Beating top competition from the US, Canada and Australia, South African demolition specialist Jet Demolition of Randburg was crowned ‘Best of the Best’ at the World Demolition Awards (WDA) 2020, in addition to winning the Explosive Demolition category, in an online awards ceremony on 12 November.
Both awards were for the successful implosion of the 108-m-high, 31-storey Bank of Lisbon building in Johannesburg on 24 November 2019. This was not only the tallest reinforced concrete-frame building ever imploded by Jet Demolition, but also one of its most complex projects ever undertaken. Respected industry figure William Moore, one of this year’s judges, commented, “I think it was the toughest job ever entered!”
“I am grateful to the committee for selecting us. It was a very difficult project indeed, but a pleasing result. I must thank the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development for awarding us the project as well as all of our people who always give of their best,” says Jet Demolition Director Joe Brinkmann. “I was not expecting it, and it was a huge thrill. We are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to carry out such a once-in-a-lifetime project.”
Jet Demolition took the unusual approach of implosion, as opposed to top-down mechanical demolition, which Joe points out would have been much riskier and prolonged the project. “We had to look after many critical aspects. Managing the client’s expectations and requirements and keeping the neighbouring tenants on board was a huge undertaking in itself, in addition to coordinating with the police and emergency services over months prior to the actual implosion.”
It is the first time that Jet Demolition has won the ‘Best of the Best’ Award, placing it in the top tier of demolition experts globally. The Awards are part of the annual World Demolition Summit organised by KHL group magazine Demolition & Recycling International, in co-operation with the European Demolition Association and the National Demolition Association of the US. It is the top industry event for the demolition industry globally.
In 2019, Jet Demolition won in the Recycling and Environmental category for the safe decontamination and demolition of three redundant gold and uranium complexes. In 2018, it won in the Industrial Demolition Category for the demolition of a coal-fired boiler and ancillary equipment at Duvha Power Station in Mpumalanga. In 2017, it won for its innovative implosion of the 14-storey HG de Witt Building in Pretoria.
As for the future, Joe reveals that the project pipeline halted by the Covid-19 pandemic is slowly starting to become active again. “Those projects are piling up and we are ready for them.” Not content to rest on its laurels, Jet Demolition is currently pursuing work in the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Chile. This follows successful projects undertaken in India, Indonesia and across Africa.
Jet Demolition is not only the leading demolition specialist in Africa, but the most technically-advanced as well. It has a fleet of 34 specialised demolition excavators and 44 additional items of plant, ranging from skidsteer loaders to tractors, telescopic handlers and articulated dumpers. It also has over 65 hydraulic attachments and a range of mechanical attachments.
Jet Demolition is a technically-based company, with various staff members holding MSc, BSc, and BTech Degrees, as well as National Diplomas, in various engineering fields. This expertise gives it the technical foundation to successfully engineer solutions for large and complex demolition projects, and furthermore fuels its drive to deliver quality projects safely. Jet Demolition strives to offer its clients innovative and technical solutions to demanding demolition challenges.
Jet Demolition
Kate Bester
Tel: (011) 495-3800
Email: kate@jetdemolition.co.za
Web: www.jetdemolition.co.za
