Loughborough University Students who were granted IDE Research Bursaries outline their projects at IDE Leeds Seminar

The IDE recently awarded research bursaries to three Loughborough University students to assist their research with demolition related projects and the successful students are all attending the IDE Seminar in Leeds on Friday 22nd February to outline their respective research. The students and their projects are:-

Warren Mitty - Is nanotechnology the new asbestos?

Nano-technology is embedded into a large number of materials and components used in the built environment. There is some suggestion that nano-particles may have some similarities with asbestos i.e. hazardous to health when the particles are freed. If this fear is realised then there will be real challenges for the demolition & recycling sectors. This project will investigate what these challenges are likely to be.

James Styles - What to do with composite cassette cladding?

Composite panels, such as those incorporating blown insulation and also other materials and services. These are a challenge to the demolition and recycling sector and will become more so in the future. This project will investigate what these challenges are likely to be.

Matt Smith - Is European wind the same as UK wind?

The design of temporary works to support retained facades is significantly affected by the calculation of wind forces. The demolition sector interacts closely with retained facades, often being responsible themselves for the support structure as part of the demolition package. This project will investigate how the use of Eurocodes will affect the design and hence the installation of retained facade temporary works

Mark Rea to speak at the IDE Seminar

As regular readers of this site will know John is the President of the IDE and a member of many other institutions related to the demolition industry. One such instituition where John holds a membership is The Institute of Construction Management.

So John is particularly pleased that the President of the IConstM, Mark Rea, has confirmed that he is willing to speak at the IDE Seminar at OGGS London.

Full details of the event that will see a Meeting of Presidents are on the IDE site at www.ide.org.uk.

A biography of Mark Rea can be found at demolitionengineers.net

IDE Seminar Talk: Development of High Reach Rigs

Continuing our preview of IDE Seminar speakers for the 5th March, Ron Callan is a confirmed speaker.

Ron is Sales Manager for Kocurek Excavators, where he has worked for the past 12 years and at Samsung Excavators, JCB, Hitachi, and Kubota previous to that.

Kocurek offers a whole range of products and specializes in bespoke front end equipment for hydraulic excavators.

Ron's talk in Leeds is entitled "Development of High Reach Demolition Rigs".

Source: IDE

IDE Seminar: The REAL Behaviour of Structures

A new one-day seminar is being held at New College, Oxford on Friday 9th April. The title of the seminar is "The REAL Behaviours of Structures - Tales of the Unexpected".

Here's the description:

The nature of all construction work requires a degree of temporary works and support throughout the building process. Inevitably, the supporting elements and the permanent structure will act together over a period of time. The added complication of differing materials working in a composite manner can create additional stresses and movements beyond normal expectations and the most elaborate computer analyses.

The familiar road sign “Weak Bridge” is a commonly used deterrent to prevent heavy vehicles crossing the structure. In many cases, the warning is entirely justified. However, there are a significant number of structures that have been subjected to restrictions or replaced prematurely due to inappropriate assumptions regarding the articulation and structural actions of principal elements.

High risk activities on demolition projects have reduced dramatically due to the development of purpose designed hydraulic machines and greater awareness of health and safety procedures. Unfortunately, accidents still occur due to unforeseen defects and unexpected structural behaviour. The effects of vehicle impacts and fire damage create additional hazards for both the rescue services and demolition operatives.

Long-term monitoring studies and full-scale load tests over the last 40 years have provided an insight into the hidden reserves and weaknesses in structures ranging from historic buildings to modern post-tensioned concrete bridges. The primary purpose of this Seminar is to highlight and explain the observed behaviour of a wide variety of structures during construction, in service and during demolition.

The day begins at 9am with registration and drinks and ends at 5pm after a short discussion about the seminar. Attendance also entitles IDE members to one IDE-CPD point.

Head on over to the IDE website for more information including a booking form, directions, and full breakdown of the seminar day timetable.