Red Car Park Demolition
I have just started phase 2 on a demolition job for a car park on the Victoria square redevelopment in Woking. I realise that we don’t really cover demolition in phase 1 so thought I would share some photos and information on how they are doing it as a general interest piece.
The car park has 3 cores, the South and East have a lift and staircase while the West just a staircase. The methodology is simple, the excavators work in pairs (one pecking and one munching) to remove the slab. They always work on floor up to prevent the support underneath being undermined. There was a structural load test conducted of the slab and it was determined that 1 x 13t piece of plant can stay in one structural bay with 1.5t of rubble around it to prevent collapse.
The lift cores have a concrete slab roof which is removed by a remote control pecker for H&S reasons.
When the workers start a new floor the priority is the parapet wall and then the 2m cantilever at the edge of each floor. There is a demarcation to ensure no plant is to cross onto the cantilever
All rubble is collected by small BOBCAT shovel shifters and dropped down a shoot to the ground floor. This shoot is closely protected to prevent any labourer wondering close by.
The plant works in a methodical order, much like painting a floor in your house to ensure they don’t leave themselves trapped on a level. The rubble is then removed by a 20t excavator on street level into skips that are removed daily.
There have been issues this week with high winds ripping the protective sheeting off the scaffold which means demolition can’t take place and today the temporary water pipe used for dust suppression was broken when rubble fell down the lift shaft from the slab above and broke it in two.
Plenty of engineering challenges to come as the client seeks to keep the adjoining shopping centre open while demolishing the concrete frame around it.
Any interested questions regarding demolition send my way.
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Ash, John is on leave at the moment, but will no doubt comment when he returns. Good post and interesting photos.
Ash -Last week I had to make up a lecture to MPFs who appear to have gone through the entire course without anyone mentioning demolition!
I found I was scraping the barrel with photos that I had and collecting from the web… I think I got away with it!
The point is we could really do with a demolition case history…why not put a TMR around it.
Give me a call if you want a steer
J
Like what I see and read! Presumably the move from each level down to the next is able to utilise existing car park ramps rather than needing temporary works? How are the noise and dust levels monitored and used to control works? Are there differences between exposure of workers on site and the general public at the site boundary?
Richard you are right to presume the ramps are being used, there are 3 ramps which are alternated between when demolition is happening over head.
There are several dust, noise and vibration monitors all around the site at ground level and building level. There is no additional specific demolition PPE beyond the mandated 5 point around the whole site. The workers on the car park wear ear protection and that is the only addition. Given the site boundary is so close, these noise and dust levels are monitored very closely.