The demolition of two dilapidated buildings in Homer, Illinois is on hold while village officials rewrite the bid specifications and allow contractors to update their bids. The lowest bid received for the work did not specify costs for removal of asbestos debris.
Read the full story here.
Universal Wrecking Corp., a premier demolition, scrap metal recycling and wrecking contractor that operates on a nationwide basis, was recently awarded the next phase of the demolition of a large manufacturing and warehousing facility in Pennsylvania.
Further details can be found here.
Large volumes of waste glass produced by the five-star Grosvenor Hotel in Mayfair, London will now be imploded onsite. The hotel, which can fill up to 20 x 660-litre bins with glass each day, wanted to use the imploder to reduce the volume. By doing this, the Marriott owned hotel has also been able to cut the number of waste transport vehicles it uses.
Further details can be found here.
Good news for all followers of Demolition News. We will be going to the European Demolition Association conference in Istanbul in November where we’ll be both presenting and reporting.
We’re also planning to capture the proceedings on video so even if you can’t make it to the Turkish captal for the event, you won’t miss any important discussions or announcements.
If you’d like to be there in person (and if you are, please say hi), please checkout the details here.
The ongoing furore surrounding the use of semi-automatic quick hitches has taken another twist, according to UK publication Construction News. The magazine believes that main contractors may ban semi-automatic quick hitches on excavators after machinery firms stop supplying them on new plant next month. The debate is now how operators will respond when semiautomatic quick-hitch mechanisms are outlawed on new machinery on 1 October.
You can read the full story here.
In the latest example of the shortcomings of the UK Government’s decision to scrap rates relief on empty properties, Asda is demolishing one of its former call centres to cut costs. The supermarket group had planned to get consent for a £100 million redevelopment of the 6-acre site in New Barnet, Hertfordshire, but will instead knock down the building.
Full details of the story can be found here.
The first-stage of the Missouri River bridge implosion that we reported just over a week ago (http://www.demolitionnews.com/2008/09/03/bridge-implosion-scheduled/) has been completed according to plan.
A video of the successful implosion can be seen here.
UK demolition contractor Cuddy Group is making £80,000 available to a range of sports and culture initiatives after recording a 31 per cent rise in profits.
Further details can be found here.
Construction materials and sustainability website, Earth Exchange, has reported a surge in membership and interest as construction companies seek to reduce the costs of site waste management and source more locally-produced recycled and sustainable materials.
Alex Albon, operations director of Earth Exchange Limited says over 500 construction sites across the UK are operated by members who have joined the Earth Exchange website in recent weeks to capitalise on the efficiencies www.EarthExchange.com brings to waste management and resource use.
Earth Exchange is a membership website that allows sites with materials surpluses to link up with sites experiencing materials deficits and arrange exchanges instead of sending excess to landfill and buying in virgin resources.
“On current projections, it is conceivable that in 12 months’ time Earth Exchange members could have exchanged 7.25 million tonnes of construction waste thereby avoiding landfill taxes and improving their environmental performance. By this time they may also have cut road haulage by 9 million miles and reduced fuel use by 5.8 million litres, cutting operating costs and reducing the carbon footprint of their businesses,” said Albon.
He added: “Construction companies are increasingly turning to Earth Exchange to for help with resource efficiency and to cut operating costs. Members are also finding the site valuable in demonstrating to customers that they are committed to sustainability and take corporate social responsibility seriously.
“Membership of Earth Exchange has the potential to add a competitive edge to tender and contract bids. It also supports businesses in trialling leaner cleaner construction systems that meet government expectations for the industry to halve the amount of construction waste sent to landfill by 2012.”
Earth Exchange covers the entire UK with members ranging in size from large plcs with many of sites to small operators with a single site. Materials that can be exchanged via the website currently include soil, crushed aggregate, topsoil, subsoil, compost, bricks, blocks, paving and pipe.
Earth Exchange works by using real-time accurate mapping of actual and future construction sites – the locations where construction wastes are generated and where such wastes can be re-used. Members can state what and when materials will be available at each site and state what materials are required on their sites. Exchanges are made on terms agreed between members and can be swaps or trades. The site has been described as a major breakthrough for the construction industry. It means that for the first time there will be accurate mapping of construction activity in the UK and a simple and accessible method of streamlining procurement and waste management.
In what can only be described as typical short-termism, the London Development Agency is considering demolishing the 2012 Olympic stadium once the Games are complete, and building a football stadium in its place.
Contract Journal reports here.
