0:00:06 > 0:00:10Britain is being destroyed.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Day after day, it's being torn apart.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15You're looking at an hour, two hours for a house to go,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18and then that's it, done and dusted.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Filmed over 12 months, these are the men
0:00:22 > 0:00:27and women taking on the biggest demolition jobs in the country.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Once you've done this job, there's nothing else.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Not for a working lad, anyway.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36- Better than sex.- All right, so...!
0:00:36 > 0:00:40KLAXON BLARES
0:00:40 > 0:00:44This is the inside story of the billion-pound demolition industry.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Not much of a bridge now, is it, eh?
0:00:47 > 0:00:50It's about eight grands' worth of scrap.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53It's a world of dynamite and destruction
0:00:53 > 0:00:57that's changing the face of the UK for ever.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Here we go! Show-time!
0:01:03 > 0:01:04Tonight...
0:01:06 > 0:01:09..work starts on one of the most technically demanding
0:01:09 > 0:01:10demolitions ever.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15We've never done one as high, as close to the railway.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18This type of thing has never been done before.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22The stage is set for one demo man to bring down the house.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24That's the end of the theatre.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27There's only one show in town now, and that's mine.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32And the threat of history repeating itself looms large.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34There's no text books.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37So it's finding that balance between putting enough in for the
0:01:37 > 0:01:40building to come down and not putting too much in,
0:01:40 > 0:01:41that it flies everywhere.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Three, two, one, fire now.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Lovely. Bang on!
0:02:04 > 0:02:06There are hundreds of demolition companies
0:02:06 > 0:02:11currently operating across the UK, but only a fraction are allowed
0:02:11 > 0:02:14to work in the high-profile world of explosives.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Hugely secretive and heavily legislated,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22the Health and Safety Executive and the police
0:02:22 > 0:02:25govern every aspect of its use, including storage.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30What we have, primarily, is nitroglycerin-based explosives.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36It's a secret location, incognito, for obvious reasons.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Within these small bunkers, is enough explosives to
0:02:41 > 0:02:44bring down the Houses of Parliament, so it's fitted with a complex
0:02:44 > 0:02:50alarm system, wired directly to a fully armed police response unit.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Dominic Ogden is a card-carrying explosives man
0:02:53 > 0:02:56and a member of one of the most trusted families in the business.
0:03:01 > 0:03:02There is probably about ten of us
0:03:02 > 0:03:06in the UK that do these sort of works.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08I think we've got a good name in the industry.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10My father was certainly well known in the industry.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13We used to go on jobs at the weekend blowing bunkers down,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15coal bunkers down and things like that.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20That's all I ever wanted to do from leaving school, go into demolition.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22If I blow it there and there,
0:03:22 > 0:03:23it's liable to crack up there.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Do you understand what I mean?
0:03:26 > 0:03:29The brothers will soon take on one of the most precarious
0:03:29 > 0:03:30jobs of their careers.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Before then, they need to bring down this water tower.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37So, if I leave them in and blow them out, it is going to
0:03:37 > 0:03:41pivot about there. That's the plan.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42All right?
0:03:42 > 0:03:44We still get a big buzz out of it,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46get a big kick out of bringing something down.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I think that should be just about hitting floor by the time
0:03:49 > 0:03:50that second one goes off.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Or it's already moving. Once it's moving, it's moving, isn't it?
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Everybody's frightened of explosives,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58but when you're used to using it,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00it's very safe, in the right hands.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02That'll get rid of it, won't it?
0:04:02 > 0:04:04It's a team effort.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07We need eyes and ears on the site, he can't do everything.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- I trust my brother with my life. - And vice versa.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14We get on well.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18Like I say, it's given us a good living, so it's been all right.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Four decades on from blowing up bunkers with their dad...
0:04:25 > 0:04:28KLAXON SOUNDS
0:04:28 > 0:04:31..the company is now in demand across Europe,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33turning over £3 million a year.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- But their business relies on achieving the same result.- Fire.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Brilliant.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51Fantastic.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52We're getting better.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Now the Ogdens are taking on one of the most demanding jobs
0:05:03 > 0:05:06in 40 years as professional demolition men.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12This '60s office block was recently vacated by Doncaster Council.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18A municipal park is planned for the site.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20So, their team are going to explosively
0:05:20 > 0:05:24demolish its 12 storeys of reinforced concrete and steel.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28But it's bang in the centre of town.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Neighbouring buildings are just 10-15 metres away.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37We've got some vulnerable people there in the Beechfield Centre.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39They're getting evacuated.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43And then we've got our Sikh temple at the bottom here.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47They've had to push back a wedding for us, the Sikh temple,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51because, apparently, Sikh weddings go on for about three or four days.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55He's been very accommodating, the Sikh temple man. Very accommodating.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01It's a lot to pull together. It's a big high-profile job for us.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03A lot of contracts will ride on this in the future,
0:06:03 > 0:06:08so, you know, it's very prestigious.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18The Ogdens have carried out hundreds of demolitions.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Don't stop. You're doing a cracking job.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24You're a belter, you're doing a belting job.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26But despite their many years in the business,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28with such a huge structure to detonate
0:06:28 > 0:06:30so close to other buildings,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32reinforcements are needed.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35OK, so you're all right on this floor? Finish the wrapping.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- Happy, happy?- Happy, happy, happy. - Happy, happy.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42They've enlisted an internationally renowned explosive veteran,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Captain Dick Green.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46I've been doing this now... I was 25 years in the military
0:06:46 > 0:06:47working with explosives.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50In the last 20, I've been doing tower blocks.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53I don't get excited about it and I don't get complacent.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Dick wants 800 holes to be drilled
0:06:57 > 0:07:01and filled with explosives in the walls and columns of the building.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06This is your old-school plastic dynamite.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08He'll handle the majority himself.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12It's nitroglycerin-based explosives,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14so you get it pooling in the bottom of your body
0:07:14 > 0:07:16and you end up with what they call a "jelly head"
0:07:16 > 0:07:19- which is a stinking headache. - You've had that?
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Have you ever had it, John?
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Jelly head? Just about every job.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33Dick's plan is to blast columns on four of the 12 floors.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37The rest of the building should collapse under its own weight.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39But the strength and timing of the explosions
0:07:39 > 0:07:41will determine success or failure.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46The front and central part of the building will be blown first,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50followed by the rest of the columns on the blast floors.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53If all goes to plan, the whole building will collapse inwards
0:07:53 > 0:07:56and fall forwards into the target area.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01If not, it could fall backwards, crushing the buildings behind.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08A lot of the people that come to watch these blowdowns,
0:08:08 > 0:08:13come because they want to see things go wrong.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Many years ago, we did a building that was
0:08:16 > 0:08:20similar in construction to the offices in Doncaster.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23The same in shape and size and column size.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25It was called St Vincent's Hospital and it was in Dublin
0:08:25 > 0:08:28and we did everything we thought was right and we fired the button.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31It started to come but before it came over,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33it stopped before it got to its centre of gravity,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36so, we had what we call a stand-up, in the industry.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42You can imagine, in the middle of Dublin,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45the sort of banter that was coming back at us from the crowd
0:08:45 > 0:08:48when the building didn't come down as predicted.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Dick had to send in the excavators
0:08:54 > 0:08:56to pull down the remains of the building.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59An expensive and potentially dangerous delay.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02If it doesn't come down, it's egg on your face
0:09:02 > 0:09:04and it costs you a bit of money.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07If it does come down and it damages a property,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10it's hard to accept, it costs money, but you can rectify it.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12At the end of the day,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15the main priority of every explosives engineer,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18is to bring it down safely with nobody getting hurt.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22If things go wrong for Dick and the Ogdens,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26they could make headlines for all the wrong reasons.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28KLAXON SOUNDS
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Fire now.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35But for every firm like theirs, grabbing attention in the noisy
0:09:35 > 0:09:38and spectacular field of explosive demolition,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42there are 100 more, often ignored by the public,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45working on small jobs behind screens on our streets.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Don't be skidding about on there because there's wire
0:09:54 > 0:09:56- and you'll pop them- BLEEP- tyres.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Paul Johnson has worked in the industry for over 30 years.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02In this massively competitive market,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05he built up his Preston-based firm from nothing.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Now, it's worth £3.5 million.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12The recession's made things very difficult.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16The price of plant machinery has gone up by 40-odd percent.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Diesel has gone up by, you know,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24diesel has gone up about 20% in the last three or four years.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26There's not as much work about.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31The last thing a demolition bloke wants in his yard, is his diggers.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Your diggers want to be out on-site, working.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35We're being squoze,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37we're squoze on every front.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Rates need to go up but they won't,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41because if you don't do it, the next man will.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45That's the bloody circle we get in sometimes.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49We've got to do jobs with hardly any money in them just to keep going.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52With jobs hard to come by and pressure on margins,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55contractors have to look for other ways to make money on the job.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Sometimes you'll get a bit more scrap,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59so you're better off with that.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01I think that is one of the good things about demo,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04there is always the chance of a few extras
0:11:04 > 0:11:06or a bit of scrap and a bit more scrap.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09In the last few years, the price of copper went through the roof.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12That's worth about 1,500 quid a tonne.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15In that crate there, there'll be a good tonne.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20All demo men like a bit of copper, let me tell you, lad.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23A bloke once said to me, "You might not end up a millionaire,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25"but now and again, you'll live like one."
0:11:25 > 0:11:29When you find a little bit of treasure that everyone has forgotten
0:11:29 > 0:11:32about and you get, that's a good do. But it's not all treasure.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36It's not all jet skis and bum jobs.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43It's day one for Paul's team
0:11:43 > 0:11:47and a five-acre school site in Croxteth, Liverpool.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52Two months ago, he viewed the grounds and tendered for the job.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56He won it by putting in an offer that could make him a loss,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59gambling on finding enough valuable scrap to make the job pay.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Belting! Knocking a school down! Who liked school, really? Come on!
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Everyone would love to knock a school down, wouldn't they?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09I've knocked loads of them now. I've done 70.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14Now, he's got 20 men and three of his biggest excavators on-site
0:12:14 > 0:12:16and they all cost money.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19We're getting paid £190,000 to demolish the school.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24You've got your labour, you've got your plants.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26The biggest thing, though, is the rubbish.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29There's plenty of rubbish on this job.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35I estimate there's 80 40-yard bins at 800 quid a time,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37so I'll have a 50-grand rubbish bill.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Scrap steel is what Paul hopes will save him from losing money.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46You can sell it on for up to £200 a tonne.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51There are 15 buildings on-site to demolish,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55built over the last 50 years, each constructed differently.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58But Paul has pinned his hopes on the theatre
0:12:58 > 0:13:02where he believes a big chunk of his steel is hidden.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07I need to get, out of this job, 300 tonne of steel.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12This theatre building is steel,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15so I'm hoping intuition and experience tells me,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19balls on the line, with a bit of luck and a fair wind behind me,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I just might scrape 100 tonne out of this one.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25The rest of the job, this is only part of it,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29there'll be another 200 tonne of bits and pieces.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31I'm hopeful that the steel will pay the waste bill,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33then I might make a little bit of money
0:13:33 > 0:13:35and it will only be a little bit.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- Do you think we'll get 100 tonne? Truth.- No.
0:13:40 > 0:13:41Oh, be a bit positive!
0:13:41 > 0:13:47- No, I'm positive. - What do you think we'll get?- 60.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52To reveal Paul's treasure,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56the excavators need to do their work. Every penny counts on this job
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and he's not going to let them stand idle.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03I have two drivers off, so I'm going to have to jump on the digger
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and do a bit. I've got to say, I'm a bit rusty.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10- You're a- BLEEP- tool, aren't you? You!
0:14:12 > 0:14:14How am I going to get in there now?
0:14:16 > 0:14:18- I'm fifty- BLEEP- two!
0:14:18 > 0:14:21You park it so you can get out on the track.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35He's holding the job up now, in his own little way
0:14:35 > 0:14:37but I think he's having a bit of fun.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40If you're on the job and you say,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44"There's plenty of scrap on here, Paul, there is never enough,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47"there is never enough." That's in our heads, there's never enough.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53But, it's Paul's reputation and bank balance that are on the line.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55And, as the building comes down and more
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and more of its construction is revealed...
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- Doesn't seem as much...- BLEEP.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04He's spotted what he hoped he'd never uncover on this job.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09They are worst girders known to mankind.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Bloody great big bloody holes in them.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Castellated bloody girders!
0:15:13 > 0:15:15What a load of bloody crap!
0:15:15 > 0:15:18For each one of them circles, I'm losing kilos
0:15:18 > 0:15:20and I need kilos on this flipping job.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24If the first day is a sign of things to come
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and the remaining buildings reveal scrap of equally poor quality...
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Where's all that copper gone? There?
0:15:32 > 0:15:35..this job could end with serious losses for Paul.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48In Battersea, south London, one of the biggest
0:15:48 > 0:15:51companies in British demolition is preparing to begin work
0:15:51 > 0:15:55on one of the most technically challenging jobs it's ever tackled.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Straight in without a problem, mate.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Paul Cooper, project manager for Birmingham-based Coleman & Company,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07has had his team on-site since 5am
0:16:07 > 0:16:10waiting for a mobile crane to arrive.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12It's worth £2.5 million,
0:16:12 > 0:16:17weighs 96 tonnes and is only allowed to drive on London roads at night.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20It has to have the traffic route planned with the police
0:16:20 > 0:16:23and it needs to get in before, well,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26before seven o'clock in the morning,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28because of London traffic.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32A lot of planning gone into it. Months and months.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35We've had approval from Network Rail to lift next to the railway line,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37so we just want to get on with it, really.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40It's going to be a long day.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Supporting Paul is site manager Clive Shearing.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48His job is to take his boss's master plan
0:16:48 > 0:16:51and communicate it to the team and contractors.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54First, he needs to get that crane in position.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58If you do your work right and make sure there's no underground services
0:16:58 > 0:17:00he's not putting his jacks on and the ground is solid,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02then there won't be a problem.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06No good getting all uptight.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Just gives you heart attacks and at my size,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10I can't have a heart attack.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16He puts everyone at ease but I'd rather be a little bit nervous
0:17:16 > 0:17:19because it keeps you on your toes then.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22We do need to make sure we can be as spot on as possible.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Precision is going to be key as the team tackle this.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38The 90-metre-tall gasometer has towered
0:17:38 > 0:17:42over Nine Elms habitants since 1932.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48It once helped power London, storing fuel from the local gasworks.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Now, National Grid plans to capitalise on the valuable land
0:17:52 > 0:17:57and has submitted planning for a new development of more than 800 homes.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00But because the derelict gasometer stands metres
0:18:00 > 0:18:03from main line rail routes on two sides, pulling it down is going to
0:18:03 > 0:18:07require some ground-breaking new techniques and complex engineering.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13These are the bespoke rooftop cranes that we've manufactured
0:18:13 > 0:18:15specifically to take down MAN holders.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17They have been built in Birmingham,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20tested and commissioned, and now, they're good to go.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24These cranes are extremely lightweight
0:18:24 > 0:18:28but capable of carrying three tonnes of steel.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29They're key to Paul's plan
0:18:29 > 0:18:32of working from the top of the gasometer.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35But first, they need to get up there.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48I put the radio on when I'm in there. Radio 2, usually.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52I like Steve Wright In The Afternoon.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Seat cover, that's my mate's.
0:18:57 > 0:18:591970s porn star, he is.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04When he gets in there, it suits him. Same as his underpants.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Some people have orgasms over them.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- Andre does.- I like cranes.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27It's taken three hours, but now fully extended,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30the crane's six-part telescopic boom
0:19:30 > 0:19:32has a 125-metre reach.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Go on. Again.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Do all the engineering in the world, but a hammer solves everything!
0:19:48 > 0:19:50All right?
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Now they're fully constructed,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56the cranes are ready to be put in position on top of the gasometer
0:19:56 > 0:20:00where they'll become a fundamental part of its complicated demolition.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03The process will exploit engineering that the gasometer
0:20:03 > 0:20:05used to function for 60 years.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11When it was operational, a piston inside the cylinder moved up
0:20:11 > 0:20:15and down to push gas through the pipes and into the network.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19They aim to cut off the 300 tonne roof, rest it on the piston
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and use that as a platform to work on,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24moving down the tower, dismantling it layer by layer
0:20:24 > 0:20:26and winching steel panels
0:20:26 > 0:20:29to the ground using the two specialist cranes.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36They need to go 90 metres up to get into position.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Ready when you are.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48And now that London has burst into life
0:20:48 > 0:20:52and trains are running every two minutes on the main line railway
0:20:52 > 0:20:56just metres away from the gasometer, conditions need to be perfect.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03How is the wind up there?
0:21:03 > 0:21:05'There's nothing. It's sound.'
0:21:05 > 0:21:08OK, so, we should be clear for that, then.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Yeah, it's lifting just right. Nice and square.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24The next very important point for us, is now to make sure
0:21:24 > 0:21:27that all the weight of this crane is transferred onto the roof
0:21:27 > 0:21:31and it is strapped back to the central pivot point.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36It can't tip backwards because we've got that jockey wheel,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38as we call, but it can tip forwards.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41If it tips forwards, it'll fall off this holder
0:21:41 > 0:21:43and that's a 100-metre drop,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45so, not good.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49'Hold it there. Drop on your right, please, mate.'
0:21:54 > 0:21:57It'll only just rest on here in the middle.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Track down.
0:22:01 > 0:22:02Track down.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07The first of the two cranes has made it onto the roof
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and the team are a step closer to demolition.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13But the next phase is going to be even more difficult.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14Lower up there.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19There's more engineering on the jobs that I've done for Colemans
0:22:19 > 0:22:23than there was when I did civil engineering,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25because building roads, bridges,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27they've all been done before.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29This type of thing has never been done before.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33We've taken down gasholders, but we've never done one as high,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36as close to the railway, where we've had to land the cranes
0:22:36 > 0:22:40on top of the gasholder before we can start demolishing,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42so, it's completely unique.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Brothers Dominic and Simon Ogden are hard at work
0:22:53 > 0:22:57at the ex-council office block in the centre of Doncaster.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Four floors of the building have been packed with nitroglycerin
0:23:02 > 0:23:03and in less than 24 hours,
0:23:03 > 0:23:08the button will be pressed that should bring it safely to its knees.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11We're just doing the last final wrap of the building.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13It's just an extra precaution.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17You can never, ever put enough protection on. The more the better.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20We don't want nothing to escape whatsoever.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24The wrapping is made up of multiple layers of steel chain-link
0:23:24 > 0:23:26and geotech fabric, designed to contain
0:23:26 > 0:23:29as much flying shrapnel as possible.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32It's vital for this blowdown, where neighbouring buildings
0:23:32 > 0:23:34stand just ten metres away.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Are you going to put another chain-link on there, then?
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Put plenty on.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43And don't bust my bloody light down there.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Inside, under Dick Green's control,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52the blast columns have had the same treatment.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Dick has had help from a third-generation Ogden.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00This is my son, Samuel, who's just finished at Newcastle College.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03He's going to have to start earning a living now,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05paying me some money back, I hope.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10He's just filling in time now.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13He's sending plenty of CVs out to different companies.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15I'd like him to try and do a bit of travelling
0:24:15 > 0:24:18with a big international multinational company.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22This is a bit dusty and mucky for me, type of thing. I'd rather be...
0:24:22 > 0:24:26I don't know, a bit more sat behind an office desk
0:24:26 > 0:24:27or something like that,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30doing something to do with the environment,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34maybe get in the Environment Agency, something like that, I'm hoping.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40I'd rather not follow in my dad's footsteps in this sort of thing.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42I'd rather do my own thing.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Don't get me wrong, I can't fault him for what he does.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47He loves it, he absolutely loves it.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Knocking buildings down is just his thing.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55He's that good at doing it now, he knows what he's doing.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57It's been in my blood ever since I was 12 years old,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59even younger than that.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03I used to go to work with me dad when I was nine, back in the '60s.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06I wish me dad was here.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09He'd have loved this job. He'd have loved this one.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14Yeah, times like this when you start thinking about him.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16I've got his ring on. Lucky ring.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Put some slack on this corner!
0:25:22 > 0:25:25The actual blowdown, my dad's always a bit nervous.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28My Uncle Dominic's always a bit nervous in case things go wrong,
0:25:28 > 0:25:30but I'm not worried at all.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34I think it's going to be a good blow tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37I'm looking forward to watching it come down, definitely.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41The date of tomorrow's blowdown
0:25:41 > 0:25:44has been public knowledge for some weeks,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46but the specific timing has been kept under wraps.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49It's standard practice within the industry.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Explosives can be unpredictable,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54so no demo man wants a blowdown to become a public event,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58but Doncaster's residents are becoming increasingly curious.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Many years ago when I was a telephone engineer,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05I used to go in there and repair the telephones, believe it or not.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Quite a big place it was indeed.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It's very historic because this will be the last day
0:26:10 > 0:26:13that this now stands. Tomorrow, gone, after all those years,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and I can actually remember it being built, as well.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21So, I remember its construction, so I'm hoping to see its destruction.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22It's just finding out when.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27We're firing this building at 8.30.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31When I've been going to the cafe, walking round the explosion zone,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33people are saying, "What time are you going?"
0:26:33 > 0:26:34I've been telling them 10.30,
0:26:34 > 0:26:39because I don't want them here because it's another headache for us.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42They just turn up and they're wanting things to go wrong
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and things like that, you know? It's just an added pressure.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47It's just extra pressure what we can do without.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57Dick is controller of the blowdown, so he's responsible for its success.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00800 sticks of nitroglycerin have been positioned exactly
0:27:00 > 0:27:04where he wants them, as well as 600 metres of detonating cord.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07At this stage, it's too late to start worrying.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09You've done everything so you can't change anything anyway.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12All you've got to do is make sure that you check it
0:27:12 > 0:27:14and everything is connected up,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16so everything will go off.
0:27:16 > 0:27:17There's no textbooks on it.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20There's nothing that tells you any of the information,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23so it is finding that balance between putting enough in
0:27:23 > 0:27:26for the building to come down and not putting too much in
0:27:26 > 0:27:28that it flies everywhere.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30With all concrete being different,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32all reinforcing being different,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34it's interesting.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Dick can't accurately predict how the explosive will react
0:27:38 > 0:27:42in the columns, so he has to rely on what he CAN control,
0:27:42 > 0:27:43the timing.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49He's run detonating cord, like a spine, throughout the building.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Come blowdown, a single electric spark from the detonation box
0:27:52 > 0:27:56will ignite the cord travelling at over 7,000 metres per second.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Shock tubing will then carry the charge out into the columns
0:28:02 > 0:28:04and through a delay device that is embedded
0:28:04 > 0:28:06in the nitroglycerin itself.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09With this system, the chain of events can be measured
0:28:09 > 0:28:12to the millisecond, giving Dick more chance of controlling
0:28:12 > 0:28:14the way the building should fall.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18If you're in here when it fires, I don't know,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21nobody has ever actually been in one and lived to tell the tale.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24What would happen, firstly, this would go off
0:28:24 > 0:28:25and you'd hear a loud bang.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28You wouldn't see anything, you just hear a loud bang,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30and that would probably, apart from deafening you,
0:28:30 > 0:28:32it'll probably kill you.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34This would set off this tube, and if you were still around,
0:28:34 > 0:28:38you'd see a flash of light going through the tube into the columns
0:28:38 > 0:28:40and then 300 milliseconds later,
0:28:40 > 0:28:44you'd see the building start to shake and come down.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48There's just time for one final briefing
0:28:48 > 0:28:50for the Ogden brothers and their team.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Dick has charged all the explosives
0:28:54 > 0:28:56and the building is locked down and ready.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Blowdown is due in 12 hours' time.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00INDISTINCT CONVERSATION
0:29:05 > 0:29:08At times like this, there's only one person
0:29:08 > 0:29:12even the hardiest of demolition men can turn to for support.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15My mother is going to church tomorrow, praying for us.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18- That'll be afterwards, won't it? - Aye, she'll be praying afterwards.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21- Should have told her, she'd have gone today.- Gone to early mass.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Light a few candles, aye.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27We don't allow her to come cos she's a bit of a bad luck omen, so...
0:29:27 > 0:29:30She's been to a few that haven't come down before,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32so she's now banned, isn't she?
0:29:34 > 0:29:37I'm going to get off in a bit and have a few beers
0:29:37 > 0:29:40and see if I can get a good night's sleep.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43And then the butterflies will start tomorrow morning.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45We've ticked all these boxes
0:29:45 > 0:29:46on me nice check sheets
0:29:46 > 0:29:49and we've done everything we can do.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54So, now it's up to the big man upstairs now and gravity.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11In Battersea, the team are nearing the end of the complex preparation
0:30:11 > 0:30:15needed to begin demolishing the gasometer.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18They've been tirelessly cutting around the roof of the structure
0:30:18 > 0:30:22in an effort to use it as a movable platform for the team to work on.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26It's a pioneering technique created by the Colemans engineers.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30I bet Paul's a bit anxious, more than any of us.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33No, 100% confident.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40We're on the final day of cutting the roof
0:30:40 > 0:30:43from the surrounding structure.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Once we release the roof, we'll be able to get on
0:30:45 > 0:30:48with the deconstruction of the MAN holder and the shell plates
0:30:48 > 0:30:51and the stairs and the lifts that you can see on the outside.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55We need the roof released to do that, so it is a big milestone.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59It does seem simple but we are releasing 300 tonnes' worth
0:30:59 > 0:31:00of weight onto the piston.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Once used to force gas out of the tower,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08the piston will now be used to support the roof.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Work has already been done.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15Saws have cut around the roof of the gasometer like a baked-bean tin.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19And now only one of 20 steel trusses attach the roof
0:31:19 > 0:31:21to the body of the tower.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28When the final truss is cut, the roof will rest on the piston
0:31:28 > 0:31:31which, in turn, will sit on a bed of nothing but air.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38Two huge blowers will work 24 hours a day
0:31:38 > 0:31:41pumping air into the gasometer, controlling the level of the piston
0:31:41 > 0:31:43and the working platform on top.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48The piston's underneath the roof now,
0:31:48 > 0:31:53supporting the majority of it except for one steel truss.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59- One left, gents.- Yeah, I see that. That's about ready to go.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03This is another first for the project.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07Traditionally, blowtorches would be used to cut the steel
0:32:07 > 0:32:10but sparks here could ignite flammable materials in the tower
0:32:10 > 0:32:12and fall onto the railway line below.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17So, Paul is using a diamond-encrusted wire-saw system
0:32:17 > 0:32:18for the trusses.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21It's cold cutting, minimising sparks.
0:32:24 > 0:32:29'Right, Lee, pressure is 1,190, 1,190.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32- 'OK.'- This is the very anxious time,
0:32:32 > 0:32:37we're about halfway through the last truss, so I guess in the next
0:32:37 > 0:32:4115 minutes, we'll know how successful we are, but I'm quite confident...
0:32:43 > 0:32:46..he said.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50The air blowers are now the single most important part of the job.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52If the air pressure's wrong when the roof is untethered
0:32:52 > 0:32:54and sits on the piston,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58it could come crashing to the ground yards from the busy railway lines.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01How far are we through?
0:33:01 > 0:33:04'Just under three quarters of the way through.'
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Just four inches of steel to go until Paul and Barry know
0:33:09 > 0:33:12if their engineering strategy is going to work.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Torture.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21RADIO CHATTER
0:33:21 > 0:33:23OK, mate, thank you.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27The wire's broken, so we just had to refeed the wire through again.
0:33:27 > 0:33:28Almost there.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33'OK, the saw's going again, the saw's going.'
0:33:40 > 0:33:43'The saw's snapped, the saw's snapped.'
0:33:43 > 0:33:46There's an inch to go and the saw's broken.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51So the whole roof's being held, at the moment...
0:33:51 > 0:33:53by a one-inch piece of steel.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07'Just to let you know, we're recipping the last little bit now.'
0:34:07 > 0:34:10OK, mate, thank you.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12What did he say?
0:34:12 > 0:34:16They've just... Using the recip saw on the last bit now.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19'Yeah, that's fine, we've got less than a quarter of an inch
0:34:19 > 0:34:23'to cut through and this plate is still level.'
0:34:31 > 0:34:35RADIO CHATTER
0:34:36 > 0:34:37Say again, Lee.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46'No, she didn't move.'
0:34:48 > 0:34:49It's held level.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Success.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57The blowers are taking the strain, the roof has dropped onto the piston
0:34:57 > 0:35:00and the only thing supporting them is air.
0:35:02 > 0:35:03Top of the world.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Dead stable, you wouldn't even know it's floating on a bit of air.
0:35:12 > 0:35:17300 tonnes just not moving at all.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Looks exactly the same as it did a few hours ago.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23The steel roof of the gasometer has been turned
0:35:23 > 0:35:27into a fully height-adjustable working platform.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29We'll start taking the shell plate down.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Anyone from over there, all the way around,
0:35:33 > 0:35:37will notice it coming down a few metres a day as of now.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Now the demolition can begin in earnest but, with it,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45comes the constant risk that one false move could spell
0:35:45 > 0:35:47disaster for the railways below.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Paul Johnson's team are halfway into their demolition job
0:36:02 > 0:36:05at the old school site in Liverpool.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07What he's being paid won't cover his overheads,
0:36:07 > 0:36:13so Paul needs valuable scrap to have any hope of making money on the job.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15What the team has unearthed up to now isn't enough.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20But when Paul won the contract, he reached a deal
0:36:20 > 0:36:23where he not only legally owns the scrap he finds,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26but also the fixtures and fittings left behind when it was abandoned.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32How many parts have we got on here, Andy?
0:36:32 > 0:36:35He's going to send anything valuable to the reclamation yard
0:36:35 > 0:36:36that he set up six years ago
0:36:36 > 0:36:39to help him survive in this cut-throat industry.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46The demolition, historically, has made the most money
0:36:46 > 0:36:48but rates are pretty low at the moment,
0:36:48 > 0:36:52it's hard to make a good living, so we do some buying and selling.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55So I try and sell all the stuff that I get off me jobs
0:36:55 > 0:36:57out of this yard and I'll buy off other people as well
0:36:57 > 0:37:01and sell that out to this yard. This yard turns about 1.5 million over.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05So it's becoming about 30% of our business.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08- They are the dog's danglers, these here.- Yeah.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Blackburn Cathedral, cherry tops, cathedral-grade.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14They've had thousands of people walking over them,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16so they're footworn smooth
0:37:16 > 0:37:20and they become oxidated and go that lovely browny colour.
0:37:20 > 0:37:21I've about 300 yard of them.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23About 40 grand's worth there.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27What you'll find in London, they're not really bothered about the price,
0:37:27 > 0:37:30they're more bothered about the quality.
0:37:30 > 0:37:31And, let me tell you,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33quality always sells.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35This is a doorway I've just bought,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37- what do you think of that doorway, Joanne?- Very nice.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40I just think, entrance to a garden or a wine cellar,
0:37:40 > 0:37:41I want three grand for it.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43It's nice.
0:37:43 > 0:37:44Paul's girlfriend, Joanne,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47has seen his reclamation business start from nothing.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50- I gave 300 quid for it.- Where from?
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Antique centre, they don't know what they've got in that antique centre,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56they're a bit thick, I think, these so-called antique dealers.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59She's seen the ups and downs as Paul's empire has grown.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02He has his good moments and bad moments, don't you?
0:38:02 > 0:38:04I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of him.
0:38:04 > 0:38:05It's going Paul's way
0:38:05 > 0:38:07and if it's not going Paul's way then he's grumpy.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11I get irritated, you know, it's like these politicians.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14They're bloody useless.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16They won't get nowt sorted out, there's too much
0:38:16 > 0:38:18messing about, aren't they? Getting votes.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22I think we want a dictatorship, really. That'd be a lot better.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26There's plenty of work to do, let's be getting on with it.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32Paul's lads are cracking on but the scrap's still scarce.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Before winning the contract,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36he'd only had a quick look around the site.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39MUSIC: The Thieving Magpie by Rossini
0:38:39 > 0:38:42But now, back on location, and with full access to the remaining
0:38:42 > 0:38:44buildings, Paul's heading inside.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48Perhaps what he can find here will make money in the reclamation yard
0:38:48 > 0:38:50and help balance the books.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52Well, I've not been in this gym.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55A little bird's told me I can sell the '70s gym equipment.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58Pirates, that's what we used to do in t'gym. Whey!
0:39:00 > 0:39:02I'll have all these ropes, though, mate.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Just a few of these for the yard, I think you'll sell them, Andrew.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09- Can do, yeah.- Climbing frames for kids. I'll tell you what it is now,
0:39:09 > 0:39:11we're not short of filing cabinets, Andrew, are we?
0:39:11 > 0:39:14- No, we're not. - What's in kitchen, Mick?
0:39:15 > 0:39:19What's this device? Oh, bloody hell, it stinks in the fridge.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22I don't think you'll sell much in here, Andy.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24- Look at all the- BLEEP- they've left behind.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29There's not much salvage for the reclamation yard...
0:39:31 > 0:39:35..so Paul's focus returns to finding enough steel for scrap.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38I think what's happened here, Mick,
0:39:38 > 0:39:40they've extended this school.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43I don't think it's all steel, I just think it's top floor.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45They're only babby girders, them.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Might make 30 tonnes, though, with a fair wind, eh?
0:39:50 > 0:39:53To make things worse, the price of steel has fallen £80 a tonne
0:39:53 > 0:39:55since he started the job.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58Paul's gamble looks like it might not pay off.
0:39:59 > 0:40:00Not making any money on this job.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03All I'm doing, me, is running around to keep people employed.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05That's all I do, really, isn't it?
0:40:13 > 0:40:16It's been four months since Paul Cooper's team created
0:40:16 > 0:40:20a floating platform from the roof of the gasometer in Battersea...
0:40:22 > 0:40:24..and demolition started immediately after.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29There's nine blocks that's currently proposed, erm,
0:40:29 > 0:40:31in the planning application.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Sort of four, four and then one right at the end of the site.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37So some fantastic views from these apartments over here.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41Paul is under pressure to get the job done as quickly as possible.
0:40:41 > 0:40:46His client has been busy making plans for the site once cleared.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49How many metres are you doing a week, do you reckon? In terms of...
0:40:49 > 0:40:51It's variable at the moment,
0:40:51 > 0:40:53because of the weather interruptions that we've had.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57And so, from start to finish, this'll be, what? 12 months?
0:40:57 > 0:41:01- Proper on-site work.- Slightly over 12 months, yes.- Slightly over.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04It's a high-profile job.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09Trying to pull off a technically ground-breaking demolition
0:41:09 > 0:41:11and, of course, it's all happening
0:41:11 > 0:41:14metres from the major London rail route in the middle of winter.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19I think the weather's held us up significantly, I would say.
0:41:19 > 0:41:24Over the period since we cut the roof, we lose...
0:41:24 > 0:41:28Anything between a day to two days a week.
0:41:29 > 0:41:34It's frustrating as well as annoying as well as a few other things.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39It's not the ideal season to take it down, erm...
0:41:39 > 0:41:43But we're still making progress and that's the main thing.
0:41:43 > 0:41:48Paul can't control the weather but the engineering, he can.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50The air-cushioned working platform that they created
0:41:50 > 0:41:54from the roof of the gasometer has held steady for the last 16 weeks.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59We're still floating on the piston of air.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02I can't believe it myself, to be honest.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06We're kept up by a couple of hairdryers blowing some air below us
0:42:06 > 0:42:07and that's it.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09It keeps us all up here.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Because the roof's so stable, the lads can cut and transport
0:42:14 > 0:42:18panels with a weight of over two tonnes around its rim
0:42:18 > 0:42:22but the steel is coated in decades worth of black tar that was
0:42:22 > 0:42:25used as sealant when the gasometer was in use.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27The tar is highly flammable.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31Up here, oxyacetylene-burning gas axes are a dangerous option.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34It all still cold cutting because of the same...
0:42:34 > 0:42:37The same problem of ignition of the tar.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41If you've got the gas axe, you've got sparks of molten metal flying
0:42:41 > 0:42:43potentially near the railway, near passengers,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46potentially into areas that we can't see,
0:42:46 > 0:42:49potentially onto the piston, the timber roof,
0:42:49 > 0:42:51it's very hard to control.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Especially in weather like this when you're cutting with a gas axe,
0:42:54 > 0:42:56the sparks will be going everywhere.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59These guys are generating no sparks whatsoever.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02This hasn't been done before, this is a first.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09They can rig, cut a panel, drop it to the ground, back up again,
0:43:09 > 0:43:14all within 35, 40 minutes is our best time and that's not bad going.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17And the lads are getting better the more they do.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23Once cut free, the eight-metre-wide panels act like sails
0:43:23 > 0:43:27becoming dangerously unstable in even moderate winds
0:43:27 > 0:43:28and work has to stop.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32It's a constant headache for Paul.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35There's over 400 of these to come down in total.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40We've got a system for taking them down,
0:43:40 > 0:43:41we just need the good weather now
0:43:41 > 0:43:43and we can make a big dent in this.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50We need to get this job finished as soon as we can
0:43:50 > 0:43:53so we can hand over the site to our client.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04Yeah, that's good. Yeah, we need just seven.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11OK, ladies and gents, good morning.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13This morning, at about 8.30, 8.15, 8.30,
0:44:13 > 0:44:15we're going to demolish that with explosives.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22Four nitroglycerin-packed floors within one of Doncaster's
0:44:22 > 0:44:25major landmarks are charged and primed. It's blowdown day.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31Dick Green is briefing his 30-strong security team.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37The block stands 40 metres tall and regulations demand that
0:44:37 > 0:44:41an exclusion zone of over three times its height must be enforced.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43What we have to do is make sure that there's
0:44:43 > 0:44:47an area of about 150 metres around the building with nobody in.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51The time for detonation has not been released to reduce the crowd size
0:44:51 > 0:44:55and to allow the demolition team to focus on evacuating
0:44:55 > 0:44:57the 19 residents living on the street
0:44:57 > 0:44:59just metres behind the blast.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02Today, you are the most important people on this site.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07The search for members of the public started at 5am
0:45:07 > 0:45:10- in the building itself.- We've checked the building this morning,
0:45:10 > 0:45:14we've checked the basement area, we've checked all the rooms, so...
0:45:14 > 0:45:16It's all right, I'm just looking at them people
0:45:16 > 0:45:18over there in that bloody civic theatre.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20They should be evacuated out.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23Dick will be sorting them out now.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29Me and Dominic are the last people on-site.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32It's always a little bit eerie when you're walking round and...
0:45:32 > 0:45:35It's usually hustle and bustle here but, yeah, it's very eerie.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40Control to sentry number...six, over.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43For blast manager Dick Green, the next hour will decide
0:45:43 > 0:45:48the success or failure of eight months of meticulous planning.
0:45:48 > 0:45:49And all in a very public arena.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52The quicker we do it, the less crowd we'll have,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55so I'm just waiting to confirm that all the residents are out
0:45:55 > 0:45:57and then all the DSR guys are out and then we can come up with a time.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00Hopefully, we're looking at about quarter past eight
0:46:00 > 0:46:03- but I just need a few little checks before then.- See this Catholic club?
0:46:03 > 0:46:05There's a family living there,
0:46:05 > 0:46:07do you mind just knocking on these doors and seeing if
0:46:07 > 0:46:09- they're still in there? - Yeah.- Thank you.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11In charge of evacuation is the demolition company's
0:46:11 > 0:46:15Health-and-Safety officer, another member of the Ogden family,
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Dominic's niece, Emma Thompson.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21So, I just need to make sure that they're all definitely out.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24People are usually pretty amenable, especially when you give them
0:46:24 > 0:46:25a free breakfast, which we're doing.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30If she can't account for every resident,
0:46:30 > 0:46:33the demolition will be called off.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Empty?
0:46:35 > 0:46:37No response from any door.
0:46:37 > 0:46:42Right. I'm going to go and count everybody up in the cafe now
0:46:42 > 0:46:44because I know who should be out.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47Me nerves are starting to build, the stomach is in knots.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51But it's usually perfect course this time of day.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53I am confident.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59Everything is set in place, it'll do what it's going to do.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05So, hopefully it's going to do what we want it to do.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08Emma started preparation eight weeks ago with
0:47:08 > 0:47:11questionnaires for every resident
0:47:11 > 0:47:15so she knows exactly where everyone should be ahead of the blast.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18You're number ten, Yvonne is number six.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23I ain't seen anybody from flat eight yet.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27We might be missing flat number eight.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33And he promised me that he'd be up,
0:47:33 > 0:47:35so I'm just going to give him a ring.
0:47:38 > 0:47:39No answer.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45Right.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48- All DSR guys out?- Yes.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52The site is now on lockdown and under watch from security guards.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57Only the rogue residents are delaying demolition,
0:47:57 > 0:48:00allowing time for spectators to together.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03The pressure's mounting, in fact, it's getting time
0:48:03 > 0:48:07for another cigarette, like he does.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09Just to let you know, there's people still inside the cordon.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11They've just told me it's empty.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14- It's not empty. - 'Control to Emma, over.'
0:48:14 > 0:48:15Yup, I'm here, Dick.
0:48:15 > 0:48:19'Hi, Emma. Can we say now that the homeless shelter's empty, over?'
0:48:21 > 0:48:24We don't like crowds. We don't like crowds at all.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27It's another hardhead headache.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29So...
0:48:30 > 0:48:32Don't say a lot for no smoking, does it?
0:48:36 > 0:48:38The public are safely behind the security cordon
0:48:38 > 0:48:42and there is no wind, ideal conditions to press the button.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45- Are you Michelle?- Yup.- OK.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47- Oh, are you Ben?- Yeah.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49That's everybody, then. Yes!
0:48:51 > 0:48:53Evacuation complete.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55For the Ogden brothers and Dick Green,
0:48:55 > 0:48:58a split-second chain of events will soon decide
0:48:58 > 0:49:01whether the tower block will collapse as planned
0:49:01 > 0:49:05or leave surrounding buildings and their reputations in pieces.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19'Control to all radios, Countdown from ten.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22'Ten, nine, eight,
0:49:22 > 0:49:25'seven, six, five,
0:49:25 > 0:49:28'four, three, two, one.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31'Fire now, fire now.'
0:49:31 > 0:49:33CRASHING
0:49:38 > 0:49:39Oh, look at that!
0:49:39 > 0:49:41That's amazing.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55Lovely, bang on!
0:49:57 > 0:49:59- That's- BLEEP,- has it!
0:49:59 > 0:50:02'Stay in your positions, stay in your positions.
0:50:03 > 0:50:04'Well done, everybody,
0:50:04 > 0:50:07'but stay in your positions while we check the pile.'
0:50:09 > 0:50:1150 years of Doncaster's history
0:50:11 > 0:50:15has fallen perfectly into the target area,
0:50:15 > 0:50:19leaving residents and nearby buildings standing in safety.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24- Now you can kiss me.- Mwah!
0:50:24 > 0:50:28- Are you all right? - I'll give you an 'ug!
0:50:28 > 0:50:31- What do you reckon?- Oh, spot on.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33We've only gone forward maybe ten metres
0:50:33 > 0:50:36and there's nothing at the back and very little at the sides,
0:50:36 > 0:50:39maybe five metres at each side so it's kept it compact.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43I would think within 45 minutes, life should be back to normal.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45Everything's gone wonderful.
0:50:45 > 0:50:46Better than sex.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49- All right, so...!- So it is.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00In Battersea, the demo team has been attempting to bring down
0:51:00 > 0:51:04the gasholder using a technique that's never been tried before.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08Slicing the roof and using the piston as a working platform,
0:51:08 > 0:51:12then cold cutting the panels and winching them to the ground.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15But working at height means their cranes can only operate
0:51:15 > 0:51:18in low winds and they've fallen well behind schedule.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21It should have taken four months of cutting to bring it down
0:51:21 > 0:51:24but six months in, it's only halfway there.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28Today, once again, the wind has picked up,
0:51:28 > 0:51:31and demolition work has been called to a halt.
0:51:31 > 0:51:32Project manager Paul
0:51:32 > 0:51:36has had to become something of a meteorological expert.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41I'm a wind geek. Definitely.
0:51:43 > 0:51:44I'd check it every day,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47through the night if I wake up.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50I'll check the weather just to see what it's going to be like.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53You're constantly looking at the wind speeds to see how you can get
0:51:53 > 0:51:56a head start or try and plan as best
0:51:56 > 0:52:00you can around the wind speeds so, yeah, I've never been as interested
0:52:00 > 0:52:02in wind speeds before as I am now.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06It should be gone, we are not where we want to be,
0:52:06 > 0:52:10that's due to the weather. There's not a lot we can do about that.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14That one factor is outside our control,
0:52:14 > 0:52:15the method is affected by the wind,
0:52:15 > 0:52:20but the method in itself is extremely safe so that's why we go for it.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23The rest of the site has been cleared to make way
0:52:23 > 0:52:25for a proposed new high-rise development
0:52:25 > 0:52:28of up to 800 apartments.
0:52:28 > 0:52:32Progress on the main gasholder has been much slower than planned
0:52:32 > 0:52:35but it is continuing to shrink, gradually.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39The last time we were here we were about another 25 metres
0:52:39 > 0:52:42higher in the air and we were actually looking
0:52:42 > 0:52:45almost at the top of those chimneys from Battersea Power Station.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48Now you can see how far we've dropped.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50We're below those chimneys so, for me,
0:52:50 > 0:52:52that's where I can see the progress.
0:52:52 > 0:52:53That's the benchmark.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56With the job so far behind schedule,
0:52:56 > 0:52:59Paul's throwing in the towel and trying something else.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01We are continuing with the cranes at the moment,
0:53:01 > 0:53:04we have got a plan to be less affected by the wind
0:53:04 > 0:53:07and that's that when we get down to about 40 metres,
0:53:07 > 0:53:11we can bring in an ultra-high-reach machine which is an excavator
0:53:11 > 0:53:16with a very long arm and that will be able to nibble away at the structure.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18The machine does work quite quickly
0:53:18 > 0:53:21but obviously you cannot have that working 90 metres in the air,
0:53:21 > 0:53:24so there's a limit on how high these machines can go
0:53:24 > 0:53:28and the particular machine that we're bringing in does around 38 metres.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30That will do the business for us.
0:53:31 > 0:53:33Unaffected by the elements,
0:53:33 > 0:53:35the high-reach machine will be able to tear through the remaining
0:53:35 > 0:53:37panels much quicker than the cranes
0:53:37 > 0:53:40and without the concern that a gust of wind
0:53:40 > 0:53:41could cause a disaster below.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46There are some spectacular views from here on a clear day.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49As you can see, everything's laid out in front of you across London.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51That's the flip side to it.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53It's a nice view from up top but I'll be happy
0:53:53 > 0:53:56when I'm looking at London from the ground.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00With a high-reach excavator plan in place,
0:54:00 > 0:54:03the site should be completely clear in three months' time and the
0:54:03 > 0:54:07land can be handed to the developers who hope to start building soon,
0:54:07 > 0:54:11replacing the once iconic gas towers with hundreds of apartments.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21In Liverpool, the old school buildings have gone.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26After 14 weeks of demolishing and sifting, Paul Johnson's drivers
0:54:26 > 0:54:30are tidying up before leaving the site at the end of the day.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34The final fragments of valuable metals they've salvaged from the job
0:54:34 > 0:54:37have been sold and are ready to be collected
0:54:37 > 0:54:39from Paul's yard in Preston.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41Yes, there's a nice bit of scrap off that school.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44I must have, like, two tonne of brasserie there,
0:54:44 > 0:54:46three tonne of brasserie.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Eight grand.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54Yeah. This is really good stuff.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Copper plate buzz bar.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Out of the generating room.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02I've had some of them in my time. On and off.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08Machinery, fuel and waste disposal are huge running costs
0:55:08 > 0:55:13for demo men like Paul so, his hunt for 300 tonnes of scrap steel
0:55:13 > 0:55:17became critical to make any profit from the £190,000 he was being paid.
0:55:18 > 0:55:23I reckon I've spent about 165 grand. To do t'job.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27It was a huge financial gamble and to add to his stress,
0:55:27 > 0:55:30the South Americans decided to join the game.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34The price of scrap is falling like a bloody stone.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38Gets back to iron ore.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41Iron ore is half the price it were 12 months ago
0:55:41 > 0:55:46so scrap's going to come down because scrap competes with iron ore.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49Apparently, these Brazilians have made these bloody big ships
0:55:49 > 0:55:51that will carry 300-odd thousand tonne.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55So I'm bloody moving iron ore now, cheaper than it were in 19-bloody-80.
0:55:55 > 0:55:56Bloody no good to me!
0:55:56 > 0:56:00I don't think they're really bothered about me, are they?
0:56:00 > 0:56:02With a downturn in the value of steel,
0:56:02 > 0:56:05and a slow start on-site, Paul reached into his own pocket
0:56:05 > 0:56:08in a desperate attempt to salvage the situation.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11Well, I decided on this one to pay my main machine drivers
0:56:11 > 0:56:15some good bonuses to push the job on.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17Try that bit harder.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20And they have done. So, if we finish the job a bit earlier,
0:56:20 > 0:56:23a bit more scrap than we thought, a bit more work than we thought
0:56:23 > 0:56:25but we've done it a bit quicker.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30So we've ended up with about 360 tonne off that job I reckon.
0:56:30 > 0:56:3420 grand of nonferrous or something like that. So, I've done all right.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37It's made better than what I thought it would do.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44More than what I expected.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52They still have a cheap job done though.
0:56:52 > 0:56:53I've had to work like ten men.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01The final figure is £90,000 profit
0:57:01 > 0:57:03but that wasn't without risk,
0:57:03 > 0:57:06and he's put it straight back on the table for his next contract.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12Scrap! Scrap! And more scrap!
0:57:14 > 0:57:18It seems gambling £165,000 on finding 300 tonnes of steel
0:57:18 > 0:57:21on the school job wasn't big enough for Paul.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24Now, there needs to be 3,000 tonne of steel
0:57:24 > 0:57:27in this factory to make it pay.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30I'm up to 1,700 tonne at the moment.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32I am up to my nuts in this job.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36In demolition, you always thought there's a bit more scrap,
0:57:36 > 0:57:39you find a bit of copper, you're never going to win a race
0:57:39 > 0:57:44unless you enter so once you've done this job, there is nothing else.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47There is nothing else. Not for a working lad anyway.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52Demolition till I die, eh?
0:58:08 > 0:58:13Next time... A city's tallest tower block is brought down to earth
0:58:13 > 0:58:15bang in the middle of a packed housing estate.
0:58:17 > 0:58:21The closest one from this height looks very close.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23A marathon makeover puts commuters
0:58:23 > 0:58:26and deconstruction on a crash course.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29Here, we're almost surrounded on every face by people
0:58:29 > 0:58:32so it makes our job a million times harder.
0:58:32 > 0:58:34And one demo crew are forced to down tools
0:58:34 > 0:58:38when they come face-to-face with their nemesis.
0:58:38 > 0:58:40You mention asbestos to me,
0:58:40 > 0:58:43I hate the stuff, it's a bloody nightmare.