The word ‘demolition’ brings to mind images of a crane with a large ball tearing through an old building, or a perfectly executed implosion resulting in a pile of rubble and massive dust cloud. But these days, the emphasis is not on how quickly a structure can be demolished but on resource recovery, and demolition is being replaced by ‘deconstruction’.
 
Gone are the days when the only option was to ‘crunch and dump’ where a house, office block or warehouse was simply knocked over with heavy machinery and taken away to landfill. Sometimes this may still be the best option, however with a growing emphasis on resource recovery, recycling and re-use of materials, deconstruction enables a greater amount of material to be recovered in a manner which can then be re-used, either in a similar form or treated or re-manufactured into other usable products.
 
For an average brick veneer dwelling or “Queenslander” up to 90% of the total structure may be able to be recovered. Items recovered include bricks, concrete, timber and steel which are the most reusable products.
 
Fittings such as doors, windows, shelves, light fittings, plumbing, kitchens, gates, hot water systems, etc. can also be recovered. If you are planning a building or renovation project, why not check out your local demolition or second-hand yard or look for quality reusable products such as timber to create a striking feature in your home or office.
 
Of course, all deconstruction work should only be undertaken by a licensed professional. If you are planning a project, please ensure you engage a licensed demolition contractor and make sure you check their qualifications, experience and insurance.
 
If you are concerned about your project containing asbestos material, you should also check that your contractor is a licensed asbestos removalist or you may need to engage a specialist contractor to do this part of the job for you.

To check to see if a business holds a valid Licence to perform demolition work, you will need to contact Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) via phone on 1300 362 128 and speak to an operator or send an email via WHSQ website (www.worksafe.qld.gov.au) and click on contact us (on the top right hand side of the page). Please ensure to provide the name of the business under which they would have applied for a licence such as legal name and/or trading name as based on the information provided you will advised if the business hold a valid demolition or not.