Green demolition: Watch this skyscraper disappear floor by floor [VIDEO]

    By | Posted on | Michael Aynsley Posted in TECH, WATER COOLER

    Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka in Japan before demolition

    Japanese construction company Taisei Corporation has developed a building demolition process that’s far more quiet, healthy and environmentally friendly than traditional methods  involving wrecking balls or explosives.

    The disassembly process is called “Ecological Reproduction System” and we learn about it from Good.Is:

    “Using a crane, material from the interior of the building is removed,” explains Good.Is. “That includes beams, concrete, paneling, etc. In this way the process is kind of like a reverse assembly line, taking apart the structure bit by bit.”

    Basically, the building disappears floor by floor. And as the material is taken out, the company makes sure that anything reusable is recycled and repurposed. Even the energy generated by lowering the materials to ground level is used to offset overall CO2 emissions.

    “The movement of the crane generates energy, which can then be harnessed to power lights and other equipment. The other added benefit is that because the demolition is being done in an enclosed area, weather doesn’t become a factor, allowing for a more rapid disassembly time and dust is contained,” Good.Is explains.

    The green demolition process was recently used to take down Tokyo’s landmark Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka. What the impressive process here:

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    • http://twitter.com/TOBeachRealtor H. Peter Epstein

      So…Is the crane a section that covers and mimics the architectural shape of the building and all the work is carried out inside? Then just like self lowering construction cranes, the “crane” section is lowered to the next floor? What is the cost differential? How is the material removed from the building?