A UK demolition contractor has been hit by equipment thieves for the second time in a week. Dewsbury, West Yorkshire-based Hutchinson Demolition says that the two thefts, coupled with previous incidents, have resulted in the loss of more than £150,000 worth of equipment this year alone.

The latest theft, which took place at the company’s head office in Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, included the loss of a number of attachments including grabs, three pulverisers and a pair of Montabert hydraulic hammers for 13 and 20 tonne excavators. The company also lost a 20 yard capacity skip and a rotating grab. The thieves had unsuccessfully tried to steal a rotating attachment for the company’s high reach excavator.

The company’s Jonathan Hutchinson reports that this latest incident came less than a week after the theft of a company van and a “significant amount of tools”. Earlier in the year, the company also lost a skip wagon but this was recovered in a police “sting” operation.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of this equipment should contact Jonathan Hutchinson on Tel: (UK) 01924 491616.

An industry leader in environmentally responsible demolition and recycling has drastically reduced job site dust in a sensitive urban area by using portable, high-efficiency dust suppression equipment while removing a five-floor concrete, steel and block section of the Fresno (CA) Metropolitan Museum.

Kroeker, Inc. employed a DustBoss DB-60 to cover more than 20,000 square feet with a high-velocity mist of droplets that are atomized to the optimum size for trapping airborne particulates, effectively preventing dust from creating a nuisance or hazard for the heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the heart of downtown Fresno.

“The conventional approach to dust control is to have several laborers manning the hoses and spraying down debris,” commented John Call, Manager of Business Development and Marketing for Kroeker. “That certainly helps, but in this downtown location, we needed something more effective that would not only prevent dust on the ground from kicking up, but would also knock down the particles that did become airborne. Manual spraying just can’t do that,” he said.

The museum demolition was a delicate job, as Kroeker’s mandate was to completely remove the additions built in 1936 and 1951, preserving the original 1920s structure that was once the home of the Fresno Bee newspaper, which will contain the newly renovated museum. To better control the
dust generated by the project, Call and his crews positioned the DB-60 to spray the face of the
building as it came down. With a 25 HP motor that generates 30,000 CFM and a throw of more than 200 feet, the oscillating unit delivers a fine mist of water droplets that are atomized to 50-200 microns, the optimum size for dust particle attraction.

Kroeker employed several excavators for the job, including two 70,000 pound Link Belt 330s and a 150,000 pound Komatsu PC650, as well as hydraulic hammers, universal processors and shears at various pints. The firm also used a 150,000 pound Hitachi PC450 with an 80-foot reach and a UP30 processor at the tip. Engineers mounted an additional water spray and video camera at the tip for additional visibility and control.

“By having water at the top of the project and the mist from the DustBoss draping the front of the structure and ground debris, we were able to provide excellent suppression of airborne particles,” Call observed. Kroeker has long been known for its environmentally responsible approach to demolition and recycling, and the company’s 25-acre facility is able to recycle 95% of all debris it receives into reusable materials. Many of the methods and innovations developed by the firm since it began full-time recycling in 1998 are now in common use by other C&D companies.

To maximize the utility of the DB-60, Kroeker engineers have mounted the versatile unit on a trailer with its own generator, and because all utilities were disconnected for the museum demolition, the company used a dedicated water truck plumbed with a 1-1/2 hose to supply the device. The result is a completely self-contained dust control technique that is easily portable from one job site to another, so it can be transported wherever it’s needed most on any given day.

The DB-60 also incorporates a 10 HP booster pump for increasing water pressure by as much as
150 psi. Further, DCT offers an optional dosing pump that can be used to automatically meter in odor control additives or surfactants for superior particle capture. The unit can be outfitted for potable or non-potable water sources.

“The DustBoss did a great job for us on this project,” Call concluded. “It gave us a powerful tool for trapping and containing the inevitable dust from demolishing this structure and hauling away the debris.” He added that although no formal measurements have been taken, he expects the continued use of the DB-60 will have another positive effect, helping to reduce the amount of dust drawn into equipment air filters.

Demolition & Recycling International has announced the creation of the Demolition Awards, which are intended in future to become a highlight of the year for the demolition industry. The event will be organised with the support of the European Demolition Association and D&Ri’s publishers, KHL Group.

The first Demolition Awards event will be held in Amsterdam in November 2009, with the EDA’s autumn conference being held at the same venue in conjunction with the Awards to create a ‘must attend’ event for the sector.

The Awards are intended to recognise those demolition contractors, large and small, that have displayed excellence over the course of their demolition activities by applying best practices, ensuring health and safety during their work, displaying innovation in terms of demolition techniques and in their attitude to the environment in which they operate.

Specific Award categories will also recognise manufacturers for innovation in design and manufacture through to excellence in customer support in the field.

Contractors and manufacturers do not have to be members of their particular national demolition associations or of the EDA to submit entries. A judging panel composed of leading industry figures, assembled with the assistance of the EDA, is currently being put in place. Submissions will be requested via a dedicated website (www.khl-group.com/demolition_awards) from the beginning of December 2008.

D&Ri and its publisher, KHL Group, firmly believes that the demolition and recycling sector of the construction industry deserves this forum where the achievements of the sector can be recognised, and welcomes the support of the EDA in making the event possible.

James King, publisher of D&Ri, said, “The evolution of the demolition and recycling industry over recent years has been quite remarkable – especially in terms of the development of new methods and practices, better specialised equipment, and the on-going rise in professionalism within the industry.”

He added, “These new awards created by Demolition & Recycling International, which itself has been at the centre of the industry’s development for almost a decade, will recognise that great pace of development across the whole industry.”

D&Ri editor Lindsay Gale echoed this: “There currently is no international, recognised forum where the achievements of the industry can be celebrated. Major steps have been taken by contractors across the board in improving safety, caring for the environment and in finding ever-more efficient ways of carrying out their daily work. The creation of the Demolition Awards provides a means whereby these improvements can be recognised by the industry. We look forward to welcoming you in Amsterdam.”

UK trade magazine Contract Journal is reporting that demolition contractors are having to work harder to find jobs.

Firms that have found contracts simple to come by for the last few years are now looking to expand their horizons and branch out into sectors they hadn’t considered for some time. With the commercial market stagnant, it’s now all about infrastructure, hospital and schools.

Read the full story here.

The original Tin Pan Alley – the half-a-dozen Manhattan houses at the heart of the golden age of American songwriting – is under threat. A group of New Yorkers is fighting to save them, but their efforts may not be enough.

Full story http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/tin-pan-alley-faces-demolition-1003969.html.

Universal Wrecking Corp. recently completed the demolition of concrete aggregate plant in Hazelton, PA. The property needed to be razed in order to make way for redevelopment. The client selected Universal Wrecking Corp. (UWC) based upon their attention to safety, professionalism and ability to meet the project’s budget.

Full story http://www.incbiznet.com/press-releases/universal-wrecking-corp-completes-demolition-concrete-aggregate-plant.

Several persons were injured and a fire destroyed and damaged stalls and houses after violence erupted during a demolition on a disputed commercial-residential lot along the beach on Boracay Island Thursday morning.

Supt. Larry Decena, acting Aklan police director, said a still undetermined number of persons were hurt after unidentified persons threw stones at the demolition team and their police escorts.

Full story here.

The hydrodemolition technique, which uses high pressure water jets to remove damaged concrete from various structures, is playing a crucial role in the major restoration of the vital and adjoining Central Bridge and Söderled Tunnel in the centre of Sweden’s capital Stockholm.

Six Conjet Robot hydrodemolition machines have been working on the current phase of Stockholm’s largest concrete repair project, which is estimated will cost over SEK1billion (€106M) and five years to complete. The Stockholm City Traffic Office initiated the extensive repairs, which includes the removal, by the Conjet Robots, of the concrete surface from the ceiling and lower parts of the salt damaged tunnel walls, and removal of the bridge’s salt damaged concrete deck, followed by replacement with fresh concrete.

The 1,550m dual two lane rectangular box Söderled Tunnel and connecting dual two and three lane Central Bridge are a vital 2.6km long link in the north south Stockholm traffic artery. Around 85,000 vehicles every 24 hours travel through the two adjacent north and southbound box tunnels and about 128,000 use the bridge. A comprehensive inspection in 2000 of the two adjoining structures revealed water leakage in the tunnel roof and serious corrosion of the concrete reinforcing in the low part of the tunnel walls and on the bridge’s concrete deck, primarily due to de-icing salt sprayed by passing traffic.

Stockholm City Traffic Office embarked in 2005 on a comprehensive programme of repairs and modernisation, which included a new fire protecting sprayed concrete lining in the tunnel soffit, sacrificial precast concrete panels along the base of the tunnel walls and upgrading the lighting, ventilation and sign boards. In addition the Central Bridge’s concrete deck is being repaired and strengthened and central crash barrier replaced.

To minimise traffic disruption as much as possible Stockholm City Traffic Office opted to phase the repairs over a five-year period, but only during the 13 summer weeks, between June and September, when traffic flows are down by about 15% to 20% from normal. One of the Nordic region’s largest contractors NCC Construction is the main contractor while Stockholm based E-Schakt , one of

Sweden’s leading hydrodemolition specialists, is using the technique to perform all the concrete removal on the bridge deck. The company is also working as the specialist hydrodemolition subcontractor for NCC removing the damaged concrete lining from the tunnel walls and ceiling. In addition E-schakt is also repairing the concrete deck on the Central Bridge.

Stockholm City Traffic Office this summer focused on renovating the 850m northern stretch of the north bound Söderled Tunnel, following completion of the southern section of the same tunnel last summer. The northbound tunnel was closed to traffic, which was temporarily diverted through the southbound tunnel, during the round the clock restoration. E-Schakt, working two 12 hour shifts used its smallest Conjet Robot 322 and larger Conjet 362MPA and very latest Conjet 364MPA, both with Multi Purpose Arms for high reach and fitted with the optional hydraulically driven rotor head, which is ideal for scarifying and preparation of concrete surfaces. The 322 was fitted with a single nozzle, which was modified to reach below road level and into the channel at the base of the tunnel walls.

High pressure water was supplied from three separate Conjet Powerpacks to each of E-Schakt’s three Robots at a pressure of around 1000bar and flow of 200litres/min. The larger 362MPA and 364MPA Robots were reaching up and working directly above on the tunnel ceiling with the rotor heads removing between 5mm and 10mm of the concrete, leaving a rough and textured micro crack free surface for bonding on the new fire repellent overlay. At the same time E-Schakt used its smaller Robot 322, with single water jetting nozzle, to selectively remove just the salt damaged areas of concrete along the base of the tunnel walls. Depending on the intensity of the chlorides from the de-icing salts the 322 removed concrete in an approximate 1m high swath to a variable of depth of between 30mm and 70mm and in some cases exposing and cleaning the rust from the reinforcing steel.

During this summer’s phase E-Schakt had to prepare about 10,000m2 of the tunnel’s damaged concrete surfaces with its Conjet hydrodemolition Robots. “Hydrodemolition was specified by Stockholm City Traffic Office for this project,” says NCC project manager Hans Qvarnström. “E-Schakt, with its Conjet Robots, has done a very good job and finished all the hydrodemolition by the middle of July. We worked round the clock to a very tight programme, the tightest schedule of any project that I’ve been on, and finished on time by the middle of September.”

On completion of E-Schakt’s hydrodemolition NCC followed on spraying a 35mm thick porcelain impregnated fire retardant concrete lining to complete the soffit restoration. On the prepared tunnel walls NCC sprayed an approximate 60mm thick layer of stainless steel fibre reinforced concrete, followed by a covering of abutting 2m high, 4m long precast concrete sacrificial panels, which can be individually and easily replaced in case of any future salt corrosion.

At the same time E-Schakt’s team used the same hydrodemolition technique on the adjacent Central Bridge removing damaged concrete from the deck, which had also been corroded by de-icing salts. Here E-Schakt used a further three of its Conjet 322 Robots, initially fitted with rotor heads removing and scarifying the concrete surface, which also enabled E-Schakt to identify the worst areas to go deeper. The rotor heads were then replaced with single water-jetting nozzles for the deeper concrete removal. Working at similar 1000bar pressure and 200litres/min flow, each Robot, supplied by its own Conjet Powerpack, then selectively removed only the areas of damaged concrete to a depth of about 70mm to 80mm and exposing the reinforcement.

After E-Schakt’s hydrodemolition, which leaves a very uneven and textured surface, the deck was replaced with 45 MPa bridge concrete, using the rough micro crack free surface as a key to bond on the new concrete overlay. The new concrete deck was then covered with a waterproofing membrane prior to a final asphalt base and 50 mm wearing course topping for a return to traffic. E-Schakt and NCC completed this summer’s restoration to part of the Central Bridge and Söderled Tunnel by the middle of September. They will return again next summer for the next phase and finally complete the restoration and upgrading of the two vital structures by the early autumn of 2010.