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Demolition Projects:
E & R Polymers, Glossop - Emergency Part Demolition of the last brick chimney in Glossop West Thurrock Power Station - Piecemeal Demolition of two 175m RC Chimneys
E & R POLYMERS, GLOSSOP
The Brief Late one Thursday afternoon in October at Delta International Headquarters in Oldham, a panicked phone call was received by the switchboard. The person on the other end, sounding out of breath, quickly asked “Can you demolish the top off a chimney?” “Of course we can!” was the reply. “We’ve done it hundreds of times, when would you like us to come and take a look?” “We need you to come tomorrow! Bring the men with you so you can start straight away.” As demolitions are usually planned months in advance, “What’s the urgency?” was the next question to this strange request. “Well, the chimney is now bent over in the shape of a banana and there is a great risk of the top falling down!”
Delta operatives responded immediately, reacting to this real emergency, with four operatives on site the next day. The chimney brickwork was demolished to a level where the structure was safe and unlikely to collapse. The client, who usually employs the services of a local competitor, was extremely impressed with the rapid assistance they received and the high quality work that Delta’s operatives carried out. It goes to show, you too should “Think Different - Think Delta”.
WEST THURROCK POWER STATIONThe Brief After 40 years of operation West Thurrock Power Station's 2 reinforced concrete chimneys had to be demolished due to the location of nearby high voltage transition lines and local industry. The chimneys had to be removed in a safe and environmentally conscious way. The Delta Difference During the later period of the power station demolition, Delta International was employed to demolish both of the 175m tall reinforced concrete chimneys in an efficient and controlled manner. With both chimneys being deconstructed in tandem, a self descending platform was erected around the summit of each stack so trained operatives would be able to work and perform under safe working conditions. Using a combination of hydraulic and pneumatic cutting equipment, the cylindrical concrete shaft was progressively cut into pre-determined segments and was then gravity fed into the chimney interior. As part of our planning process, noise pollution and hand-arm vibration (HAV) exposure played a significant role in the selection of the tools used during the works. Calculations carried out determined the safe size of the concrete segments to be fed into the chimney and the additional loads that the working platforms had on the stability of each structure during the works. The duration of the entire project was initiated and completed within four months with no evidence of lost time accidents (LTA), near miss incidents or environmental complaints from nearby residents. Any form of demolition carries inherent risks that significantly increase when work is elevated 175m above ground level. Thus, due to our experience in this field we were able to eliminate all the risks and hazards through our innovative plan. |
The Delta Difference