The building that refuses to die…

September 2, 2009 General

The long-awaited demolition of New York’s Deutsche Bank building is delayed again.

In just over a week, the world will once again remember the world-changing events of 11 September 2001 and the global focus will once again be on New York and Manhattan.

In typical fashion, New Yorkers regrouped themselves after that terrible day. And with reconstruction works at Ground Zero now well underway, a sense of normality is returning to the site of the world’s worst ever peace time atrocity.

But eight years on, the nearby Deutsche Bank building that was damaged during the 9/11 attack and again two years ago by fire, stands as a constant reminder of that fateful day. And now it appears that New Yorkers will have to endure the presence of this “gigantic wound” (once described by Fortune Magazine as the Tombstone at Ground Zero) for even longer after deconstruction contractor Bovis Lend Lease announced that demolition would take even longer than anticipated.

Click here to read the full story.

And still the low bids flow…

September 2, 2009 General

The demolition of Philadelphia prison has become the latest to follow the US’ low bid trend.

I am becoming almost as tired writing about this as I am sure you are reading about it. But another day has brought another suicidally low winning bid for a contract to demolish the Riverfront Prison in Camden, New Jersey.

However, this one is even more worthy of reporting, partly for the sheer magnitude of the difference between local officials’ estimates and the winning bid price, but also because the winning bid came not from a fly-by-night landscaping contractor with a sideline in demolition but from one of the world’s biggest demolition companies; Brandenburg Industrial Service Co.

Philly.com reports that local client Delaware River Port Authority had set aside some $6 million for the demolition works. Brandenburg was the lowest of the 23 bids (yes 23) received at just $1.25 million. Even the highest bid, from local contractor W. Hargrove Demolition of Camden came inside the original estimate by $1.1 million.

This is just the latest example of the US demolition industry’s “race to the bottom” which has seen similarly low bid-to-estimate prices on contracts including the Executive Inn in Kentucky, the Texas Stadium in Dallas and yesterday’s wastewater treatment plant in Florida.

Sadly, I am not privvy to the inner machinations of the National Demolition Association. But surely the time has come for the NDA to take a stand and to advise its members of the perils of this seemingly suicidal course of action.

Explosion rocks Texas demolition company…

September 2, 2009 General, News

A demolition worker has been severely burned in a fire at Robles Demolition.

Several fire crews were last night working to contain a fire caused when routine welding or hot cutting works at a demolition company’s headquarters resulted in an explosion that left one worker severely burned.

Initial reports suggest that the worker set off a series of explosions that nearly destroyed the company. The man had to be airlifted to the hospital shortly after 11:00 a.m. when the explosions tore through the Robles Demolition company.

Read further details and see a video of the resulting fire here.

How long can this madness go on…

September 1, 2009 General, News

Yet another tale of suicidal bid pricing from the US; this time a wastewater plant in Palm City.

We are beginning to suspect that someone has circulated a memo to US demolition contractors that advises them to abandon all common sense and business acumen during the current recession, and merely submit bid prices that verge on lunacy.

What other explanation can there be when a contract to demolish a wastewater plant (and is it only me that’s intrigued by the fact that the spokesman is a Mr J. Christ?) in Palm City, Florida with an estimated value of $200,000 has been won with a bid of just $60,000.

It’s true that President Obama’s much-vaunted stimulus package has yet to bear fruit among the demolition fraternity.   Buch such suicidal pricing is surely the worst kind of short-termism.   And it is likely that the low prices set to win much-needed work today will be expected by clients long after the cloud of recession has lifted.

Exclusive Video – Stateside View…

September 1, 2009 General, People, Video

National Demolition Association CEO Mike Taylor provides update on US demolition industry.

The National Demolition Association’s chief executive Mike Taylor was a guest speaker at the National Federation of Demolition Contractors 2009 Annual Convention. During the presentation, Taylor highlighted:

  • That around 7,000 of the US demolition sector’s 22,000 employees are currently unemployed
  • That President Obama’s stimulus package had yet to have any significant impact
  • That the NDA is concerned at the training of future generations of demolition contractors
  • That NDA members are looking overseas for new work opportunities
  • And that the NDA is about to adopt the NFDC’s guidance notes on high reach excavators and track mounted mobile crushers (a subject we plan to address in more depth soon).

Exclusive audio podcast – The US Bidding war…

September 1, 2009 Audio, General

National Demolition Association’s Mike Taylor and Ray Passeno discuss the bidding war that is taking place in the US demolition business.

Mike Taylor (left) and Ray Passeno
Mike Taylor (left) and Ray Passeno
In the past few weeks, we have covered a number of stories relating to a largely unreported bidding war that is taking place in the US demolition community. Contracts like the Texas Stadium have shown a huge variation in price, reports suggest that traditionally local demolition companies are venturing cross country to find elusive recessionary work and, most worrying of all, there are suggestions that non-demolition companies are being considered for potentially hazardous works.

So when we bumped into NDA chief executive Mike Taylor and president Ray Passeno at the 2009 Convention of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (which took place this past weekend in Killarney, Ireland) we took the opportunity to record this exclusive audio podcast interview with them.

The way we were…

September 1, 2009 Entertainment, Equipment, General

A nice photo of an old Syd Bishop & Sons vehicle that has recently been restored.

UK demolition contractor Syd Bishop & Sons, famous for its “watch it come down” tagline, recently celebrated its 80th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, this vehicle (which had lain unused in the company’s yard for some 15 years) was restored.

Glasgow implosion goes without a hitch…

September 1, 2009 General

Exclusive video footage of simultaneous tower implosion in Glasgow.

Our good friend John Woodward at C&D Consultancy has overseen another problem-free implosion in Scotland. Working in conjunction with the Glasgow Housing Authority and Coleman & Co, Woodward and his team brought the twin tower blocks down smoothly in front of hundreds of local people all eager to see the towers’ demise.

The following video comes courtesy of C&D Consultancy:

Coleman blowdown from John Woodward on Vimeo.

Mention in despatches…

September 1, 2009 General

Demolition News is delighted at being Championed in the US.

We are delighted to report that our work here at Demolition News is gathering a growing following among demolition professionals in the US.

Ever since our “Why don’t Americans GET High Reach” story, the number of hits and comments originating Stateside has grown day on day. But we were especially delighted at this mention on the blog of Champion Environmental Services, Inc. in which Demolition News is described as a “fine and informative demolition news site”.

Without wishing to turn this into a mutual appreciation society, we’re equally impressed with the Chamion blog, particularly those posts on the importance of competence. If you’re in the demolition business, you should definitely take a look.

Big E won’t go in a puff of smoke…

September 1, 2009 General

Kentucky’s world-famous Executive Inn will be deconstructed, not imploded.

We reported last week that the impending demolition of Kentucky’s Executive Inn, affectionately known as the Big E, was the subject of year another bidding war with some 14 contractors attempting to win the prestigious contract.

The contract winner and apparent low bidder at just over $1.02 million, is Denney Excavating. What is more surprising is the fact that the Denney has eschewed the traditional hotel implosion much favoured Stateside in favour of a controlled deconstruction. In fact, only two of the 14 companies bidding for the contract even mentioned the use of explosives, and one of those only as an option.

Read the full story, together with indicative bid prices, here.