JCB first global manufacturer to harness power of the Demolition News directory

The Demolition News Business Directory has received the ultimate UK seal of approval; it has been attracted a listing from leading UK manufacturer JCB.

The company has been a keen advocate of Demolition News since its inception, providing us with a wide variety of exclusive videos and photos. And it has now become the first global equipment manufacturer to sign up to what is fast-becoming a key information source for the demolition industry.

“When we first introduced the Business Directory service, we deliberately avoided promoting it to equipment manufacturers and dealers as there are plenty of other equipment-focused websites out there,” says Mark Anthony. “However, with the steady increase in traffic to the site, the increasing presence in the US and the high level of quality comment and feedback at Demolition News, JCB has decided that it wants to be a part of the action. And we’re delighted to welcome them aboard.”

Arsenic, benzene and vinyl chloride found amidst &D waste at 30 Ohio landfills.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency found a lot more than old concrete, bricks and lumber at 30 landfills it inspected. The EPA says arsenic, benzene and vinyl chloride – all suspected carcinogens – and lead, which can damage the brain and nervous system, were found in the water trickling through the rubble.

At each of the surveyed landfills, including two in central Ohio, officials found as many as 29 pollutants at levels that exceed drinking-water health limits, pollution standards for streams, or both.

Read the full story here.

Riverside Environmental Services becomes latest company to join our Business Directory.

In the demolition environment, there are certain things you really want to avoid: anthrax, legionella, vibration white finger, asbestos or a run-in with the Health and Safety Executive.

Thankfully, Riverside Environmental Services, the latest addition to our growing Business Directory, can help you with all of these, plus a whole lot more besides.

To find out more, just pop over to the Business Directory. Or, for the more social networking aware among you, check out Riverside’s excellent presence on Facebook for all the latest health and safety news.

We thank them for their support.

WRAP unveils new tool to provide details of C&D waste recovery levels.

Waste management contractors and MRF operators working in the construction industry can now offer their clients complete transparency on the recovery rates achieved on their behalf, thanks to an innovative measurement tool being launched by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme).

The freely available Site Specific Waste Analysis Tool (SSWAT) allows waste contractors to track each consignment of construction, demolition and excavation waste processed at their facilities, reporting exactly how – and in what quantities – the materials have been recovered. Historically, it has been rare for operators to offer customer-specific recycling information of this type, relying instead on monthly or quarterly figures based on total throughput.

Further information can be found here.

The new Demolition Digest blog post on high reach guidance is now live.

Our latest contribution to Construction Equipment’s superb blog area is now live and available to read.

Following a lively recent debate about the apparent reluctance of some US demolition contractors to adopt the use of high reach demolition excavators, we were somewhat surprised (but nonetheless proud) that the US’ National Demolition Association was about to adopt an Americanized version of the NFDC’s High Reach Guidance Notes on which we were a co-author.

To find out more, and to possibly secure yourself a copy of that original – and still unique – guidance, please visit the Demolition Digest.

We’ve just received notice that the new DemoBoys website is now LIVE!

We reported last week that the demolition business was about to get a fashion makeoever, thanks to the good people of DemoBoys and their new line of t-shirts. Well, after an extraordinary level of response both here in Europe and in the company’s native US, their website has just gone live.

Please go take a look (and keep checking back – I have it on pretty good authority that the company has some exciting new products planned for its Fall/Winter collection)

Birmingham-based Coleman & Co awarded New Street station contract.

A £2.7m contract to demolish part of a multi-storey car park as part of the redevelopment of Birmingham’s New Street station has been won, appropriately, by Birmingham-based Coleman & Co.

According to Transport Briefing, the company beat five other shortlisted firms to win the job, which involves demolition of a reinforced concrete car park and removing mechanical and electrical components along with non-structural elements such as lifts, escalators and offices.

Read the full story here.

California demolition company falls victim to $447,000 cyber crime.

The Washington Post reports that California-based Ferma Corp. was the victim of a $447,000 cyber crime in mid-July. Computer crooks stole the money by initiating a large batch of transfers from Ferma’s online bank account to 39 “money mules,” willing or unwitting accomplices who typically are ensnared via job search Web sites into bogus work-at-home schemes.

Ferma President Roy Ferrari said he learned of the fraud not from his bank but from a financial institution at which several of the mules had recently opened accounts.

Read the full story here.

Baltimore Development Corp terminates demolition contract awarded controversially.

Baltimore Development Corp BDC) has terminated a $1.5 million demolition contract that was to clear the way for a $112 million downtown redevelopment project called CityScape.

BDC President M.J. “Jay” Brodie said his agency awarded the demolition contract to Berg Corp. under a controversial policy it has decided to abandon. Instead of demolishing the properties, the city will sell the land to CityScape’s developers as is, with its buildings intact.

Read the ongoing story here.