Atomic Demolishers Advises Booking Before Year-End Shutdown

Once November arrives, South African construction effectively starts counting down to the builders' break. Over December and early January many contractors, suppliers and municipal offices slow down or shut their doors, so projects that cannot get going before then often sit idle for weeks until the industry is back. Atomic Demolishers, a demolition and civils contractor with branches in Durban and Johannesburg, is urging property owners, developers and facility managers to have their demolition and site clearing done this month. That way the plot is ready for the new build when work picks up again in the new year.

Starting January with a cleared, levelled site puts a project well ahead of one where the old structure is still standing. Whether the plan is a new home, a bigger warehouse or a redevelopment, booking the demolition now can save weeks across the whole project.

The first step on any occupied plot

No new build on an occupied plot can start until the existing structure has been removed safely and completely. That means the building, its foundations, any hazardous materials and the debris left behind. Hold-ups at this stage delay every trade that follows, from earthworks and foundations through to the main contractor.

Atomic Demolishers covers all of this work. Its demolitions range across residential, light industrial, heavy industrial, civil, petrochemical and specialist projects. On the residential side, it clears unwanted houses and apartment buildings. Light industrial work includes warehouses and factories, and heavy industrial work takes in manufacturing plants and reinforced concrete foundations. Bridges, dams and towers fall under its specialist projects.

Over 60 years in the industry

Machinery is only part of what makes good demolishers. Atomic Demolishers brings more than 60 years of demolition experience and a record built on safety and reliability. Senior planners and project managers plan every job, shaping the approach around the site, the surrounding area and the client's timeline. The teams work to industry standards and best practice, health and safety procedures apply on every project, and a registered SACPCMP safety officer is part of the staff.

A large fleet backs up that planning. It includes excavators from 7 to 50 tons, on-road tippers from 6 to 30 cubic metres, bobcats, TLBs, crane trucks, grab trucks, and flatbed horse and trailers for moving heavy machinery. With hydraulic hammer attachments and mechanical shears fitted to its mobile plant, the team can take on a wide range of demolition work, and it is equipped to travel to job sites wherever needed.

Safe handling of hazardous materials

Asbestos can still be found in older South African buildings, usually in fibre cement roofing, cladding and pipes. Atomic Demolishers is registered with the Department of Labour as a service provider for the safe removal and disposal of asbestos fibre cement products. Building asbestos into the demolition plan from the start, instead of finding it mid-project, protects workers and neighbours and helps keep the job on time.

Taking the site past demolition

As the company also provides earthworks and civils, it can carry a site further than demolition alone. Its earthworks services cover excavations, layer works, compacting, stabilising and resurfacing. Demolition debris is turned into recycled crush for use in foundations and layer works, cutting both the volume sent to landfill and the amount of new material that needs to be brought in.

Skips can be hired on short or long term arrangements with prompt delivery and collection, and plant hire lets clients hire or lease equipment for their own crews. Scrap metal is cut and reclaimed, while reusable items such as timber, roof sheeting, windows, doors and paving blocks are salvaged and resold. The company runs what it calls the largest second hand building materials store in KwaZulu-Natal.

Keeping unattended sites safe

Over the holidays, sites are often left unattended for several weeks, and partly demolished or abandoned buildings can turn into a safety and security problem. Loose materials, open excavations and unstable walls endanger the public and invite theft and illegal dumping. Finishing the job and leaving a cleared, level site before the break lowers those risks and lets owners go away with peace of mind. Atomic Demolishers plans every job around the site and its surroundings, considering neighbouring properties, access for heavy machinery and safe debris removal, so the site is in a controlled condition once the work is complete.

Who benefits from booking early

Getting demolition done before December makes sense for homeowners who have bought an older property to rebuild, developers with sites waiting for construction, businesses replacing outdated warehouses and industrial clients decommissioning plant. The same goes for body corporates and landlords with damaged or condemned structures that should come down before the holidays, when sites are often left unattended.

Using experienced demolishing contractors also means owners deal with one point of contact for the entire clearing phase: demolition, hazardous material removal, debris crushing, skip hire and getting the ground ready for the next contractor.

Durban and Johannesburg branches

The company works from its Durban branch at 77 Chris Hani Road, Briardene, and its Johannesburg branch at 29 Perth Road, Westdene. Recent projects include bulk earthworks and civils around Umhlanga Ridge, along with resurfacing and driveway jobs involving clearing, levelling, resurfacing and paving.

Begin the new year with the ground ready

Only a few working weeks remain before the builders' break, and Atomic Demolishers is inviting property owners and developers to book site visits and quotes now. If the demolition is finished in November, the next phase can start as soon as the industry returns. Details of the company's services can be found at https://atomicdemolishers.com/.

About Atomic Demolishers

Atomic Demolishers is a South African demolition company with more than 60 years of industry experience and branches in Durban and Johannesburg. Its services include residential, commercial, industrial, civil, petrochemical and specialist demolition, as well as earthworks and civils, asbestos removal, plant hire, skip hire, debris crushing, scrap metal salvage and second hand building materials. It is a registered Department of Labour service provider for the removal and disposal of asbestos fibre cement products.