European Demolition Association cites “lack of financial transparency” from organiser.

In an unprecedented move, European Demolition Association president Yves Canessa has publicly criticised international magazine publisher KHL, the originators of the Demolition Awards, blaming the organisers’ apparent “lack of financial transparency” as a key reason for the Association’s decision to terminate its agreement.

The EDA had been keen advocates of the inaugural Demolition Awards, using its own conventions as a platform to promote last year’s event. Indeed, senior members of the EDA – including past president Jan Brandis, current vice president Giuseppe Panseri and Canessa himself – were among the judging panel.

However, it is now clear that the EDA and KHL have parted company in a not-entirely-amicable manner, as Yves Canessa’s strongly-worded statement (below) demonstrates:

In 2008 the EDA President signed a one year agreement with KHL to co-operate on the Demolition Awards, which could take place in connection to the annual EDA Autumn Conference.

However, as we recognized that the collaboration with the D&Ri and KHL could open doors to new members for the EDA the board has written a number of letters and has held 2 intensive meetings with KHL in an attempt to find ways of how to work together also in the coming years. Unfortunately, none of the proposed scenarios for collaboration by EDA were accepted by the KHL. The EDA has withdrawn from the jury of the Demolition Awards and is no longer partner with KHL.

The 2010 Demolition Awards and Summit are scheduled to take place on 5 November 2010, once again at the Hotel Okura in Amsterdam.

The Texas Stadium implosion is less than 48 hours away. And you can watch it live.

At 7am local time (1pm GMT), the famous Texas Stadium is scheduled to be imploded; and, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, you can watch it live wherever you are in the world.

If you click here, you can see a live feed from the stadium which, at the time of writing, shows a relatively quiet site on a fine, sunny day. The calm before Sunday’s storm, perhaps.

We will, of course, be scouring the web to bring you the very best recordings of what promises to be one of the highest profile implosions in the demolition world in 2010. But if you want to see it live, don’t forget to be in front of a computer screen at 7am local time (1pm GMT).

Ohio-based company wins $51 million demolition and remediation contract.

LATA-Sharp Remediation Services of Westerville, Ohio, has won a $51 million task order to demolish the K-33 building – which once housed a uranium-enrichment operation – at Oak Ridge. The work is being funded with money from the Recovery Act. LATA-Sharp earlier won a $10 million Recovery Act contract to cap old waste burial sites at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

DOE spokesman John Shewairy today confirmed the award, which was done through the ID/IQ (indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity) national contracting program. The work will be done under a fixed-price task order, he said.

“(Demolition of K-33) addresses one of the department’s major efforts — that’s footprint reduction,” Shewairy said today. “And certainly by the time we’re done it will free up a sizable piece of property. So it’s definitely in keeping with one of the program’s priorities.”

Read the full story here.

Bridge imploded at the end of December set for another round of explosions.

It is more than three months since the main deck of the Crown Point bridge were dropped into the then icy waters of Lake Champlain, and the demolition work is still not complete. Indeed, local news reports suggest that explosives engineers might be required to blast the remaining columns as early as today.

The superstructure of the bridge was destroyed with controlled explosions in late December, several months after it was closed when engineers deemed it unsafe because erosion in the piers.

Losing the link between Crown Point, N.Y., and Addison, Vt., has disrupted life and commerce in the area. Construction on a new span is scheduled to begin later in the spring.

Read the full story here.

Houston-based Cherry Group appoints new business development specialist.

In his new role, Samuels will work to expand Cherry’s existing business and develop other business on local, state and national levels. He has 19 years of construction management and business and community development experience and most recently served as Executive Director of the Houston chapter of the National Association of Minority Contractors.

Samuels earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degrees in community development planning and public administration, all from Iowa State University.

Famous arches that mark entrance to luxury Spanish holiday resort may face demolition.

Press reports from Spain suggest that the famous road arches that markt he entrance to one of the country’s most exclusive holiday resorts may soon face demolition.

The structural safety levels of the iconic Marbella arches have been under intense governmental inspection recently, to ascertain whether they can remain standing. The entrance arches are located at the east and west points of entrance and exit in Marbella and have stood for some 18 years.

Now, during the roadworks at San Pedro Alcántara (western) archway and after the extraordinary rains of this past winter, the governmental department in charge of the report as to its safety want the arch demolished for safety reasons.

Tests are now ongoing at the eastern archway to see if that structure is suffering similar problems which could result in demolition.

Should demolition be required, it will be an ironic twist for some UK demolition professionals that own holiday properties in the area and for whom Marbella has been a long-favoured destination to escape the grind, noise and dust of demolition work.

Read more here.

High reach excavator tips and falls into neighboring house.

A graphic video shot from the air in Sharpsburg, Pittsburgh shows the aftermath of a high reach excavator collapse that only narrowly avoided ijuring a family in a neighboring building.

Crews of a sheet metal company were tearing down a building to make room for a new building and parking lot when the Caterpillar machine somehow tipped over, authorities said.

The Winegarden family was inside the house as crews were demolishing the building next door. The excavator tipped over and crashed into the second story of the family’s home.

“At first, a couple of bricks came down and hit the house. I told my daughter we should leave the house just to be safe. We came outside and as soon as we came outside, that’s when the crane came into the side of the house and smashed the side of the house,” said James Winegarden.

Read the full story and view the video here.

Demolition worker killed during post-quake Haiti cleanup.

Demolition work across the city of Jacmel in Haiti has been halted indefinitely after one young man was killed and another injured when a house partially collapsed on the pair during a group clearing effort.

The incident highlights the precarious nature of site-clearing work in post-earthquake Jacmel. With half-demolished buildings littering the city, the laborious job of clearing the lots they sit on has become both a vital precursor to rebuilding and a sought-after form of income for the unemployed.

For weeks, non-government organizations across the city have been paying teams of locals about 200 Gourdes per day (about $10) to take to the streets – and half-demolished building plots – with hard hats and shovels. Under the umbrella of a United Nation’s cash-for-work program, most workers who are lucky enough to win a placement (and a monogrammed t-shirt) can be employed for up to two weeks regardless of whether they have a background in construction.

Read more here or view the video below for an insight into the task facing demolition workers.

Alcoa earmarks two smelting plants for demolition.

Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. plans to raze two idled smelting facilities, according to documents filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Slated for demolition are the 60,000-tonne-per-year Badin Works smelter in Badin, N.C., and the 195,000-tonne-per-year Eastalco smelter in Frederick, Md.

According to Alcoa’s regulatory filings, the permanent shuttering of the two plants will result in an after-tax charge of $120 million in the first quarter, in addition to $10 million to $15 million in demolition-related costs.

Read more here.

The latest edition of Demolition & Dismantling magazine is available to read online.

Although traditional paper copies are still winging their way to Demolition & Dismantling readers in the UK and beyond, demolition professionals can get their quarterly fix online.

The latest edition is available to view below.