Projects

As part of the overall redevelopment scheme, Few Demolition provided Demolition works to the Old Southwark Fire Station and associated Houses within the overall development. This involved Internal and External Demolition Works and Reduced Level Digs at the Firehouse Block, the Main Block and Drill Training Towers; Separation Works and Strip-out; and Temporary Works involving supporting Wall – all working in conjunction with the Enabling Works Contractor. On completion of Demolition Works, the site was handed to the Main Contractor with relevant Certification.

Risk Assessment and Control
Our Demolition work undertaken at SFS adhered closely to the Process of Core Risk Assessments as identified in BS8000 and as identified within the Risk Assessment for Demolition Work documentation provided by the developer, Hadston Southwark Limited. These assessments applied to our day-to-day work activities, developing more specific assessments as circumstances and risks dictate.

This demolition and site clearance contract was carried out for R M Vidler Ltd. The project called for the demolition down to slab level of the former Brown & Lenox Chain Factory in Pontypridd, Wales. Health & Safety issues were paramount during this project, as this site had been continuously targeted by robbers who had started to cut the supporting legs of the building making it very unsafe. We therefore concluded that a long reach machine with a shear attachment would be the safest and most efficient option to enable the structure to be cut down safely. There was also the problem of Japanese Knot weed across the site which had to be left undisturbed and treated throughout.

We overcame these problems by staying on site in Bunkabins so we could control the site 24 hours a day.
A very nice contract apart from the constant down pour of rain.

Our most exciting project yet was carried out for Maskill Mann Recycling Ltd. The project involved the dismantling and recycling of two 747 planes at Southend Airport. We rose to the challenge of some Health & Safety issues by approaching this unique project with a delicate touch – the majority of the work had to be carried out in a hanger which left us little or no room to manoeuvre the planes, and we also had to pay close attention to the floor as this was not allowed to be damaged.

We overcame this by hiring the smallest machine able to carry out the works. The machine also had rubber tracks to avoid damage to the floor. The planes were dismantled using shear and grapple attachments and loaded away in bulkers on a wait and load bases.
We were really surprised at how easy these planes came apart. We have all been nervous flyers ever since.

This contract called for the demolition of various constructed industrial buildings over a 2-acre site. The contract included the grubbing up all foundations with materials being crushed on site, with some of the crushed materials being left on site to form a pile mat.

This was a tricky site to work within, as we had to overcome the difficult problem of having a 3-storey building which was within a meter of residential housing at one end, with the other end being joined to a 24 hour petrol garage and a military base.

This project was carried out for ART Developments Ltd. The project involved the demolition down to slab level of a 2 storey block of class rooms situated in the play ground of a live school in Wembley. To add to the usual Health & Safety issues, we had the problem of keeping the children away from the site. After discussions with the client and the school we decided the best way to tackle this project was to complete the work during the half term holiday.
Although this was a very tight program, with careful planning, organisation and long hours the project was successfully completed on time.

This rusted steel bridge situated in an old quarry in London Colney, was truly a logistical challenge as we had to we had to use our 20-ton excavator (plus shear attachment), on one end of the bridge only. A delicate operation that involved demolishing and removing the steel bridge literaly piece by piece, stripping the roof section first to reduce the weight of the overall structure. We acted as sub-contrator to Down Safe Demolition who were contracted to Harley Ford Aggregates. 

The Manston immigration centre is on the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre site, next to Manston Airport. Few Demolition were asked to deconstruct the metal structures deemed “unsafe”, at the processing centre in Kent, in preparation for reconstruction and development of the airport. This involved demolition and site clearance as well as the delicate task of pulling the unsafe structures down piece by piece.

Manston has been owned by RiverOak Strategic Partners and is the subject of a Development Consent Order to be reopened as an airfreight hub and International Airport. The construction is planned to be phased over 15 years and includes 19 freight stands and four passenger stands for aircraft as well as warehousing and fuel storage.

This contract in Poole, Dorset, involved the ‘grubbing up’ of a 15,000 m² slab to include all foundations. With a value of £175,000, all materials were to be crushed and left on site. The project also involved dealing with approximately 100 m³ of fly tip, which contained quite a bit of contaminated waste. Carried out on behalf of Tavis House Stella Ltd, Few Demolition were Principal Contractors working under the contract administrator, Glennys.