Progress underway on demolition of “Athlone sisters”

By Ofentse Mokae
08 April 2010

The progress towards the demolition of the two Athlone cooling towers is proceeding swiftly, as the City works towards a demolition date around end of next month.

The city’s Clive Justus says a professional team comprising an environmental scientist, was appointed to oversee the technical, environmental and heritage aspects of the project.

Justus says the appointment was also made to prepare for a safe demolition.

“The decision to demolish the two iconic towers follows structural damage to one of the cooling towers when the stabilising rings around one of the towers became detached and fell to the ground,” Justus says.

The rings were fitted as an additional safety and stability measure almost twenty years ago.

He says after the incident they accepted a recommendation from structural engineers to demolish the structures.

It is anticipated that as many as three thousand holes need to be drilled into each tower to allow for the placing of controlled charges in the towers, ensuring that they collapse in a controlled manner under their own weight.

However Justus says extensive work is being done to prepare for the protection of local services.