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4:32 PM
DemoPhotographer;12566 said:
He said that in the UK it is not a favorable thing (bordering on illegal) to fly the Union Jack or the flags of England, Wales or Scotland and he wanted to know why purposefully fly our flag here in the states?Just curious. Just seems strange that you can
2:43 AM
Another great and well considered comment.
Just to save you from the potential barrage of responses regarding the flag issue, there has been something of a move away from any form of flag flying patriotism here in the UK to satisfy th PC (politically correct) brigade. To gve you an example, I was once told I couldn't go into an English pub, in an English town, to watch the English football (soccer) team play on TV because I was wearing an England soccer shirt!!
All that aside, an an Englishman I wouldn't fly the Union Jack anyway...that's the flag for Great Britain/United Kingdom. It's a St George's Cross for me and my countrymen.
As someone that has literally documented the History of Demolition in the States for the last 15 years I have seen almost every conceivable method to take down a structure.
The High Reach Attachment is used for a variety of reasons, but first and foremost to deconstruct a structure in the safest way possible.
In 1990 while living in Italy my camera became trained on local construction sites that caught my eye. Standing in the middle of every construction site of every country I visited was a piece of machinery I had never seen before. It was a tower crane. In the US, at that time, the use of tower cranes was few and far between. Now they are everywhere.
While shooting Boston
12:44 PM
February 14, 2009
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John, Good call on both your posts. Also,everyone here seems to be pretty well educated on the subject. " We " own a High Reach on a 385 Cat the long boom reaching over 8 stories. I think that a lot of U.S. demolition contractors do own them but, it is limited to the larger outfits in which you do not here much about. Usually the larger outfits have been in the business for a long time and do not do much advertising. These companies can afford to run this type of equipment and have it sitting around waiting for the next tall project. I don't think it is any secret as to how much it cost to purchase, insure, and maintain it. Not to mention the fact that you cannot let just anyone in the seat. A good friend whom owns a company in Florida. His favorite saying is " I can buy a lot of gas and air for that kind of money! " The videmo below is with the short boom. About half the reach of the long boom.
1:20 AM
Just so you know TKC Corp, I did have a very brief communication with Mike Taylor of the NDA late last week just as he was leaving on a trip to Toronto. However, I am hoping for/expecting a response from him this week.
In terms of US accident and recycling rates, we only have access to those that are publicly available together with perceptions drawn (particularly from feedback through the NDA) that the US is lagging some way behind the UK and Europe. Although these figures (and perceptions) may not be entirely accurate, it is fair to say that European contractors are more stringently regulated than their counterparts in the US.
Just one final point, you mention the possibility of low utilisation levels for some contractors. This is most certainly a consideration, but I can tell you that here in the UK, there is also a VERY significant and healthy cross-rental market. As an example, 777 Demolition owns one of the largest UHD machines in the country, but you're every bit as likely to see it on a "rival's" site as you are a 777 site.
With the additional room in which US contractors have to work, their long tradition of explosive methods, the high proportion of timber-frame structures, it is true that UHD machines are not ever likely to be the panacea of all US demolition work. However, the fact that the UK and Europe has embraced these highly specialised machines and now leads the way in terms of recycling and sustainability is no coincidence.
Very well said. We do not own a UHD Excavator and we perform mostly heavy Industrial projects. Our safety record is one of the best in the States. I would put our safety numbers against anyone's on either side of the pond. Our recycling rates are around 90% on most projects. I think TKC makes some very valid points.
Our group believes that the development and utilization of UHD machines should have been a natural progression in European demolition methodologies and should be well ahead of US demolition contracting.
If you look at the historical and current topographic regions of your operations and compare that with the US you will find that except on the East Coast areas of the US (and some other major cities) our structures are not
7:32 AM
Just wanted to say a very quick thank you for all your contributions. This is clearly an issue with plenty of opinions, and I am delighted that the debate os continuing here and on Demolition News.
8:52 AM
Hi my name is Andy, as my nickname says i am from Austria.
I would say this is a two point discussion. There is a commerical point, and a safty point.
Where i am from the buildings are not that tall, the highest are about 30-40m high. Although there are very few higher buildings as Cement Facotorys, Mills, or Weed Stores. Here are also very few UHD-Machines, while the Swiss and German, that have the same tasks to do use a lot of them. I suggest the cost preassure is higher here, and the safty police in German and Swisserland ist more strict than ours.
A UHD is a very expensive machine, and needs a lot of hours to run in demolition to be paid. You need a very trained and skilled operator, and the transport and maintainance is more expensive than for the usual 21-40ton Machines that we use.
About the Safty Talk,
I don't think that is a good advice to give an uhd excavator into the hands of people that are not able to handle a standart excavator safely.
Such a complicated machine offers even more dangers, Roll over accidents etc.
The situation on the video could have been done safe without an HRD Excavator, a simply "Extension Stick" maybe a steel beam with brackets or a quick hitch at one end, enabels you to tear down, unstable building parts from save distance.
Greets Austrain
UHD's have been around in America for about 15 years or so. They where not 120ft + giants, but 70-100ft OEM factory built models. I believe the last 3 years or so, more and more contractors here in America are getting them. 5 years ago, I could name 0-1 contractors, around my way that have UHD, now today I can name about 5. They are very versatile machines, and I believe that more and more contractors will purchase more UHD machines in the future.
As far as talking about that excavator involved in that accident in that video. I believe is was not stupidity, but know your limits. That excavator was way to small to safely demolish that part of the building. I do not believe it the operators fault, but the demo company and their personel.
I believe a modern demo company need to utilize a set of different demo techniques. Each job is different and there is no technique which can be used for all kind of jobs - different HSEQ demands, sorting demands, landfil costs and so gives us different techniques. Our rule is using machines as much as possible - and reduce the use of manpower to a minimum! Implosions are only used for really tall (or thick) buildings/structures. Implosions have the negative side of (for 20m tall buildings up to ca 50m):
- more work before starting drilling (removal of light structures such as walls, roofing, flooring, Electric and electronical components, all kind of abatement of hazardous waste and so) - if you put all waste on a landfil this issue isnt that important...
- explosives are quite expansive
- using explosives, requires high skilled personell (to avoid accidents as the one in china...)
- much more dust and problems with vibration
- more work after the implosions, compared to separate concrete and rebar directly.
Using crane and ball should almost be defined as illegally do to the HSEQ problems. I've used been involved in one project using this method (taking down a 40m tall chimney) and i've never been so nervous as then. I heard of one accident where the ball loosen and flied/rolled almost 500m before it stopped. luckily no serious injuries on persons or materials.
But as pinpointed before using HRD requires really well trained and calm operators. It is not rarely HRD tip over..
One of the best thing of demo work, is that you always have to think - no job is the same. Being innovative could save you a lot of cost!
......Demolition News Why don
9:40 AM
The debate is raging on this one after leading US magazine Construction Equipment picked up on this story from http://www.demolitionnews.
Read more, and join the debate here: Why Don't American's Use High-Reach for Demolition? - 08/14/2009 - Construction Equipment
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