Why There's More to Demolition Than Meets the Eye
Posted on: 4 January 2019
If you've been lucky enough to get hold of a parcel of land in the downtown area for a good price, you may be planning to develop the area to take advantage of a commercial opportunity. You can't wait to get on with this to capitalise on your good fortune, but first, you need to get rid of the existing structure, which has fallen into disrepair. All you need to do is to hire a demolition service to demolish this building and you can move ahead in earnest. But before you get too carried away, you should understand restrictions related to demolition. Why should you allow more time for this project than you may have initially envisaged?
Not So Easy
It all looks so easy when you see a demolition that's based on a controlled explosion. What you don't see is the amount of work that may have been put into this preparation behind-the-scenes, and while your project may not be on the same scale, you still need to put in the same work.
Safety First
Safety is, of course, paramount, and you will ultimately be responsible for not only those people who are working on the site but also those in the adjoining neighbourhood. Before any dismantling work begins, you need to be certain that the building does not contain any asbestos, as this is a carefully controlled material. If it is an older building, you will need to get it checked first and bring in a removal expert if necessary.
Specific Approach
You need to employ a certain approach when it comes to dismantling any wall that is within a few metres from the boundary or an adjoining roadway. In fact, you may have to bring in a structural engineer to oversee the work, just in case. During such a manual demolition you might have to use a process known as 'rope pulling', which is quite a specialised activity.
What's Underfoot?
Other utility providers and authorities will want to know about your work before it begins. You need to reach out to electrical, water, steam, sewer, gas, data and other service providers to make sure that you do not impact them during demolition.
Careful With The Trees
You may not be able to clear away the surrounding trees with impunity as some of these may be protected. In fact, you may have to measure the circumference of each tree. If they are larger than a certain size, you may have to get a special permit. Check to see if your property is located in an area where vegetation and 'significant' trees are managed by the local authority.
The Better Approach
All in all, it's best to bring in a consultant at the earliest stage and let them advise you accordingly. This will ensure that you don't run into trouble and rack up unwanted costs before you even begin construction.
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