215 & 232 Shawbridge Street and 93 Shawholm Crescent, Glasgow
As Principal Contractor the scope involved the asbestos removal, soft strip, specialist Ultra High Reach (UHR) and low level machine Demolition and Site Clearance of 3 No. 20 storey high rise blocks in a live residential environment with nearby commercial premises in the Shawbridge area of Glasgow.
This challenging project demanded a high level of co-ordination and project management for the varying and phased preparatory Demolition processes along with the highly specialised UHR machine Demolition of the 3 No Blocks in a progressive unbuild method. This eliminated the necessity for working at height and the risks associated.
Project Constraints and Solutions
Due to the revised programme of the Scottish Power sub-station disconnection the Block sequence changed and resulted in technical Demolition problems demanding a higher degree of awareness, expertise, management and supervision.
• Services disconnections in the revised sequence, co-ordination of mains and adjacent occupied properties, protection and cable diversion. The main sub stations in the blocks were still live and they required to be decommissioned in the varied sequence demanded by Scottish Power.
• Resident Liaison, the Pollokshaws Parish Church, Police Scotland Office , shops and commercial units and also with the nearby ‘Ruff & Tumble’ Nursery School. Daily liaison between our supervision / management and the client representative particularly during the sensitive stages of the specialised machine structural Demolitions.
• Roads and traffic management within the Shawbridge Street and Shawholm Crescent , plan adapting the routes at the critical stages for maintaining access to the residents , on Shawholm Crescent in Particular the commercial units around the site and the nearby Nursery school. A temporary bi pass / road access on Shawholm Crescent had to be provided to give an alternative route at the critical phases of the works. The 3 Blocks being separated by Shawbridge Street gave us additional traffic / access issues and close co-ordination of our Demolition processes in internal hand Demolition for full soft strip, collection of debris and then the follow on UHR machine Demolition, followed by the machine Demolition in the low level processing and recycling the debris.
Due to the set out of the 3 tower blocks relative to the main road and bus routes when considered in conjunction with the height of the structure and potential debris fall and scatter zones, scaffolding and screen protection and also a sequential scheme of approved road closures with the Roads Department were needed. Purpose built scaffolds, temporary container wall and timber clad protective deflection fan / gantries, incorporating suitable ballast at the location of the houses and church etc in proximity of site and the primary transport route were all needed and provided.
Community Benefits :
• Talks and presentations on safety and Demolition processes to the local Parish, Church and Primary & Nursery School Children.
• Assistance with temporary facilities to the church accesses for the duration of the project.
• Local Recruitment ( min 10% ) from the Shawlands area of Glasgow.
• Community Care Office created on the site for public consultation and general information during the project. We were thus able to foster and maintain a good relationship with the Shawbridge Community and the local GCC Council Housing offices in Shawbridge Street, contributing greatly to the success of the project.
