Project Description
Client: St Francis Group
Duration: Ongoing
Description of the works:
As part of the former power plant demolition and clearance, DSM had to demolish eight, 11,000 tonne, 80m high redundant cooling towers. Our approach was to demolish the eight cooling towers in two lots of four by means of high velocity explosives. DSM Appointed a pre-selected bona fide explosive engineer to design the complete mechanism and in close consultation with the local authority, HSE Specialist inspectorate, The Police, and Statutory Undertakers the works were successfully delivered without accident or incident.
Project Constraints & Challenges:
- A 350m diameter exclusion zone had to be created around each of the two blast events to create a sterile working zone
- Major road closures were required around the exclusion zone involving guarding by DSM sentries and North Yorkshire Police
- Post demolition, extensive cleaning of adjacent roads was required
- DSM had to make contact with all potentially impacted 3rd parties in and around the exclusion zone
- The works involved detailed planning between Northern Gas Networks, National Grid (Main sub-station only 65m from the demolition) St Gobain Glass to ensure measures were in place to protect their live assets
Achievements:
- The works were successfully delivered without accident or incident and the statutory undertaker’s infrastructure was unimpacted
- The exclusion zone and road closures were reopened 90 minutes after the demolition
- DSM received zero complaints from any 3rd party stakeholders during either blast event
