0:00:07 > 0:00:08Britain 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 an house to go,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17then that's it - done and dusted.
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Filmed over 12 months,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23these are the men and women
0:00:23 > 0:00:27taking 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 > 0:00:30Not for a working lad, anyway.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33EXPLOSIONS
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Better than sex.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36All right, Simon.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38SIRENS BLARE
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 > 0:00:49Better take it round to the scrap.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51It's a world of dynamite...
0:00:51 > 0:00:52and destruction
0:00:52 > 0:00:56that's changing the face of the UK for ever.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Here we go, showtime!
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Tonight...
0:01:04 > 0:01:07A city's tallest tower block has to be brought down to earth,
0:01:07 > 0:01:11slap-bang in the middle of a packed housing estate.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13It isn't until you actually get outside
0:01:13 > 0:01:14at the closest point and look down
0:01:14 > 0:01:17to see how close the houses really are.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22And the closest one of them at this height
0:01:22 > 0:01:23looks very close!
0:01:23 > 0:01:27The marathon makeover of one of Britain's busiest stations
0:01:27 > 0:01:30puts commuters and deconstruction on a crash course.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Here we're almost surrounded on every face by people,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38so it makes our job a million times harder.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40And one demolition crew have to all down tools
0:01:40 > 0:01:44when they come face-to-face with their nemesis.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47You mention asbestos to me - I hate the stuff.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48It's a bloody nightmare.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Three, two, one. Fire now.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55EXPLOSIONS
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Lovely! Bang on!
0:02:02 > 0:02:04LAUGHTER
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Around the UK, more than 100,000 council houses
0:02:18 > 0:02:22fail to meet the Government's official housing standards.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29In Hull, more than £500 million has been allocated
0:02:29 > 0:02:31to improve the city's housing stock,
0:02:31 > 0:02:36and it's out with the old and in with the new.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44More than 1,000 outdated flats and houses are being demolished,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46with entire streets wiped out.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52I'm not very sentimental, I'm afraid.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53I come in here, take 'em down,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55and then we just want to go to the next job.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00But in this huge regeneration scheme, not all buildings
0:03:00 > 0:03:04can be dispatched with a digger and a set of steel toecaps.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Now the demolition crew has to contend with this...
0:03:15 > 0:03:18High Court is Hull's tallest building,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and is surrounded by houses on all sides.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30Bringing it down will mean landing 12,000 tonnes of concrete
0:03:30 > 0:03:32in an incredibly tight space.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38But before even attempting the blast,
0:03:38 > 0:03:40explosive expert Martin Smith
0:03:40 > 0:03:43will have to clear the entire neighbourhood.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46We've had our fingers nearly snapped off on a few occasions.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Some things that we haven't yet shared with the residents
0:03:56 > 0:03:59is the direction in which the building is going to fall,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01and from where I'm stood here,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03it's going to come towards us, slightly.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08So these people here once we tell them, may be a little concerned
0:04:08 > 0:04:10that the building's coming this way
0:04:10 > 0:04:12and I've already had a discussion with a gentleman who said,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15"So are you going to be demolishing my house, as well,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17"because I live around here."
0:04:17 > 0:04:20So a lot of people have this perception that we won't be able to do this
0:04:20 > 0:04:22without causing damage to the properties,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25but the measures that we put in, we're hoping...
0:04:25 > 0:04:28we will be able to do it without damaging any buildings.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30"Hoping"? HE LAUGHS
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Never say never.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39The last one we dropped, we dropped within about five metres
0:04:39 > 0:04:40of it's original footprint.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43So, basically, it almost falls down on itself
0:04:43 > 0:04:45rather than spreading out around the site.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50The distance between the houses is about 20 metres.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54So they are...they are close.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57It's certainly a lot closer for the residents.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59For them, this is very close.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06With houses so close by,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09the explosive team has to ensure that the 19-storey tower
0:05:09 > 0:05:12falls into a precise target area.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18By blasting walls and columns on just six floors,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22the tower will collapse under its own weight.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25But controlling the direction of the fall, is the real challenge.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30The explosives will be delayed vertically, so that the front,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33then middle, then back will blast,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36in the hope that the building will fall towards the empty site
0:05:36 > 0:05:39and not towards the neighbouring houses.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Today, Martin is taking the representatives from the council
0:05:50 > 0:05:52to witness a test blast.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56They hope it will determine if the plan has any chance of working.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00So this is one of the two test-blast areas.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04And the reason why we do the test blast is to
0:06:04 > 0:06:08determine how much explosive we need to demolish this section,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11and to test our protection.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15So, what we've got wrapped around this section of wall is...
0:06:15 > 0:06:17You can't see it, but behind this geotexile material,
0:06:17 > 0:06:22there's three layers of chain link fence wrapped all the way around three times.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25And then the black geotextile you can see around us
0:06:25 > 0:06:28represents what would be our secondary protection
0:06:28 > 0:06:30that we would put up at the windows.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33So if anything managed to get... to escape from this protection,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37it's then got to get through that before it leaves the building.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Extra protection is vital on this job.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42When the explosive rips through the walls,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45concrete could go flying and smash into neighbouring houses.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48These are what we call our witness boards.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51So when we initiate the explosives and we come back up,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54what we expect to see is them exactly as they are now.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57If they've got lumps of concrete embedded in them,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00it means that we've either put too much explosive in,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02or not enough protection.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10So the explosives themselves are a cord.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Is that 40 grams, John, or are you using two lots?
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Is that 20, and you're doubling it up?
0:07:15 > 0:07:16No, that's 40.
0:07:16 > 0:07:1940 grams...per metre.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Yeah, you wouldn't want to be holding it whilst they set it off.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28Are you nearly ready?
0:07:30 > 0:07:31We've got all the calculations
0:07:31 > 0:07:34to see if we can take that section of wall out.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37So we're just making sure we've got the correct charge weight
0:07:37 > 0:07:39to just fragment it.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41We don't want to destroy it,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43we just want to fragment the wall.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48This is just an accelerant to make the building collapse.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50It's gravity...
0:07:50 > 0:07:52We just take out key structural bits
0:07:52 > 0:07:54and, basically, gravity does the rest.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01The tower is 60 metres tall.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03When it's taken down, it will have
0:08:03 > 0:08:07to land in an area that's less than 20 metres wide.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10This is where John and I have our fingers crossed,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12and hope that it goes fine.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Ready?
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Yeah. Yep.
0:08:27 > 0:08:28SHORT, LOUD CRACK
0:08:28 > 0:08:30BRIEF, LOUD BANGS
0:08:37 > 0:08:38And that was it.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Short but sweet.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Some of the things we're looking at immediately...
0:08:45 > 0:08:48We check the witness boards -
0:08:48 > 0:08:50make sure that there's no fragments embedded.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52But you can see from the protection...
0:08:52 > 0:08:54The protection's worked perfectly.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Starting from the bottom...
0:08:59 > 0:09:03You can see all the debris is contained within the chain-link.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06We cut the chain-link away...
0:09:06 > 0:09:09What we'd expect to see is all the concrete come out,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12and there'd be sort of a section missing in the wall.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17Perfect.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23So pretty much exactly what we were looking for.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27With that, the load would be enough to cause the remainder to collapse.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Once the weight of the building gets sat on those, they'll just fail.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Nothing defies gravity.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Having walked up the 17 flights of stairs,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Martin can get a bird's-eye view of the task that lies ahead.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51We're on the 17th floor now, but it isn't until you actually get outside
0:09:51 > 0:09:54at the closest point and look down
0:09:54 > 0:09:57to see how close the houses really are.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03And the closest one from this height looks very close!
0:10:06 > 0:10:08It's when you stand up here
0:10:08 > 0:10:10and you look where the exclusion zone's going to be
0:10:10 > 0:10:14and you're suddenly questioning, "Is it far enough?"
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Think demolition,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24and dynamite, dust and danger come to mind.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30But for the guys who run the nation's wrecking crews,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33there's a more glamorous side of the business,
0:10:33 > 0:10:34and there's good money to be made.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Howard Stott has been in the game for 35 years,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41but he hasn't always known a life of luxury.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52I come off a council estate, and we didn't have anything.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54You know, if anybody got a car up the street,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56everybody used to come to the window
0:10:56 > 0:10:58and say, "God, there's somebody's got a car!"
0:10:58 > 0:10:59We used to watch it go past.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05When I left school, I went on a farm driving a tractor
0:11:05 > 0:11:06and that's where it all started.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09I've always loved machinery and cars
0:11:09 > 0:11:10and that's been my passion in life.
0:11:13 > 0:11:14Bit complicated this car...
0:11:14 > 0:11:16There's that many buttons,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18I'm just working out where the air conditioning is.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19I think it's down there.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Do you know, I've wanted a DBS for years and years.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26Everybody rates on about them.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29They're a lovely looking car, it is a beautiful-looking car.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31I look at it as a beautiful-looking woman.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34BUT it doesn't excite me,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36like I thought it would.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39But that's life, you know.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43I suppose it's better than going on't public transport.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Fast cars might have lost some of their appeal,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50but after almost four decades on-site,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Howard's passion for demolition remains undimmed.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55Are you ready?!
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Two-grand-an-hour going on here!
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Today, his crew are flattening a Victorian mill
0:12:05 > 0:12:07to make way for a supermarket
0:12:07 > 0:12:09and they've reached the trickiest part -
0:12:09 > 0:12:12taking down the precarious brick chimney.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15All 22 metres of it.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20It is a bit daunting.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22It's not for the faint-hearted.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25It's only so many lads will do this sort of job
0:12:25 > 0:12:27without frightening themselves to death.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31I've done a little bit that I'll leave it to the professionals that bit.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Howard started in the trade when he was 17,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38working as a digger driver.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40It was a time when chimney were brought down in the style
0:12:40 > 0:12:43made famous by Fred Dibnah.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46The bottom of the chimney was weakened,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48propped with wood,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50and then set on fire.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54The exact time of the collapse couldn't be predicted.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56It's going. Going!
0:12:56 > 0:12:59A strategy that involved...
0:12:59 > 0:13:01running for your life!
0:13:09 > 0:13:10No problem.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Chimneys can still be brought down with explosives,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17but this site is too tight.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23So everybody's moving out the way now.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26We want nobody - no vehicles, no machines -
0:13:26 > 0:13:29anywhere around the chimney at the bottom, when we get going.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32If the chimney is toppled in one piece,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35it will hit the road or the surrounding houses.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38So Howard has opted to attack the old with the new -
0:13:38 > 0:13:40a cutting-edge, high-reach excavator.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Here we go, last of the mills.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Whatever the method, the immense forces in play
0:13:49 > 0:13:51still mean that taking down tall, heavy structures
0:13:51 > 0:13:53is an inherently dangerous task.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58There's a bit of nervousness,
0:13:58 > 0:13:59and there's a bit of excitement,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02and you can put them two together and, you know -
0:14:02 > 0:14:04it just keeps the adrenaline flowing.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18When you're looking up there dealing with something like this -
0:14:18 > 0:14:21you're, like, playing with a loaded gun. Something could go wrong.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24And if something goes wrong with this, it's catastrophic, isn't it?
0:14:28 > 0:14:32He's got to be very careful when he starts it doesn't come back on him
0:14:32 > 0:14:34and roll down the arm and get him.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Until you get up there and start to peck it, you don't know how strong it is.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49We thought it would've been stronger,
0:14:49 > 0:14:51especially with being round, and the type of brick,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54so we thought this would be a stiff one, but it's actually
0:14:54 > 0:14:56a textbook job, that.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04If I'd have known it were going to be so easy, I'd have had a go!
0:15:13 > 0:15:15There you have it. Gone.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20With a 100-year-old chimney down,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Howard's set his lads off working on another site.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32His biggest job this year is taking down a much more recent build...
0:15:36 > 0:15:3920 retail units in a 1970s shopping centre
0:15:39 > 0:15:41have to be razed to the ground
0:15:41 > 0:15:43to make way for another supermarket.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55There's nothing wrong with the building.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57It's not falling down and the structure's fine,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00but it doesn't fit the purpose
0:16:00 > 0:16:03that somebody else wants it for.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05And that's what we find in lots of cases.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07So we've got to shift that building
0:16:07 > 0:16:09and it's more economical to start
0:16:09 > 0:16:12a clean canvas and put a new building up.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Firstly, the older buildings are better cos they last a lot longer.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17A lot of new buildings they throw up, have, like,
0:16:17 > 0:16:18a 25-year warranty lifespan.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21So after 25 years, technically, the building's still standing
0:16:21 > 0:16:24but it's not in as good a condition as maybe some older buildings.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28But we're not bothered, we'll knock them down every 12-month, if they want.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29Keep coming.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38The new supermarket will only take over half the site,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41so some shops will remain trading.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Howard and his team face the technically exacting task
0:16:48 > 0:16:50of splitting the shopping centre in two.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55And to make matters harder still,
0:16:55 > 0:16:56all of the surviving shops
0:16:56 > 0:17:00intend to stay open throughout the delicate demolition surgery.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Ryan, will you just talk me through this bit now.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09We've got the public walking under the scaffolding and hoarding.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13- Yes.- So, I presume, the wall obviously stays, am I right?
0:17:13 > 0:17:15- That walls stays.- That wall stays.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Our cut-line comes, basically, up the line of that roof,
0:17:18 > 0:17:19to that roller-shutter and back.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23That leg stays, and behind that, Sayer's bakery's live,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25and behind that timber hoarding that's live mall.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27So you're going to have to cut...
0:17:27 > 0:17:30- We're going to have to remove this roof from the timber...- Yeah.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32..and we'll have to cut the roof above the tin roof,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35and then we're going to have to cut each one of them legs in sequence.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37- Just pull them away. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39I'd to say, this is the worst bit of the job.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41- This is the trickiest bit. - This is the trickiest bit.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46In splitting the shopping centre in half,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Howard's crew has to take great care that their machines
0:17:49 > 0:17:51don't catch the electricity or gas supply
0:17:51 > 0:17:54that will remain live for the shops to stay open.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59He's under extra pressure not to do any damage that could affect their trade.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04The thing is about these jobs,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07they want you to keep all the shops open, which is fine, which is fair,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10but that doesn't half give us some grief.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15If it was straightforward, every Tom, Dick and Harry would be doing it
0:18:15 > 0:18:16and it'd be...
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I think it would be a bore.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21You have to have a bit of a challenge, it just gives you that
0:18:21 > 0:18:22bit of excitement, and, you know,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25you've got to get the heart racing a bit.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27But, that will be a tricky one.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Bringing down buildings without interrupting the day-to-day life
0:18:41 > 0:18:43of a busy urban area,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46is a recurring challenge for demolition firms.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51But in Birmingham, the £750 million makeover of New Street station
0:18:51 > 0:18:53is taking that task to a whole new level.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07This is the atrium demolition.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11We are taking out everything from this floor and down a floor.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14So what you'll have is a concourse
0:19:14 > 0:19:16that vaults upwards to this big roof.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19This used to be the Pallasades shopping centre,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21so all of this used to be various retail units,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23and over the last five years
0:19:23 > 0:19:26we have moved our way through and we have taken out...
0:19:26 > 0:19:30We've soft-stripped first, taken out all of the services, shop fronts,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and now we are removing the concrete.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35JACK-HAMMERING
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Noisy, aren't they, this lot?
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Whilst demolition goes on,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53it's business as usual for the station.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00170,000 passengers use the station every day,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03and it's the busiest interchange in the UK
0:20:03 > 0:20:06with a train leaving every 37 seconds.
0:20:09 > 0:20:10All right?
0:20:10 > 0:20:12As demolition health and safety manager,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Debbie's role is crucial to the success of the project.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Whilst working on one of the biggest urban engineering jobs in the UK,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22directly above thousands of commuters,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24she has to keep man and machine apart.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32I know my job has a good cause,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35and I get to come to work to make sure that all of these people
0:20:35 > 0:20:37that I get to work with are safe,
0:20:37 > 0:20:42and isn't exposed to, like, occupational noise...
0:20:42 > 0:20:44SHE LAUGHS
0:20:47 > 0:20:50With what we ask of them, there's probably, like, 95% compliant.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52There's always going to be the occasional person
0:20:52 > 0:20:54that comes and tries to push their luck
0:20:54 > 0:20:57and push me, essentially, sometimes.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59You know, it's difficult being 28 and female.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01There are a couple that think maybe that it's, you know...
0:21:01 > 0:21:03That they don't have to listen.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04But the days of turning up
0:21:04 > 0:21:09with a sledgehammer and three lads and a blind eye, just won't float.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15The main challenge for the demolition team
0:21:15 > 0:21:17is to remove the two huge concrete floors
0:21:17 > 0:21:20that sit directly above the busy station.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25Just underneath their working area are 12 live railway lines.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27On the other side of the atrium wall
0:21:27 > 0:21:30life must continue as normal in the station.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33The 1960s concrete is too weak to take the weight
0:21:33 > 0:21:36of the powerful demolition machines needed.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38So a new lightweight, remote-control Mega-muncher
0:21:38 > 0:21:41has been built just for this job.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43If the floors can be safely removed,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45the demolition will reveal
0:21:45 > 0:21:47a new spacious atrium,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49designed to cope with the increasing passenger numbers
0:21:49 > 0:21:52predicted for at least the next 40 years.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Network Rail plan to open the atrium to the public
0:22:04 > 0:22:06before the end of 2015.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11The demolition team has just six months to remove 6,000 tonnes of concrete.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15So they're working shifts around the clock,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19constantly preparing the next area for the Mega-muncher to attack.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Built in Birmingham, specifically to create the atrium,
0:22:35 > 0:22:40its four-tonne jaws can apply over 3,000lb of pressure,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42crushing through five-foot beams,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46a wider reach than any other demolition machine.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Whilst it's the star of the show,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54a support cast of dozens of demo-men work through the night
0:22:54 > 0:22:56to clear the debris it leaves behind.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03MAN WHISTLES TUNE
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Driving the smallest machine on site, 28-year-old Skippy
0:23:08 > 0:23:13has mixed views on playing second fiddle to a remote-control behemoth.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Cool the first time you see it.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Just a limelight-stealer for my little Bobcat, that's all it is.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Steals my limelight every night.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25"Look at me, my big machine! Oooh...!"
0:23:25 > 0:23:28My little Bobcat gets all bent out of shape about it.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32I don't know... I wouldn't mind learning to drive him,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35but, besides that, it just looks a bit dangerous to me.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36You've seen me drive the Bobcat,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40so if I got on that it'd be game-over for New Street station.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41Rapido.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46The thing is with demolition,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48once you've knocked it down it's gone,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and they just build something new there.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Quite strange about this place because we've demolished...
0:23:54 > 0:23:55We've demolished big parts of it
0:23:55 > 0:24:00but it's still going to be here in years to come for people to see.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Which is very rare in our game.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06It's usually, gone and a distant memory
0:24:06 > 0:24:08of some old mad man in a pub.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11"I remember when there was a flat block there...."
0:24:11 > 0:24:13"Shut up, mate."
0:24:16 > 0:24:19The train station is mercifully quiet at night,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22allowing the crew to push on uninterrupted.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26But if they've got any chance of having the atrium ready in time,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29the Mega-muncher will have to work through the daytime, too,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32without posing a danger to any of the thousands
0:24:32 > 0:24:33of unsuspecting commuters.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42The tallest building in Hull -
0:24:42 > 0:24:44High Court Tower - is being readied for blow-down.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Following the test blast,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49the engineers have decided the building needs to pre-weakened
0:24:49 > 0:24:52before explosive is laid.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Key parts of the structural integrity of the six blast floors
0:24:56 > 0:24:59will be removed to ensure that the blast has the maximum impact.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Martin is responsible for ensuring that the nearby houses
0:25:09 > 0:25:12are all empty on the day of the blast.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16By his calculations, the nearest 141 houses must all be empty
0:25:16 > 0:25:18for the blow-down to go ahead.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Now he has to persuade them all to go along with his plan.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Policeman's door knock.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34No, nobody coming to that.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40They're not going to answer the door, are they?
0:25:43 > 0:25:45The job on-site is easy,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47they know exactly how long that's going to take,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50they know exactly what they have to do. This is the...
0:25:50 > 0:25:53The bit that is sort of really open to how the residents want to react,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56whether they want to come out on the day,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59or whether they just blatantly turn around at the first point
0:25:59 > 0:26:02when we make contact and say, "I'm not coming out."
0:26:05 > 0:26:08There were once seven tower blocks on the estate,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11but Hull council decided they were too expensive to modernise
0:26:11 > 0:26:16and are spending £15 million building new low-rise homes instead.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23High Court is the last block standing.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Two years ago everyone was forced to move out.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32That's looking across to Holmethorpe
0:26:32 > 0:26:36when all the blocks were there and that's across the...
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Nick and Maureen lived on the 17th floor for over 40 years.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Now they live in a bungalow two miles away -
0:26:43 > 0:26:46their flat was bought by compulsory purchase order.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48See, we had fantastic views.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50That's why we described it as sort of like a penthouse flat
0:26:50 > 0:26:53with panoramic views all the way round.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58Out of the 43 years, I would say most of it are happy memories.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Oh, it was good.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Worst thing I can think about it is when it was very, very windy.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07And you, like, were up there, and you knew the block moved
0:27:07 > 0:27:09because, you know, it had to move.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14At one point, we had a light-fitting that had three lampshades on it,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18and they used to swing and you could feel it on the floor, couldn't you?
0:27:18 > 0:27:22We used to sit there and - either sit on the floor or hold the floor -
0:27:22 > 0:27:25and think, "Yeah, the lights will be going in a minute."
0:27:25 > 0:27:27We just loved it there, it was just fun.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31We imagined growing older there and probably not even ever moving.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34And I must admit it was quite devastating, wasn't it?
0:27:34 > 0:27:37If the council hadn't said they were demolishing
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- we probably would have been still there now.- Yeah.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43- Probably would've been.- It's just that they said we had to get out.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45So we had to start looking for somewhere else.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Who should decide that you should lose your home?
0:27:52 > 0:27:56The residents who still live in the shadow of High Court,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59will have to evacuate their homes when the tower comes down.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Martin is planning to set up an evacuation centre
0:28:03 > 0:28:06at a local school on the day.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09He's going door-to-door to find out how many people would like to use it.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16- Hi, sorry to disturb you. - Hiya. It's fine.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19- We're from the demolition company. - Oh, right. Yeah.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20Just chasing up the questionnaire.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Can I take your name please?
0:28:22 > 0:28:23Yeah, it's Levi.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25On the day of the demolition,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27do you want to come to our evacuation centre
0:28:27 > 0:28:29when we nicely ask you to leave?
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Or do you want to make your own arrangements?
0:28:31 > 0:28:32I'll make our own arrangements.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35- Fantastic.- Go to the pub.
0:28:35 > 0:28:36Do you have any pets, at all?
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Only four kids.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43As long as my house is still standing after two o'clock, I'm fine!
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- Great. Thank you. - Thank you very much.- Bye.- Bye.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Do you want to come to our evacuation centre
0:28:50 > 0:28:53which is going to be the school over the road?
0:28:53 > 0:28:54Fantastic.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Oh...! You can't stay, it's coming this way.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Martin needs to know that everyone in the evacuation zone
0:29:04 > 0:29:06will follow his orders,
0:29:06 > 0:29:08or the entire demolition could be scuppered.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Well, that went well.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Howard's demolition team are making steady progress
0:29:21 > 0:29:25taking down the 1970s shopping centre near Blackpool,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28but they've yet to attempt the most difficult part of the project -
0:29:28 > 0:29:30the crucial halfway cut.
0:29:33 > 0:29:38Howard has worked in demolition for his whole adult life.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40It's more than a profession, it's a love affair.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44If you're a genuine demo man,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46the real hardcore demo man,
0:29:46 > 0:29:48like I have been all my life,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50it just really gets into your blood.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52And you just can't help it.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Like there was certain things when I got married.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57My wife would book an holiday,
0:29:57 > 0:29:58and I'd cancel. I wouldn't go.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01It'd come to the end, and she'd have to go with the kids on her own,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04because I'd say, "Oh, I've got this demolition job on, blah, blah."
0:30:04 > 0:30:06And she used to go absolutely mad.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08And she once said to me, one day, I'll never forget this
0:30:08 > 0:30:11she said, "You know, I think you love your demolition company
0:30:11 > 0:30:12"more than you love me."
0:30:12 > 0:30:14And I responded by saying,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18"Look, I love my mate's demolition company, more than I love you."
0:30:18 > 0:30:20She went absolutely ballistic
0:30:20 > 0:30:21and I always said, you know -
0:30:21 > 0:30:25And I didn't realise what it was doing. It was wrecking it.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29She left.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31She went.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33She'd just had enough and,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35and she couldn't take no more.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38And it's... I don't realise it - because it has, because...
0:30:38 > 0:30:41"It's took hold of you, Howard" and "Get a life."
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Get, you know... But this IS my life.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46It's what I've done from being a kid, right the way up,
0:30:46 > 0:30:48and I don't know nothing else.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Howard's biggest challenge this year
0:30:55 > 0:30:57is splitting a shopping centre cleanly in two
0:30:57 > 0:30:59to make way for a new supermarket.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02His team has to completely flatten half of it,
0:31:02 > 0:31:04but leave the other half intact.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08As if that wasn't challenge enough,
0:31:08 > 0:31:10he's now got a new headache.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13It turns out the shopping centre is full of the demolition man's
0:31:13 > 0:31:16worst nightmare - asbestos.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21We've had a problem with the asbestos -
0:31:21 > 0:31:23there's more of it than what we thought,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25and it takes time to get it out.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27So, it's all getting knocked back
0:31:27 > 0:31:29because, you know, there's procedures...
0:31:29 > 0:31:32How you've got to do it, and you just can't go at it willy-nilly.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36They've discovered the beams are coated with asbestos.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Howard's employees are among the select band of demo workers,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42who've the licence and qualification needed to take it down.
0:31:42 > 0:31:47But first, the area has to be sealed off and made totally airtight
0:31:47 > 0:31:50so no-one is exposed to the deadly fibres.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53Right, so the lads are getting in there to strip the asbestos.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55We've got to go in there and do what's called a smoke test.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57We go in with a smoke machine.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Fire away, Gary.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01We fill the enclosure with smoke.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02If that smoke leaks through,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05then obviously we've got a problem, and we have to seal that,
0:32:05 > 0:32:07and then re smoke-test it, again.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Once there's no leaks, we can then sign the enclosure off as live,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12and commence with the asbestos works then.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20When you talk about endangering somebody's life, silently,
0:32:20 > 0:32:22you just don't buck the system.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28Make your way through now, Gary.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31The asbestos itself, the product,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33for what it does, is fantastic.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35I don't know of anything else that does what it can do.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37The shame is that it's so deadly.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39The way it can insulate products is fantastic.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42It's used in electrics to insulate against sparks.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44It's brilliant for fire retardants.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46You know, it were a brilliant product,
0:32:46 > 0:32:48it's just the fact of the danger that comes with it.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Who's to say that in 20 years' time there's another product we're using now
0:32:52 > 0:32:54that might not bring the same problems.
0:32:55 > 0:33:00You can't really see much at all now, it's well and truly smoked out.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Asbestos was still used in construction in the UK,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10as recently as 1999.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12It's now known that even just a few microscopic fibres
0:33:12 > 0:33:17can cause asbestosis, a crippling and untreatable lung disease.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Years and years ago, when I started in the business,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23you'd go on and you'd knock an asbestos roof in
0:33:23 > 0:33:26and you might come across an asbestos-lagged pipe, you know,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28you'd probably end up shovelling it up.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Nobody... We...We...wasn't trained
0:33:30 > 0:33:33and we didn't know about the dangers.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36You know, we didn't know any better. You know.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Until all the people started dying.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42You can't afford any slip-ups because if we DO miss a bit -
0:33:42 > 0:33:45which, touch wood, up till now we haven't done -
0:33:45 > 0:33:48you've got our knocking-down gang that come along,
0:33:48 > 0:33:50and then they might be exposed to it.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53And then, if they miss it, you've got the poor building gang
0:33:53 > 0:33:56that's going to put the new building up, they'll be exposed to it.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58And it just does on and on and on and on.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Dealing with asbestos is dangerous,
0:34:02 > 0:34:06and company owners can be jailed if they breach the rules.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Work here will have to be halted
0:34:08 > 0:34:10until it's been painstakingly removed -
0:34:10 > 0:34:14a process that could hold up the job for weeks.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18To put it in a nutshell, you mention asbestos to me,
0:34:18 > 0:34:20it makes me cringe.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23I hate the stuff. It's a bloody nightmare.
0:34:31 > 0:34:32At Birmingham New Street,
0:34:32 > 0:34:34the ambitious demolition that will
0:34:34 > 0:34:38create a vast 30-metre high atrium is continuing apace.
0:34:40 > 0:34:41Yo, sexy boy!
0:34:44 > 0:34:46Work is going on whilst the main station in Britain's second city
0:34:46 > 0:34:49remains operating at full capacity.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58The first of the two huge concrete floors has been removed ahead of schedule,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01but now they're moving onto the floor that's closest
0:35:01 > 0:35:04to the myriad of railway lines directly below.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06Health and safety manager Debbie
0:35:06 > 0:35:09is responsible for her team on site,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12and also for ensuring that no passengers are hurt or hindered
0:35:12 > 0:35:14by the demolition.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17I don't think anyone appreciates the extent of what's going on
0:35:17 > 0:35:19on the other side of the walls.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21I think the tunnels that have been put in place
0:35:21 > 0:35:24to get people from A to B give you an affect of a full station,
0:35:24 > 0:35:28when actually on either side of each tunnel is just work.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Men working, taking out and putting back in.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36So I think they've done a good job of keeping everything running really
0:35:36 > 0:35:39while...while we knock everything apart.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47So I come down here and go through and do background noise monitoring.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49So we look at everything from the Tannoys,
0:35:49 > 0:35:54to the people pulling trolleys to the people with talking, crowds...
0:35:54 > 0:35:56And then we look at when we start works
0:35:56 > 0:35:57with our Brokks and our breakers.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00We look at how much we're affecting or increasing the noise.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02See if there's any more controls that we need to put in
0:36:02 > 0:36:06so we're not bothering the public any more than we need to.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14So what this does, is it takes the noise readings from the area.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18So it's picking up the DBA for all the different noises around us.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20So, everybody that goes past that's talking,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23anyone that's pulling a suitcase,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26all of our works above and behind the walls, on the other side...
0:36:26 > 0:36:28So everything, really.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32And we're looking to stay under certain levels.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Point it. Look at it. Not bad. Leave.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38It's a lot more technical than that.
0:36:38 > 0:36:39- Is it?- No.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44With so many passengers walking around,
0:36:44 > 0:36:47passed, and under the work site every day,
0:36:47 > 0:36:51the demolition team can't afford to make any mistakes.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58In any other circumstance with demolition,
0:36:58 > 0:36:59you get everybody out of the way,
0:36:59 > 0:37:01you get all of your men as far away as possible,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04and you demolish in a controlled environment
0:37:04 > 0:37:06with very few people in the way.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10But here we're almost surrounded on every face by people,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12so it makes our job a million times harder.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32In Hull, preparations for the demolition of the 19-storey tower,
0:37:32 > 0:37:34High Court, are underway.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37JACK-HAMMERING
0:37:37 > 0:37:40The walls have been weakened on the structural engineer's advice.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45Now, over the coming weeks 1,000 holes must be drilled
0:37:45 > 0:37:47before the building is peppered with explosive.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55As there's no record of the strength of the concrete,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58or amount of reinforcing steel used in the building,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00blasting isn't an exact science.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Large volumes of concrete could fall further than predicted,
0:38:05 > 0:38:09so Martin has to ensure that the nearest 141 houses are empty
0:38:09 > 0:38:11on the day of the blast.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16This is certainly not the glamorous side of the job!
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Let's hope this isn't here on the day.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28The evacuation is crucial for public safety,
0:38:28 > 0:38:31as more than 1,000 explosive changes will be primed
0:38:31 > 0:38:33by the time blow-down day arrives.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39The exact timing of an explosive demolition
0:38:39 > 0:38:41is not normally made public,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44but as Martin needs so many locals to cooperate,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48he's let them know they plan to detonate at midday,
0:38:48 > 0:38:50so they can make arrangements.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52But with blow-down day just four weeks away,
0:38:52 > 0:38:54there's trouble brewing.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59Up until this morning, there were still 28 properties,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01that we still hadn't had any contact from.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06And we have had on this project two people that have said,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09"I'm not coming out."
0:39:09 > 0:39:12One lives very close to the block
0:39:12 > 0:39:15and the other one lives close enough that we wouldn't be happy
0:39:15 > 0:39:18about not getting them out on the day.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20But we've already had that discussion with the...
0:39:20 > 0:39:25with our client, and with Housing and with the police.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28So we've made them, everybody's aware of the issues we may have.
0:39:30 > 0:39:35Last resort, physically knocking the door in, and extracting them.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38But it's a really last resort and I've never had it yet on a project,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41so, hopefully, not on this one.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43And you kind of think - "Why?"
0:39:43 > 0:39:47Given that what's going to happen on the day.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Why they wouldn't want to leave,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51but people are strange, I suppose.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56On the day of the blast,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Martin could have to call in support from the police.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03If anyone in the exclusion zone refuses to leave their home,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06his efforts to get the local community on side
0:40:06 > 0:40:07could all be in vain.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17Howard's crew are reaching the most difficult part
0:40:17 > 0:40:19of their shopping centre demolition.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22The asbestos has been safely removed, so tonight
0:40:22 > 0:40:24they separate the buildings that they're demolishing
0:40:24 > 0:40:27from the shops that are supposed to remain standing.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29How's it going?
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Should I be concerned yet or not?
0:40:32 > 0:40:35- No.- No, not yet?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37As long as you know a good place, you'll be all right.
0:40:41 > 0:40:42I just make unannounced visits,
0:40:42 > 0:40:46but when it's something like this I just like to... Peace of mind.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51I'm quite confident that they have it in hand and it'll go perfect.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53But it doesn't always go to plan,
0:40:53 > 0:40:55but we're hoping this is going to go to plan so, you know,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58you'll have to bear with me on this one.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05The thing that we've got to really, really be careful of is,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08we've got four girders coming from this part of the building,
0:41:08 > 0:41:11which is coming down, going through to the building,
0:41:11 > 0:41:12which is staying up.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16Now, the slightest rattle of movement on one of them buildings
0:41:16 > 0:41:18will shake their building.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23You cannot afford to have the slightest movement
0:41:23 > 0:41:26because it will just drop the girder right through
0:41:26 > 0:41:28and we know this isn't going to happen.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30HE MOUTHS SILENTLY
0:41:36 > 0:41:39I mean, what's the worst that can happen?
0:41:39 > 0:41:41They flatten the cafe?
0:41:41 > 0:41:43There's another one round the corner up there that's a good one,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47but that's the worst that can happen.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50If you ever lose your key for the front door,
0:41:50 > 0:41:52that's what you want, one of them.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01The shops that are staying put have closed for the day,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03but Howard has just one night to split the building
0:42:03 > 0:42:06so they can open as normal first thing tomorrow.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Taking down the girders will reduce the structural support
0:42:15 > 0:42:17in both sides of the building,
0:42:17 > 0:42:21and four girders have to come down tonight without causing any damage.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25Should we move away from them?
0:42:28 > 0:42:31That's just come how we wanted it to come.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34I was always concerned it was going to flick that way,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37batter against them windows and everything, so it hasn't.
0:42:37 > 0:42:38It's gone where we wanted it.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Three down, one to go.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Now Howard's crew has to make the most final,
0:42:49 > 0:42:53most difficult cut by hand, and the excavator is in position
0:42:53 > 0:42:56to try to prevent the girders swinging down uncontrollably.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14With the final steel successfully severed,
0:43:14 > 0:43:18the shops on the cut line are still standing and intact.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21The rubble from the demolished half of the shopping centre will soon
0:43:21 > 0:43:25be cleared and the building work on the new supermarket can begin.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29Open as usual in the morning, look. See, they must have known.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31You see, while everybody's in bed,
0:43:31 > 0:43:34we're here keeping the wheels of industry turning
0:43:34 > 0:43:36to keep everybody going,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39and they won't even know we've been when they come in the morning.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43Well, I like to think that's a result.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45Another good job done.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56- Sentry one, receiving? Over. - RADIO:- Loud and clear.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00- Sentry two, receiving? Over. - RADIO: Loud and clear.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Sentry three, receiving? Over.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04- RADIO:- Loud and clear.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08Blow down day in Hull...
0:44:08 > 0:44:11or it will be if Martin's team can coax all the residents
0:44:11 > 0:44:14of High Court's neighbouring properties into leaving their homes
0:44:14 > 0:44:16at the allotted hour.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24I always feel really apprehensive of the morning of blow down.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27It's one of those where you're praying for everything to go right
0:44:27 > 0:44:31and 99.99% of the time it goes right,
0:44:31 > 0:44:34but there is always something that just throws a little bit
0:44:34 > 0:44:37of a spanner in the works that's unexpected.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45Martin's assembled a team to go door-to-door,
0:44:45 > 0:44:49to make sure everyone in the 141 houses in the exclusion zone
0:44:49 > 0:44:51are out in time.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53We're telling the evacuation team,
0:44:53 > 0:44:56we're trying to get everybody out by 10:00.
0:44:56 > 0:44:57That may not happen.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02The team includes some keen volunteers...
0:45:02 > 0:45:03his mum and his wife.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05I will give it to you first, Abi.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08Hello, Martin's wife, Martin's wife.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14Most of the neighbours have agreed to leave whilst the tower comes down
0:45:14 > 0:45:17but Martin's team have identified one household on the estate
0:45:17 > 0:45:21that is still not willing to play ball.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25So, if you get any abuse or anything, again just let me know
0:45:25 > 0:45:28and we can sort of try and deal with it through the authority
0:45:28 > 0:45:30or the police, just to politely go and knock on the door
0:45:30 > 0:45:33and convince them it's probably the best thing to do,
0:45:33 > 0:45:34is to leave for the day.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36Other than that, happy knocking.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44Martin has asked for everyone in the exclusion zone
0:45:44 > 0:45:47to be out of their properties by 10:00 AM, to try and ensure
0:45:47 > 0:45:51they hit the scheduled time for the blast, midday.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56- Hiya.- Hi, good morning, from the evacuation team.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58Just a little prompt reminder, that's all.
0:45:58 > 0:46:0110:00, if you could be out, that'd be great.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03- Yeah, yeah, that's fine. - All right, thank you.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Have you had somebody knock on the door? Cos we're part of the
0:46:06 > 0:46:08- evacuation team.- I've put a green sticker on.- You're an angel.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11DOG BARKS LOUDLY
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Lovely dog, aw.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17- KNOCK AT DOOR - Just a polite reminder,
0:46:17 > 0:46:20- there's a 10:00 evacuation, that's all.- Just getting ready.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22Oh, all right, OK.
0:46:22 > 0:46:23Thank you, all right. Bye.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27There's no-one else in there.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30- Oh, that's all right. You're not harbouring anybody?- No!
0:46:30 > 0:46:32THEIR LAUGHTER DROWNS SPEECH
0:46:32 > 0:46:37Team one, we're quite confident that everybody's vacated, over.
0:46:42 > 0:46:43OK, thank you.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Well, we've got one property that they've been adamant from the start
0:46:49 > 0:46:52through this whole process that they're not coming out.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55They work nights and why should they leave?
0:46:58 > 0:47:01So it does give me a little bit of concern
0:47:01 > 0:47:06because it's obviously one property out of 141 that won't come out
0:47:06 > 0:47:09but hopefully they will come out.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11We'll see what happens, they may want to be that awkward,
0:47:11 > 0:47:13I don't know.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19With houses less than 20 meters away from High Court,
0:47:19 > 0:47:22the explosives engineer's calculations have to be bang on.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25There is only one way that it can fall
0:47:25 > 0:47:27without causing catastrophic damage.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32The cabin just at the...
0:47:32 > 0:47:35The police are on hand to help with the evacuation.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39If the residents who say they won't leave put themselves in danger,
0:47:39 > 0:47:42they could be arrested for a breach of public order.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45- Have they said whether... - Mr Smitt.- Yes.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49He doesn't have an issue with evacuating, it's the length of time
0:47:49 > 0:47:52he has to be evacuated for.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55So basically he said if you tell him a time that he has to be out for,
0:47:55 > 0:47:56he will be out.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01We're very late as it is, so no arguing, it's a
0:48:01 > 0:48:03"you must be walking out of this house at this time,"
0:48:03 > 0:48:06and there's no leeway for "I'll be another ten minutes..."
0:48:06 > 0:48:10Yeah, and what time's that?
0:48:10 > 0:48:12It's probably 11:30.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16Right, the latest time is 11:00.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19Now we're here on the day with the boys in blue,
0:48:19 > 0:48:21it's now, "I actually don't have any problem with leaving,
0:48:21 > 0:48:24"it's just the length of time I want to be out the house,
0:48:24 > 0:48:28"so what's the latest I have to be out for and when can I be back in?"
0:48:28 > 0:48:31So the drama's over, he's happy to go, so that's pretty much 100%.
0:48:31 > 0:48:36So that's everybody out who we said we were going to get out.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38RADIO: That's fine, just make sure that gentleman
0:48:38 > 0:48:40doesn't access back into his house, please.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45With the evacuation complete, the explosives team can begin
0:48:45 > 0:48:47their final preparations to take down the tower.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54As well as those who've been evacuated from their houses,
0:48:54 > 0:48:58residents who used to live in High Court have come to watch.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01I lived in there 20 years ago and I loved it,
0:49:01 > 0:49:03it was really good.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05It was brilliant flats,
0:49:05 > 0:49:10and my sister's baby was born in there as well, in the bathroom.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12Once it's gone it'll be great, because it's been an eye sore
0:49:12 > 0:49:15for the last few years but it's like an end of an era.
0:49:15 > 0:49:16It's a part of history,
0:49:16 > 0:49:21so I hope it all goes down well and everybody's safe.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29Hello, it's the demolition team.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Could you come and answer the door, please?
0:49:32 > 0:49:36With just over an hour to go until blow down, there's a problem.
0:49:36 > 0:49:37Hello?
0:49:37 > 0:49:40Martin's team have spotted a window open in a house
0:49:40 > 0:49:41they think was shut earlier.
0:49:41 > 0:49:42Want to go around?
0:49:42 > 0:49:46It could be a sign that someone is still in.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50And the house is worryingly close to the explosive-laden tower.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54Stop anybody coming back into the zone, please. Over.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56RADIO: Need to keep an eye on it because we think there maybe
0:49:56 > 0:49:59somebody inside, so if you see any movement of anybody, we need to know.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01We just keep knocking and we'll get...
0:50:01 > 0:50:03We've done that, we've been round the back,
0:50:03 > 0:50:05but we're pretty certain there's somebody in there.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07RADIO: Can you go back to your position
0:50:07 > 0:50:08so I can see you from where I am?
0:50:10 > 0:50:12The window's open, it definitely wasn't before.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14RADIO: Position two receiving loud and clear.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30If Martin can't be sure that the house is empty, the demolition
0:50:30 > 0:50:33will have to be delayed and with it, hundreds of residents will be
0:50:33 > 0:50:37further prevented from getting back into their own homes.
0:50:38 > 0:50:43Receiving, over. We can't 100% confirm that he's gone.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46The indicator for us was that the window at the front is still open
0:50:46 > 0:50:50which he may have left but he might not have done as well.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56Where he is, he is a little bit too close for comfort.
0:50:56 > 0:51:01So, we may need to be as vigorous as we can and make sure we get him out.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10This is the police.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13If you don't come and answer the door, we'll be forced to put it in.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21We have a cherry picker which we may be able to get up
0:51:21 > 0:51:24and open the window and shout through the window.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41- I don't see him.- Nobody there?
0:51:41 > 0:51:43Just push the window to, then.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46So there's no bed or anything in there, there isn't anybody or a bed.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48It's just an empty room.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51That hasn't changed the position, though, has it?
0:51:52 > 0:51:55Hasn't confirmed or denied whether there's anyone in there, has he?
0:51:55 > 0:51:57Yeah, yeah.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02Well, yeah.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05Common sense would dictate that he's either in another room or downstairs,
0:52:05 > 0:52:09- if he is in there.- Yeah... - He's in a critical position.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11He is if he's in.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13It's pretty close.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18In a career of almost 20 years,
0:52:18 > 0:52:22Martin has overseen more than 50 explosive demolitions.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25He's never had to break in to secure a house before,
0:52:25 > 0:52:29but with the police on standby, it's the only option,
0:52:29 > 0:52:32as the house is in a dangerously vulnerable position.
0:52:32 > 0:52:37FORCEFUL BANGING
0:52:37 > 0:52:38Thank you.
0:52:40 > 0:52:41Police!
0:52:45 > 0:52:48- Nobody in? Nobody in? - Nope, empty house.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55Property's empty.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58Unfortunately we've had to knock his back door in, so to speak,
0:52:58 > 0:53:01but we're just going to board it up now
0:53:01 > 0:53:04and then we'll get a permanent sort of a repair in place.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07This is the first time that it's ever happened to me
0:53:07 > 0:53:10that we've actually had to knock somebody's door in,
0:53:10 > 0:53:13so it's not the most pleasant thing, but in the interests of safety,
0:53:13 > 0:53:17given how far away the building is, it's something that we had to do.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20SIREN BLARES
0:53:26 > 0:53:30With the team confident that the exclusion zone is completely clear,
0:53:30 > 0:53:32the demolition can go ahead.
0:53:36 > 0:53:41Now it just a case of collapsing a 60 meter building into a tiny space,
0:53:41 > 0:53:43with houses less than 20 metres away.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49Ten, nine, eight,
0:53:49 > 0:53:52seven, six, five...
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Fire now.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33Before the residents are allowed back in their houses,
0:54:33 > 0:54:36Martin has to check that they're all still standing.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38I quite like that smell after.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47Pretty much the houses at this side are still all safe,
0:54:47 > 0:54:50little bit of clean up required.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53But the fence is still in place and the houses aren't damaged.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55Once we've got the footpath clear,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58we can now allow the residents to start coming back in.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03The closest houses have escaped any damage,
0:55:03 > 0:55:06but there are homes on all sides of this site.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10And there's a vivid reminder of just how important the evacuation was.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14A lump of the tower has been propelled further than planned,
0:55:14 > 0:55:17shattered one resident's fence.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20There you can see obviously it's spilled out a little bit
0:55:20 > 0:55:22just into the first property here.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26There's a few lumps that we're just going to bring a machine round now
0:55:26 > 0:55:28and clear this out of the way.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32We can see there's a minor bit of superficial damage to the door,
0:55:32 > 0:55:35but certainly nothing that's going to stop them
0:55:35 > 0:55:36from getting back in that property.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43Now the thousands of tonnes of steel and concrete that once stood
0:55:43 > 0:55:4760 metres high would soon be put to another use.
0:55:47 > 0:55:51This was the tallest building in Hull up until 30 minutes ago,
0:55:51 > 0:55:55and as you can see now it's less than probably a quarter
0:55:55 > 0:55:58of its height with what we've got left.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02And now we've got to spend the next six weeks processing all that
0:56:02 > 0:56:05concrete and getting all the steel out of it and recycling it and
0:56:05 > 0:56:08sending it off for somebody else to use on another construction project.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15In Birmingham,
0:56:15 > 0:56:19the two concrete floors have been removed over the past five months.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22It will take a few months for contractors to deck out
0:56:22 > 0:56:25and decorate the space, then for the first time in 45 years,
0:56:25 > 0:56:29New Street Station will be bathed in natural light and able to cope
0:56:29 > 0:56:34with the predicted increase in footfall for the next 40 years.
0:56:34 > 0:56:40It's a dream just five or six months away from becoming a reality.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43Demolition has finished, but before Debbie and the crew
0:56:43 > 0:56:46pack up and leave site, the press have been invited
0:56:46 > 0:56:48to see the fruits of their labour.
0:56:48 > 0:56:49It'll look beautiful.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52It really will and here we will have the benefit of the atrium roof,
0:56:52 > 0:56:55so you'll have so much more light in the station,
0:56:55 > 0:56:57which I think is what it missed before.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00Guys, do you want to gather round a minute?
0:57:00 > 0:57:02This is it done, and you can see from here
0:57:02 > 0:57:04all the way up to the roof.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07It's the end of an era after five and a half years.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09We did what we came to do and we did it well,
0:57:09 > 0:57:12and we did it quicker than expected and we did it safely
0:57:12 > 0:57:14and we did it without incident or injury.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16And it was exactly what we wanted from it.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19It's... We couldn't have asked for a better job.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21When you first walk in, it is a bit of a kind of,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24"Oh, goodness me, it's a hell of a sight, isn't it?"
0:57:24 > 0:57:26It is, it's great, and we've worked for five years
0:57:26 > 0:57:30in tiny little dark spaces so it's quite nice to see the sky again.
0:57:32 > 0:57:35They'll only have a little snippet of, like, about 30 seconds,
0:57:35 > 0:57:37- a minute or something like that. - They build it up all day
0:57:37 > 0:57:40and it comes on, they're like, "Here at New Street station,"
0:57:40 > 0:57:41and someone goes, "We've finished!"
0:57:41 > 0:57:44And then that's it, that's all that's on the news.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53One, two, three, cheese!
0:57:56 > 0:57:57I love demolition.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00It's a sense of accomplishment when you come and see something
0:58:00 > 0:58:05that's an eye sore or damaged or, you know, a hazard to people
0:58:05 > 0:58:06and we can come and take it away
0:58:06 > 0:58:08and they build something beautiful in its place.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11So we're not part of the construction so much,
0:58:11 > 0:58:15but we facilitate construction, we facilitate change.
0:58:15 > 0:58:20So demolition is what I know, what I'm good at and what I enjoy.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23So it's what I will always do.
0:58:25 > 0:58:27Yeah...
0:58:27 > 0:58:29unless I can get a bakery!