Cawarden, on behalf of Birmingham City Council, has successfully completed a comprehensive demolition and clearance project at the former Midland Chromium factory in Perry Barr, Birmingham. The site needed to be cleared as part of the regeneration of the area.

The initial phase of the works involved removing asbestos, decommissioning tanks, and clearing all hazardous materials. A soft strip of the buildings was carried out to clear the internal areas and to maximise recycling in preparation for the main works.

All factory buildings, tanks, and structures, including one that was 15 meters high, were demolished and dismantled. Throughout the works, specialist monitoring equipment was used to consistently monitor noise, dust, and vibration levels to ensure they remained within acceptable levels.

A “wet drop” system was utilised to mechanically demolish the buildings that contained asbestos cement sheets. Several dust suppression cannons were installed to suppress the dust and dampen both the area and materials. Monitoring was conducted continuously to ensure that fibres were not released into the air.

The dismantling and hand demolition of a structure located above a live substation required special protection measures to be put in place. These measures were developed in partnership with the client and the electricity provider to ensure that the process did not have any impact on the substation.

An ecology area had been identified to a high-level structure, which required the installation of bat boxes in nearby trees. To ensure compliance with ecological regulations, a license was obtained from Natural England, which included a set of ecological stipulations that had to be followed. After conducting thorough and careful investigations, the structure was stripped and demolished by hand, under the supervision of an experienced ecologist. The process was carried out meticulously. By taking these measures, we were able to ensure the safety of the bats.

Several multi-storey structures were demolished by machines next to surrounding roads. A lane closure was therefore put into place whilst this work was being undertaken.

The works were phased, according to the detailed Method Statement, and the buildings and structures were gradually brought down to slab level.

All hard-core was processed by our mobile crusher to provide material to level the site. All other material was transported to licensed recycling facilities, local construction sites, and reclamation yards.

Finally, to complete the project, a new section of public footpath was reinstated, and 300 meters of Paladin Fencing was erected with entrance gates for an aesthetically pleasing appearance.