First IDE Ball and Chain event is a success.

Birmingham Frankfurt Market in Victoria Square

The first IDE Ball and Chain event was held in Birmingham over the weekend of 11/12 December and was enjoyed by everyone who attended.

The event started on Friday evening with some of the Council of Management joining IDE members at the Shakespeare pub for drinks before all moving to Mister Wong’s restaurant at Summer Row for a Chinese Christmas banquet.

The food was superb and the seating in the restaurant of one large round table led to chat and discussion of all things demolition related whilst some of us were “star spotting” the TV personalities who were also in the room. Following the meal some of the party went on to the Armac Christmas party whilst others returned to the real ales of the Shakespeare and further discussion.

Saturday morning was spent, around the Birmingham German Market where crafts and German foodstuffs were on sale, and in the Bull Ring for Christmas shopping before we all met at Brindley Place for drinks and the canal boat trip. 26 members and guests went afloat on a 2 hour trip around the centre of Birmingham before travelling out to Edgbaston and back on the Staffs and Worcester canal which gave everyone a different view of Birmingham. A buffet was provided during the trip with all drinks sponsored by Kocureck excavators.

Free time for all followed disembarkation then all met again at the Shakespeare for early evening drinks before walking the few hundred yards to Milan restaurant for an excellent Indian Christmas banquet.
During the meal a tenner in the drum draw produced the sum of £200 as a donation to Breast Cancer Research (the charity supported by AR Demolition, one of the event sponsors).

Congratulations go to Adrian McLean and Lee Binyon who worked so hard to organise the event and raise sponsorship that meant that the whole event was provided at no cost to the members who attended.

Photo of narrow boat courtesy of Roger A, Panoramio

More CSCS Demolition Engineers

J Anthony Hewetson, Sellafield Ltd, and Craig MacWilliam, MacWilliam Demolition Ltd, are the latest members to have their applications for the prestigious CSCS Demolition Engineer Card authorised.

Many congratulations Anthony and Craig, you have proved your competence.

Coast to Coast!

Institute Member David Wall MIDE has presented over one and a half thousand pounds to Macmillan Cancer Support after a high speed dash across the country. With four friends he biked coast to coast, 147 miles from Workington to Sunderland, in less than 24 hours – a day less than the average for the expedition.

David, Commercial Director with Ron Hull Demolition, seen handing over the cash to MacMillan's Sarah Herrett, watched by Nigel Hull said: “The  trip was something of a personal challenge for us but we decided that we should make it hard and do it for a really good reason. People rode for various charities. I chose Macmillan for family reasons. They looked after my grandmother and I think they do a wonderful job. I have enormous admiration for them. The big shock on the trip was the hills, particularly for someone who had done all their training in Lincolnshire!”

“I live in the Isle of Axholme, which is about as flat as it gets. We’ve only got one little hill in the area and it really wouldn’t rate a thought on the coast to coast. In early morning training we rode up and down it 25 times in an hour. Gargill on the other hand was so steep that you couldn’t bike straight up it. We had to traverse. Just when you thought it must end you would turn a corner and it went up again.  It felt like somebody was really taking the Micky! Hartshead just went on climbing forever, five miles of it.  Amazing. On the plus side, going down the other side of some of these hills was breathtaking. The fastest speed that anyone clocked was 42 mph.”

David added: “I’m pleased the event has raised such a tidy sum of cash for various good causes. I would particularly like to thank Nigel Hull for the generosity of the company and their support throughout.”

Macmillan’s Sarah Herrett said: “We think it was a fantastic achievement. Ridiculous but absolutely brilliant! We are of course delighted that David chose us as his charity. The donation is very much appreciated. Far from hanging up their bike clips the boys are planning to do it again next year  . . . this time non-stop!

For further information please contact David Wall at Ron Hull Demolition on 01709-524115 or 07595-781777 and send a comment - howabout "congratulations" - by clicking on the icon below.

Demolition comes to the iPhone

Mark Anthony, Press Officer for the NFDC writes, "You know how it is: Christmas lunch is over for another year; the Queen’s Speech is an hour away; and you’re sat on the sofa wearing a new sweater that looks like an explosion in a textile factory that was bought for you by one of your nearest and dearest.   And the one thing that you want, that you really, really want, is just a little bit of demolition to help pass the time.

Well, for anyone with an iPhone (or who is lucky enough to get one as a gift), you can have just that without leaving the comfort of your sofa."


A new iPhone app, Implode, allows users to ply their explosive demolition skills on a number of increasingly complex 2D structures, earning money for the level of demolition achieved.   Additional money can be earned by using explosives more sparingly.

Mark has been using the app for the past few weeks and has racked up a total of $121,365 and achieved Craftsman status; not bad for someone who just writes about demolition but surely beatable by someone who actually knows what they’re doing!

iPhone users wishing to help pass Xmas Day orchestrating their own 2D blowdowns or who merely want to show Mark how it should be done can download a “Lite” version of the app free or can purchase the full version for the princely sum of 59p from the Apple App Store.

We’d love to hear how you get on.

(Courtesy of Demolition News /NFDC)

Report on NW Regional IDE Meeting held jointly with the NW CDM Duty Holders Group at Lymm, Cheshire Monday 30 Nov 2009

Report by Brian S Neale Hon FIDE and Wayne Bagnall MBE MIDE

The Institute of Demolition Engineers held a successful North West Regional meeting attended by over 30 people including 10 Demolition Engineers.  The topic was the BS6187: 2000 Code of practice for demolition and the possible changes incorporating more on structural refurbishment.

This meeting was opened by Steve Haycock, current Chairman of the CDM Group who welcomed everyone and quickly covered the topics including:

• Minutes & matters arising from the previous meeting 28/9/09
• Future CDM Group meetings and call for future topical subjects
• Events & knoblings (HSE enforcement action etc)
• Welcome and introduction for the IDE NW regional meeting

Brian Neale provided an introduction to the aims and objectives of the IDE after giving apologies for Terry Quarmby and John Woodward. 

Following a short break Brian presented an update on the revision of BS6187: 2000, including:

• Background to the review, and the review decision
• The BSI process for development of codes
• Mention of a new draft prepared by a consultant to speed the rewrite process, including some salient points
• The next steps for the development of the draft

Following a lively discussion, Wayne Bagnall gave his presentation which included an overview of demolition in refurbishment when he acknowledged the input from Jan Andresen - HSE Specialist Inspector for some of the examples kindly provided.  The presentation included:

• Health & safety drivers (statistics & trends)
• Current code of practice BS6187: 2000
• CDM 2007 duty holders and responsibilities for competence etc
• A couple of illustrative projects involving partial demolition (good & bad)

A further interesting discussion took the meeting to its close when the Chair for the afternoon proposed a vote of thanks for both Brian and Wayne.

Footnote:
The background to the CDM Duty Holders Group was formed when The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 1994 were first introduced in March 1995; funding was available for the group following a successful pre-CONDAM  (CDM) national seminar held in Huddersfield in 1993 organised by the HSE, Ian Crowe and Wayne Bagnall, approximately 300 persons attended generating in excess of £17,000 profit seeding the NWSI .

Acronyms
'CONDAM' was changed to CDM shortly after the introduction of the new regulations
'NWSI': North West Safety Initiative (links to 3 safety groups NWCSG, MCCSG & CDM)

Special offer from a Roadshow Speaker

IDE members and guests were very interested in John Campbell's presentation at the 2009 Roadshow and appreciated the time he gave to speak at three different locations.

The CadnaA noise prediction software has proved very popular for the demolition and construction industry.

It allows accurate prediction of sound levels and gives advanced presentation possibilities for wining and managing contracts.  Current users include Keltbray, Cantillon and Balfour Beatty

The CadnaA software is sold with full training and Campbell Associates can assist on a project by project basis if required.  The purchase price of the software starts at £3,522 which includes a 30% discount.  This offer we are pleased to extend until the March 2010.

Podcast interview conducted with demolition news with a reference from a company of Demolition Engineers using the CadnaA software.

Campbell Associates supply sound and vibration measurement equipment for sale and hire and can also provide measurement services.

Any Questions please call

John Campbell
Campbell Associates Ltd
Sonitus House, Unit 5 Chelmsford Rd. Industrial Estate, Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 1HD
Tel 01371 871033     Fax 01371 879106
Sales:- www.campbell-associates.co.uk  Hire:- www.acoustic-hire.com

North West Regional Meeting - a great success

The CDM Duty Holders Group invited the IDE to join them at their meeting on 30 November.

Brian Neale Hon FIDE and Wayne Bagnall MIDE led the IDE contingent and made presentation during the afternoon.   They are compiling a report which will be available shortly.

Steve Ashcroft, CDM Duty Holders Group Secretary said, "The event was a great success with good attendance from both groups.  There was plenty of active discussion and debate from members of both groups throughout the afternoon, several attendees giving excellent feedback.  It was good to see members actively networking during the break and afterwards too."

Fancy That!

A team led by IDE Member George Brabham has demolished a Victorian railway bridge  . . . sixty-six years after it was attacked by the Luftwaffe . . .  and with a dispute still raging about the incident!

Built in 1895, the 90-ton Doughty Road Bridge in the centre of Grimsby was removed and replaced with a brand new structure in less than 48 hours. The main Grimsby to Cleethorpes railway line and the road under the bridge had to be closed to allow the work to go ahead.

George and his team from Ron Hull Demolition of Rotherham were brought in by main contractor Spencer, a Humber based civil engineering company, to dismantle the historic structure. Members of the team cut the bridge into three slices that were then lifted clear by a 1000-ton mobile crane.

George said: "You have to hand it to those Victorian engineers, they certainly knew how to build. Despite being hit by numerous high-sided vehicles over the years and being attacked by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War, not to mention enduring more than a century of normal wear and tear, it remained in astonishingly good nick."

"The project involved a number of specialist teams, including Network Rail, who lifted the track for us, through to Ainscough, the crane firm, and the main contractor Spencer. At one stage in the operation there were 120 people working on the site."

"It went very smoothly and we had the bridge out on schedule, which allowed the new bridge to be put in place and the track laid and reopened for the trains to begin running again - on time!"

Meanwhile George's team has cleared the way for local historians to settle the big question: Was the bridge bombed in 1943 - or was it strafed?

At the request of the local authority the holed section of the bridge side was cut out and is to be preserved.

George said: "One group is absolutely certain that the holes were caused by bombing or shrapnel during an air raid, whilst the other is equally sure that the bridge was shot up, possibly by a Messerschmit that was attacking a train."

"We found that the holes were neat, in pairs and in a line. It looked to us as if they were bullet holes, rather than the random damage that would have been caused by bombs or shrapnel. Either way it did not impact on the use of the bridge. The damage was cosmetic."

The main structure of the bridge has now been transported to the firm's site at Mangham Road in Rotherham where the steel will be recycled. Meanwhile other materials recovered at the site are being recycled and used in the local area.

For further information please contact David Wall at Ron Hull Demolition on  01709-524115 or (mobile)  07595-781777