Project Overview
General Demolition were appointed as the main contractor to undertake a strip out and minor demolition works within a five storey commercial building which included a basement and a large parking area. The area of the site was circa 8,200 m2 in total.
Edinburgh house, located on ‘Kennington Cross’ junction in the London Borough of Lambeth was recently occupied by the Metropolitian Police. The site, formerly a Victorian terrace, was destroyed in WW11.
Define, Discover, Detail, Deliver
Prior to the strip out, General Demolition identified each service which had to be removed was correctly isolated, drained down, made safe and did not serve any other operational area. Precautions were taken to ensure the safe removal of these services. While significant levels of mechanical and electrical plant were to remain in the building, the internal soft strip included all internal fittings/finishes, partitions, ceilings and raised floors. All existing mechanical and electrical services not affected by the strip out were left in place during the contract. This required diligent management and a cohesive site/project team approach. As a result General Demolition were able to obtain 100% in the client’s H&S audit.
The building housed two UK Power Network (UKPN) sub-stations which were located in the basement level of the building and network cables ran underground from the sub-stations to Kennington Lane in the landscaped area to the east of the building. A management plan was put in place together with effective communication with the UKPN engineering management team which ensured constant access to the sub-stations and minimised risk without affecting the works.
Neighbourhood liaison
Due to the buildings location on busy Kennington Lane which is populated by cyclists and within close proximity to a residential area and schools, intensive traffic management had to take place for material waste segregation/removal to and from the site.
To minimise disruption and noise on the site, General Demolition put in place an active liaison programme and maintained consistent communication with the local tenants and residents through signage and newsletters.