MechChem Africa March-April 2021

SA’s safer and greener heavy industrial demolition contractor MechChemAfrica talks to Kate Bester, the contracts manager for Jet Demolition, about new equipment and methodologies being pioneered by the company for improved safety, reduced environmental impact, maximised material reuse and minimised site contamination. E stablished in 1994, Kate Bester says that Jet Demolition’s first project arose due to a sales pitch gone awry. “OurMD, JoeBrinkmann, haddevel - erations tokeepupwith local demandbut also toensure thatwemeet global requirements in terms of safety and the environment. There is a significant gap between what is acceptable locally and what is required internationally. We have decided that our business will be underpinned by the best of international standards and we steer everything we do towards this goal,” she adds.

oped a range of shaped charges for blasting. But when he went to see some mining clients with theobjectiveof selling charges andblast- ing services, he was informed that what they really wanted was someone to come in and take the entire plant away. “So, after looking at what was required and making some plans, he decided to give it a go, putting us on the path towards the demolition specialist we are today,” she tells MechChem Africa . “This first projectwas the industrial demo - lition of a plant on a mine and our expertise in this area has mushroomed ever since,” she continues. “We continuously develop new methods and add new techniques to our op-

as few people as possible in the demolition area by putting them inside more remotely operated machines. This significantly lowers risks and increases the safety profile of our projects,” Bester explains. Dust control, environmental impact, con- taminationmitigations, recycling and the safe disposal of all materials, including potentially hazardous ones, are other essential respon- sibilities offered as part and parcel of Jet Demolition’s turnkey project offering. “It’s a moving goal post, but we feel very strongly about all of these aspects and we are continuously looking for better ways of implementing demolition projects to world- class standards,” she says. Unlike many demolitions companies, Jet Demolition started in steel and diversified into brick and mortar. “Today, we are well known as the heavy industrial demolition specialist. We come to mines, petrochemical plants, power stations and processing facili- ties to remove redundant sections, usually to makeway for modernisation. Whenwe come in it is seldom the ending of a plant’s life. We are often working inside a fully functional plant, getting rid of the old to make way for the new. This adds another dimension with respect to risk and safety. We often need to accommodate ongoing plant operations and newplant construction, soproper interaction is required so that we don’t shut down any of the services that are or will be needed.” Modern equipment andmethodology pio- neeredby JetDemolition adds to the benefits of its turnkey approach. “We have mastered a cold-cutting technique that uses hydraulic shears attached to an excavator to cut the steel on plants being demolished. They work just like scissors but with an exceptionally high bite force from the 15 t shear, which can quicky cut through steel beams and sheets. This shear is able to piece 32 mm steel, and

Personnel safety, she says, is theoverarch- ing imperative, which can only be achieved by consistently using innovative techniques and focusing on mechanisation. “We keep people as far away as possible from potential harm by usingmodernmechanised equipmentwith specialised attachment and tools. “Historically, demolition was seen as a wrecking ball and cutting torch profession, and while both of these are still needed, we do demolition differently. We strive to have

The company has mastered a cold- cutting technique that uses hydraulic shears attached to an excavator to cut the steel on plants being demolished.

28 ¦ MechChem Africa • March-April 2021