South Africa.

Jet Demolition successfully imploded the fire-damaged Bank of Lisbon building in Johannesburg CBD yesterday.

Standing at 108 metres tall and within less than eight metres of its neaest neighbour, the contract qualified as one of the most technically demanding projects Jet Demolition has ever undertaken.

It took 894 kg of explosives, and approximately eight seconds to safely bring this giant down. The blast managed to place the structure within its’ own basement, on a bias due to space restrictions, with no overspill on an incredibly dense site.

Florida felling…

November 21, 2019 implosion, Video

CDI chalks up another major blast success.

Controlled Demolition, Inc. (CDI), acting as explosives subcontractor to Hardin Industrial Services, LLC. of Cypress, Florida has carried out the explosive felling of a boiler and a 99 metre tall reinforced concrete chimney in Auburndale, Florida.

Liverpool of talent…

November 21, 2019 Training

Initiative aims to help plug skills gap.

Complete Training Solutions, a health and safety specialist training organisation based in Liverpool, has been running a successful partnership with Job Centre Plus to help fill skills shortages in the demolition sector.

At the beginning of the year, Complete Training Solutions entered into a partnership with Jobcentre Plus to provide those struggling to find work with real qualifications and training, as well as an opportunity to find work afterwards, in the demolition industry. With a growing demolition need and a skills shortage, there is a need for safety training to help fill those skills shortages. Some of the qualifications that were gained through the programme include: CCDO Card, UKATA Certification and Emergency First Aid at Work.

The programme lasted 2 weeks, with a variety of courses being conducted depending on the needs of employers and the best fit for the individual. Participants were guided through safety courses necessary for work on a construction site, gaining skills such as manual handling and asbestos safety in order to meet health and safety standards.

In addition to technical skills, participants gained valuable employment skills from the programme. Knowledge about operating within the demolition sector was key, with the added bonus of timekeeping and teamwork skills. Overall, the programme aimed to create a well-rounded individual ready for entry into a demolition site position.

“It has been really rewarding for us, as a training provider, to see individuals being given the chance to up-skill themselves and then move on to meaningful, sustainable employment,” says Complete Training Solutions’ CEO Tom Powell. “We have operated in the training sector for the past 5 years and it is nice to be in a position to give something back to our local community.”

Since the beginning of the partnership in February, 58 participants have moved through the CCDO programme, with over 70% having since entered the workforce. Staff Hire UK has been instrumental with recruitment efforts throughout the duration of the program, helping to connect a number of participants with employers. According to market research giant Ibis World, the UK demolition sector has seen a 19.3% annual growth rate over the past 5 years, with an overall industry value of £1.4 billion. It’s the hope of both Jobcentre Plus and Complete Training Solutions that these numbers will reflect a steady frame of employment for participants of the programme.

Click here to find out more.

Shark Attack!

November 18, 2019 Equipment, Video

World-exclusive of new British-built demolition robot.

There is a new entrant to the highly competitive demolition robot arena. Bedfordshire-based ES Robotics has unveiled a new four-model range of remote controlled machines, each of which benefits from dual ful diesel/electric power for faster travel speeds coupled with low emission operation.

There will be a full report on the new Akula (Russian for shark, apparently) range in the next edition of the Demolition magazine.

In the meantime, please check out our world exclusive video of the new machines: