Case Studies

Internal strip out works and asbestos removal works: Norfolk House West, Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK9 2AH

Norfolk House is a 4 storey office building of 64,976 sq ft. With its sister building Ashton House, it forms part of Affinity, a modern office development located in Central Milton Keynes Business District. Budget hotel business easyHotel plc plans to open a 124-room £8.7million hotel in Milton Keynes by mid-2019. Planning permission has been secured to convert the west wing of the four storey Norfolk House for a 124-bed boutique hotel.

Dorton Group secured the strip out contract through two-stage tendering. The scope of works included:

• The removal of asbestos contaminated materials
• Utility disconnections
• The complete internal strip out back to the concrete shell of the former office building. Works included soft strip of all wood, plastics etc and hard strip removal of all internal screeds, plaster to walls, ceilings and non-structural walls.
• the removal of mechanical and electrical installations including plant rooms, lifts and lift motor rooms and roof plant.
• Noise and vibration monitoring due to the live offices occupying the east wing of Norfolk House and its sister building Ashton House.

The biggest challenge was noise reduction during office hours. This was adequately and efficiently managed utilising amongst others the following practices:

• Using tyres on all floors to deaden the sound of falling materials
• Employing electric medium duty breakers as opposed to diesel heavy duty breakers
• Restricting noisy works to early mornings before the arrival of office workers and and late evenings on their departure.
• Working weekends

Open communication was maintained at all times. The project was delivered safely, with no incidents or injuries recorded, within programme and on budget.

The total tonnage of demolition waste produced was:

• Hardcore for recycling: 20 tons
• Plasterboard for recycling: 22.82 tons
• Rubbish to waste transfer station: 82.54 tons
• Metal scrap for recycling: 28.13 tons
• Zero Waste: ‘Nil to Landfill’.