Demolition

Chillinghome Tower, a multi-storey block of flats in Birmingham, UK, has been successfully demolished by the use of controlled explosive charges.

Vibrock Limited advised both Birmingham City Council and the main contractor, Coleman & Co. and their explosives experts, Robinson and Birdsell, in all aspects concerning ground and airborne vibration.

Apart from the usual considerations for a project of this type - the surrounding low rise houses and maisonettes plus the gas, electricity and water services supplying them, a substation and a local pub - this tower block was situated immediately adjacent to a raised section of the M6 Motorway - the busiest section of motorway throughout Europe.

As is only proper, those responsible for this part of our motorway network required some considerable reassurance that this demolition event could proceed with complete safety.

Vibrock Limited, by virtue of their considerable experience of these matters and by detailed vibration monitoring of both background traffic levels and the demolition event itself, provided that reassurance that firstly allowed the project to proceed and thereafter demonstrated its complete safety.

Whether operating individually or as part of a dedicated team, Vibrock Limited continually strive for excellence in order to safeguard the interests of both the Contractor and his site’s neighbours.

Chillinghome Tower Prior To Blowdown	Chillinghome Tower During Blowdown	Retrieval Of Vibrock Seismographs From M6 Support Sections

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Marsham Street Demolition in the City of Westminster

The old Department of the Environment (DoE) headquarters in Westminster, Central London, is undergoing major construction of new offices, shops and accommodation. This construction could only start after a major demolition project of the existing unwanted structures.

Brown and Mason Ltd were awarded the multimillion-pound contract for the demolition and Bouygues UK are undertaking the new build of the project.

This was no ordinary site! There were three 28-storey office blocks known locally as the three sisters (probably the Ugly Sisters!) to be demolished using conventional mechanical techniques. Underneath these buildings were three very large wartime bunkers, with roofs and walls of 3-metre thick re-enforced concrete, built to withstand a direct hit from Second World War aerial bombing. These were demolished by some of the world’s largest hydraulic breakers and munchers.

If that was not enough, the site is surrounded by MPs’ flats, government offices, two churches, two pubs, a magistrates court and it is a stones throw from the Houses of Parliament!

Vibrock Limited were on site from the start of the project in April 2002, managing all the environmental aspects of the demolition phase.

We established a series of permanent noise meters, together with vibration recorders (the V901s) and permanent PM10 dust and weather stations in buildings surrounding the site. Our consultant on site also had several portable noise and vibration monitors that could be installed into residents' or office workers’ property at short notice to respond to any concerns expressed.

In this way, we managed the environmental control of the project, freeing Brown and Mason and Bouygues to do what they do best, i.e. the demolition and construction operations.

Working as a team, we can successfully undertake such highly complex tasks in a difficult and confined city centre area with the minimum of disruption to local people.