PROJECT – Demolition of the Former Polymer Plant
LOCATION – Wollaston, Northampton
DATE – 25th July to 24th October 2016
PROJECT VALUE – £150,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION – Working in a confined environment, with existing Scott Bader operations taking place around the site periphery, BDB Dismantling were tasked with the dismantling of the former Polymer Plant building. Work began in earnest with the R&D asbestos survey, carried out by our in-house surveyor. Asbestos abatement soon followed including removal of asbestos thermal insulation clad to the outside of one of the internal vessels.
The demolition phase was made complicated by existing structures that were to remain live during work on site, including; a substation supplying the local Scott Bader area – this was located directly below the control room to be demolished which was suspended directly over the substation roof on steel columns, a Braithwaite tank that abutted the Polymer Plant building, associated pipe work and 3x adjacent vessels. As a result of risk assessment, a combined mechanical and piecemeal demolition method option was adopted.
Due to the limited availability of space on and around site, the demolition operations were done bay by bay with waste arisings generated regularly cleared away. To provide best value to the Client, we maximized all recycling opportunities on site.
The asbestos cement roof and side sheets were removed working from within a MEWP and taken to a registered skip for disposal. A Komatsu 450 demolition machine with multi-processor attachment, proceeded to cut the building down, working up to the next structural supports. The process was repeated along the length of the building down to the brick gable end wall. Hand demolition techniques were used to safely reduce the height of the brick wall. Hand demolition techniques were also used to dismantle the control room that was located directly above the live substation.
As a result of our work on site, Scott Bader also asked us to remove 2x external vessels as additional works.
