Re:Generation Edition 01
Feature Project
‘Doing anything this weekend?’
Skybridge (doesn’t) crash to earth
Race against the clock
You’d never know it was ever there
The pace of the work was as hot as the weather that bank holiday weekend. From 10pm on Maundy Thursday to 8am the following Tuesday, not a moment was wasted, day or night. Easter Saturday was used to strip the Skybridge of all its glass and cladding, as well as its roof. All internal finishes were removed and links to the buildings at either end cut, with concrete floors broken up. Easter Sunday morning saw a heavy duty telescopic mobile crane brought in for the lift of the 80 tonne Skybridge. However, the bridge’s lattice beam design meant it would buckle if just lifted. First a steel cradle needed to be welded around the frame, keeping it rigid as the crane lifted and lowered it onto a low loader. With the load made safe, it was escorted out of town to the General Demolition waste processing centre, where it was cut up and recycled.
Measures were taken to protect adjoining properties as well as to stone facings, floors and walls. The road was sheeted and protected – and all works made good. General Demolition also used reclaimed bricks to build a remarkable infill panel into the station, which perfectly matched the original 1836 building – disguising the fact that the Skybridge had ever existed. Needless to say, General Demolition maintained all incidental shoring, strutting, needling and other supports necessary to preserve stability of existing structures on the site or adjoining. It monitored all forms of environmental noise, dust & vibration limits and remained in regular communication with the Council’s Environmental Health Team. With swinging penalties in place for late completion, the Skybridge landed right on schedule – just as expected of General Demolition.
Going up in the world
Tooley St is pretty polished now, but it hasn’t always been so. In the 1930s George Orwell lived as a tramp in Tooley St. before writing his novel Down and Out in London and Paris. Perhaps that was why the developers of the smart Cotton Centre in the mid-1980s chose to create a skybridge that would connect London Bridge Station (which was once called Tooley St. Station) to its new 12 storey office, living and leisure complex – so that yuppies didn’t have to mix with the riffraff. But since then Tooley St has come up in the world, and the need for the Skybridge has dwindled. The area is thriving with shops, restaurants and exciting events – who’d want to bypass that? So, it was decided that the Skybridge’s days were over, and General Demolition was asked to bring it safely down to earth. Part of the A200, Tooley Street is one of Central London’s busiest roads, running along the South side of the River Thames. There was no question that the road would need to be closed to take down the Skybridge – but closing it would cause traffic chaos. And so, the long three-day Easter weekend of 2021 was chosen as the optimum moment for the work to take place. With military preparedness, the team at General Demolition had not just two of everything they needed but, given that all businesses would be closed during the works, they had one extra extra , just for luck. Ahead of the work GD liaised closely with Southwark Council, London Underground and Network Rail. It also provided regular updates to locals and businesses via newsletters and in-person visits and meetings.. Diversions were agreed and 24-hour traffic management put in place.
By comparison, the removal of two 10 tonne external escalators connecting the ground floor to the link bridge the following week was easy.
You’d never know it was there
15
Get in touch for more information. Email: enquiries@general-demolition.co.uk
Get in touch for more information. Email: enquiries@general-demolition.co.uk
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker