John Metcalfe looks at how one Japanese company is advancing a more quieter sensitive method for demolishing high-rise buildings, floor by floor.
"Leave it to Japan to turn one of the dirtiest and noisiest processes of the urban lifecycle – the demolition of highrises – into a neat, quiet and almost cute affair," says Metcalfe. And in the video below you can see the innovative "Taisei Ecological Reproduction" system being deployed by Japanese construction company Taisei to demolish the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka in Tokyo.
"Basically," explains Metcalfe, "construction workers build a hermetic structure covering the top floors of a tower that is supported by powerful jacks. Inside the structure are the heavy machines and demolition crews, who take apart the walls and cut the floors into concrete slabs that they lower to the ground via interior cranes. When they finish removing one floor, the jacks move the 'big hat' to the next one down, creating the impression for outside observers that a huge, disembodied mouth is consuming the tower from the top down."
Among the benefits of this method of de-construction: reducing dust pollution by 90 percent, muffling noise pollution, and powering the lights and machinery on the construction site through regenerative braking. Plus, it looks pretty funny in a time lapse video.
FULL STORY: Knocking Down Huge Buildings Quietly, Floor by Floor
A New Tallest Skyscraper for Japan
The Toranomon-Azabudai reaches 330 meters into the sky, far lower than international standards but taller by 30 meters than the previous tallest building in Japan.
Tokyo Expressway to Become a Linear Park
A major expressway in Ginza will be converted to a park similar to New York City's High Line.
A Different Kind of Density: Lessons From Asian Megacities
As the pandemic has made clear, a healthy, prosperous future will depend on the development of the kinds of density that encourage strong social infrastructure.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie