Defining the demand for demolition

By offering both consultancy and contracting services, specialist demolition firm Liberty Industrial is providing Australia’s heavy industries with the tools and solutions the big player require to get the job done.

As owners of Australia’s largest custom-built demolition excavator and the exclusive Australian agent to an exciting state-of-the-art 3D structural modelling and analysis technology under its company ASI-Australia, demolition experts Liberty Industrial is blowing its competitors out of the water.

Founded by director Clinton Dick (“Clinton”) back in May 2008, the company has grown to become one of the Australian mining industry’s most trusted contractors.

Liberty started life as a consultant, but it was not long before clients realised they were talking to the real contracting experts.

“When we first started we spent the first three-and-a-half years primarily as a consultancy company providing concepts and advice,” remarks Clinton. “But after that period we started to get a lot of feedback from our clients saying that industry was lacking the certain expertise and skill set required to remove large complex infrastructure.

“Our clients realised that rather than getting us to manage other contractors, as the industry experts we were also the best people to do the work of the contractor.”

Despite moving into a new field the company has retained its consultancy work with a large emphasis on plant-closure concepts. According to director Simon Gill (“Simon”), however, the company’s core focus is today on its contracting role in removing large infrastructure projects.

“We have our own fleet of machinery and demolition crews with various skill sets, as well as the professionalism required for each project we undertake,” says Simon.

Clinton claims that in recent years many companies offering similar services to Liberty have got to “the stage where they’ve been unable to move with the times and adapt to the working conditions of Australia’s remote locations”.

“Simon Gill and I have been working in the industry for the past 16 years and as there weren’t any demolition consultants in Australia we identified a niche,” he remarks. “We figured that it would be a good opportunity to start our own business to cater to the major industrial mining and power generation players.”

Adding to Clinton’s sentiment, Simon says: “There were no firms that were specifically able to offer what we were when we started, but it still took between 12 and 18 months to get our name out into the industry.

“Once it was up and running, however, and clients knew they were able to come to us for the level of documentation and service they required, it began to flourish.”

In order to guarantee results to its clients, Liberty recruited a range of skilled and experienced demolition experts and engineers, and both Clinton and Simon’s working experience comes exclusively from the demolitions industry, with both directors gravitating towards the industry as young engineers.

“We’ve networked with key individuals from within the industry who were excited by our concept and they saw a huge opportunity to get involved,” Clinton points out. “Because of the people that have joined us we are able to specialise in the mining industry where the really large industrial projects exist.”

Move over James Cameron

The movie business is not the only industry to benefit from the advances made in 3D technology.
As the exclusive Australian agent for U.S. software firm Applied Sciences International (ASI), Liberty has adopted a revolutionary technology that enables the firm to utilise an ASI- developed 3D modelling and seismic analysis programme prior to carrying out demolition projects.

“The software uses the Applied Element Method (AEM), as opposed to the Finite Element Method most structural engineers are today using around the world,” explains Simon. “It uses Extreme Loading® for Structures Software (ELS) and has the ability to measure and predict how structures react under extreme loads.

“AEM modelling provides us with the ability to predict the breaking, separating and crack propagation of structures — no other software on earth has that ability,” he notes.

Clinton says that the benefit for Liberty’s clients is that the company can simulate the demolition of structures from the office, therefore providing its clients with piece of mind that they will get the outcome they want in a safe and effective way.

“We know our methods and we know our outcomes,” remarks Clinton. “When big structures hit the ground, clients can be sure that we’re not going to create any seismic activity in the ground that’s going to damage other nearby structures.”

Brandishing Australia’s biggest claws

In recent months Liberty has become the proud owner of Australia’s largest custom-built demolition excavator.

“We’ve recently bought a Liebherr 994-200,” says Simon. “It’s a 229-tonne excavator with a 14-tonne grapple on the front of it.”

Despite owning the biggest demolition machine of its kind on the continent, Simon claims its purchase was a practical decision, rather than a statement of intent.

“Over the years we’ve seen how big machines work on site and we had the opportunity to buy this machine a few months back, which has its turned out to be a great weapon on a large project we’re working on,” he notes.

“It’s a big plus for us in regards to safety as it can reach up to 18 meters into a structure, meaning that we can avoid placing people at the workface. It’s lets us demolish huge structures and move around a large piece of steel with ease.”

Revenue-spinning innovation

Without sensible regulations in place, few but the very bravest souls would dare to enter the demolitions industry; but with big machines providing safer working environments and computer programmes providing the report prior to the incident, Liberty is bringing the face of respectability to the business.

“We’re working in an environment where our clients demand high standards and we know how to meet those standards,” says Clinton.

Regulations, however, have not acted to stem the company’s innovative thinking.

Copper cutting technology forms a large portion of Liberty’s business with the company able to boast that it is responsible for generating approximately $20 million of unrealised revenues for one of its client.

According to Simon, Liberty undertook a demolition project at a copper-uranium mine where it solved a long-standing pure copper spill issue.

Recurrent copper material was spilt at the site’s furnace area over a five to 10 year period, spilling onto the floor turning into what Clinton describes as “one large plate”.

“There were 2,000 tonnes of copper material lying on their floor, which had been moved, but was cut into such large pieces that it wasn’t suitable for reprocess or recapture,” explains Clinton. “We designed and built a custom copper cutting saw attached to an excavator that runs hydraulically off the power of the machine.

After many months of trial and testing, we developed a saw blade that was able to process the copper blocks into manageable sizes and gave the company the opportunity to resmelt the copper within the furnace.

“Within the space of four weeks, with just three people, we generated approximately $20 million of unrealised revenues for that client,” he reveals.

Solidifying its position

As well as developing a safety record that is second to none Simon says that the firm wants to become the “go-to company” when it comes to large and challenging projects within Australia.

“Our innovative technology, our skill set and youth, and our drive and enthusiasm for new products and innovation are helping us to become a leader within the field in Australia,” he remarks.

As Liberty acts to fill a visible skills gap in the mining industry and works to solidify its position domestically, Clinton says that the company’s is targeting the title of the county’s number one demolition and deconstruction company.