Property developer announces plans to demolish former home of disgraced TV personality, Jimmy Savile.

It is not unusual for the former homes of murderers, rapists and child sex offenders to be demolished in the wake of their conviction. What is slightly more unusual, however, is a plan to demolish a fifth-storey penthouse for precisely the same reasons but without impacting upon those living below.

Those ambitious plans have been mooted by Leeds-based CXI 92 Ltd, new owner of the former home of disgraced TV star and serial sex attacker Jimmy Savile.

A spokesman for CXI 92 said: “I can tell you that we are going to demolish the property and completely rebuild it before selling it or possibly using it as a rental property.

“We are going to demolish it in the next six months to two years.”

The spokesman said the work would not affect any of the other apartments in the Lakeview Court block.

Read more here.

Caterpillar enters the smart phone fray with super-tough B15.

My unrequited love for my iPhone is pretty common knowledge. I treasure it like a child; I have been known to buy it gifts; and, frankly, I would be utterly lost without it. But I would be the first to admit that with its sleek lines, elegant trim and husky Siri voice commands, it is a bit “girly”.

So who better to butch up the smart phone arena than construction and demolition equipment giant Caterpillar? The company’s new B15 smart phone utilises the Google “Jelly Bean” operating software, whatever the hell that is. But what is more important to demolition types are its other specs.

It’s waterproof up to one metre in depth for 30 minutes, is dust-proof, can operate in temperatures from -20 to 55 degrees Celsius, and can withstand up to 6-foot drops (1.8 meters). This phone is so macho that it probably buys the first round at the bar, belches the national anthem of your choosing, and goes home with your wife.

It would be easy to dismiss the Caterpillar smart phone as little more than a marketing gimmick. But let me tell you about Caterpillar marketing gimmicks.

I once had to queue at a local Cat dealer’s parts counter for nearly two hours while droves of trendsetting teens stocked up on the then-hip-and-happening Caterpillar boots.
So don’t be too surprised to see the manly “Catphone” embraced by the fashionista.

Read more here.

Work underway as conservationist bid to save cinema fails.

Demolition crews have moved in to pull down the historic Odeon cinema after a bid to save the listed building failed.

Workers from Dem-Masters are now on site emptying out the B-listed venue that is to be converted into a 10-storey office and retail block.

Campaigners launched a bid to rescue the space, which drew interest from music show producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh.

Steven Raeside, of the Scottish Preservation Society, had battled to try and save the building, which he believes to be the last large cinema and music hall of its type in the UK.

Mr Raeside said: “It is a real shame to see this building go, not only because of its architectural significance but because so little was done to try to save it.

“Losing this building should be the final stopper. It should be the point where Glasgow begins to realise what it has lost and not risk any more of our buildings.”

The former Odeon cinema and Paramount music venue, which originally opened in 1934, played host to some of the biggest stars of the day from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones and Cliff Richard.

Read more here.

BGE gas holder implosion goes to plan under watchful eye of CDI.

As the clock ticked down Sunday, the morning clouds disappeared, as if they were in on the months-long planning that went into the destruction of Baltimore Gas and Electric Co.’s final natural-gas holding silo.

Then, as if someone were turning on Christmas lights, the rings of the cylinder blinked with 420 explosive charges.

It took a moment for the noise — like thunder after lightning pierces the sky – for the rat-ta-tat-tat to reach the observers on the roof of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute across the Jones Falls Expressway.And in less than the 7 seconds predicted, the 258-foot-tall hollow steel structure was reduced to a pile of rubble, about 25 feet high.

Precisely at 7:30 a.m., there were puffs of smoke and dust as the copper pins in the explosive charges cut the steel more cleanly — and incredibly faster — than a blowtorch.

“Everything went very well,” said James Santoro of Controlled Demolition Inc. “It happened just the way we planned it.”

Read more here, or view the videos below:

Crews demolish Ohio’s Mingo Junction bridge.

The Ohio Valley has one less bridge. Mingo Junction Steelworks, the new owner of the mill in the village, brought down the Ore Bridge and Trolley.

The demolition happened around 6 p.m. Crews used metal thermite charges that burned through the steel.

The demolition company, Frontier Industrial Corp. and the company AED were busy Thursday getting things ready on the bridge. While they were working there, local emergency crews were getting things ready on the ground, lining and clearing the streets.

Read more here, or view the video below:

Buffalo conservationists take out restraining order and seek permanent injunction.

The Campaign for Buffalo – History, Architecture & Culture, Inc. has filed an Article 78 Proceeding in New York State Supreme Court, which placed a temporary restraining order on the demolition of the historic Bethlehem Steel Administration Building in Lackawanna.

The petition maintains that the City of Lackawanna issued a demolition permit to the owner, GATEWAY TRADE CENTER, INC., on December 17, 2012, without performing environmental review as required by the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. The suit contends that the demolition permit is therefore a nullity in that it was issued illegally.

The Campaign is seeking a permanent injunction on the demolition of the building until full compliance with SEQR is demonstrated. A hearing is scheduled before Hon. James H. Dillon for Wednesday, February 27th at 9:30 a.m

Read more here.

Workers hired to demolish old Hershey plant claim they are being exposed to asbestos

Workers demolishing the Old Hershey Chocolate Plant say they’re facing health and safety hazards. They claim the company they work for ASI of Maryland, fails to meet federal requirements for asbestos removal.

In November, Derry Township officials approved a request to demolish portions of the Hershey Company’s old Chocolate Factory. But now workers hired to remove portions of the building are claiming they are needlessly exposed to the cancer causing substance asbestos.

Ernest Ojito spent a year in college working undercover and studying working conditions for asbestos workers and the dangers facing the public. He now works for the Labor International Union of North America on behalf of workers at the Hershey demolition.

Ojito says the company isn’t following procedure. “He says the first issue on the job site with the safety is that they are not wetting down the Asbestos. Asbestos needs to be wet down before you remove it.”

He calls this an industry-wide problem, contaminating workers and mis-classifying workers leading to lower wages.

Read more here or view the video below:

New appointment puts parts sales at the forefront of company’s operations.

ECY Haulmark has appointed Nicola Kirkby to head up the parts sales operations across the company’s entire business.

Kirkby (pictured leftwith Furukawa Rock Drill managing director Mark Okamoto and ECY Haulmark’s Rick Yarwood) brings with her a considerable amount of parts and industry experience having previously worked with Blue Group, and has ambitions for the future.

“I work on the basis that a salesman sells the first machine but it’s the aftersales support that sells the second, third and fourth machine. Customers today have very high demands. They want parts quickly and efficiently and they also want them to be priced competitively,” Kirkby says. “ECY Haulmark already has a reputation for offering some top quality brands. I want our parts business to be of a similar quality.”

Richard Yarwood says he is delighted to have secured Kirkby’s experience and believes she will be a valuable addition to his team. “Parts are already our biggest seller, outstripping brands like FRD, VTN, OilQuick and Rubblemaster,” he concludes. “But with Nicola’s experience and ability to concentrate on this vital part of our business, I have high hopes for the future.”

Large section of GM Pontiac assembly plant falls to excavator might.

Our second favourite demolition video maker (Django is our favourite because they do ours!) Stephen SetteDucati has been at it again.

This time, he has brought his skill and creativity to bear on a video that captures the pulling down of a row of steel vent stacks at the GM Pontiac East assembly plant.

GoPro camera gets up close to the action Down Under.

Over the past few years, we have seen just about every demolition video known to mankind. We’ve had time-lapse, panning shots, tracking shots, in-cab shots and even demolition shot spookily in reverse.

But this is the first time we have seen demolition from a dipper’s eye view.

The highly creative footage comes courtesy of Neil Rosenlund, managing director of Australian demolition outfit Rosenlund Contractors PTY and was shot in Brisbane recently.