Portland House and Milford House

Project Overview

MGL Demolition was contracted to undertake asbestos removal, full demolition, and site clearance of Portland and Milford House, two 10-storey blocks of flats in Middlesbrough.

The project involved the removal of both notifiable and non-notifiable asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), followed by a full soft strip of each floor. Concurrently, rock wool insulation and render were removed from the external faces of the tower blocks using an external MEWP for access. After the soft strip and removal of asbestos bitumen adhesive, the buildings were demolished using a high-reach excavator. Smaller machines were then used to process the debris and remove surplus material off-site.

Challenges

Given the project’s location at a main intersection in Middlesbrough, close to residential housing and live traffic, the project required careful sequencing and segregation of various tasks. Robust procedures were implemented to monitor and mitigate the impact of noise, dust, and vibration. A comprehensive logistics and traffic management plan was also put in place to manage the large volumes of material being transported on and off-site.

Safety and Sustainability

The existing lift shafts were used as internal chutes to safely remove materials from the buildings. The implementation of stringent safety measures and effective project management were crucial to the project’s overall success.

Summary

The project was successfully completed within the 28-week timeframe with the safe removal of hazardous materials and the efficient demolition of the high-rise buildings.