Ron Hull Title Bar fade
Project: Demolition of St Michaels View Residential Care Home
Client: Arc Partnership
Location: Retford, Nottinghamshire
Date: Apr 2021

Scope of Works

- Principal Contractor duty role
- Submit demolition notice and liaison with    
  Bassetlaw Council
- Extensive asbestos removal
- Bat investigation works
- Extensive internal strip out
- Demolition
- Dispose waste arisings including bottom ash  
  residue from coal fed boilers
- Reinstatement works
- Installation of permanent fencing

Introduction

Ron Hull Demolition were awarded the demolition works at St Michaels View under competitive tender. Although our quotation was not the cheapest, the quality of our proposal and the successful completion of the Bassetlaw Learning Centre project, gave Arc Partnership the confidence to appoint Ron Hull Demolition as their preferred contractor.  

Project Challenges

- Demolishing a clasp type structure
- Discovery of additional asbestos containing materials over and above the survey  
- Confined/restricted workspace
- Neighbouring residential & commercial properties
- Strict timescales & tight programme
- Tree protection orders (TPO’s)

Description of Works

A letter drop exercise was undertaken during the enabling phase to engage with residents that encompass the perimeter of site, keeping them informed of start dates, key contacts and work sequencing. 

Once all asbestos areas had been identified at induction and locations sprayed up onsite, the soft strip exercise began in earnest. All internal walls were found to be non-load bearing plasterboard stud; therefore, an extensive strip out was needed to provide our licensed asbestos abatement team access to the ACM’s and to get the building ready for structural demolition.  

To make best use of the tight work programme the asbestos removal and soft strip work elements were carried out in tandem – daily briefings issued and careful work segregation implemented to manage contractor interface.  

Our asbestos abatement team worked behind the soft strip crew, clearing the building of licensed and non-licensed asbestos materials. The extensive quantities of asbestos insulation board (AIB) to steel columns and packers were removed under fully controlled conditions and managed through an onsite UKAS accredited analytical company. 

To help with programme, RHD decided to strategically sequence the work whereby the rear section of St Michaels View was split away from the main building at the front. This allowed structural demolition to commence from the rear whilst the front of the building was being stripped out and cleared of asbestos, ultimately saving time onsite.  

To help preserve the slab and tarmac approach road (that was retained on completion) RHD selected a 20t rubber wheeled demolition machine utilising selector grab attachment to bring down St Michaels View, working from the rear of site to front.  

The discovery of additional asbestos and subsequent re-notification delayed demolition, although RHD working together with the Client, altered work sequencing to keep delays to an absolute minimum.   

The site was found to be heavily contaminated with bottom ash and clinker, a bye product from the coal fed boilers – the previous occupiers had spread this over the grass embankments. As part of our scope of work onsite, this was removed and loaded out into lorries before a final handover by the Clients team.     

Completion

Demolition arisings were cleared off site by our in house dedicated fleet of skips and transport under Duty of Care waste transfer and consignment notes.

As slabs and substructures were to remain on completion, RHD backfilled drains and levelled off gradients to eliminate slips, trips and falls prior to sign off and handover.  

Gated heras pallas fencing and security blocks were installed along the front to maintain security onsite post demolition. 

Demolition of a further residential care home has been awarded through Arc Partnership because of successful completion of works at St Michaels View.