Ravensworth Estate, Gateshead

Ravensworth Estate, Gateshead

Our first project for Gateshead Council saw us beating off stiff competition from national contractors. Our preferred method of demolition for this complicated project and vast previous experience gave Gateshead Council the confidence to move forward with Coleman & Company Limited.

The overall site was split into 3 phases allowing the client to manage the rehousing of residents and the disconnection of all the properties. The first phase of 12 properties, were completed successfully after a few difficulties with asbestos. Phase 2, the main bulk of the contract, consists of 196 flats within Derwent Tower and mixture of another 46 properties. The final phase completes the 78 week project, with the demolition of 20 properties.

Unfortunately, the project has had difficulties with asbestos contamination, but Coleman’s flexible approach to assist the client, and closely working with them and their supply chain, enable the client to carry out a full and complete assessment of the conditions of the building before it was agreed to carry out a full environmental clean of Derwent Tower. This flexibility and forward thinking approach has helped reduce the client’s risk to escalating costs.

30 Storey Derwent Tower

The main body of our work was in Derwent Tower, nicknamed “the Dunston Rocket”, as the 30 storey building needed to be deconstructed down to the 19th floor, using a tower crane; cantilevered scaffold and mini demolition excavators, before the Ultra High Reach (UHR) excavator could begin the systematic demolition of the remaining 52m high structure. Before the scaffolding could be erected from the 19th floor the tower had a full asbestos environmental clean followed by a soft strip. To aid all three of these trades; we introduced two access hoists the full height of the tower, 72 metres, and introduced a detailed programme allowing the sequence of trades to follow each other up the building.

1960's Architecture

The 1960’s reinforced concrete frame tower sits over a 3 storey caisson basement, which acts as the foundation for the superstructure. The building was built on the flood plain of the river Tyne. The very high water table means the caisson basement wants to uplift as the weight of the superstructure is reduced above. To combat this we have to back fill the basement with 5000 tonnes of inert material before we can complete the demolition of the bottom 11 storey.

The UHR demolition was restricted by two live building on two sides of the tower. One side is the Dunston Social Club within 20 metres; and the second side has a redundant 5 storey mix use building with a live electrical sub-station within 5 metres of the basement, all of which resulted in a detailed sequence of demolition.