Demolition crews on site in advance of next month’s implosion.

Florida Power & Light’s smokestacks on the intracoastal waterway are being dismantled to make way for a greener, more energy efficient power plant.

FPL says the old boilers and stacks, dating back to the early 1960s, will come down the middle of next month, clearing the way for construction on a new plant powered by natural gas. In the meantime, demolition crews are busy with a lot of prep work before the big blast.

Fifty demolition experts with Controlled Demolition Incorporated from Maryland are dismantling all the equipment around the 15 story boilers and the 300 foot stacks to make sure it all comes down as smoothly as possible. The stacks have been cleaned of soot and the boilers have been checked for asbestos. Everything is done with purpose, even how demolition crews break up the concrete.

Read more here or view the video below.

New Zealand authorities face backlash over its handling of the post-quake clean up operation.

Contractors waiting to start demolition work in central Christchurch say the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) contract process has pushed them to the edge of revolt.

“Everyone has almost got to the stage of saying `stick it up your a…’. They are putting things in our way all the time and don’t explain what the process is,” a prominent Christchurch contractor said.

“We are told we are not allowed to be the main contractor, and we’ve already signed up clients as the main contractor. Then we can’t do anything until they give us a contract, and they can’t give us a contract until they have a formal financial agreement between them and the property owner and insurer.”

The contractor did not want to be named for fear of reprisals for upsetting Cera.

Some property owners have also been frustrated.

However, one said Cera’s involvement, unwelcome at the time, had resulted in a saving of about a third of the original demolition price, which he had been on the verge of accepting.

Cera had decided it needed to control his demolition work and obtained its own quotes. Cera charged 8 per cent for supervising the contract, he said. Cera has commissioned Auckland contract management firm RCP to handle demolition on its behalf.

This latest clash comes on the eve of an announcement over the demolition of the Hotel Grand Chancellor which, DemolitionNews understands, will not involve an implosion, despite contractors’ expressed safety concerns over deconstruction methods.

Read more here.

Latest issue of NFDC quarterly magazine is available to read online.

The Spring 2011 edition of Demolition & Dismantling – the magazine of the UK’s National Federation of Demolition Contractors – is available to read online now.

The latest issue features extensive coverage of the Federation’s recent annual general meeting; the crowning of its new president, Gary Bishop, together with a copy of his inaugural speech; and coverage of some of the major machine introductions at the ConExpo exhibition.

Unconfirmed reports of Scottish demolition man blown from roof in high winds.

According to the Renfrewshire Blog, high winds had started to lift the roof off a derelict building, causing the local authority to place an emergency call to Burnfield Demolition to remove the roof altogether.

“…Unfortunately as one of the last sections were being removed, one worker was using a recriprocating saw to cut through plywood when a gust of wind slightly raised the bitumen layer. Within seconds a huge gust of wind followed, lifting off the full bitumen layer, workman and saw with it…”

Demolition News is currently trying to find out more, although we understand that the man (thought to be 45-year old John Docherty) was not seriously injured, but you can read further details here. The video below – shot long after the incident – gives an indication of the strength of the wind at the site:

New Zealand officials set to eschew implosion option over quake trigger fears.

A long-awaited demolition plan for Christchurch’s Hotel Grand Chancellor will be unveiled tomorrow morning; and DemolitionNews understands that explosive demolition will not be the preferred option.

Earthquake recovery minister Gerry Brownlee will unveil the plan for the 27-storey plan tomorrow morning after a statement is made on the future of Lyttelton port. It is understood that a decision on the future of Godley House in Diamond Harbour will also be announced tomorrow.

Huge speculation has surrounded the future of the Hotel Grand Chancellor, left severely damaged and on a lean since the February 22 earthquake.

Some commentators have called for the 27-storey building to be imploded, while others have urged it be deconstructed carefully to protect surrounding businesses. DemolitionNews understands that officials will choose the deconstruction option over fears that an implosion might trigger further aftershocks.

The plan will be publicly announced by Brownlee at 11.30am tomorrow. Brownlee said he would detail the long-awaited demolition plan for the quake-wrecked hotel at the Wednesday morning briefing.

The announcement will take place within the red zone, near the hotel with journalists and photographers advised to bring their own hard hats and high-visibility vests.

Last week, Frank Delli Cicchi, the general manager (New Zealand and Australia) of the Singaporean Hotel Grand Central group, which owns the Christchurch hotel, said the company had worked with the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) to agree a plan.

Tenders were lodged about five weeks ago.

Read more here.

Two new jobs added to the Demolition-Jobs website have a distinctly overseas feel.

Are you a high reach excavator operator or an experienced plant fitter/welder with international aspirations? Then do we have news for you.

Two new jobs have just been added to our sister website – demolition-jobs.co.uk – as a fast-expanding company with overseas aspirations of its own seeks to add some new blood to its company.

So please click here if you’re a high reach excavator operator, or here if you’re an experienced fitter/welder.

And don’t forget your passport!

Demolition site forms ideal backdrop for firefighters’ emergency situation preparations.

This was the dramatic scene as more than 40 firefighters and emergency experts found out what would happen if a major building collapsed.

The exercise, run in Thetford on Tuesday by three Urban Search and Rescue teams – who are the UK government’s response force to disasters like the 9/11 attacks or 7/7 bombings – took place at Lovell’s part demolished Sweyn Close site.

Duncan Barrow, watch manager of the Norfolk Urban Search and Rescue unit, said: “It is essential that our teams have the opportunity to complete training exercises in realistic circumstances and so the provision of Lovell’s site is welcome.”

Read more here.

Announcement over Grand Chancellor hotel imminent amidst demolition progress.

Further details around the demolition of Christchurch’s Hotel Grand Chancellor are expected to be unveiled this week. The 26 storey building is on a noticeable lean following February’s earthquake.

General manager Frank Delli Cicchi says he believes the contractor will be announced in the next few days. Tenders were lodged about five weeks ago.

It’s believed the demolition work will take a number of months regardless of the contractor.

The news on the Hotel Grand Chancellor comes as more than 50 property owners have been given a 10-day ultimatum to demolish their quake-hit buildings.

Yesterday, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) interim deconstruction manager Warwick Isaacs said eight letters had been sent to property owners in the past two weeks, with up to 60 more to be posted today.

The owners of quake-damaged buildings are being given 10 days to submit a demolition plan before Cera takes over, using its own contractors to level the buildings and billing the building owners for the work.

Read more here.

Philippine settlers vent anger at man charged with home demolition.

Displaced settlers of Mahiga Creek here are allegedly threatening the executive director of an office that helps carry out demolitions of structures in risky environments.

Alvin Santillana, executive director of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said he has been receiving death threats from people who were displaced by the demolition of illegally built structures along Mahiga Creek.

Santillana is named in an administrative case filed by the Mahiga settlers before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas for alleged violation of the Urban Development and Housing Act (Udha) in clearing Mahiga Creek of structures.

Santillana said some of those whose houses were torn down have threatened to stab, shoot and even kill him if he shows up in Mahiga.

Read more here.

IDE president wins to honours in DemolitionNews’ Fantasy Premier League competition.

It was a tough battle that was fought up and down the UK for an entire football season. But in a bizarre example of fantasy imitating life, IDE president and lifelong Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter John Woodward pipped our own West Ham suffering Mark Anthony to be crowned industry champion in the DemolitionNews Fantasy Premier League. (Woodward actually finished second but the winner is not a demolition man). And, as an added bonus, Woodward secured his winning spot on the same day that Wolves secured another season in the English premiership.

In return for his season-long commitment, Woodward wins a very special prize – A tour of the West Ham trophy room which, at last count, contained three shelves and some carpet. During his visit, he can use the manager’s parking space – Mr Grant no longer requires it, apparently; and word from Upton Park suggests that if he takes his boots along, he might just get a game!

Congratulations John – And how about a rematch in the 2011/12 season?