Insistence on large exclusion zone cited as key to worker and pedestrian safety.
A time-lapse camera has captured the partial collapse of a car park that is being demolished as part of the £12 billion St James’ Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland.
No-one was injured during the collapse, a fact that owes much to the demolition contractor’s insistence on a large exclusion zone. DemolitionNews understands that senior engineers are currently investigating the collapse to ascertain the cause and to assess the workmanship and quality of the materials used in the car park’s construction.
A spokesperson for main contractor Laing O’Rourke said: “During demolition of the multi-storey car park today, two floors of two structural bays collapsed into the demolition exclusion zone. The exclusion zone is an area where personnel are not permitted and specialist machines work from the perimeter on the demolition of the building. The exclusion zone is further protected by a safety zone where only trained personnel are permitted. These measures are put in place to keep members of the public and site personnel safe at all times and allow for the unpredictable nature of demolishing buildings of this age and condition. As a result of these measures nobody was injured by this localised collapse.”
