Dull is one of those strange English words with two distinct meanings. It can mean boring, tedious and lacking in interest. It can also mean no longer sharp, as in a dull blade.
For a long time, demolition industry seminars matched both definitions. Some were a test of endurance; a prolonged torture culminating in the dreaded death by PowerPoint. More recently, they had become what I can only describe as a dick measuring contest; contractor after contractor desperately trying to outdo their rivals and competitors with tales of challenges overcome and complex solutions devised.
But that was then. This is now.
Last Friday, I attended the autumn seminar of the Institute of Demolition Engineers at One Great George Street in London. And I am pleased (and relieved) to report that this is the demolition conference reimagined. It wasn’t dull in the boring sense of the word.
It was, in turn, interesting and engaging. And it wasn’t dull in the blade sense either. Under the presidency of Adrian McLean, the IDE has not just rediscovered its sharpness; it has placed itself as the cutting edge of industry innovation.
There were three presentations that really stood out for me. And they stood out, primarily, because they were discussing subjects that weren’t even in the industry consciousness a decade ago.
Keltbray’s Tim Lohman was there to talk about temporary works, a field in which he is an undisputed expert. But he also shared his thoughts and his concerns about the growing desire to remove, retain and re-use structural elements of demolished structures in new buildings. Such a process unquestionably has environmental and sustainability benefits. But client desire is not yet matched with a suitable and economically viable solution. We have equipment that can break, pulverise, crunch and munch. Beam by beam deconstruction is going to require new methods, new equipment, and entirely new skill sets with accompanying training and competence.
And if those new systems mean putting a man in a MEWP to oversee the cutting and craning of a structural element, any gain we might make in sustainability could be offset by a significant loss in terms of worker safety.
Maintaining that sustainability-centric theme, Nic Matheson and James Simpson of McGee gave an insight into their development and deployment of a modular and reusable facade retention system that was strangely reminiscent of the Despe Top Down Way system and just as innovative.
Not only does the McGee system reduce their carbon footprint by being reusable, the entire thing is made from reclaimed steel provided by scrap giant EMR. It is clear that while some in the industry see sustainability as an obstacle or a constraint, others – like McGee – see it as a potentially lucrative opportunity to exploit.
Completing the triumvirate of forward-facing presentations came from Rory Kilpatrick of a company called Tender Mole, which is harnessing AI to simplify the otherwise tedious task of completing tender documents.
If you told me 10 years ago I’d be at a demolition seminar discussing reusable facade retention systems and artificial intelligence, I would have laughed in your face.
For all that, these innovations should probably not come as a surprise. The demolition sector is an industry of problem solvers; and the people normally tasked with devising those solutions are the demolition engineers. Furthermore, the content of the seminar was a reflection of the increasingly and refreshingly youthful make-up of the IDE membership. The IDE is an Institute built upon traditions, and those traditions are maintained by industry veterans and council members. Indeed the Institute is scheduled to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. But, under the presidency of Adrian McLean, this is an Institute for today and, more importantly, for tomorrow.
The greatest compliment I can pay the IDE is this. The Institute is scheduled to host its next seminar in Leeds in February next year. Whether you’re in Plymouth or Pennsylvania, Perth in Scotland or Perth in Australia. If you want to be at the cutting edge of the demolition industry, then Leeds will be the place to be. And I assure you that cutting edge will not be dull.
