http://static2.stuff.co.nz/1306281536/271/5053271.jpg

Hotel Grand Chancellor to be deconstructed.

Demolition of the crippled Hotel Grand Chancellor could take up to a year.

Earthquake recovery minister Gerry Brownlee has announced that construction giant Fletchers has won the contract for the 10-month demolition of the unstable hotel at a media conference inside the central-city red zone.

Brownlee said the hotel's deconstruction would be "the largest demolition ever carried out in New Zealand".

While it could take up to a year, Brownlee said it should be safe to re-open the central city area around the hotel within five or six months.

The 27-storey building has been on a lean since the February quake, with authorities labelling it the most difficult demolition job in Christchurch.

Deconstruction of the building from the top down would start in a "few weeks'' once a full engineering assessment was done.

Brownlee said the demolition was "hugely symbolic" for Christchurch.

"It's very important to get these big demolition jobs going because the sooner these buildings are down the faster we can move to reopen areas and get on with rebuilding,'' said Brownlee.

"As the hotel comes down in height it will mean that safer access will gradually be possible to nearby buildings and streets."

The size and nature of the job meant complete demolition could take up to a year.

"I'm aware this is a long and slow process, but it needs to be managed very carefully to ensure the safety of the workers involved and reduce risk to neighbouring buildings."

Brownlee said Fletcher Construction was chosen after "a thorough tender process".

He dodged questions about how much Fletchers would be paid to take down the building which has been on a noticeable lean since February's earthquake.

Four tenders were submitted for demolishing the Grand Chancellor, with proposals including using explosive or conventional deconstruction using a crane.

The work would be managed by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA).

Before demolition began further work would be done to reinforce the interior of the hotel. This would allow guests to recover any property left behind on February 22.

"We've been fortunate that some extraordinarily skilled work done just after the earthquake allowed the hotel to be stabilised and prevented its immediate collapse.

"That meant we could explore the best way to bring the building down with the least impact on the surrounding area," Brownlee said.

- The Press

The really good news it that they committed to rebuild in Christchurch :banana::banana::banana:

Demolishing the earthquake-crippled Hotel Grand Chancellor could take up to a year and cost more than $10 million.

Yesterday, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced Fletcher Construction had beaten three other bidders.

The demolition – using cranes and excavators – should take about 10 months, but could take up to a year.

The building should be made safe enough to open surrounding streets within six months, Brownlee said. "I think this day marks a very significant step towards the clear revitalisation and rebuild of the city. While the time taken may seem like a fair while, this is probably the most complicated of all the buildings that need to come down in the city."

Brownlee refused to discuss whether Fletcher's bid was the cheapest.

Grand Chancellor Australia and New Zealand group manager Frank Delli Cicchi confirmed the demolition would cost more than $10m.

The Press understands this would make Fletcher's proposal more expensive and slower than at least one other bid.

Fletcher already is involved in the Christchurch rebuild, managing the Earthquake Commission's massive repair programme and as one of the preferred contractors in the $2 billion alliance infrastructure rebuild.

Several Fletcher staff have also been working for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority's (Cera) demolition management contractor RCP, which oversees smaller quake demolitions.

Yesterday, Fletcher general manager Greg Pritchard played down the company role in the quake rebuild. Many of its competitors were equally involved, he said.

"Fletcher is not anything like a dominant player ... It's just high-profile," he said.

Fletcher will manage the job, but most of the work will be undertaken by Auckland-based subcontractor Ward Group.

Fletcher Christchurch general manager Adrian Jonkers said onsite work would begin in about three weeks, starting with the demolition of part of the Cashel St car park building, expected to take about six weeks.

A large crane would then be brought in to pull apart the hotel's top 12 floors, which was expected to take up to six months. The bottom 14 floors would be pulled down using a large excavator, by April.

Cera will oversee the demolition but the Hotel Grand Chancellor Group and its insurer will pay the bill.

Brownlee said nearly 500 buildings had been approved for demolition, with about 250 already flattened. "For other building owners, the urgency remains. We cannot have the city paralysed for any longer than necessary," he said.

The Press.

The really good news it that they committed to rebuild in Christchurch :banana::banana::banana:

They sort of have to say that.. until the demand is proven for more rooms I can see there being a big hiatus on Hotel re/construction.

I have to laugh at some people who are saying that 10 months is way too long and that it should only take a week because it should just be blown up. As if they know all the facts. I bet if their businesses were right next door and got hit by the debis theyd be the first to start whineing!

Having stayed in the Grand Chancellor back in 97 i think 10 months is quite resonable a time period. "Saves destroying everything around it by blowing the thing up". In my home city they have taken shorter buildings down floor by floor and taken longer than that and they werent even on a lean. Its all part of the process of recovery from these tragic events!!!

It saddens me a little. I worked on this thing during its construction and even though it could never have been called pretty I'll still miss its significant presence on the skyline.

I have to laugh at some people who are saying that 10 months is way too long and that it should only take a week because it should just be blown up. As if they know all the facts. I bet if their businesses were right next door and got hit by the debis theyd be the first to start whineing!

Yep, apparently everyone is now an expert in controlled demolition!:nuts:

I don't know why some people can't understand that demolishing a building like this that has severe structural damage would be extremely difficult and unpredictable.

what did you think of the building itself. I have seen comments that it is a really ugly building, but I have to disagree. I think it was one of the best high rises in Christchurch, and it will be a shame to see it go.:ohno:

When i stayed there i thought it was a very nice hotel and i didn't think it looked too bad. "I don't think it was ugly"

Personally I feel that the 10sec option http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20FKED_COhw&feature=related has merits over and above that of the 10mth approach.

10 Million,10 months, and 100 business whom cannot trade.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/rebuilding-christchurch/5056053/10m-to-raze-Hotel-Grand-Chancellor

Vs

1 million dollars worth of high explosive,10 seconds, and 100 business that can continue to trade after 10 weeks.


You decide...

Personally I feel that the 10sec option http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20FKED_COhw&feature=related has merits over and above that of the 10mth approach.

10 Million,10 months, and 100 business whom cannot trade.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/rebuilding-christchurch/5056053/10m-to-raze-Hotel-Grand-Chancellor

Vs

1 million dollars worth of high explosive,10 seconds, and 100 business that can continue to trade after 10 weeks.


You decide...

I think you underestimate the damage that will be done by dropping 13000 tonnes of concrete and steel nearly 90m onto the ground. Equivalent to another major quake to all buildings nearby - some of them already badly damaged. Not to mention all the debris flying into said businesses.

Hey Paulsy, did you work for Forbes Construction as it got built around 1986. I remember they used a potain crane on it. I will certainly miss it when its gone, sure leave a big hole in our skyline.

Hey Paulsy, did you work for Forbes Construction as it got built around 1986. I remember they used a potain crane on it. I will certainly miss it when its gone, sure leave a big hole in our skyline.

No, was at the MED. Two substations in that building. One round the back near the loading dock and the other near the top of the carpark. Was there about a month. Pretty sure it would have to have been 88 or 89 but the building was already topped out when we were there.

Also worked on Clarendon Tower, RJI Tower (now Forsyth Barr), PWC and United Bank (now Holiday Inn) along with numerous smaller ones. You certainly feel a connection to them having worked on them - hopefully the others can be saved.

The building isn't a candidate for implosion. If they could they would.

I heard Fletcher is subbing the whole thing out to an American company.

I think you underestimate the damage that will be done by dropping 13000 tonnes of concrete and steel nearly 90m onto the ground. Equivalent to another major quake to all buildings nearby - some of them already badly damaged. Not to mention all the debris flying into said businesses.

The level of control by American high explosive demolition experts is quite extraordinary.

Case in point:

Ocean Tower Texas AKA: Faulty Towers, or The Leaning Tower of South Padre Island.Similar height to that of the Chancellor @ 31 stories Vs 26 stories.
http://www.rioleo.org/an-engineers-nightmare-ocean-tower-south-padre-island.php

At 55,000 tons, it is claimed that it was the largest implosion of a reinforced concrete structure in the world.

That's a fair few concrete trucks.

tower's core had sunk 14 to 16 inches

Perhaps that is a substantive lean greater than that of the GC?.


Dust would be an issue for nearby properties,but nothing compared to that of the earthquake liquefaction cleanup.

So who do you call?.No, not the ghost busters :shifty:


Controlled Demolition Inc - http://www.controlled-demolition.com/

The company responsible for imploding this building successfully. :)



P.S Let's not consider cost vs time here.Let's continue to feed Fletcher Land AKA: New Zealand.

Brownlee said Fletcher Construction was chosen after "a thorough tender process".

He dodged questions about how much Fletchers would be paid to take down the building which has been on a noticeable lean since February's earthquake.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/5053301/Hotel-Grand-Chancellor-to-be-deconstructed

Well, hello there!....nothing that a full transparency tender process would not accommodate.

All that's required is one eye.

^^
the Grand Chancellor is leaning over by about 2 degrees I think, or more than 2 metres at the top. Also, notice that the building you are talking about doesn't have anything around it. the Grand Chancellor has buildings right next to it, which would be crushed.
there is a difference between a building that has sunk a little bit, and a building that has suffered severe structural damage due to an earthquake.

Thats not the problem. There was nothing around the Ocean Tower. The area was wide open. The problem is that you need a repository for the debris. The debris has got to go somewhere. When you implode a building you get 2 feet of debris times the number of floors. Demolition debris lies at an angle of repose at 2:1. There is no place to put the Chancellor. There were a number of American implosion contractors that looked at the project and they all reached the same conclusion.

That's the reason why there are no implosions of buildings in New York City for example.

Thats not the problem. There was nothing around the Ocean Tower. The area was wide open. The problem is that you need a repository for the debris. The debris has got to go somewhere. When you implode a building you get 2 feet of debris times the number of floors. Demolition debris lies at an angle of repose at 2:1. There is no place to put the Chancellor.There were a number of American implosion contractors that looked at the project and they all reached the same conclusion.

That's the reason why there are no implosions of buildings in New York City for example.

Where is this public knowledge?.

It's not public knowledge......at least it wasn't until now. :)

That's the reason why there are no implosions of buildings in New York City for example.
Other than WTC1, 2 & 7 :)

...and look where the debris ended up. The only building that has been imploded in NYC was the Reingold Brewery in the Bronx and the Metro Detention Center buldings in Brooklyn. That was only because there was plenty of room.

To the best of my knowledge the only structures which have been imploded in New Zealand are the Marsden "A" and "B" chimneys up in Whangarei and a couple of chimneys at Carter Holt Paper on the South Island. Marsden went okay but the ones at Carter Holt turned into a screwup and failed to fail over. Both were done by the same company.

Subject: What is going on in Christchurch.... The REAL story



I received the below email a few days ago from a friend in the industry.



Hotel Grand Chancellor is a story that needs to be told. Maybe a book someday! It was finally announced on Wednesday but it is the story behind the delay that is interesting.



This story also applies to the rebuilding and repair of Christchurch which Fletcher Building are overseeing.



The tender was to RCP (project managers for council) but was passed over to CERA once they arrived.



CERA is staffed entirely by Fletchers employees.



CERA delayed the announcement for a month to enable Fletchers to study the other tenderers info & submit a late bid. The day it was submitted CERA awarded them the tender.



Fletchers price was 3 million higher than anyone else's!



Fletchers have no intention of doing the demolition, taking the risk, or putting up the bond to cover the risk. They are just appointing themselves as project managers to clip the ticket & then getting the original tender winners to do the work.



How did they get away with it?

Do a companies search on Fletchers. (No - don't bother we've done it for you below).

They just got bought by the Reserve bank!

RBNZ owns 275 million Fletcher shares while Hugh Fletcher now only has 5000. Its a SOE. A Govt department!!

They bought themselves an income stream. They direct all the profits from the recovery straight into their own pockets instead of allowing the people of ChCh to make a bit each to help them recover.



You have to admit it is clever!!



But how on earth did they keep it out of the media?: NZ's largest Co gets bought by Govt & it doesnt make even the tiniest news report? Really???



Something is rotten in the state of Denmark! (or in this case Canterbury!)



Meanwhile still no start to the demo & recovery after 3 months.



The books get fiddled while ChCh burns!

This is doing the rounds and will help you understand what a monstrous fraud is being perpetrated here:


Subject: The books are being Fiddled while Christchurch's future Burns!

Subject: FW: What is going on in Christchurch.... The real story

Here are a few questions for you to think about (oh, I'll make it easy: I
will give you the answers as well)


Q. Who appointed RCP (Resource Coordination Partnership Ltd) as Project
Managers for the management of 'critical buildings' following the February
22nd earthquake?

A . Christchurch City Council under instructions of the NZ Government



Q . Who appointed CERA?

A . NZ Government.


Q . Who appointed Fletcher Building to manage the demolition works and
then, reconstruction works?

A .. NZ Government firstly, then CERA


Q . Who is the main single shareholder of Fletcher Building?

A .. NZ Government. if in doubt check below:



http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/5114/fletcherbuilding.jpg











Who is NZ Central securities Depository Ltd?

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/163/centralsecurities.jpg


Q . Who called for the tenders for the demolition of the Grand Chancellor?

A . RCP


Q .. Who is to be the Principle to the demolition Contract (i.e. the
Payer)

A . The Crown (NZ Government).



Q ... Who assessed the Tenders for the Demolition of the Grand Chancellor?

A . RCP



Q . Who has been awarded the Grand Chancellor job (at whatever price and/
or conditions)?

A . Fletcher Building



Q . Who will make the profits?

A . Fletcher Building (and it's Shareholders)



Q . Who is the main shareholder of Fletcher Building? (I know, I already
asked this one, but it could be a trick question)

A . NZ Government as the Reserve Bank of New Zealand(no trick question, sorry)


Q . Who has been blind-sided?

A . Everyone involved in the (supposed) tender process firstly, but more
importantly, the people of Christchurch and New Zealand who thought that
they lived in a first-world economy.



Q . What are the ramifications?

A . Immediate loss of confidence by all independent Consultants and
Contractors in the tender process if CERA, RCP or Fletcher Building are
involved jointly or singularly in a government sanctioned role, for fear of
a continued potential for a monopoly and huge profiteering there from.



Q . Who are the winners?

A . Fletcher Building and the NZ Government, along with the other
Financial institutions that form the majority shareholders in Fletcher
Building.



Q. Who are the losers?

A . The property owners, their tenants, clients and customers, along with
everyone in New Zealand who believes in a 'level playing field', all the
people of Christchurch, and all the people of New Zealand that have
supported, volunteered their time and/or donated their hard earned, tax-paid
monies to the recovery following the devastating events of February 22nd.



Q .. What should I do?

A . If you care about living in a democratic, free market and transparent
economy, please send this on to everyone in your email address book who needs to know what is happening.

Email Etiquette
When you forward this, please remove all email addresses before sending it on, and use the BCC area when forwarding to friends.
"Be kind to your email friends"




As New Zealanders, exposure of this rout is our best protection.

isnt that a super related vehicle / entity?

Wow! What absolute rubbish!
Unfortunately you can't always believe what people send you via email, that's why that lovely Nigerian Prince hasn't sent me my money back... I wonder where that might be?

I know you're clearly someone who hasn't been treated very fairly by the (various) authorities following EQ2, and I know that the rules being applied depend on who you speak to and who you know, but I think you need to do some background checking first. Here would be a good place to start:
http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/payment/nzclear/

Wow! What absolute rubbish!
Unfortunately you can't always believe what people send you via email, that's why that lovely Nigerian Prince hasn't sent me my money back... I wonder where that might be?



From your lofty position of superior knowledge perhaps you can explain to me exactly what it is that is being misrepresented or misinterpreted in respect of the Companies Office excerpts that I confirmed myself from their site, and what in fact those excerpts seem to indicate regarding the shareholdings of Fletcher Building?

Ok, sorry, maybe I was a little harsh.
The Reserve Bank effectively only holds the shares in trust for the actual owners to allow the shares to be traded via the NZClear electronic clearing system. The link I included will give you an extremely detailed overview of the system.

This is effectively a mechanical instrument rather than the NZ government actually owning FBU shares through the RBNZ.

Ok, sorry, maybe I was a little harsh.
The Reserve Bank effectively only holds the shares in trust for the actual owners to allow the shares to be traded via the NZClear electronic clearing system. The link I included will give you an extremely detailed overview of the system.

This is effectively a mechanical instrument rather than the NZ government actually owning FBU shares through the RBNZ.

Thank you, that was so much easier

I feel not in the least embarrassed by the fact I have not suffered/benefited from an immersion education in the financial sector, even more so when the email above was forwarded to me by a solicitor, who is obviously no more au fait than myself

Like I said before, Fletcher will probably sub it out to an American Company.

How many high rises has Fletcher demolished?

Also worked on Clarendon Tower, RJI Tower (now Forsyth Barr), PWC and United Bank (now Holiday Inn) along with numerous smaller ones. You certainly feel a connection to them having worked on them - hopefully the others can be saved.
Sadly. 3/4 of the ones you named are confirmed for demolition and the 4th is unknown.
Interesting how many buildings you've worked on though.
What year was PWC completed? I can't get a straight bit of information about that building.

Sadly. 3/4 of the ones you named are confirmed for demolition and the 4th is unknown.
Interesting how many buildings you've worked on though.
What year was PWC completed? I can't get a straight bit of information about that building.

Was working at the MED at the time. We did the substations in all of those tower blocks. The exact year escapes me but it must have been before 1990 as I finished up working there at the end of 89.

I thought both Holiday Inn and Forsyth Barr were staying up?

Id somehow forgotten about this thread.

A reminder of what she looked like about 3 months back...

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/Demolition%20Grand%20Chancellor/017.jpg

All taken in the last couple of weeks, as you can see- not so prominent anymore...

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/Demolition%20Grand%20Chancellor/016.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/Demolition%20Grand%20Chancellor/052.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/Demolition%20Grand%20Chancellor/001.jpg

Smaller and smaller

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/Demolition%20The%20Establishment/064.jpg