Demolition in the heart of Brussels requires tight coordination and high-quality shielding. This project involved the demolition of an old office building, located directly adjacent to the Brussels South (Gare du Midi) railway station. Due to heavy traffic, high pedestrian volumes, and railway infrastructure right next to the site, a demolition curtain was essential to ensure a safe and controlled operation.
- Location: Near Brussels South (Gare du Midi) station
- Period: February 2nd to February 20th - 2026
- Type of work: Demolition of an old office building for new construction
The challenge
The client had to carry out demolition work in an environment that never stops:
- A busy access road with buses, taxis, and many pedestrians.
- The building was wedged between the access road and the tracks: a relatively narrow workspace.
- Limited logistics due to one-way traffic and working in central Brussels.
- Immediate surroundings including the station, shops, restaurants, and office buildings.
- Strict safety requirements due to adjacent railway platforms (including Eurostar).
"In such a setting, it’s all about control. You need to prevent falling debris or materials from reaching the tracks, station, roadway, or pedestrian zones. At the same time, you want to minimize dust and noise nuisance as much as possible."
What was needed
The client was looking for a solution that:
- Physically shields the surroundings from falling debris.
- Contributes to dust and noise control.
- Is practical to use within a tight workspace, with predictable logistics.
Important to note: For this project, Robusta supplied the demolition curtains/mats as a product. The execution and deployment on-site were handled by the client/contractor.
The solution: demolition curtains with closed demolition mats
For this project, a configuration of two closed demolition mats used as a demolition curtain was chosen. By selecting the right length and overlap, shielding at height was achieved, and "gaps" in the protection were avoided.
Technical specifications
-
- 2 demolition mats, 20 m long x 4 m wide
- 2 m overlap
- Attachment via carabiners (integrated into the demolition mats)
- Attached to a 6 m spreader beam, connected to the crane
Practical deployment
To keep on-site operations as manageable as possible, most of the preparation was done beforehand:
- The demolition mat(s) were pre-assembled at the facility in Antwerp.
- They were then "staged" (layered) into a container for transport to the project (pre-positioned for rapid deployment).
- On-site in Brussels, the mat was positioned daily using the crane.
This approach kept setup time on-site to a minimum and made repeated positioning during the demolition process highly practical.
Why this choice worked (3 key benefits)
- Safety & shielding: The closed mat reduces the chance of debris falling through strips or openings, which is crucial when working near tracks and pedestrians.
- Logistically viable in tight spaces: By pre-assembling and transporting the mats "staged," on-site deployment remains efficient, even with limited space and challenging access.
- Flexibility: The demolition mat can easily be divided into two separate 4 m wide mats, which is useful when the situation on the job site changes.
Result
With this setup, the demolition could proceed with shielding appropriate for the location: close to traffic and pedestrians, with railway platforms in the immediate vicinity. The surroundings were protected from falling debris, and the logistics remained manageable within the confined workspace.
Want to know more?
Would you like to know which dimensions, suspension, and configuration best suit your project? Download our e-book Smart demoltion with technical demolition curtains.
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