Great turnout for IDE Midlands Region Meeting

30 members of the Midlands Region of the IDE gathered together again on Wednesday 15 August at Casey Joe's, Solihull after work to hear a number of demolition related presentations and enjopy a post meeting curry and beer.

The event, organised once again by Adrian McLean MIDE and Noel McLean AMIDE of Armac Group, saw presentations from:-

• Total Training Limited who specialise in CPCS training and have a test centre in Solihull. Details of their training can be found at www.total-training.uk.com
• Duncan Rudall (IDE Events Director) who set out the changes to the CCDO High Reach card that will replace A65.
• Noel McLean who showed the new Armac Group timelapse film of bridge demolition on the M50.
• John Woodward who premiered the new Safedem Limited film of their recent Red Road blowdown.

The next Midlands Regional Meeting will be in December at a date and venue to be agreed.

Armac Group “Clock Off” at Pinderfields Hospital

Over the last twelve months C&D customer Armac Group have been demolishing the former hospital at Pinderfields in Wakefield and have worked progressively through the hospital buildings demolishing and, in some cases, carefully dismantling sections for preservation and reuse on the new development.

When the bulk of the work was complete they were then given the difficult task of carefully lifting the clock tower and storing it for reuse.

Balfour Beatty Construction Limited Pinderfields Joint Venture wanted to preserve the clock for resiting in the new development so quite a lot of lateral thinking was needed to achieve their wishes.

Armac directors Adrian McLean and Noel McLean were involved in the lift with the original concept and lift design by Adrian. The roles of Appointed Person and Lift Supervisor being carried out by Noel.

We have no photographs of the work being carried out but we do have some nice video footage so please take the time to watch the video below.

Armac Demolition prepare for Coventry Hospital chimney lift

Armac Demolition Limited prepare to carry out the removal of the boiler house chimney at Coventry Hospital.

The close proximity of the live hospital buildings determined that high reach and explosive methods were not an option, therefore Noel McLean AMIDE and Adrian Mclean MIDE decided to lift the chimney by crane.

This chimney demolition forms a small part of the Armac contract to demolish the former hospital and clear the site for Principal contractor Galliford Try and the hospital trust. Works are expected to run into early July.