CASE STUDY : Northern House, York

Project Overview

We were contracted to carry out the demolition of an existing 1960’s office block, which was constrained at three sides by party walls and occupied buildings. In central York, the property is located adjacent to the main bus exchange and public realm, which needed protecting. The works consisted of demolition of the concrete frame and brick façade, along with foundations before processing the demolition arisings for reuse on site and export.

Key Project Steps

Pre-Planning

• Following extensive investigations to determine how this structure was constructed, and taking into account the surrounding 6 party walls, we concluded that the safest way to demolish it was to deconstruct it.

• This project is being executed using a top-down demolition methodology, selected for its superior safety, control, and suitability for dense urban environments.

• Enabling works involved the demolition of the single-storey car park structure using a specialist excavator, with hydraulic breaker & pulveriser attachments, to create space to work within.

• We are now in the process of installing a carefully designed, bespoke back propping system, scaffolding system, and shoring props to the rear of the neighbouring structures for ultimate protection of the public and surrounding buildings during the ongoing demolition process.

Plant Equipment Used:

•  Brokk (demolition robots), various sizes to suit

• Mini excavators, various sizes to suit

• Skid steer loaders

• Heavy demolition-specific excavators

Achievements:

AllClear demonstrated industry excellence by conducting extensive investigations to understand how the site was constructed and then spent several months designing and planning a bespoke back propping system, scaffolding system, and unique shoring props to protect the neighbouring structures during the demolition process. • Used a meticulously planned ‘top-down’ demolition schedule to ensure that this building was deconstructed effectively and efficiently. We have utilised several specialist pieces of equipment such as our Brokk Demolition Robot, sound monitoring tools, and dust suppression alarms.