Demolition Plan: Single Storey Factory Demolition in Melbourne

This document presents a comprehensive demolition plan for a 1500m2 single-story factory in Chadstone, Melbourne, to prepare the site for the construction of a two-story apartment block. The plan includes pre-demolition activities such as site surveying and hazardous material removal, followed by the selection of the high-reach arm demolition method using equipment like hydraulic excavators and jackhammers. It emphasizes thorough site preparation, including hoarding, utility disconnections, and the establishment of safety measures like PPE requirements, training programs, and emergency protocols to mitigate potential hazards. The plan also addresses environmental concerns through air, dust, noise, and vibration pollution control strategies, as well as a detailed waste disposal and management approach focused on material reuse, recycling, and responsible landfill disposal, adhering to environmentally-friendly demolition practices. The document concludes with a demolition checklist to ensure all necessary steps are followed for a safe and efficient demolition process.

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DEMOLITION PLAN
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................3
2. Demolition Pre-planning...................................................................................................................3
2.1. Site and building surveying.........................................................................................................3
2.2. Removal of perilous materials.....................................................................................................4
3. Demolition Method and Equipment.................................................................................................4
4. Site Preparation.................................................................................................................................7
5. Training and Communication..........................................................................................................8
6. Safety..................................................................................................................................................8
6.1. Planning.......................................................................................................................................9
6.2. Personal protective equipment (PPE)...........................................................................................9
6.3. Training.......................................................................................................................................9
6.4. Supervision................................................................................................................................10
7. Air, dust, noise and vibration pollution control............................................................................10
8. Waste disposal and management....................................................................................................11
9. Demolition Checklist.......................................................................................................................11
10. Conclusion....................................................................................................................................12
References................................................................................................................................................13

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1. Introduction
Demolition is the process of pulling down a structure either for the purposes of creating a
new property or if the existing structure has reached the end of its lifespan (service life) or if the
structural soundness and functional performance of the existing structure are in doubt (Thomsen,
et al., 2011). In construction industry, demolition is a common activity before commencement of
actual construction of the new structure as it gives way or space of the new structure to be
constructed. This paper presents a demolition plan of a 1500m2 site that has an existing vacant
single storey factory to give way for construction of a two storey apartment block. The site is
located in Chadstone, Melbourne. The demolition will involve bringing down the entire property
and valuable materials will be preserved for reuse or recycling.
2. Demolition Pre-planning
Before the structure is demolished, comprehensive planning has to be done. This is so as to
ensure that the right resources are available for the actual demolition and that the process is done
in an efficient, safe and cost-effective way (Rathi & Khandve, 2014). The main activities that
will be undertaken during pre-planning include the following:
2.1. Site and building surveying
This will involve surveying the demolition site so as to assess the existing property, adjacent
properties and the surroundings. The aim of this activity will be to collect useful information
about the condition of the site (such as available space, access to the site, topography of the site,
etc.) type of structure to be demolished (such as size), structural members of the property,
drainage conditions, adjoining buildings, vehicular traffic conditions and adjoining pedestrians,
possible problems on pollution and water, and neighborhood sensitivity with respect to traffic
impact, dust, noise and vibration. This will help in determining the most appropriate demolition

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method and equipment, estimate the amount of demolition material and estimate the total
demolition cost. The site and building surveying will be carried out by qualified and certified
surveyors.
2.2. Removal of perilous materials
The existing property is a former clothing factor and there is a possibility of hazardous
materials being on site. If these materials are disturbed uncontrollably, they may lead to
hazardous exposures for demolition or contractor employees, contaminate the new building to be
constructed on site, result to regulatory violations or cause other safety, health and environmental
risks. These materials may be building materials or material that may have been used in the
previous production processes of clothes. Some of these materials may include building
materials containing asbestos, synthetic mineral fibre, copper chromium arsenate, lead based
paint, silica, mercury, chlorofluorocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (Baldwin,
2016). Any of these hazardous materials will be identified in the building or on site, their
conditions and exposure hazards/risks evaluated, applicable federal, state and local regulations
determined, and they will be removed and disposed using acceptable methods.
3. Demolition Method and Equipment
There are different demolition methods, each with unique requirements, costs, benefits and
challenges. This being a single storey factory, the chosen demolition method is high reach arm or
the conventional top down method. This method has been chosen by considering the location of
the building to be demolished, the purpose of demolition, the main building materials and how
the debris will be disposed. The main equipment to be used in the demolition process include:
hydraulic excavator, jack hammers, sledge hammer, drill, oxyacetylene torch, etc. Some of the
equipment are shown below (Kumar, 2016). A long demolition or pusher arm consisting of a

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telescopic boom will be fitted on a base machine (hydraulic excavator). A hammer will be
attached to the pusher arm’s end and used to break up the building (Rodriguez, 2018). Waste
materials will be hauled from the site to the identified landfill using articulated trucks. The
building will be demolished from the top down.
Figure 1: Hydraulic excavator fitted with a hammer (NPK Construction Equipment, 2015)
Figure 2: Jack hammer (Kumar, 2016)
Figure 3: Sledge hammer (Kumar, 2016)

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Figure 4: Drill (Kumar, 2016)
Figure 5: Oxyacetylene torch (Alamy, (n.d.))
The large elements of the structure removed by the machine will be carefully placed in a
designated area where a special ground crew will be breaking them down into small pieces and
sort them out for reuse, recycling and disposal. A bucket will be fitted on the hydraulic
excavator’s arm to carry the debris to the designated area for sorting, as shown in Figure 6
below. The crew will break down concrete manually using jack hammers and they will cut
reinforcements using oxyacetylene torch.

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Figure 6: Excavator with a bucket (Aarush, 2018)
4. Site Preparation
Before commencement of actual demolition works, the site will be prepared to ensure
efficient and safe operations. The site shall be hoarded using plywood sheets nailed on timber
rails (as shown in Figure 7 below) and over 4 m high scaffolds installed with each scaffold
having at least one access point. Electricity, gas and water pipes to the site shall be disconnected
before commencement of actual demolition. Professionals will also address electrical wiring,
HVAC units and plumbing pipes in the existing building. Storage areas for wastes to be reused
or recycled and the ones to be disposed will also be identified. The perimeter around the property
to be demolished shall be clearly marked and taped off. Floodlights will also be fixed to ensure
that the area is adequately lit to facilitate operations during evening hours or at night. Any
combustible material shall be removed from the demolition site. Firefighting equipment shall be
installed on site and maintained in proper working conditions. An emergency exit route shall also
be provided on site to facilitate easy evacuation in case of an emergency. Last but not least, there
will be adequate signs placed at different locations on site to give directions or warnings.

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Figure 7: Timber hoarding (Collins On Fencing, (n.d.))
5. Training and Communication
All demolition workers, including equipment or plant operators and ground crew, shall be
trained about various tasks that they will be undertaking, plant and equipment to be used and
how to use them properly, potential hazards and job safety (Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, (n.d.)). They will also be trained about communication methods and channels in
case of any issues, such as safety hazards or accidents. The training will be done by the safety
manager.
6. Safety
Demolition is susceptible to various safety hazards and risks. Some of the hazards include:
falling from height, struck by falling materials, slips and falls, sudden collapse of the building,
exposure to noise, chemicals and dust, confined working space, collapse of demolition
equipment because of insufficient support, etc. (Bhuvaneswari, et al., 2017). This makes safety a
very essential element in any demolition work. It is the responsibility of the company to provide
safety for its workers. As a result, several measures have been put in place to ensure that the
demolition is undertaken in a way that guarantees safety of the demolition workers, nearby

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buildings or property and the public. Some of the safety measures that have been identified for
this work include the following:
6.1. Planning
The company has prioritized safety in this work to remove or minimize any hazards that are
associated with demolition work. This has been done through comprehensive safety planning,
which include the following: locating, relocating and securing nearby utilities such as water
pipes, drainage network and electricity wires; developing a fire prevention, protection and
evacuation plan; hiring a person responsible for emergency medical and first aid services; and
undertaking an assessment of possible health hazards associated with the demolition.
6.2. Personal protective equipment (PPE)
The demolition crew will wear appropriate PPE at all times. This includes head (hardhat),
face (masks), eye (goggles), hand (gloves) and foot (work boots) protection gear (HomeAdvisor,
2018), hearing protection (earmuffs), respiratory protection, personal fall arrest system (PFAS),
overalls and aprons, reflector jackets, etc. There will be adequate training on the suitable type of
PPE for use on each demolition, activity, how to use them and why to use them. No person will
be allowed on demolition site without appropriate PPE. There will be a safety manger on site to
ensure supply of appropriate PPE and total compliance to PPE requirements by the demolition
crew.
6.3. Training
The demolition crew shall be trained on various aspects of the work, such as how to choose,
use and store PPE, how to identify, remove/avoid and report hazards, and how to respond to an
emergency, including giving first aid and calling relevant persons or authorities. The training

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will be mandatory and undertaken by a qualified safety specialist in a language that is understood
by all workers.
6.4. Supervision
All demolition works shall be done under supervision of a qualified person. The company
will hire a supervisor who will be on site at all times to ensure that the demolition is carried out
in accordance with contract safety specifications.
7. Air, dust, noise and vibration pollution control
The demolition work is expected to cause air, noise and vibration pollution that may affect
the demolition crew, neighbouring community and the public. The company will minimize some
of these environmental impacts through the following methods:
Air and dust pollution: it is likely that a lot of dust will be produced from concrete
breaking, debris handling and hauling of debris on the site. The dust will be minimized using
water sprays, avoiding dropping materials from the height, and removing waste material from the
site as soon as possible before it starts getting blown by wind and creating dust. Air pollution
will also be minimized by avoiding burning any wastes on the demolition site.
Noise and vibration pollution: the demolition activities will also produce substantial noise
levels and vibration. The noise and vibration will mainly be created from use of powered
equipment when breaking structures and dropping debris (Jadhav & Dhawale, 2016). Some of
the strategies that will be used to minimize noise and vibration include: fitting effective exhaust
silencers on mechanical plant and vehicles, shutting down machines when not in use, and
avoiding dropping materials from height.

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8. Waste disposal and management
Waste is a major concern in the construction industry with stakeholders being required to
develop approaches of minimizing waste throughout the lifecycle of the project (Ameh & Daniel,
2013); (Reddy, et al., 2018). The industry generates large quantities of waste that need to be
managed properly to avoid negative social, economic and environmental impacts (Ghosh, et al.,
2016); (Najafpoor, et al., 2014). Developers and contractors are required to adopt
environmentally-friendly demolition approaches, such as waste minimization, so as protect the
environment (Liu, et al., 2008). The company recognizes that waste minimization and
management is essential in promoting environmental conservation and also reducing cost of
construction (Lu & Yuan, 2010).
All demolished materials will be sorted to separate those that can be reused or recycled and
the ones to be disposed of the site. Reuse and recycling of building materials helps in reducing
wastage and also has economic benefits where the materials can be used for new constructions
(Pranav, et al., 2015). After sorting and separating materials that can be reused or recycled, all
the remaining demolished building debris shall be loaded on trucks and transported to selected
landfills.
9. Demolition Checklist
The demolition checklist include the following:
No Description
1 Preliminary site inspection report
2 The site properly hoarded
3 The demolition area clearly marked and taped
4 The site properly lit and appropriate signs erected
5 Hazardous materials identified and removed
6 Appropriate equipment, plant and PPE provided
7 Demolition crew trained

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8 Electricity, gas and water supplies disconnected
9 Safety manager hired
10 Demolition method stated
11 Neighbouring residents informed about planned demolition work
12 Noise, air and vibration pollution under control
13 Storage area of waste material identified
14 Waste disposal method selected
15 Evacuation exit routes provided
16 Certificate of insurance of the contractor issued
17 Federal, state and local regulations followed
18 Demolition permit application form filled and signed
19 Demolition license of the contractor issued
10. Conclusion
This demolition plan is for demolishing the existing single storey former clothing factory to
give way for construction of a new two storey apartment block. The plan has been prepared to
ensure efficient and safe demolition work. Every element discussed in the plan has to be
implemented fully to achieve maximum results. If followed properly, the plan will help to
complete the demolition work in an environmentally-friendly and cost effective way and without
putting the safety and health of demolition crew, neighbouring community or the public at risk.