Environmental Department to examine demolition of former school building.

A Nova Scotia development group and the provincial Environment Department are attempting to bring closure to issues that arose during the recent demolition of this community’s former school building. The Johnstown Community Development Co-op (JCDC) bought the building and surrounding property in 1988, and subsequently set up several small businesses and community spaces within the facility. This arrangement came to an end two weeks ago, when JCDC officials oversaw the building’s demolition following a two-year period of vacancies and vandalism.

However, the September 9 demolition process involved the placement of large chunks of concrete on the nearby Bras d’Or Lakes shoreline, leading to a complaint with environment department officials that resulted in a formal order to remove these materials by September 12 and send samples of the debris to the department no later than today (Wednesday).

Read the full story here.

High reach machine will pick up where explosives left off at Norsk Hydro. But is it big enough?

Details of the machine to be used to spearhead to fell the Norsk Hydro building in Canada that failed to succumb to implosion a few weeks ago have been released: The machine performing the majority of the work will be a Cat 365CL with a Jewell 136′ (41 metre) single stage telescoping boom and LXP 200 shear/cracker attachment. Provided on a few days notice by Kuhn Equipment of Summerville, NC.

Now according to the press reports, the original building stood at 80 metres. Judging by the various YouTube videos of the failed implosion, the structure didn’t fall very far. And a machine with a potential work height of 41 metres is probably best suited to working at the 30 metre mark.

So while we understand the need to get this building down, it is surely our duty to ask if the chosen machine is actually man enough for the potentially hazardous task in hand?

Low bidder Weir Bros has been given the green light to implode the Texas Stadium

Sometimes, it pays to read between the lines. The Dallas News has carried a report on the fact that Irving City Council unanimously approved its budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year on Thursday and also voted 7-1 to pay a Dallas company $5.8 million to implode Texas Stadium early next year.

No great surprise there; we reported on the fact that Weir Bros was the low bidder weeks ago and we knew yesterday that a decision was due.

However, tucked away some seven paragraphs into a comprehensive nine paragraph article is a sentence that reads: “…the council approved a demolition contract for Texas Stadium, even though a competing firm contested Weir Bros.’ bid…”

While this style of reporting is entirely appropriate for the local residents of the Dallas area – they want to know how their tax dollars are going to be spent – here at Demolition News we’re rather more interested in this seemingly innocuous statement.

So were you the the competing contractor that protested, or do you know who they were? And on what grounds was the protest mounted? We’d love to know more, so please use the comments area below.

Irving city officials expected to award Texas Stadium demolition contract tonight.

The Irving city council tonight is expected to award a contract for the demolition of Texas Stadium.
Irving Mayor Herb Gears says it’s a bittersweet feeling sad, but the beginning of a new opportunity for the stadium site. He says demolition crews won’t waste any time and expects everything to be done in less than a year.
The mayor tells KRLD the implosion will be a big event, although the city hasn’t finalized details. There’s been some work going on at the site for a while now, but it’s not related to demolition. The site is a staging area for a TxDot intersection project.

A building famed in US civil rights history is being demolished in North Carolina today

The historic Coffee Cup Solda Grill building in uptown is being demolished today. Opened in 1946, the Coffee Cup was the first in Charlotte where whites and blacks dined together before desegregation.

Beazer Homes USA of Atlanta applied for a permit to demolish the building in June 2008. But the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmark Commission voted to recognize the vacant restaurant as a historic landmark, requiring Beazer to wait one year before tearing it down.

Read more here.

NFDC President David Darsey receives Fellowship of the Institute of Demolition Engineers

BREAKING NEWS: Just a few days after celebrating his 40th birthday, the National Federation of Demolition Contractors’ youngest-ever President – David Darsey – will be reaching for the champagne again having just been named as a Fellow of the Institute of Demolition Engineers.

David Darsey FIDE has been a long-time supporter of the Institute and was an active member of the Council of Management. His fellowship recognises this commitment, and Darsey’s pioneering philosophy on site welfare and operative health screening.

We hope to have more information soon.

New South Wales roadside landmark destined for scrapheap (or BBQ)

A New South Wales council has approved the demolition of one of the states most recognisable roadside landmarks, Ballina’s Big Prawn.

As we reported at the beginning of August, city officials were to vote on the future of the giant fibre glass crustacean. And while a potential relocation (or even a replacement with a giant pelican) has not been ruled out, it now appears that the Big Prawn will soon be sent to the big shrimp cocktail in the sky.

Concerns over asbestos delay demolition of Wisconsin ore dock.

The historic ore dock in Ashland, Wisconsin will live on for one more year. Demolition work will have to wait until next summer as contractors wait for one last permit between them, Canadian National Railway and the City of Ashland. Permits have already been obtained from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The outstanding permit will cover responsibility for damages during the razing of the ore dock.

Further details here.

Cherry Demolition contract shelved as Houston Savoy owner steps in.

It’s falling to pieces and a large crack is etched across its facade but the historic Savoy Hotel in downtown Houston has received a temporary stay of execution as the owner stepped in to prevent the planned emergency demolition.

On Wednesday, the city of Houston selected the Cherry Demolition Company to take down the 103-year-old, seven story building on Main Street. Cherry beat five competitors, offering a price tag of $448,600, said city spokesman Frank Michel.

However, a spokesman for Houston Mayor Bill White says the city has tentatively agreed with the building’s owner to delay the demolition until October 2. In addition, the owner will select the contractor to tear down the abandoned Savoy and will the pay for the work himself, Michel said.

Read the full story and watch the video update here.

Time-lapse video captures “demolition” of a section of San Francisco’s Bay Bridge.