BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- A new way of demolishing old buildings has been tried out in Japan. A landmark Japanese skyscraper, the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka, has been taken apart from the inside.

The process is said to be safer and cleaner than standard demolition techniques that use explosives.

The Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka once towered about 140 meters in the air. That was until June 2012, when it slowly started shrinking.

There’s no wrecking ball in site, and the building is being taken apart piece by piece from the inside.

The new technique is thought to decrease dust by up to 90 percent, while reducing noise by around 20 decibels.

The hotel is the tallest building to be dismantled in Japan. But its demolition has barely made a sound.

Hideki Ichihara is the deputy manager of the construction technology development for Taisei Corporation. He says cranes and other equipment have been brought inside the building. Temporary columns have been used to buttress the roof, which is then lowered as the work progresses.

It IS certainly more time consuming, and the company faces more technological challenges.

The hotel has a complicated internal structure. But Ichihara says the method is safer and more economical.

Hideki Ichihara, Deputy Manager, Construction Technology, Taisei Corporation, said, "There are more and more skyscrapers over 100 meters that are being demolished worldwide, such as in Hong Kong and in Shanghai. I think our method is effective for demolishing buildings in cities with a high concentration of tall buildings. And we are promoting this method now. "

Ichihara says the method can be used for nearly all types of construction.

Taisei now plans to promote the company’s internal demolition service in Japan, and later to the international market.

(Source: CNTV.cn)