Material reclamation on Woolwich Civic Offices demolition

Wates was project manager on the Woolwich Civic Offices scheme that involved the demolition of existing buildings to be replaced with new civic offices, library and integrated service delivery centre in Woolwich, London.

As part of the development to provide a new Civic Centre Wates was responsible for removing the existing buildings. The majority of the buildings were concrete frame with London Stock Brick walls and traditional slate roofs.

The client and project team were keen to promote sustainability throughout the project works and as part of Wates’ commitment to eliminating waste to landfill, the firm began to look for different options for managing the demolition program.

Key points

• Materials reclamation can be achieved safely with minimal impact on cost or program.
• Identify materials with reclamation value as early as possible.
• Work with your demolition contractor and emphasise the reclamation of materials in preference to recycling.