Carbon County convent dismantled piece-by-piece.

Video showing the piece-by-piece demolition of Saint Ann’s Convent in Lansford.

Governor delivers long-awaited payment promise to St Bernard subcontractors.

On 28 August 2005, Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans to become the costliest and one of the five deadliest in US history. More than four years on and New Orleans’ residents are still recovering.

It is almost two years since a team of subcontractors – including several demolition companies – helped demolish the St Bernard Parish homes damaged by Katrina; and many are still to be paid.

However, according to New Orleans City Business, there’s now a light at the end of the tunnel for these contractors.

On Wednesday, Governor Bobby Jindal announced that the parish will receive three federal grants totaling $21 million for hurricane recovery efforts and hazard mitigation. The first grant is a commitment of $20.5 million in community development block grants to allow the parish to pay for demolitions that Jindal said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would not cover.

“When FEMA refused to reimburse St. Bernard Parish for these demolitions, we were determined they not be stuck paying this bill,” Jindal said. “We fought to cut through the red tape to get funding. We’re happy to announce funding that will go towards the demolition of more than 750 blighted structures that served as old wounds and reminders of the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and would have burdened the parish’s effort to attract new businesses to the parish.”

Read the full story here.

Asbestos abatement work at North Dakota apartment block signals likely demolition.

Although the next chapter in the history of the Emerson Apartments has yet to be officially written, it does appear that for most practical purposes, the writing is already on the wall.

The Ward County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to hire asbestos expert Tim Blessum of Weathermen Inc. to spearhead the asbestos abatement process necessary before the building can be razed. Also, the board voted to authorize the county highway department to take bids on the building’s demolition.

Click here for further details.

Demolition is underway at UK’s only floating hotel.

Demolition work started this week on Northwich’s iconic Floatel, the UK’s only floating hotel which stood on the banks of the River Weaver in Northwich, Cheshire.

Fences have been put up and workmen have moved in to clear the structure, which became an eyesore after closing in January when owners Real Hotel Group went into administration.

Vandals have badly damaged the building, while emergency services and environmental health officers agreed it should be removed as soon as possible.

British Waterways is funding the demolition, which will be completed in time for Christmas.

Mike Coates, of British Waterways, said: “The hotel was put into place in prefabricated segments and will be demolished in the same way.

Click here for further details.

School demolition uncovers important historic documents and artifacts.

Workers demolishing an old school building in Leicester have discovered priceless documents about its history under its original foundation stone.

Demolition of the old Taylor Road Primary School building, started three weeks ago and earlier this week workers discovered a sealed glass bottle containing newspapers, including a 1930 copy of the Leicester Mercury, council minutes and coins. The stone was laid by Alderman Richard Hallam on December 1, 1930.

Head teacher Chris Hassall said the council documents filled in a lot of the history of the building.

He said: “Our old school opened in 1932 and the minutes of the education committee show that it was originally a shoe factory owned by Messrs. Toone and Wells. The council purchased it for £10,000.”

Who gets to press the button at the Texas Stadium?

Dallas Cowboys fans – and haters – who want the honor of imploding Irving’s iconic Texas Stadium could face a lot of competition. A well-known food company has expressed interest in sponsoring next year’s implosion. The company also wants to conduct a nationwide contest to decide who gets to push the plunger that destroys the former home of America’s Team.

City leaders revealed the company’s interest Friday but declined to name the entity. But Irving officials said the company would bring a lot of attention to the event – and Irving – through a national advertising campaign centered on its proposed contest.

Read the full details here.

There are some buildings that just should NOT face demolition.

Amidst the worst recession in recent memory, I guess, any demolition workload should be greeted like the prodigal son returned from his travels to distant lands. And yet there just seems something plain wrong about the demolition of a village pub. Even setting aside the demolition industry’s long love affair with alcohol in all its glorious forms, the demolition of a pub is akin to ripping the heart out of a community.

Personally, I blame the town planners, brow-beaten do-gooders to a man: the type that will go to a pub and order tea; and who probably see the demolition of such an establishment as a way of curing the UK nation of its binge-drinking excesses.

So, for all the town planners out there, Demolition News brings you this unique and easy-to-use Good Demolition/Bad Demolition guide:

Bad Demolition
Demolition of pubs, clubs, breweries, vineyards and distilleries
Demolition of live music venues
Demolition of football (soccer) stadia (unless they belong to Arsenal, Millwall or Spurs, in which case sudden, overnight demolition without prior warning is actively encouraged)
Demolition of restaurants unless they sell Greek food, in which case, please refer to Good Demolition (below)
Demolition of anything that will make way for a new tax office, call centre or Government “think-tank” – refer to Good Demolition (below)

Good Demolition
Demolition of 70s tower blocks held together only by graffiti
Demolition of any building that has the word “Tax” in its title
Demolition of double-glazing company headquarters
Demolition of call centres
Demolition of buildings owned by companies that claim to “do a bit of demolition”

If readers would like to extend this guide with their own suggestions for what constitutes Good Demolition or Bad Demolition, please use the comments area below.

New video combines good quality demolition with an excellent dance soundtrack.

What can we tell you about this video? Well, it features Dutch contractor Van Vliet Demolition; It was shot in Cyprus almost exactly three years ago; and it features the kind of soundtrack that will rattle the fillings in your teeth. Enjoy:

Green light given to transform part of Yeovil.

In another example of a possible upturn in UK demolition workloads, Midwest Radio is reporting that Yeovil district council has granted Yarlington Homes permission to pull down over 70 old council houses in the Greenhill Road and St George’s Avenue areas. These houses will be replaced by 140 upgraded flats and houses.

The move comes despite local concern there won’t be enough parking outside the new homes and that the style of the buildings won’t fit in with the area.

Our moustache-growing campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer is underway.

November is but 5 days old and already I am starting to look like the long-lost fourth member of ZZ Top.

In case you have been away for a while or are new to the site, allow me to explain. To help raise awareness of the devastating and wholly male disease, prostate cancer, I have set aside my shaving razor for the month of November and am concentrating on growing that icon of masculinity, a moustache.

Admittedly, having seen what I look like with even the beginnings of a moustache, I am currently camouflaging it with a full beard, an odd mix of black, ginger and grey face fuzz that makes me look like I am eating a large squirrel.

But if I am going to put up with the itchiness, the sideways looks of the clean-shaven, and the looks of disdain from my wife as another piece of dinner gets lodged on my upper lip, the least you can do is to show your support, either by a donation of cash or, simply, by growing a ‘tache of your own.

Full details can be found here.