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Annie Davey: Junior Writer, Demolition Hub.
Last week I was fortunate enough to visit a demolition site for the first time as part of my work experience for college. Despite having very little knowledge of demolition before my visit, this experience was a real eye-opener for me and gave a great insight into the complex world of demolition.
As a female college student with no family in the industry, I had previously only been exposed to mainstream media’s mostly negative coverage of the industry and so naturally, as a media student, I wanted to get some first-hand experience and decide for myself what was fact and what was fiction about this (in my opinion) highly misunderstood industry.
My day was spent in Twickenham, on Downwell Enabling’s demoltion site where they are demolishing Richmond Upon Thames College to make room for new housing, with around 50% of the new homes being affordable for local people. We were greeted by the site managers and shown around the site and talked through many of the processes taking place.
Working in demolition is known to be one of the most dangerous jobs so unsurprisingly, safety was very clearly the number one priority on the site, with all workers (and visitors) kitted out in high-visibility jackets, hard hats, steel-toed boots and some even wearing masks and ear defenders. Fences were surrounding the site, protecting members of the public, and metal barriers were placed throughout the site, showing where was safe/unsafe to go based on what machines were running and where.
The sheer scale of the site along with the numerous machines operating was, at first, slightly daunting to see but I soon grew used to it as I realised I was in safe hands.
3 myths about demolition that were dismantled by my experience on site:
1. Demolition is simple – it’s just destroying stuff.
Demolition is just destroying buildings as quick as possible right? Well, the site I observed yesterday immediately changed my perspective on this belief after I heard the timescale of this project; it started around eight months ago and still had another two months left. Before any demolition even begins, the buildings must be prepped, using a soft strip, to completely clear the insides of the building, as well as an R&D service to check for any asbestos. This lengthy process is necessary to maintain high safety standards and ensure that, whilst the aim is to destroy the building, it is done in a secure way with as little complications as possible.
From what I had heard before, I did not expect demolition projects to be so meticulously planned out, with everyone having an important job to be doing and knowing exactly what it was. I quickly realised that the jobs were not just individuals ripping into buildings and tearing them down like I expected, but it was instead a team effort with an additional focus on prepping the area for future builds and keeping it safe for all workers.
2. Demolition is disruptive for the surrounding community and environment.
This is the key myth I have heard about demolition and, while it can be an inconvenience with noise during working hours, I noticed the site I visited was very keen to prioritise the community in this project. Until a few days before I visited the site, students were still attending the college (in buildings that hadn’t yet been demolished), meaning the demolition had caused little disruption to their education. There was also a playground right behind the site that was mentioned to me as something that they also needed to bear in mind, keeping the park safe for the local children.
As for the belief that demolition causes lots of dust to be released into the neighbourhood’s air, since the dust can cause many diseases, Downwell and other contractors use many techniques to try and prevent this happening. One of the first pieces of machinery I was introduced to on the site was the dust boss that is used to keep the dust controlled. Many other techniques are also used alongside the dust monitoring equipment that is in operation all day every day, if levels of dust rise above permitted HSE levels then the work stops. This dust control protects all aspects of the local community, both the people and the surrounding animals/wildlife, which seems especially important to Downwell the self-styled ‘socially aware contractors.’
3. Demolition stifles development.
When you think of demolition, I’m sure you think of losing things; losing buildings, losing houses, losing things to do in that area, losing profits and losing people. However, I think yesterday really demonstrated to me that there is a lot more to be gained from demolition rather than lost. Learning that the college was being demolished to make room for more housing initially seemed a bit confusing to me, since I associated that with children there losing an option for education. Upon further reflection and learning that a new college had already been built and opened in the area in 2020 though, I realised that the new, more affordable housing in this area of Twickenham, will likely be a great gain for this area, aiding its redevelopment scheme. More people moving in there will of course increase profits for business in that area, allowing the area to develop further than it has had the chance to in the past.
To keep the future for the redevelopment of this site at the forefront of the project, I was informed that Downwell is meeting with London Square (the housing provider/planner) weekly, ensuring the community’s wellbeing and safety is continuing to be the priority on the demolition site. The future of what is going to be known as Twickenham Square looks bright and will be sure to help Twickenham develop further.
My time on the demolition site provided invaluable insight into the fascinating world of demolition and allowed me to get fully immersed in it. I really feel I learned so much from yesterday and that I now have sufficient knowledge to form my own opinions and contribute more to discussions around this industry with others, especially my peers who may also not have much experience with demolition.
This site visit as well as this article have all been part of my work experience with Demolition Hub, who have been kind enough to offer me a placement for the week and arranged these great opportunities for me. I feel I’ve gained so much from this experience already that I can apply to both my studies but also in the future when I will hopefully be involved in the media industry further. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone at the company for being so helpful and accommodating during my time with them.
