Video provides insight into pre and post-demolition process on Drexel Shaft implosion.

Memorial Coliseum – Will they, won’t they demolish?

Corpus Christi City Council took a step toward demolishing Memorial Coliseum but simultaneously will enter eight weeks of negotiations with the National Swim Center Corp. to redevelop the building into an Olympic swim center.

The compromise, approved 6-3 by the council, came after more than three hours of emotional debate in which some council members raised their voices at times and choked back tears.

The council’s action Tuesday comes three weeks after it voted Oct. 27 to end negotiations with Brass Real Estate, the latest developer proposing reuse of the deteriorating building.

“If we don’t move forward now, future councils are still going to be dealing with this,” Councilman John Marez said. “Do we want this issue resolved? Yes. This is what we believe is the best. … If we go forward (with the swim center) and it doesn’t work, I have no problem saying, ‘Let’s demolish and move forward.’”

Read more here.

Anti-demolition protesters injured in Philippines capital.

At least 11 people were injured when residents of a Muslim community in Pasay City, Manila pelted a demolition team with stones, bottles and even human waste in a desperate bid to prevent their houses from being torn down Wednesday morning.

However, Anak Mindanao party-list Rep. Mujiv Hataman said three residents, including a 7-year-old child, were killed when policemen tasked to protect the demolition team fired their guns into the air.

His claim was immediately disputed by Pasay police chief, Senior Supt. Raul Petrasanta who said his men only fired warning shots.

“There were a few people injured but no one died,” Petrasanta told reporters.

Read the full story here.

Demolition of illegal Delhi stadium highlights Indian planning shortcomings.

In recent months, we have reported on a couple of Indian demolition contracts that call into question the country’s planning and building control systems. First, we reported on the demolition of a hospital building before a demolition license had even been granted; and then we reported on the demolition of a pair of relatively new nightclubs that contravened building regulations.

And now comes news that an open air stadium in Delhi is to be demolished….because the owner never had permission to build it in the first place.

Delhi High Court has ordered the demolition of an open-air stadium, built illegally in Ajmal Khan Park. The high court ruled that there couldn’t be illegal constructions in any public park. The court also restrained the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) from building a full-fledged indoor stadium. The court said: “L-G is not an architect nor an engineer. You are answerable to the public at large. How can you use an ornamental park (Ajmal Khan park) for constructing a stadium when the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has clearly stated that no construction is permissible?”

Read the full story here.

More than a week since it was imploded, Owensboro’s Big E remains partially upright.

Demolition crews continue to take apart what is left of Owensboro’s Executive Inn after it was imploded over a week ago.

Really? You don’t say!!

More here.

Reunion Arena roof collapse caught on camera.

When you allocate three days to a specific demolition task and actually complete it in just eight hours, it is generally not a good sign. And that was certainly the case on the roof of Dallas’ famous Reunion Arena.

As the following video dramatically shows, the contractor chose to break out the reinforced concrete legs supporting the arena’s vast steel-frame roof using an excavator equipped with a hydraulic hammer. The action really starts one minute and 20 seconds into this video but most demolition professionals will spot the payoff within the first few seconds.

All we can say is that the only reunion likely to transpire from this is the one between the excavator operator and his maker.

SFfC Plant Safety Group provide quick hitch safety guidance

Following the failure of a previous guidance to stem the tide of fatalities, accidents and injuries, the Strategic Forum Plant Safety Group met earlier this week and has now issued guidance on safe use of excavator quick hitches.

The Safety Notice clarifies other issues concerning safe use of quick hitches, recognising that employers have their own safe systems of work for the use of quick hitches. It is recommended that all employers use the Safety Notice as a check list to review their own procedures.

A full Best Practice Guidance will be published in February 2010 but, in the meantime, the Forum has issued an interim guidance for operator that can be viewed here.

Our thanks to PP Construction for the heads-up on this.

Delivery of Hitachi high reach to Belgian customer marks major milestone for Kocurek.

Kocurek Excavators, the UK-based modifier and manufacturer, may not have invented the high reach demolition machine but it’s fair to say that it has done more to pioneer this revolutionary concept than any other company.

So it is fitting that the company should also be the first to pass the milestone of having produced 50 telescopic high reach units on base machines in the 65 to 120 tonne operating weight class. It is equally fitting that the machine in question – an Hitachi ZX870LCH-3 – is destined for Martens Kabelrecycling NV in Belgium, a long-time Kocurek customer.

The new unit is scheduled for delivery early in 2010 and we hope to have more details closer to that time,

Implosion of Stalin-era Polish palace would set new world implosion record.

It’s difficult to get a handle on who actually holds the record for the world’s tallest building (ie, not mast or chminey) implosion. Depending who you ask, which website you consult or the method of measurement used, that record goes to Demolition Dynamics for its implosion of the 116 metre Landmark Tower in Fort Worth or CDI for its felling of the 133 metre high JL Hudson department store.

What is clear, however, is that this record will fall in spectacular fashion if the explosive demolition of the Polish Palace of Culture and Science goes ahead as planned.

At 230 metres and 44 storey in height, the Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science was built between 1952 and 1955 as a “gift” from the Soviet Union, mirroring designs seen in Moscow and other cities. The reference to Stalin was removed in the wake of de-stalinisation, following the Soviet leader’s death in 1953.

However, there are now calls for this giant monolith to be the subject of a symbolic demolition to demonstrate a departure from its Cold War heritage and to save Polish taxpayers millions of dollars in energy and maintenance costs.

Read the full story here.

Investigators are treating as suspicious fire that halted demolition in British Columbia.

Muddy conditions, an incredibly short contract timeline, high levels of recycling required and protestors at the door. These are just some of the challenges facing the contractor working on the demolition of the Little Mountain social housing complex in Vancouver.

But the straw that broke this particular camel’s back was a fire that broke out apparently after demolition crews had left for the evening and which investigators are now treating as suspicious.

For months housing activists have been protesting the demolition of the Little Mountain complex, which is set to be redeveloped into a mix of condominiums and social housing units. Demolition at the site began last week, leaving many of the buildings stripped and empty.

Vancouver Fire Department battalion chief Jeff Dighton said it is still to early for investigators to say what started the blaze, but it was fortunate only one unoccupied building was destroyed.

“Our crews left the site at 4:45pm and by 6:30 the building was up in flames,” says a spokesman for the demolition contractor. “They are still not sure of the cause but arson is suspected.”

Further details can be found here and a video can be viewed here.