ANOTHER relic of the apartheid era crumbled recently when Ross Demolition, subcontracting to Rabie Property Projects and Abland, demolished the so-called 'non-white' grandstand at Kenilworth Racecourse.

This stand was seldom used as the integration of race-goers went into effect shortly after it was completed. Jeff Lanham, contract manager for Ross Demolition, said: 'Using a Montabert hydraulic hammer mounted on a 40-ton excavator, Ross completed the entire demolition of the stand in under three weeks and creating some 6 500m3 of concrete and brick rubble in the process.'

The rubble will be crushed on site by a sophisticated imported mobile crusher and will be used as sub-base for the roads and parking areas in the Regent Square office development, where work is already in progress on the second office complex.

The project will eventually have 30 000m2 of office space. The current contract will bring the total office space built and let to just over 5 000m2. Most of the steel and other materials not suitable for recycling as sub-base are being separated from the rubble and mortar and will be taken off site to be recycled elsewhere.

Rabie contract manager Mark Bezencon said that the recycling system, though expensive, cuts rubble removal costs by about 80% and ensures that the residents in the surrounding areas do not have their peace disrupted by the coming and going of heavy trucks carrying rubble for disposal elsewhere.

 'Further advantages of this particular demolition,' he said, 'are that it will open up views across the centre track fynbos reserve and the Cape Flats to a wide sweep of the Hottentots Holland mountains. 'Now that the stand is down the space can also be used for extra parking by tenants in the forthcoming Regent Square building.'

A second stand, said to be over 60 years old and definitely the oldest building at the racetrack, will be demolished by Ross this month.

Here, said Bezencon, the demolition is essential because the stand is derelict, with spalling in some of the concrete and within the foreseeable future it could become a danger to the public. Once the rubble is removed the racecourse will be using this space for additional parking.

l For further information please contact Mark Bezencon on 021 762 7080.