Top-down contracts usually involve mini excavators; but not in China.
In recent weeks, we have seen much debate about US contractors’ tardiness in adopting the ultra high reach (UHD) machines favoured by their European counterparts. But based on the following series of photos, even the most conservative US contractor remains streets ahead of the Chinese contractor that thought this was a good idea:
Violation of clean air act results in indictment for two US demolition companies.
Two demolition and salvage companies and three of their respective owners and supervisors were indicted today by a federal grand jury in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Justice Department announced.
The indictment describes a year-long scheme in which the former Standard Coosa Thatcher plant in Chattanooga was illegally demolished while still containing large amounts of asbestos.
Read the full story here.
DIY superstore in Manchester demolished to avoid empty building rates.
Vacant areas of a retail park in the town centre of Rochdale have been demolished by J Freeley Ltd. This followed the closure of two superstores on the site which closed due to the recession. The land owners were faced with having to pay large business rates bills if the buildings remained unoccupied, and so they appointed J Freeley to demolish them.
The project involved the clearance of 9,290 m2 of retail space, comprising the disused MFI and Focus DIY superstores. As part of the contract, J Freeley also demolished other buildings on the site formerly occupied by a veterinary practice and the Samaritans.
The six week demolition project began with the controlled removal of large quantities of asbestos from the building. J Freeley worked closely with Rochdale Council on health and safety aspects of the demolition: in particular ensuring the safety of pedestrians and vehicles on part of the site fronting onto Oldham Road.
There was a strong emphasis on sustainability during the project, with the various waste streams – including 3,000 tonnes of hardcore and concrete, metals, plastics and timber – all segregated and recycled.
Following the demolition, J Freeley carried out landscaping, boundary treatment and fencing, leaving the site ready for future redevelopment.
“This was a case where the two superstores fell victim to the recession and closed,” says managing director John Freeley. “The landowners were faced with a potentially massive business rates bill if the buildings remained unoccupied, and so they chose to demolish them. They plan to redevelop the site once the economy improves.”
A pair of new videos showing Allied-Gator demolition attachments in action.
Let’s face it. There’s only one thing better than watching demolition attachments rip steel and munch concrete, and that’s watching video footage of them doing so. So here’s a pair of new videos from attachment specialist Allied Gator. The first shows one of the company’s MTR 10C units mounted on a skid steer loader; while the second is a nice video of a pair of excavators working in tandem to take down a steel conveyor bridge using MTR 70S and MTR 90S attachments.
And there’s plenty more where these came from. In fact, Allied-Gator has an entire area of its website dedicated to video footage of its products in action. You can view or download them all here.
DustScan becomes latest company to join Demolition News directory.
DustScan, recognised leaders in the field of dust monitoring, prevention and consultancy, has become the latest company to join the Demolition News Business Directory.
The company provides a selection of dust monitoring equipment and analytical services for nuisance dust monitoring and monitoring for fine particulates. In addition, DustScan provides an environmental consultancy service specialising in dust issues such as providing advice on the application of monitoring techniques.
To find out more, please click here to visit the Business Directory and to link directly to the DustScan website.
John Campbell Associates offers Demolition News readers a 30% discount on CadnaA software.
In recent months, we have twice featured the CadnaA sound monitoring and predicting system on offer from the software developer John Campbell Associates; and on both occasions, the response from Demolition News readers and subscribers has been extremely positive. (You can check these here – Audio Interview and Video Presentation).
Based on this, John Campbell Associates is now offering Demolition News’ readers a 30% discount on the purchase price of the software, dropping the price from £4,667 to a recession-busting £3,267.
To qualify, simply contact John Campbell Associates and quote the Demolition News reference JCADN, and get your sound issues under control today.
Time is running out for our special offer on Business Directory listings.
The end of August will mark the end of our special offer on Demolition News Business Directory listings, when we remove the option to pay just £75 + VAT via PayPal. All listings will then be priced at £100 + VAT.
In order to secure your place in the second most visited area of the Demolition News website, please click here, hit the join directory button, and submit your entry. We will then approve your entry and send you your invoice; it couldn’t be easier.
And you will then have direct access to the thousands of demolition professionals that visit Demolition News each and every week.
A new construction industry conference will examine work at height issues.
The Association for Project Safety (APS) and the Access Industry Forum (AIF), along with Working Well Together (WWT), have joined forces to present a work at height conference – with associated exhibition and live demonstrations – at Lingfield Park Racecourse on Monday, 28 September 2009.
The event is entitled Working at height: Know it all …think again! and will address the key issues facing CDM duty holders involved in the construction sector.
An line up of recognised experts in their respective fields will address:
* an update on guidance relating to scaffolds, SG04:05 (by NASC);
* the planning and management of safety net installations (FASET);
* fall prevention when using mobile access towers (PASMA) and
* staying one step ahead with ladders (Ladder Association).
* HSE will bring delegates up-to-date with recent cases and prosecutions.
Further details can be found here.
Seven-storey fall kills skid steer loader driver in Chicago.
A 35-year-old construction worker has died after the skid steer loader he was driving fell seven storeys to the ground as demolition work was being done at a Chicago Housing Authority high-rise, officials said.
According to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Quention Curtis, the Bobcat had been lifted to the seventh floor in the 2400 block of South State Street. Once it arrived there it fell off the floor, falling to the ground.
Read the full story here.
In the midst of the recession, price undercutting has reached a new high (or low).
Price undercutting is almost as old as the demolition business. In fact, it’s fair to say that no matter how low a tender price might be, there’s always someone willing to shave off a little more to keep their men employed and their machines moving.
But in the midst of the current recession, where workloads are lower and margins are so think they’re verging upon transparent, comes news that the practice of price undercutting in the US demolition business has reached a new high (or low).
Demolition News has received a document that purports to show the bid prices from 15 US contractors, all bidding for the contract to demolish the Texas Stadium, former home of the world-famous Dallas Cowboys American Football team.
As you can see from the attached document, there is a huge disparity in the tender prices, with the highest base price running at approximately 200% higher than the lowest bid. Even allowing for the fact that the highest bid (from Brandenburg) is the highest by a considerable margin (approximately $5 million) there is still a huge disparity of around $3 million between the second highest bid and the lowest. And this on a project that looks to be worth around $9 million.
Reports from the US also suggest that price undercutting is not the only issue impacting upon their business. Apparently, there is a growing trend for contractors from the Eastern side of the US to bid for contracts as far afield as Texas, Florida and even California, something that is almost unprecedented during non-recession times.
As far as we’re aware, the contract for the demolition of the Texas Stadium is still under negotiation and the successful bidder has not yet been named. But we will keep a close eye on this one; it will be interesting to see if Weir Bros (the lowest bidder) gets the nod.
We would love to hear your comments on this story or your own experiences of undercutting in the current economic climate. Please use the Comments tab (in blue, below).
