Deconstruction is at the heart of regeneration in Stafford Town Centre.
Recently, Peter Haddock caught up with Samuel Crooks, Director at Cawarden, on site where the team is deconstructing the old Guildhall Shopping Centre and market buildings.
Peter: “It’s a complex and carefully managed project that’s part of the biggest transformation of Stafford Town Centre in a generation.
And having been brought up in the town, I can certainly vouch for that.”
Talking about how the team is working on the project, Sam added:
“It’s not a matter of crash, bang, wallop, we’re deconstructing this structure bay by bay. We’ve had structural and demolition engineers on site to plan the sequence of works, making sure we take these buildings down safely and precisely.”
“Before a machine came to site, we started by looking at sequencing, access, welfare setup, and how to keep everyone working safely across different areas. It’s all about programming the job right from day one.”
At the heart of the operation is an impressive Komatsu Europe PC490 K100 high-reach excavator, working with a range of attachments including pulverisers, shears, and breakers.
It’s been tackling the reinforced concrete structures of the multistorey car park in particular.
Sam: “We pre-weaken some of the thicker concrete sections with breakers before pulverising them.
“And then we use our smaller machines, including DEVELON Europe and Volvo Construction Equipment excavators, to handle the processing, sorting and loading.
It’s a team effort from start to finish.” Peter: ”It’s certainly been interesting to watch on my walk to work.
“And I, like many other residents, am looking forward to seeing what developers bring to the ‘ready to build’ plots, which include a neighbouring co-op also deconstructed by the team.”