PROJECT – Emergency Demolition of Damaged Building
LOCATION – Broomfleet, East Yorkshire
DATE – February 2018
PROJECT VALUE –
PROJECT DESCRIPTION – During a period of inclement weather, the steel framed 2 bay shelter, under construction at the time, was severely damaged and declared unsafe. As a result of heavy winds, a section of the building buckled and collapsed, coming to rest at ground level. A further section of the building was still standing.
The main remit for dismantling work was to ensure that the substantial reinforced concrete foundation pads and existing column anchor bolts (for the section of building still standing), were not further damaged as a result of the work. If these needed replacing, it would be at considerable extra cost to the Client.
A demolition machine with shear attachment was used to cut, clear and dispose into transport all buckled and collapsed steel, creating access to the standing structure whilst making the peripheral area safe. The standing structure was dismantled last and a different strategy was needed.
To ensure the integrity of the reinforced concrete foundation pads and anchor bolts were not compromised, a methodology was developed where 4 x 50ton mobile cranes were used to lift the standing structure from the 4 corners, keeping any strain on the anchor bolts to an absolute minimum.
The building columns were hot cut 1 meter above the anchor bolts (these were inspected later by the Client surveyors). Under support from the 4 x mobile cranes, the building was lowered to ground level. Whilst still hung from the chains, the 4 legs were cut at 1 meter intervals and the building lowered. The sequence was repeated working down to the apex, where the remainder of the building was ‘grounded’ and chains removed. The apex was mechanically processed to size.
The work was completed on time, within budget, without further incident and with all concrete foundation pads and anchor bolts in-tact.
