Merryhill are in the final stages of removing / demolishing a number of derelict former chicken sheds and a large barn in Surrey. The former agricultural buildings are being cleared to make better use of the space.

Primarily constructed from corrugated asbestos cement sheeting, the multiple buildings were in varying degrees of disrepair, including some which had already collapsed and become overgrown

Given the size of the plot and with it being relatively remote, Merryhill utilised our own 8-man welfare unit which remained on-site for the duration of the project.

Merryhill has worked on clearing the site of any asbestos cement contamination, picking through overgrown weeds and plants to remove all traces from those buildings which had already collapsed.

The barn remained intact, although in very poor condition. Merryhill also removed all asbestos cement sheeting from this building and carefully demolished the structure, separating all of the waste streams into separate skips.

In total, over 1000m2 of asbestos cement has been removed from the site and the land left completely cleared for our client.

Merryhill recently completed a major licensed asbestos removal project in Portsmouth. Brunel House had been left empty and in a state of disrepair for a number of years.

Following a redevelopment plan, the former office block is now planned to be converted into apartments.

Merryhill were contracted by the developer to completely decontaminate the rooftop plant room which was contaminated beneath paintwork with asbestos lagging residues.

As the room was going to be reconfigured and new penetrations made to the room could not simply be re-encapsulated, but required a full removal and decontamination.

The project posed unique challenges as the plant room was located on the 12th floor. This meant transiting waste harder than on the ground. Also, to reduce the length of the transit routes, Merryhill opted for the use of a modular decontamination unit to be built near the working area, rather than transiting to the ground.

Wet Blasting

Merryhill has carried out a number of similar projects recently where previously encapsulated walls and ceilings needed to be asbestos-free prior to demolition.

For large-scale projects such as this one where over 150m2 of walls needed to be cleaned, Merryhill uses a technique called wet-blasting.

All of our operatives are trained to use this technique where a blast media (fine grit) and water are used to remove any contamination from solid walls, floors and ceilings.

The technique is much more efficient that wire-brushing on larger projects and means that any fibres can be suppressed throughout the process as water is used. During the project, Merryhill carried out 6 separate personal monitoring results which all showed the technique was safely below the control limit.

Merryhill has recently completed a large licensed asbestos removal project at the former Victoria Cottage Hospital site in Emsworth, Hampshire.

Having been left vacant for some years, the site is now being redeveloped by Mountjoy to create a new GP facility for the local community.

Merryhill were contracted to the Demolition contractor for the project, a client we have worked very closely with over the past 12 months.

The project involved the removal of licensed asbestos, including asbestos insulation board and asbestos thermal insulation.

Merryhill has a huge range of experience and are able to carry out even the most demanding of projects. The thermal insulation (lagging) identified in the demolition survey was found throughout one of the buildings in various locations including floor ducts, pipe penetrations and residues to walls.

Merryhill have just concluded a large-scale asbestos removal project in Slough. Having begun on site in April, the project consisted of the complete removal of all asbestos materials from 7 separate buildings.

The multiple occupant site was being prepared prior to demolition and the area redeveloped.

Working for a tier 1 main contractor, Merryhill have removed the following asbestos types from all of the buildings:

• Asbestos Insulation Board – including vertical boxings, firebreaks, beam cladding, cavity closers and duct shuttering
• Asbestos cement – flues, sheeting, cladding and rainwater goods
• Asbestos ropes
• Asbestos-containing floor tiles
• Asbestos paper linings
• Textured coatings to walls, ceilings and rendered brickwork
• Asbestos-containing bitumen to floors and an external walkway

In addition to the asbestos, to facilitate the works, Merryhill also carried out a lot of soft-stripping to build our enclosures.

This included the removal of multiple layers of non-asbestos flooring, false ceilings, kitchen and bathroom fitted furniture and other decorative items such as ceiling baffles and ambient lighting.

Decontamination Service

Merryhill offer a wide-ranging service including hazardous waste removal and deep cleaning. One of the buildings contained animal waste and 7 separate areas required completely decontaminating. This work was able to be carried out by our teams and meant the client did not have to appoint another specialist contractor.

Merryhill have just concluded a large-scale asbestos removal project in Slough. Having begun on site in April, the project consisted of the complete removal of all asbestos materials from 7 separate buildings.

The multiple occupant site was being prepared prior to demolition and the area redeveloped.

Working for a tier 1 main contractor, Merryhill have removed the following asbestos types from all of the buildings:

• Asbestos Insulation Board – including vertical boxings, firebreaks, beam cladding, cavity closers and duct shuttering
• Asbestos cement – flues, sheeting, cladding and rainwater goods
• Asbestos ropes
• Asbestos-containing floor tiles
• Asbestos paper linings
• Textured coatings to walls, ceilings and rendered brickwork
• Asbestos-containing bitumen to floors and an external walkway

In addition to the asbestos, to facilitate the works, Merryhill also carried out a lot of soft-stripping to build our enclosures.

This included the removal of multiple layers of non-asbestos flooring, false ceilings, kitchen and bathroom fitted furniture and other decorative items such as ceiling baffles and ambient lighting.

Decontamination Service

Merryhill offer a wide-ranging service including hazardous waste removal and deep cleaning. One of the buildings contained animal waste and 7 separate areas required completely decontaminating. This work was able to be carried out by our teams and meant the client did not have to appoint another specialist contractor.

As a result of finding the additional ducts, Merryhill worked closely with the appointed analyst / surveyors to identify the extent of the duct system and carry out the necessary removal works.

In total, over 100 metres of duct were uncovered. Because the shuttering was below the concrete slab, care had to be taken when removing the AIB so as to minimise disturbance.

Once the liner had been removed, Merryhill then removed all debris from within the duct which was around 2 feet deep in some sections and carry out a complete decontamination.

Merryhill recently concluded a huge licensed asbestos removal project at the former Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot.

Originally opened in 1897, Louise Margaret Hospital is one of many buildings at the site in Aldershot which had been left derelict for over 20 years.

The site has recently bee acquired by Weston Homes as part of a £60m residential redevelopment scheme.

The contract which Merryhill won by competitive tender was to remove all asbestos identified from multiple surveys over the years. A very detailed pre-tender site inspection was carried out as not all areas of the building had been accessed by surveyors. This posed a degree of risk as the specification was to remove all asbestos containing materials from the building.

Upon a detailed site inspection, Merryhill had the confidence to bid for the work to our client, R Collard.

Since beginning on-site back in April, Merryhill have worked hard to remove over twelve 40-yard skips of licensed asbestos waste from the building.

Amongst asbestos insulation board (AIB), cement and other small areas, the largest and most complex part of the project was to remove asbestos thermal insulation from an undercroft, running below the whole of the main building.

At over 75 metres long with multiple lagged pipes and large amounts of debris to clear from the original dirt floor, the project required very careful planning.

Operations Manager for the project, Bryan Dart, commented, saying: “the Louise Margaret Hospital project was a huge success which showcased our ability as a company to carry out even the most challenging asbestos removal projects. As the building was in such poor condition when we arrived on site, there were a number of hurdles to overcome before we even began removing the asbestos.

Rotten and unstable floors were across most of the site which required propping to make access safe for our teams. Once secured, the huge job of clearing the undercroft began. With multiple pipes running the length of the building, these had been re-lagged on numerous occasions in the past with the debris just piled up beneath the floor. A huge credit to the team that carried out the works.”

Asbestos removal can be a difficult task in an unoccupied building, let alone a live working environment with adjacent offices in constant use. A recent asbestos removal project in Hampshire was just that.

The asbestos removal project in Hampshire involved the decontamination and removal of asbestos debris from seven rooms along a corridor prior to refurbishment. The concrete structural ceiling above a more modern suspended ceiling had once had asbestos insulation board (AIB) attached. Following an asbestos refurbishment survey, the ceiling void and modern grid system was found to have some AIB debris contamination.

The project required Merryhill to remove all the ceiling tiles, grid system and contaminated timbers above and environmentally clean the entire ceiling void area before the rooms could be reconfigured.

Works began by removing all of the ceiling tiles in each of the seven rooms, these were sprayed with a water surfactant mixture, prior to being wrapped in 1000-gauge polythene and disposed of as hazardous waste. The ceiling grid and lighting fixtures were cleaned and recycled for future use in the newly refurbished rooms once the asbestos had been removed. Upon removal of all suspended ceiling components and other items attached to the structural ceiling above, the contaminated timbers could then be removed.

Each of the timber battens were first encapsulated with ET150 paint and allowed to dry. This was to ensure any loose fibres were encapsulated prior to being pried away from the concrete ceiling above. All the contaminated timbers were placed on polythene sheets and sealed with cloth tape prior to disposal. Once all affected timbers were removed, each room then underwent a full environmental clean to remove any residual asbestos fibres.

Upon completion, the entire area was tested by a third party analytical company and a reoccupation certificate issued to the building owner.

In this project, Merryhill had to accommodate the needs of the client in ensuring some rooms on the opposite side of the corridor could be accessed during the works whilst ensuring adequate levels of segregation. Whilst this was not ideal as it made the working area slightly smaller, the enclosure was constructed in order to maintain access for workers and ensure our operatives could carry out the project in a safe manner.