The National Demolition Association’s chief executive Mike Taylor was a guest speaker at the National Federation of Demolition Contractors 2009 Annual Convention. During the presentation, Taylor highlighted:

• That around 7,000 of the US demolition sector’s 22,000 employees are currently unemployed

• That President Obama’s stimulus package had yet to have any significant impact

• That the NDA is concerned at the training of future generations of demolition contractors

• That NDA members are looking overseas for new work opportunities

• And that the NDA is about to adopt the NFDC’s guidance notes on high reach excavators and track mounted mobile crushers (a subject we plan to address in more depth soon).

This is one of those unique occasions when we’re in danger of becoming trapped perpetually in a space/time continuum warp of self-promotion. So bear with us, as this is about to get complicated.

Back in June, we made an audio podcast on the subject of acoustic modeling in which we interviewed Campbell Associates’ founder John Campbell. As a result of that podcast, John was approached to speak at the Institute of Demolition Engineers’ Roadshow event that took place at Mercedes Benz World last week. During John’s excellent presentation, which we have captured on video here, he actually played back a part of our podcast. So, to recap, we were recording him playing back our recording of him, for future broadcast alongside that original recording!

Right, while we go for a sit down in a dark room, here’s the video. It’s a wee bit dark but it makes for an interesting 10 minutes. And don’t worry, we have edited out the bit of John talking to us preiously. If you’d like to hear that original audio, click here

Here at Demolition News, we pride ourselves on having our fingers on the pulse of the industry; of being fully informed of all that is going on in the great wide world of demolition. So quite how this one passed us by, we’re not entirely sure (although we’re going to blame the fact that Kocurek’s new website was under construction).

The Ipswich-based excavator modifier has supplied India’s first high reach, demolition spec excavator in the shape of a new Volvo EC460BLC complete with 26 metre high reach front end and the familiar Kocurek modular joint.

The machine was commissioned over Christmas 2008 and went to work on its first job carrying out a prestigious job to demolish part of Mumbai International Airport and was sub-contracted from M/s Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

Read the full story here.

Following a recent incident in which hundreds of rats fled a Vancouver demolition contract, Canadian officials are believed to be considering the extermination of the animals a condition of contract on forthcoming demolition projects.

Faced with an exploding rat population, partially the result of a strike by refuse disposal and collection workers, the officials are believed to be reviewing their policy on pest control.

Read the full story here.

It is ironic that, on this side of the Atlantic, many contractors are now required to build alternative accommodation for bats, voles, and a whole variety of bird species!

Terry Quarmby

Anyone with even the most tenuous link to the demolition business knows that demolition contractors are the undisputed world leaders in the recycling and reuse of materials, a fact that has put this industry at the very forefront of the drive for sustainability.

However, as this exclusive audio podcast reveals, this leadership comes at a cost.

What follows is the raw audio recording of a presentation by Terry Quarmby, president of the Institute of Demolition Engineers, in which he suggests that all is not rosy in the sustainability garden. In fact, Quarmby says:

• Architects and designers are undermining sustainability initiatives by an increasing use of non-recyclable, composite materials
• Demolition industry waste return figures are combined with those of the construction sector to help bolster the construction sector’s less-than-impressive statistics
• That the construction industry is unlikely to reach Government targets to reduce waste to landfill.
• The sustainability is being pursued at the cost of health and safety, forcing the demolition workforce back into more hazardous areas.
• That the growth in sustainability has been mirrored with a growth in on-site incidents and accidents

The following podcast runs for about 30 minutes but please try to find the time to listen to this either here or via iTunes.

It was a tough battle and one that those of us of a certain age (and with a proper job to worry about) stood no chance of winning. The Demolition City World Championships has drawn to a close and our clear winner is “Hicko” who achieved an all-conquering score of 1,523,385 (that compares to the Demolition News high score, after umpteen attempts, of a measly $269,034)

We don’t know who Hicko is, where he’s from, or how he managed such an incredible score (although we’re trying to find out on all three counts) but his win is certainly timely. Ever since we launched our competition, the Internet has been alive with video guides to the best score and now there’s even a hack that allows you to complete the game using less explosve charges, earning yet more money.

So congratulations Hicko; we hope you’ll wear your crown with pride.

Howard Button

Following a recent meeting of the Learning and Skills Council, training providers (including the National Demolition Training Group) were advised that cutbacks in funding means that it will “not be enough to support new starts on next year’s contract, and that, initially at least, we will only be offering providers an allocation to complete learners carried over from the 2008-09 contract year”.

Button believes that this will impact across the entire industry but will be felt most acutely within the demolition business. “The Demolition NVQ Level 2 has been a great success due to two factors: the hard work put in by the NDTG; and the grant funding that has been available to contractors in England,” Button asserts. “Almost 200 Demolition VQs have been achieved by the NDTG to date in England. This loss of funding will have a huge and negative impact at a time when we (the NFDC) are encouraging our members to maintain their commitment to training at a time of industry-wide recession.”

The reduction in grant funding comes hot on the heels of a protracted discussion over the CPCS card scheme. Although this was recently resolved when CPCS finally recognised the specific equipment training needs of the demolition sector, the delays caused will now be magnified still further by another round of negotiations over NVQ funding.

Button further believes that the cutbacks will impact upon a Level 3 vocational qualification that is currently being developed by the National Demolition Training Group. “We have spent months developing a Demolition-specific NVQ Level 3. But how many companies will be willing to shell out £2,000 per man to get this new qualification when they could just as easily stick with the current NDTG 12-week distance learning course that delivers a Supervisor’s gold card. As far as I am concerned, the NDTG’s NVQ Level 3 is now on hold, pending feedback from the Learning and Skills Council and CITB ConstructionSkills.”

The Institute of Demolition Engineers is gearing up for its next seminar at One Grea George Street in London. And vice president John Woodward has put together a tremendous and truly international programme that will include presentations from:

• Ruud Schreijer of Ruusch, creator of the world’s largest ever high reach machine.

• Rainer Cremer is from Germany who will look at chimney demolition by robotic machines.

• Dick Green is making a welcome return to talk about demolition by explosives in India.

• Stuart Marchand of Wentworth House Partnership discussing demolition from a structural engineer’s viewpoint.

• Peter Jones offers an alternative viewpoint on the disposal of composite panels

Demolition News is planning to be there on the day but we strongly suggest that you book your tickets now by visiting www.ide.org.uk

EDA President, Yves Canessa

You have now been EDA president for more than a year. What do you think you have brought to the job?
Each president brings their own personal touch when trying to respect the idea that is the EDA. The task is immense and the time goes by so quickly. I simply try to bring the EDA to life through the research of new ideas that could permanently establish the association’s position and make it more attractive and representative.

What do you believe has been your greatest achievement as EDA president?
I am half-way through my time in office, the Bureau has approved a partnership with the D&Ri magazine for the organisation of an industry awards night. We are also working towards the future with groups of researchers looking into community schemes concerning the improvement of demolition methods. Success doesn’t exist in this type of work. You must simply have an ideal and convince our members of it so that they can continue in the vein that you believe to be correct, and to show them that they are right to be members of the EDA.

Even though the delegate numbers were down, the EDA seminars in Istanbul and Nice were a great success and the association now seems stronger. To what do you attribute this?
Indeed, there are several reasons for this.
• Firstly due to ensuring the loyalty of a certain number of members who enjoy meeting up twice a year to discuss their passions and their problems.
• Also as a result of Europe becoming increasingly political we are slowly but surely becoming aware that the daily trials and tribulations that we experience in our respective countries are exactly the same as those experienced in other countries and that it would surely be a good idea to show Brussels that we exist and that we are a force to be reckoned with.
• Finally our new secretariat is far more involved than before in communicating with national associations, companies and suppliers. This is a major asset to our development.

The new secretariat seems to have given the association a greater degree of stability. What are your plans for the future of the association?
I would like it if they were in a position to have real exchanges with the secretariats of national associations and if, once a year, a meeting between all of the national secretaries could take place. This would allow the EDA to be more involved in each country and for each country to be more involved in the EDA, and would, without a doubt, enable other members to get to know our association a bit better. We have to work hard with communication. The language barrier is a major concern, but it shouldn’t be an excuse for us.

Although the German and Dutch federations are still not back on board, the EDA has enjoyed an expansion with new members/delegates from Belarus, Russia, Poland and Turkey. Are these the future of the association or are you still hopeful of attracting the Germans and Dutch back again?
Holland is part of the EDA! The Germans on the other hand were one of the founding nations of the EDA, but for their own reasons they preferred to leave our association. I couldn’t possibly comment on whether or not we hope to have Germany back in the EDA. We must continue on our own path and keep focused on the future; we must concentrate on the members that we have, appreciative them and show that the EDA is capable of satisfying their current members and attracting new members. After that, everything else will take care of itself!
With regards to the countries that you mentioned, it is evident that we should continue to promote the EDA in all areas of the European community and ensure the loyalty of the new arrivals.

During your inaugural speech, you mentioned that you wanted to encourage younger members. Stefano Panseri and William Sinclair are already making huge contributions – Are there more to come?
Stefano and William do an immense amount of work, and I thank them. We need many more but I am reassured because I see new members at each conference. All of the national associations should be convinced of the EDA’s interest. We need to meet with them one by one. Its then and then only that young people will feel motivated to work with us. Also, we shouldn’t forget the “not-so-young” either, who must “pass the torch” of their knowledge on to others.

2009 is set to be a big year for the EDA with its involvement in the Demolition Awards. Is this the year that the EDA regains its former glory?
Why regain its former glory ; did we lose it? Seriously though, the EDA has been through a transition period, times of economic crisis, organisational changes, but this is also what we go through with our companies all the time. Despite all of that our capabilities remain intact and my role as president is to find solutions to correctly apply these capabilities. The EDA should be present wherever demolition is being spoken about. This is my, our challenge.

If you could be president of the European Union for a single day, what one thing would you change for the better of the demolition industry?
I think that I would try the standardise the different national regulations so that the so-called free movement of companies through the European Union is actually possible, and at the same price for everyone and not just one-way which is so often the case.

John Woodward: demolition man, IDE vice-president and script consultant!!

However, a new play at London’s Almeida Theatre will soon set the record straight. The central character of Parlour Song by Jez Butterworth, is a demolition expert; and, for a little added authenticity, the actor playing the role has consulted with a real-life demolition expert.

John Woodward of C&D Consultancy was at the Almeida Theatre today, consulting on industry terminology and suggesting last-minute changes to the script before the curtain goes up on 19 March.

“We loved having John in rehearsals this morning,” says stage manager Maddy Grant. “He was really helpful, and a fantastic guy.”