Cawarden was appointed by the main contractor Readie Construction to deliver the complex and extensive demolition and dismantling of two existing industrial buildings at the former Bison concrete manufacturing site following their relocation.

Combining state-of-the-art plant and specialist equipment, technical know-how, and a wealth of experience, Cawarden’s work involved the strip out, including the careful removal of many items of industrial plant such as cranes and hoppers.  Once removed, they were transported to other manufacturing sites to be used for many more years to come.

Local labour and an extensive army of specialist demolition machines tackled the main work which involved the structural demolition of the largest (18,310sqm) of the two industrial buildings, with all the materials, including thousands of tonnes of steel, sent for recycling.

In fact, staying true to our commitment to the environment, nearly 100% of all materials were either reused or recycled whilst our demolition machines were all powered by Green D+ HVO as a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to diesel.

The smaller building (4,665sqm) and its giant gantries, was carefully dismantled and relocated to another industrial site within the county.

All this helped to reduce vehicle movements in the area, deliver the principles of the circular economy, reduce waste and achieve meaningful carbon reduction.  

As soon as areas were clear, we set to breaking out the hardstandings, foundations and substructures down to a depth of three metres.  

After raising all the hard-core, it was processed on-site and stockpiled for later reuse by the client.  This process also involved testing, grading and chemical screening in line with WRAP Protocol.

The existing office block on the site remained, and we assisted with the renovation works by undertaking a full strip out back to the bare bones, including a number of walls that needed to be removed. Being the Swiss army knife we are, the site team installed structural elements to help with the removal of the internal walls.

The works were carried out in a phased approach with areas handed back to the client so that follow-on contractors could immediately begin construction in line with the tight programme. This, therefore, involved working alongside multiple trades on-site.

Our work ensured the site was expertly prepared and construction-ready to pave the way for one of the largest employment sites in the area whilst breathing new life into the brownfield site!