Japan’s Quiet Skyscraper-Demolition Technique Generates Energy
by Liat Clark, 15 January 2013
The article introduces a new Japanese eco-friendly demolition scheme that was developed by Japanese company Taisei Corporation. This new technology, christened as Taisei Ecological Reproduction System (TECOREP), took a year and a half to be developed. This technique has been used to demolish the 140-metre tall Grand Prince Hotel in Akasaka, which cannot be disassembled by cranes as the latter cannot reach buildings taller than 100 metres.
The building is disassembled two floors at a time from the inside, with hydraulic jacks propping up the top of the floor. After the inside is deconstructed, the jacks are lowered to let the roof and scaffolding move down.
This technique is touted as eco-friendly for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, explosives are not used in the demolition process unlike in traditional methods and the materials are dismantled bit by bit. Not only is there less debris and dust produced, the materials can also be recycled. Also, noise pollution is reduced by 17-23 decibels with the soundproofing of the building. It is also said that carbon emissions are reduced by 85 percent. Most importantly, electricity is generated from the motion of a crane which transports the dismantled components from the top to the ground floor. This electricity is then used to power lighting and other machines used in the demolition process.
The article blatantly states that previous demolition methods are “far from green”, hinting that Japan (other countries included) may not have been as kind to the environment. Yet, it portrays Japan as a eco-friendly nation committed to creating environmentally-friendly technologies, as it mentions the advent of other similar deconstruction schemes and acknowledges the benefits (to the environment) such technologies bring about.
I personally feel that it is near impossible to leave the environment in its pristine condition in the pursuit of economic development. As such, ‘green’ to me is really about living in harmony with the environment – striking a balance between environmental conservation and economic development, or in other words, sustainable development. Taisei Corporation seems to be phenomenal at this, as it reduces landfill waste, utilizes clean energy, conserves natural resources and reduces carbon footprint, all while pursuing economic development.
While this newly invented technology seems to be highly viable with few drawbacks, I have some reservations. With the possibly higher costs and much longer time taken, how many companies will be receptive to such a demolition scheme? As it takes about 10 days to demolish 2 floors, the demolition process is definitely longer than traditional demolition methods. If companies do not utilize this eco-friendly demolition scheme, then it may seem like a futile venture.
Reference:
Clark, Liat. “Japan’s Quiet Skyscraper-Demolition Technique Generates Energy”. Wired. 15 January 2013. Available at: http://www.wired.com/design/2013/01/japan-building-demolition/ [Accessed 2 September 2013]
This is a remarkable technology that does seem green in many ways. Of course, any demolition will create the same volume of debris no matter how it occurs. In fact, a standard demolition will lead to less debris to truck away, since some of the matter will become dust that blows away or settles elsewhere. I am certain that there are numerous neighbors of the building that praise the company for this innovation.
The demolition or dismantling of buildings is a sad, wasteful, but ultimately necessary element of the society we live in. In order for people to live in more compact and energy-efficient cities, we need to build higher. Since no material lasts forever, we need to one day tear down, too.
A truly “green” skyscraper would not only be energy efficient, carbon neutral, even energy producing, but also it would have an “exit strategy.” That is, it would be built in such a way that it could be easily dismantled, with as many of its elements recyclable as possible. A dream? Maybe, but “green” construction has improved immensely in the past few decades. Maybe “green” demolition is not that far away.
It is definitely an interesting article. the technology could prove to be a useful tool to be applied in the Singapore context.
It is inevitable in order for Singapore to grow and prosper to keep on demolishing and building new buildings. We have limited land for so many people, esp in light of the projection of 6.9 million people by 2030. We would have no choice but to increase the land plot ratio. In doing so, many people have their buildings en-bloc, in order to sell to the developers who have seen the economical potential in the land to build more and higher up. Singapore is a constant changing landscape, we see constructions and demolitions everywhere in the country. However where would all these debri go?
Thus, for a green building, I think it would be much more credible to label it green to not only consider how efficient it would be to save energy, water etc but also to consider the process throughout. From the very start, natural materials need to be collected, processed and then brought to site, all these involves large amount of resources in order to get the final product on site. Then there is the actual building processes, actual running of the building, and finally the demolition. All these involves resources that could be carefully and wisely chosen to better the building industry for longer periods.