The pro's of predemolition audits

The BRE have recently been commissioned to carry out a predemolition audit for Wellingborough Swimming Pool. The audit enables the local council to set demolition tender targets, implement a site waste management plan and maximise resource efficiency. ‘Using the information from the predemolition audit, we were able to exceed our targets for recycling site waste,' said Chris Pittman, Head of Policy, Partnerships and Property at the Borough Council of Wellingborough, ‘and achieve the high levels of resource efficiency we were looking for.'

The audit estimated the quantities of the different materials encased in the building and identified those materials that could be diverted for reuse and recycling. The waste hierarchy typically has four elements: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and as a last resort disposal.

The BRE audit identified the types of materials that would be generated by demolishing the swimming pool site - such as concrete, inert materials, metals and general waste - and calculated the quantities of each. The audit found that at least 95% of the overall weight of the materials was suitable for recycling, and that several fixtures and fittings, such as the security fencing, could be reused. The audit encouraged demolition contractors to use salvoWEB and SalvoMIE as a market place for the materials and the directory for a list of salvage yards who maybe interested in the reusable items.


BRE