British equipment giant shows off its strength in depth.

There was a time, perhaps, when JCB might not have been top of the average demolition contractors’ list of likely equipment suppliers.

Not any longer. With an impressive – and endlessly growing – product line that encapsulates its skid steers, wheel loaders, JS Series excavators and, of course, a huge range of demolition attachments, the company today is a genuine force to be reckoned with.

But don’t take our word for it. Check out this great new video that not only shows off the company’s range but which also features a number of well known company names from the UK demolition scene.

Landmark towers to fall in 2013; method as yet undecided.

Indiana State University is moving ahead with plans to demolish the Terre Haute campus’ twin Statesman Towers next year.

ISU President Dan Bradley drew applause Wednesday when he announced the plans to demolish the 15-story towers during his annual fall address.

Reports say that both buildings are expensive to maintain and operate and are neither energy-efficient nor space-efficient because of their design.

Their demolition will cost an estimated $2 million but ISU officials have not yet decided what method they’ll use to bring down the twin buildings.

Read more here.

Successful implosion took place just a few feet from neighbouring buildings.

Back at the beginning of the month, we brought you an overall video of Fabio Bruno Construcoes’ latest Brazilian blast.

Impressive though that video was, it didn’t quite convey just how close the Rheem building was to neighbouring structures, and the work that Fabio Bruno and his team had to do to ensure that these buildings were not damaged in the blast.

But Fabio has just sent us a new movie of the contract which, although it’s in Portuguese, gives a great insight into a truly challenging contract and how it was tackled by the 2011 Explosive Demolition Contractor of the Year.

Massachusetts’ contractor gets the nod on $2 million project.

Watermark Environmental of Lowell, Mass. won the $2 million, 13-month contract to take down a former U.S. Air Force antenna testing site on Massachusetts’ North Shore, the Salem News reports.

The US Air Force used the 65-acre site, which sits on a hill amid a residential neighborhood on Ipswich’s Great Neck peninsula, for testing and research on Cold War-era antenna and radar technology, leasing the property from a family group that owns the land since 1945. The Air Force deactivated and officially closed the site last summer.

Dustcontrol seizes training initiative to reduce silica-related health issues.

Dust extraction specialists Dustcontrol UK has unveiled a new training programme to help combat the serious issue of Silica within the work place.

Dustcontrol UK will help contractors reduce their exposure to dust and fight Silica by training their clients on best working practices and making sure they are using the most appropriate dust extraction tools.

Phil Haskins, Dustcontrol UK’s construction industry specialist, explains: “HSE research has shown that there are over 500 silica related deaths per a year in the UK. It’s the largest cause of occupational lung cancer after asbestos and construction and demolition workers have a 2-3 times greater risk of contracting COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease),” he says. “It’s a very serious issue. And these figures highlight the importance for contractors to capture dust at source and prevent dusts getting airborne before it’s too late. The HSE are doing a fantastic job in raising awareness of the problem, but we’re here to promote best practice and make sure workers are adopting the best approach. Common jobs like cutting or grinding concrete, chasing out mortar, drilling in enclosed spaces or sanding wood/MDF can be high risk if not properly controlled.”

Indeed, according to further HSE research, in 2010/2011 over about 2.3 million working days were lost (1.1 days per worker) due to self-reported work-related illness or workplace injury. Just over three quarters of this was due to health problems, and only one quarter to injuries.

Phil Haskins comments: “All of our products that we sell or hire out are fitted with H13 HEPA filters. Because we use these filters this guarantees that the products remove 99.97% of all particles greater than 0.3 mircometres from the air that passes through. Meaning the air exhausted from the products is the cleanest it can be. When it comes to your life, why compromise?”

FFP3 dust masks will also become a minimum standard, plus proper face fit tests will be required. Dustcontrol UK’s new training programme will also include onsite talks, which will help contractors meet the new regulations, improve site conditions and efficiency, and ensure any potential fines are avoided.

Jackson County will pay $460,000 more for Riverwalk Plaza demolition as low bidder has withdraws

Jackson County will pay more for demolition of the former Riverwalk Plaza Hotel now that the low bidder has withdrawn its bid.

Jackson County administration is recommending the Jackson County Board of Commissioners approve the second lowest bid, which is $1.15 million, compared to the low bid of $684,200.

The second-lowest bid, from Adamo Group of Detroit, is still less than the amount budgeted by the county — $1.5 million.

Work could begin in November and should be completed by the end of March, said Deputy County Administrator Adam Brown.

Administrators had recommended the low bidder, Dore & Associates of Bay City, after working with the county’s engineering consultant to m.ake sure the bids met safety specifications and to check references for the companies.

Read more here.

Dilapidated Mornington Peninsula viewing tower demolished.

It has stood watch over Australia’s Mornington Peninsula since it was built in 1934. But, following months of consultation and debate during which it was agreed that the tower was beyond salvage, the historic structure is now being demolished.

Mathew Thackray completes Great North Run; undermines spirit of Sundays.

Here at Demolition News Towers, our idea of strenuous on a Sunday is when we manage to read both the Style AND Culture sections of the Sunday Times before lunch.

So the news that our “friend” Mathew Thackray of Hunter Demolition gave up his Sunday to complete the Great North Run half marathon filled us with a mixture of grudging admiration and thinly veiled contempt.

Yes Mathew, it was a sterling effort and I am sure that the good people at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust will be delighted with the sponsorship money you raised for them. And yes, I am sure it was a great personal achievement.

But did you consider the wider implications of your actions? Did you even once think about us other men for who Sundays are set aside for noble pursuits like couch warming, football viewing, and snoring quietly in the corner?

It was a great achievement Mathew and you are to be applauded. But know this – You have let your fellow men down in a big way.

The sponsorship money’s on its way!

Crews press ahead with Jaipur implosion despite “90% successful” pre-blast test.

In a city as densely populated as Jaipur, any explosive demolition will need to be perfect5. And yet, following a pre-blast test that was described as “90% successful”, the Jaipur Development Authority may press ahead with its implosion plans as soon as next week.

The test was carried out as a precursor to its planned “controlled demolition” for illegal constructions in the Amanishah Nullah area. It will be the first time the technique has been used in the city. The blast will take down a G+8 apartment constructed by Mansarovar Hertiage Inn in the nullah area near Shyam Nagar.

According to TOI, S B Sarvatai, a member of the explosives expert team from Indore and appointed by the JDA for the controlled blasts: “The test explosion is 90% successful. Possibly, the building will be pulled down on Thursday.”

The test explosion was conducted on four pillars constructed on the ground floor of the building, where blast experts made four holes in each pillar and fitted electronic detonators. “Seeing the results after test explosion, we are planning to increase the number of holes. Around five holes will be drilled in one pillar.” The JDA enforcement team and experts started the operation to raze the illegal construction around 10 am on Wednesday.

We will watch one with interest.

Read more here.

Outline planning permission granted for London exhibition and entertainment venue.

Plans to demolish Earls Court exhibition centre were given outline planning permission by The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham last night (12 September), paving the way for thousands of new homes to replace the venue.

The proposals from Earls Court owner Capital & Counties Properties (CapCo) would see the venue demolished to build up to 7,583 new homes as part of an £8bn redevelopment of the Earls Court and West Kensington area.

It is a second blow to those campaigning to save the venue, after the council agreed to the land sale of the exhibition venue last week.

The Association of Event Organsiers (AEO) has launched a plea to save the venue with a petition that currently has over 200 signatures. The AEO argues that London is already short of event space and losing the venue would substantially contract the event industry and reduce the number of visitors to London, after the Olympics elevated the city’s status to a global audience.

Read more here.