IDE invites you to the first Regional Meeting of 2017

The IDE has announced the first Regional Meeting of 2017 will be happening next Tuesday, January 17th.

It's a Midlands Regional set to occur at the following location:

JCB
Lakeside West,
Denstone Road,
Rocester,
Staffordshire ST14 5JP

The meeting is being sponsored by AR Demolition Ltd and starts at 5pm. It's free, counts for 3 hours CPD, and is open to Non-IDE members. There will be a number of speakers attending, and if you arrive early (3pm), JCB will be happy to take you on a mini tour of their factory, which should last 30 minutes.

If you would like to attend, please register your interest with The National Secretary at info@ide.org.uk.

Halifax tower block demolition timelapse

Last week we shared video footage from AR Demolition of their Brackley Sawmill remediation work summarised in 30 seconds. This week, it's the turn of a tower block project in Halifax, which you can see a timelapse of above.

AR Demolition's Brackley Sawmill work in 30 seconds

AR Demolition has been producing some great videos of late showing the work that they do. This one below covers the remediation work carried out at Brackley Sawmill. and nicely summarizes it in just under 30 seconds.

Winners announced for the 10th Construction News Specialists Awards

Construction News has announced the winners of the 10th Construction News Specialists Awards, with AR Demolition receiving the Construction News Special Award making them the winners' winner. The results in full can be seen below:

Apprentice of the Year 2014
Winner: Simon Reeve, North Midland Construction
Highly commended: Reanna Evans, NG Bailey

Demolition Specialist of the Year 2014
Winner: Thompsons of Prudhoe
Highly commended: Cantillon
Highly commended: Erith Contractors

Ground Engineering Specialist of the Year 2014
Winner: Keller
Highly commended: Deep Soil Mixing

Steelwork Specialist of the Year 2014
Winner: Shufflebottom

Concrete Specialist of the Year 2014
Winner: Balfour Beatty Regional

Access & Scaffolding Specialist of the Year 2014
Winner: Allied Scaffolding

Roofing Specialist of the Year 2014
Winner: BriggsAmasco
Highly commended: M.R.Site Services

Building Services Specialist of the Year 2014
Winner: ACE Lifts
Highly commended: NG Bailey

Finishing & Fit Out Specialist of the Year 2014
Winner: Lucas
Highly commended: PEC

Health & Safety Excellence
Winner: Lanes Group
Highly commended: AR Demolition
Highly commended: Cemex

Low Carbon Excellence
Winner: B & K Structures
Highly commended: BCM (Beverley Clifton Morris)

Training Excellence
Winner: AR Demolition
Highly commended: PiLON

Business Growth
Winner: Van Elle
Highly commended: AR Demolition

Project of the Year (subcontract up to £500k)
Winner: Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding for the South Crofty Tin Mine
Highly commended: AR Demolition for the Press Halls Stoke/Derby

Project of the Year (subcontract between £500k & £2m)
Winner: Celtic Technologies for the Mersey Gateway Advance Works Remediation
Highly commended: AR Demolition for King's Cross Rail Station

Project of the Year (subcontract over £2m)
Winner: NG Bailey for the Arla Dairy
Highly commended: EBS elk for Chapel Street Oxford

Construction News Special Award
AR Demolition

Construction News Specialist of the Decade
Lakesmere

Source: Construction News Specialist Awards

Construction News Specialist Awards

Tonight sees the CN Specialist 2014 Awards in London so here at C&D we wish "Best of Luck" to all of the companies shortlisted in the Demolition Category. They include.

• Cantillon
• Erith Group
• Hughes & Salvidge
• Forshaw
• Thompson's of Prudhoe
• Masterton

As readers of this site will know, John was one of the three judges for this category and took part in the "Dragon's Den" type interviews on 30th January when all of the companies interviewed well. The three judges marked their score cards and put them into sealed envelopes for submission to Rebecca Evans, Editor of Construction News, who collated the scores to establish the winner announced on the night.

John cannot be there this year as he is currently on his way back from the USA, but he hopes all of the companies have a great night and enjoy the experience of an excellent awards ceremony.

Remember, to be shortlisted is a great achievement to be proud of and to win is a bonus.

Finally we also would like to wish all the best to AR Demolition who, although not shortlisted in the Demolition category, are shortlisted in a number of other categories on the night and we sincerely hope that, this time, they come home with an award to sit proudly on the desks of Richard Dolman & Andrew Thompson.

Source: CN Specialist 2014 Awards

Eyesore buildings being demolished to make way for new houses

The population of Banbury will be happy to hear that three major eyesores are being removed from the sky line. Cherwell District Council has greenlit the demolition of Orchard Lodge off Warwick Road, Calthorpe House in Calthorpe Street and Lincoln House in Woodgreen Avenue. The demolition has already begun.

24 contractors put in bids for the work, but AR Demolition came out on top. It is expected that the work to remove all three buildings will take 3 months, leaving the sites ready for 49 new homes to be built. And that construction will be done through the Build! programme, which sees local residents take on some of the work and help construct the new buildings.

Source: Banbury Guardian

AR Demolition spearheads post-fire clean-up

Recently there was a major fire at Ney Ltd woodwork engineering factory in Coventry. Firefighters were struggling to get to the fire due to the building collapsing, so AR Demolition stepped in and removed the roof piece-by-piece so the fire brigade could work.

Check out the video above for the full story.

Source: Demolitionnews

Richard Dolman discusses the benefits of OilQuick systems

C&D customer AR Demolition recently purchased OilQuick coupling systems from Haulmark Equipment and has since taken part in the video you see above discussing its benefits. Speed of changing, the convenience offered, and removal of the issue surrounding hoses getting damaged all factor as reasons to use OilQuick as far as Richard Dolman is concerned.

The fact AR Demolition now operates seven of them across its fleet makes it clear the automatic coupling system is seen as an asset.

Here's another video showing off the different attachements OilQuick can use as well as how the quick decoupling system functions:



Source: Haulmark Equipment

Video of AR Demolition Chimney Blast

Last week we got to share a few shots of the chimney blast at the former British Union Shoe Machinery (BUSM) works in Ross Walk, Belgrave. The work was carried out by AR Demolition to make way for new housing.

Now we've been lucky enough to receive video footage of the demolition from Paul Boynton and his son David who runs DB Photographic Solutions. You can watch the chimney fall above.

“There She Blows” - AR Demolition Ltd Levels Chimney at Former Shoe Machine Factory

The Leicester city skyline was re-modelled in an instance on Saturday 21st January when an iconic 115ft tall chimney at the former British Union Shoe Machinery (BUSM) works in Ross Walk, Belgrave, was blown up in spectacular fashion.

Hundreds of people watched as the chimney was demolished by AR Demolition to make way for new housing. Westleigh Developments plans to build 1,200 homes on the 30-acre site, six play areas, shops, cafes, commercial units and a nursery, at a cost of around £15 million.

Residents from 26 homes, whose houses were inside the safety exclusion zone, were invited as VIPs to the controlled demolition.

Also there, were former employees of BUSM one of whom 62 year old Tom Keville, pushed the buttons to trigger the explosions to bring the chimney down at exactly 11am. Tom, who worked at the factory starting as an apprentice 47 years ago, won the chance to have his finger on the fire button after bidding £1,700 in a charity auction.

It was a bitter sweet moment for Tom, but sad for others such as former management accountant trainee, Peter Barratt who had come to bid a fond farewell to the landmark, part of the huge factory which in it’s hey day was the largest manufacturer of footwear machinery in the world, employing some 4,500 people.

Richard Dolman, managing director of AR Demolition Ltd, who oversaw the demolition of the chimney said: "It is an adrenaline rush. It was a perfect job."

AR Demolition commenced work on the four phase contract mid 2011 to clear the site of the main four storey factory and associated buildings and infrastructure. The chimney demolition is part of the third phase of the job.

Commenting on the controlled explosion Richard said, “Preparation as usual was key to the success of the blast. Charges were strategically placed on the morning of the demolition. The evacuation was completed 20 minutes ahead of schedule and the exclusion zone given the all clear.

C&D customer AR Demolition completes Rail Bridge dismantle

Midlands based demolition contractor and C&D Consultancy customer AR Demolition has successfully completed a high profile bridge dismantling contract, removing a disused rail bridge spanning the A444 Weddington Road in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

The contract for British Railways Board (BRB) was undertaken over a three week period to include preparation works, but the final dismantling and removal of the bridge decks and main supports was completed in under 24 hours, a full day ahead of the allocated schedule for the road closure.

The former double track railway bridge spanning the road was constructed in 1972, but after only a few years in service, it was closed along with the entire line, following the Beeching Report. Still under the ownership of the BRB, the bridge demolition was commissioned as part of the company’s non-operational asset rationalisation programme.

The deck was originally constructed using steel trusses and beams and mass-filled with concrete to carry the tracks overhead. The bridge was supported at each end by traditional concrete abutments and from beneath by two pairs of 11 tonne steel legs.

The structure was stripped back to its primary frame and the deck was gas cut into 6 sections weighing between 13 tonnes and 24 tonnes each. AR Demolition used a 230 tonne crane to lower each of the sections and both steel legs down onto crash decks where the pieces were further cut down for transporting off site.

A Temporary Traffic Regulation Order for closing the road over the weekend 24th/25th September 2011 was granted to AR Demolition and work commenced on demolishing the structure at 3.00 am on the Saturday morning. The main work was completed by 11.30pm on the 24th, 24 hours ahead of schedule.

British Rail representatives were on site monitoring the contract and reported back favourably on the professionalism and high standards adopted by AR Demolition throughout the job.

Armac team go to University

Armac Demolition Ltd have gone back to college at Abbey Campus, Leicester University to demolish the old university buildings following the students move into the new buildings.

Working directly for the university Armac have sent a fleet of specialist machines to demolish the former college buildings and clear away the arising to the local Urban Quarry established by AR Demolition in Leicester.

Works commenced last week and is scheduled to be completed by the end of August.

The photographs show the Armac high reach machine after demolition of the initial section of the works.

Further details can be found at www.armacgroup.co.uk

Demolition News interview with Richard Dolman

Demolition News has an exclusive two-part interview up with AR Demolition's Richard Dolman.

The focus is on "all-risk contracts" and the concerns that brings up for AR Demolition and demolition contractors in general.

We've included both parts below:

Richard Dolman raises over £7,000 for The Breast Care Centre

C&D customer AR Demolition and owner Richard Dolman has raised over £7,000 for The Breast Care Centre, Glenfield Hospital.

Women from across Leicestershire are to benefit from more than £7,000 after the demolition of two massive chimneys earlier this year.

The money has been raised by businessman Richard Dolman, whose wife Kellie has been treated for breast cancer at Glenfield Hospital. Richard's company, A R Demolition, raised the money by offering the public the chance to push the button and demolish two massive chimneys at the Desford Steel Tubes factory.

Hundreds of people turned up on a Sunday morning in September to buy a raffle ticket, and to watch the two chimneys, each measuring 150ft, eventually crash to the ground.

Richard said:

I'm obviously thrilled to raise that much money because I only thought we'd get half that. I'm pleased that we've managed to get something good out of a bad situation and it's certainly raised awareness of breast cancer among people around me. If you're in a position to be able to put something back then it's the least you can do really.

AR Demolition Time Lapse Video

C&D customers and good friends AR Demolition have a great time lapse video available to watch on the homepage of its website (the link is at the bottom of the main text). It's well worth watching and you get some great music in the background too.

You can watch the video here

AR Demolition achieves Platinum CSCS Award

We were pleased to hear earlier this week that AR Demolition Ltd. has achieved the Platinum Award from CSCS - Construction Skills Certification Scheme

Chimney blowdown open to the public

Following lots of requests we have decided to list all explosive demolitions that we are involved in on the website to enable people to come and view them on the day.

AR Demolition are to carry out explosive demolition of 2 chimneys at Timken Bearings, Desford Lane, Kirby Muxloe on Sunday 27 September 2009 at 11.00am.

A public viewing area will be installed off Desford Lane and refreshments will be available on the day. Should you wish to view the blast please be at the viewing area no later than 10.30am.

Local radio and TV stations will be in attendance, as will demolitionnews.com

IDE Midlands Regional Meeting Report

The IDE regional meeting, sponsored by AR Demolition, held last night at Old Silhillians Rugby Club was well supported with 16 members and 5 guests in attendance.

Those present heard presentations from:-

* Richard Dolman (AR Demolition) who spoke about managing non ferrous scrap.

* Holmbury Hydraulics who spoke about hydraulic hose connection solutions.

* John Woodward who spoke about current HSE “Hot Topics” during site visits.

The presentations led to questions from the floor and lively debate around a number of the HSE issues.

Past President John Law was present at the meeting, having flown in from Cyprus immediately prior to the meeting, and he joined Richard & John on the podium for the presentations.

The meeting closed at 6.30 with an excellent curry and drinks sponsored by AR Demolition.

The next Midlands regional meetings, venues to be confirmed, are on:-

Wednesday 16 September 2009 at 5.00pm.

Wednesday 11 November 2009 at 5.00pm.

A R Demolition awarded Certificate of Commitment

C&D Consultancy are happy to pass on news that A R Demolition have been awarded a Certificate of Commitment from the Construction Skills Certification Scheme.

Through that scheme the construction industry can help to ensure quality and reduce accidents and it is something being requested more and more by contractors.