Case Study: Emergency demolition
PROJECT: Emergency demolition of unstable building located within industrial facility.
BACKGROUND: Originally build by Edward Lloyd in 1925, Kemsley Paper Mill is now one of the UK's largest paper mills with a production capacity of 800,000 tonnes per annum. The sites paper manufacturing facility is complemented by a pulp mill and power station. In 2008 the facility, owned jointly between UK Paper and St Regis, was purchased by DS Smith Plc and has since been subject to intensive redevelopment work including the removal of unsafe structures.
LOCATION: Kemsley Paper Mill, Sittingbourne, Kent
CLIENT: Raymond Brown
Requirements
- Rapid response to demolish factory building classified unsafe due to erosion of supporting walls and steel frame.
- Controlled demolition techniques required to facilitate the removal of industrial machinery inside and prevent disruption to adjacent paper mill operations including on-site power station.
- Protection of industrial equipment and live utility cables located within the structure.
- Removal of all waste arisings.
- Strict adherence to paper mill’s industrial health and safety regulations.
Solutions:
- Fast track fulfilment of project requirements including enhanced structural and health and safety assessments.
- Temporary installation of scaffold support frames to ensure building’s structural integrity.
- Utility cables and industrial machinery inside isolated and protected during demolition operation.
- Controlled demolition and dismantling of specific building sections in a predetermined order.
- Roof and iron trusses removed initially to relieve load on eroded support columns.
- Specialist cutting and access equipment deployed.
- Operatives equipped with PPE equipment including fire proof clothing.
- Installation of enclosed waste chute to safely remove material.
- Continuous liaison with Site Health and Safety Officer and Health and Safety Executive.
- Waste arisings removed from site and recycled.
Key Benefits:
Environmental
- Debris sorted on site and removed.
- Manual undertakings prevent excessive noise and vibration.
Financial
- Paper mill operation unaffected by project.
- High value industrial equipment protected during demolition.
- Project completed in stages to allow the removal of machinery.
- Specialist staff deployed by Downwell Demolition ensuring fixed costs and a qualified, experienced workforce.
Time
- Continued use of utility pipes negated factory downtime.
- Work completed in stages allowing redevelopment to begin immediately after strip-out.
