November 13, 2006

Professional Association

Stakeholders fight misconceptions about demolition

PETER KENTER

correspondent

Building demolition is commonplace, yet the industry is associated with major misconceptions. A prime example: despite the slow demise of the wrecking ball, the public still associates it with modern demolition efforts.

“It’s surprising how little people known about the role demolition contractors play in economic prosperity and redevelopment,” says Bill Moore, past president of the National Demolition Association, a trade organization representing more than 900 U.S. and Canadian contractors.

The association has compiled a list of the 10 most common misconceptions faced by the industry:

Myth 1: Demolition contractors primarily “blow up” buildings. “Implosions account for less than one per cent of all demolition work,” says Moore. “Sunday is typically a slow news day, and the few implosions that occur are primarily done early Sunday morning. The news programs run them over and over again.”

Myth 2: Demolition contractors destroy many structures that should be saved. “We’re not the ones who make the decisions,” says Moore. “But when the decision is made, somebody has to do the job right. We’re also the same contractors who go into a historic building for rehab. When the Rookery, one of Chicago’s oldest buildings, was being preserved, you couldn’t tell from the outside that anything was being done inside.”

Myth 3: Demolition contractors don’t participate in recycling efforts. “We’ve been salvaging materials for reuse before it was fashionable,” says Moore. “Reuse and recycling is the key to a successful demolition contract. If I can sell the lumber in a building for $2.5 million and my competitor can only get $500,000 for it, I get the job. We’re the original recyclers.”

Myth 4: Demolition contractors overcrowd landfills with debris. “The last thing we want to do is go to a landfill,” says Moore. “If I can sell a million square feet of carpet instead of paying to dump it by the truckload, I win. If I can fill a basement with crushed concrete, I will.”

Myth 5: Demolition is an unsophisticated business. “A successful demolition project requires a thorough knowledge of both construction and the law,” says Moore.

Myth 6: The methods of demolition never change. “The wrecking ball is going away, but like the image of barbers with the striped pole, it may never change.” says Moore. “As labour costs go up, our people are using more and more sophisticated equipment and less hand labour. Instead of cranes, we’re using excavators that work like a Swiss Army knife with different attachments.”

Myth 7: One demolition contractor is basically the same as the next. “Some of us specialize in small interior jobs, some in wrecking houses, some do a lot of environmental work, some do it all,” says Moore.

Myth 8: Demolition is dangerous business. “Everybody perceives our work as being dangerous, but it’s not,” says Moore. “Incidents in two industries get you on the front page — one is amusement parks and the other is demolition gone bad. Demolition practices today are not only quicker, but safer.”

Myth 9: Demolition is expensive. “Commercial demolition work usually costs less than two per cent of the replacement cost of a building,” says Moore. “It gets cheaper all the time, especially as the value of the building material goes up.”

Myth 10: Once a demolition project is completed, the property owner is no longer responsible for the property.

“Demolishing a building doesn’t change a property owner’s long-term responsibility,” says Moore. “The owner of the project is still responsible for long-term pollution or any legal liabilities associated with the site.”

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