L2B Blog: The Year in Review – 10 Best Blog posts from 2017

If you have missed any of our blog posts this year, here is a monthly review of some of the best blog posts from 2017, depicted from your traffic volume:

 

 

 

The booming growth of “Commercial Construction & Renovation” happening in  South Africa.

Written By: Sasha Anderson

Publication date: 30 January 2017

Page Views: 82

Unique Page Views: 35

Average Time spent on the blog: 38 seconds

 

 

 

 

Enhance your fishing abilities to entice the big fish businesses through “Mastering the art of cold calling, tips for successful B2B Sales

Written by: Karen Garner-Savory

Publication date: 09 February 2017

Page Views: 256

Unique Page Views: 111

Average Time spent on the blog: 30 seconds

 

 

 

 

 

Providing a creative remedy for tedious daily tasks with “Innovations In Smart Home Technology

Written by: Marlaine Andersen

Publication date: 09 March 2017

Page Views: 119

Unique Page Views: 58

Average Time spent on the blog: 52 seconds

 

 

 

 

 

 

Racking your brain on the universal human need for shelter. “What is the importance of appointing an architect?

Written by: Claire Donaldson

Publication date: 13 April 2017

Page Views: 124

Unique Page Views: 48

Average Time spent on the blog: 35 seconds

 

 

 

 

 

The never-ending roadworks that we find ourselves in “Potholes and Pitfalls in civil engineering contracts

Written by: Bianca Warwick

Publication date: 11 May 2017

Page Views: 108

Unique Page Views: 67

Average Time spent on the blog: 03 Minutes and 04 Seconds

 

 

 

 

A quirky and yet vital list of “10 (or 11) tips for recruiting great Project Managers

Written by: Michelle Hosford

Publication date: 15 June 2017

Page Views: 110

Unique Page Views: 50

Average Time spent on the blog: 02 Minutes and 51 Seconds

 

 

 

 

 

Finding a favourable balance in room temperature to get the ‘ka-ching’ light bulb. “Why air conditioning can increase productivity

Written by: Jackie Van Zyl

Publication date: 13 July 2017

Page Views: 273

Unique Page Views: 112

Average Time spent on the blog: 01 Minute and 147 Seconds

 

 

 

 

 

Quenching the thirst with tools pertaining to water preservation with “Waste Water Management

Written by: Angelique De Freitas

Publication date: 24 August 2017

Page Views: 264

Unique Page Views: 114

Average Time spent on the blog: 01 Minute and 53 Seconds

 

 

 

 

 

Dealing with the complexities of preserving the environment for our future generations through “Sustainable construction with 3d Modelling

Written by: Tamika Mays

Publication date: 14 September 2017

Page Views: 198

Unique Page Views: 83

Average Time spent on the blog: 32 Seconds

 

 

 

 

 

 

Knocking down barriers without leaving a mess and extra work. Here is a guide on “How to demolish a wall the right way

Written by: Julia Smit

Publication date: 12 October 2017

Page Views: 170

Unique Page Views: 75

Average Time spent on the blog: 29 Seconds

 

 

 

We believe that each and every one of our informative blog posts making the above list and being accidentally left out, have allowed you to walk with an insurmountable amount of knowledge, filling out the gaps and providing answers to the questions you may have been too shy to ask.

May the forces be with you.

About Andile Shange

I'm a Software Developer at Leads 2 Business since 02 June 2014.

Did you Know #DYK: Demolitions gone wrong

posted in: Did You Know 0

One of the earliest documented attempts at building implosion was the 1773 raising of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Waterford, Ireland with 150 pounds of gunpowder, a huge amount of explosives at the time. The use of low-velocity explosive produced a deafening explosion that instantly reduced the building to rubble.

There is no actual date when demolition started and how they had demolished castles and other types of structures, but in our times we see demolition every day. I was under the impression you plant your dynamite, press your button and BOOM! Not knowing how much knowledge is required for demolishing a structure, or the different types of demolishing techniques there are. For instance, for smaller houses or small buildings large hydraulic equipment, cranes and bulldozers can be used. Large buildings, bridges, tall chimneys and smokestacks can be demolished with explosives. A new approach to demolition is the deconstruction of a building with the goal of minimizing the number of materials going into landfills, this is called the “green” approach. This is applied by removing the materials by the specific type of materials and segregating them for reuse or recycling. The Japanese company Kajima Construction has developed a new method of demolishing buildings which involves using computer-controlled hydraulic jacks to support the bottom floor as the supporting columns are removed. The floor is lowered and this process is repeated for each floor. This technique is safer and more environmentally friendly and is useful in areas of high population density.

However interesting demolition is, if not done correctly the outcome can be devastating. In fact, any error could be disastrous as it could severely damage neighbouring structures. Flying debris could harm onlookers, a building that fails to collapse completely may be unstable and could be difficult for workers to approach and then of course air overpressure that occurs during the implosion. If the sky is clear, the shock wave (a wave of energy and sound) travels upwards and disperses, but if cloud coverage is low, the shock wave can travel outwards, breaking windows or causing other damage to surrounding buildings. In regards to this, let’s take a look at some demolitions gone wrong:

 

2013 Philadelphia building collapse

On 05 June 2013, a building undergoing demolition collapsed onto the neighbouring Salvation Army Thrift Store at the southeast corner of 22nd and Market Streets in Centre City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, trapping a number of people under the rubble. The store was open and full of shoppers and staff. Six people died and fourteen others were injured. The construction contractor, Griffin Campbell, an excavator operator, Sean Benschop, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and other charges. They were found guilty of manslaughter, and Campbell and Benschop received prison sentences of 15 years to 30 years, and 7.5 years to 15 years, respectively.

On 12 June 2013, Ronald Wagenhoffer, the 52-year-old City Department of Licenses and Inspections inspector responsible for inspecting the demolition site, was found dead in his truck with a gunshot to the chest. His death was ruled a suicide.

 

Royal Canberra Hospital implosion

   

 

The Royal Canberra Hospital implosion was a failed building implosion that killed one person and injured nine others. The implosion occurred on 13 July 1997, when the city’s superseded hospital buildings at Acton Peninsula on Lake Burley Griffin (that formerly constituted the Royal Canberra Hospital) were demolished to make way for the National Museum of Australia. The main building did not fully disintegrate and had to be later manually demolished. But far worse, the explosion was not contained on the site and large pieces of debris were projected towards spectators situated 500 metres away on the opposite side of the Lake, in a location that nobody considered unsafe or inappropriate. A twelve-year-old girl, Katie Bender, was killed instantly, and nine other people were injured. Large fragments of masonry and metal were found 650 metres from the demolition site.

 

In cases of demolition gone wrong, these demolition failures did not only cause destruction to near surrounding buildings or the loss of reputations, but the cost was so much more, the cost of lives.

In order to practice the phenomenal art of demolishing, one must always have the necessary qualifications and truly know their story.

 

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_implosion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demolition#Manual

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_implosion

Canberra Hospital image

Canberra Hospital Memorial stone image

Philadelphia building collapse image

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About Jackie Thomas

I started working for Leads 2 Business in February 2017. I work in the Daily Tenders division where we source and capture daily tenders for our subscribers. It is an absolute pleasure being a part of this Company and I look forward to being apart of this company for many years to come.

L2B Blog: How to demolish a wall the right way

So when I got my topic for our blog I thought to myself, how am I supposed to know? Well seeing as though we’re in the Industry and get to work with the Pro’s on a daily basis, why not ask them how they do it? I reverted to my client Mr Brenton Bokelmann from Supa Diggers. With his great sense of humour, his first response was “drive the machine through the wall”

Please note, it is imperative to use the proper tools. Employ care when demolishing the wall to steer clear of injury. Wear the relevant PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as safety glasses, a dust mask, heavy duty gloves and safety boots.

First things first! Everyone dislikes a mess and extra work, so best you clear out the room or the area where the wall is and place a plastic covering for minimal cleanup time and effort.

Knowledge of the simple basic construction craftsmanship and knowledge with power saws and power hammer drills is convenient when demolishing the type of brick wall found in and around a home in South Africa.

For your regular buildings, such as houses, that are one, two or three stories high, demolition is quite an effortless process when you don’t have close by buildings etc. The wall is pulled down either physically or by using yellow hydraulic equipment: cranes, bulldozers or excavators.

Size Matters! If you have a neighbour to bear in mind and don’t necessarily want your debris lying in their dining area, break down the wall piece by piece ensuring the wall doesn’t come down all at once, causing damage to surroundings. Begin by measuring and marking the area of the wall you want to be removed, doing this you create a breaking point for your wall. Score over the said marks with a utility blade that is sharp. This prevents unwanted wall breaking or being demolished in error. Then slowly take it down piece by piece Either with your sledgehammer or excavator depending on size.

If it is a load-bearing wall, in other words, it keeps the roof in place, best you be ready to first remove the roofing in that specific area.

“A brick wall is as easy as pushing it over with an excavator and when it falls it breaks into manageable sizes so that you can move the debris,” Brenton says. If the wall has items such as electrical cables, plumbing or gas lines you will require a professional to come out and give the relevant permissions for you to be able to go ahead.

Final step, remove and dispose of all debris from the demolition in a safe and responsible manner

Thank you for reading my blog, please subscribe to receive our Building and Construction News e-mails which include the blog articles, for more amazing industry related blogs by my dearest colleagues.

 

Sources:

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/demolish-brick-wall-23306.html

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/make-and-decorate/decorating/how-to-basic-wall-demolition

Brenton Bokelman from Supa Diggers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demolition

About Julia Smit

I am 25 years of age and a Dynamic entrepreneur who utilizes creativity, leadership and teamwork to design and execute solutions that create customer value. I am an effective communicator with the ability to create a prospective customer into an actual customer. Experienced professional with planning and organizational skills that balance work, team support and ad-hoc responsibilities in a timely and professional manner. I am a New business development executive with 6 years of experience in sales, customer care, business growth and expansion. I take my career at Leads 2 Business very serious am super passionate about what we do.