The Atlas Development, Glasgow
Dem-Master Demolition were appointed for this extensive Demolition and Façade Retention project for the Atlas Development, Glasgow.
General Description of our works:
The Asbestos Removal, Demolition, Façade Retention and Site Clearance of the site for the New Commercial Redevelopment and Extension of the Buchanan Galleries Shopping Centre.
The site was located in Buchanan Street the main shopping area in the centre of the City of Glasgow Scotland surrounded by commercial and residential blocks and live public walkways.
The project involved initially carrying out the Demolition level asbestos surveys along with the resultant licensed and non licensed Asbestos removal works mainly to the office building.
The Demolition & Site Clearance Works were to the various low rise hotel, residential and commercial properties in the Regeneration Zone for the extension of the existing shopping centre together with new flats. The properties included former tenemental properties on Buchanan Street including the Buchanan Hotel.
This formed a substantial clearance of an extensive city centre, essentially low rise site and was surrounded by both residential and commercial properties on all sides.
The complexity of this project was increased due to the main arterial rail line tunnel for the Queen Street Rail station passing directly under the site. The underground lines were also located along the East Boundary of the site. Extensive co-ordinated interface with both Network Rail and SPT was required and close scrutiny on the Demolition process was paramount with the vibration monitoring systems in both the rail and underground systems.
Project Constraints and Solutions
The project was principally a machine Demolition process with various elements and strategic buildings in sensitive locations requiring to be hand Demolished.
The project required extensive peripheral scaffolding. These locations included the careful hand divorcing works at the contiguous gables at the South boundary working around the façade retention at the listed section of the West Nile Street Building. In principle following the removal of the various ACMs we mobilised up to 8 machines to site for the progressive unbuild through the complex of city centre buildings. The sensitive zone hand Demolition over the rail and underground tunnels along with the façade retention installation had to work in their zones in parallel. All inert materials were separated and crushed on site for the installation of the terraced piling carpet for Balfour Beatty on the main contract.
There were a number of variations including alterations to the faced retention system for the site requirements on West Nile Street. We also incorporated the additional requirement for stone gabions installation and infilling around the Network Rail tunnel at the South boundary of the site to strengthen the basement areas of the contiguous gable elevations.
