Sunoco Refinery, Philadelphia, PA
Sunoco came to LVI with a demolition and decommissioning project at a Philadelphia refinery. Work began in January 2006 and will run through most of this year. Utilizing LVI’s specialized equipment, the crew is performing asbestos abatement work and removing more than 25,000 linear feet of piping, amidst other equipment in the refinery that is still in use.
Prior to this project, the refinery had never undertaken a demolition of this magnitude, and all other demolition work had been performed by mechanical contractors, which cost the company much more because of the methods employed.
LVI’s skilled operators have worked more than 50,000 man hours on this project without a single OSHA recordable incident or regulatory compliance violation.
Major planning has been required throughout the demolition to ensure that everyone on site understands each aspect of the job. Because of the attention to detail and breadth of experience that LVI brings to the table, the project has been extremely successful to date.
BHP Inc. Copper Smelter Smokestack, San Manuel, AZ
Often beginning at sunrise, work at this remote location began in September 2006. The job site, formerly a large copper smelting operation, was mostly demolished except for two stacks. Each of the stacks is 510 feet tall – the equivalent of 50-story buildings – making decontamination before demolition no small feat.
When thinking of the southwestern
To get the work done quickly and effectively, LVI is using its own high-pressure cleaning equipment and an access plan that utilizes mast climbers in lieu of rigging swing stages.
BHP brought in safety experts from as far away as South
Bank One Plaza, Chicago, Illinois
LVI’s ability to provide an integrated service offering and meet an aggressive time schedule was key to being awarded the contract to perform interior demolition, asbestos abatement, and refireproofing work on this major project. The project consisted of:
- Total interior demolition, asbestos abatement and replacement of structural fireproofing on 19 floors, ranging from 28,000 feet to 46,000 square feet.
- Simultaneous work on multiple floors requiring upwards of 100 workers per shift.
- Removal of all interior partition walls and all mechanical, electrical and plumbing components.
- Removal of an average of 4,800 to 5,500 bags of asbestos-containing fireproofing.
Following interior demolition and asbestos abatement, LVI replaced the structural fireproofing. Several floors required an accelerated around the clock work schedule (at the owner’s request), with multiple crews performing the application and cleanup activities. As a precaution, extra fireproofing equipment and material remained on site to minimize the possibility of work stoppage resulting from equipment failure. The accelerated schedule also created the condition of dealing with excessive moisture buildup. To address this issue and increase cure time, LVI installed negative air units to both exhaust and circulate air. All floors met or exceeded the schedule requirements.
Newton Auditorium, Denver, Colorado
LVI performed structural demolition, asbestos abatement and hazardous materials removal in this 80-year-old building, owned by the Denver Historical Society. Because it is a historic property, additional precautions and attention had to be paid to the job.
LVI’s scope of work included:
- Interior demolition of all concrete post-tension slabs and walls.
- Proper shoring of the 150,000-pound trusses within the interior ceiling to allow dismantling in sections and avoid the collapse of the exterior perimeter wall.
- Shoring of the first-floor concrete slab from the basement level, allowing for strategic placement of a 150,000 pound excavator within the building.
Asbestos abatement included 26,600 square feet of asbestos containing plaster, 8,000 square feet of HVAC thermal system insulation, 17,000 square feet of drywall, 6,000 lineal feet of thermal system insulation, 10,000 square feet of spray-applied structural fireproofing, 10,000 square feet of VAT, and associated floor mastic.
The remaining asbestos was removed from hidden locations, along with all fluorescent light tubes, mercury vapor bulbs, PCB ballasts, PCB oil-filled transformers, and elevator hydraulic fluids throughout the facility.
Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
A nationwide interview and selection process resulted in LVI being awarded the contract to perform complete building demolition and implosion of the resort casino’s original 17-story hotel tower. The project involved:
- Liquidation of all furniture, fixtures and equipment.
- Abatement of approximately 500,000 square feet of asbestos materials.
- Complete demolition of approximately two million square feet of casino, hotel and convention buildings, including implosion of the main hotel tower.
The Mall at 163rd Street, Miami, Florida
As part of the redevelopment of this retail property, LVI performed asbestos abatement, interior demolition and demolition of structures. The project consisted of:
- Demolition of one three-story parking garage of approximately 216,000 square feet, one two-story parking garage of approximately 325,000 square feet, and a four-story Mervyn’s department store of approximately 288,000 square feet and approximately 74,000 square feet of common areas.
- Interior renovation of the existing Burdines Department Store.
- Removal of approximately 77,000 square feet of asbestos-containing fireproofing, 7,022 linear feet of pipe insulation, 4,848 square feet of transite material (fireproofing, composite made of asbestos and cement) and approximately 7,558 square feet of floor tile and mastic (a high-strength, adhesive compound).
Pentagon Renovations, Washington, DC
LVI performed complete asbestos and lead-based paint abatement and demolition of all mechanical, electrical, communication, plumbing systems and interior architectural and structural finishes throughout 1 million square feet of Wedge 2 of the Pentagon, completing the work one and a half months ahead of schedule. LVI is currently performing work on Wedge 3, utilizing both mechanical and manual demolition and abatement methods while managing more than 200 laborers. Work on Wedge 4 is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2006, and Wedges 3, 4 and 5 are scheduled to be completed by 2012 or sooner.
Junipero Serra State Office Building, Los Angeles, California
LVI abated hazardous materials from the Junipero Serra State Office Building consisting of nine floors of offices, a full basement and a penthouse that contained the building mechanical systems. Total area of building is approximately 550,000 square feet.
The work performed included the abatement of:
- Asbestos-containing materials (fireproofing, floor tile/mastic/mechanical systems insulation, roofing systems, plaster and drywall mud).
- Lead-based paint materials (ceramic tile, paint).
- Mercury-containing materials (switches, thermostats, and light tubes).
- Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-containing materials (lighting ballasts).
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Each year, Yale University chooses one of its residential colleges for major renovation, including installation of modern conveniences and utilities, safety equipment and handicap-accessible features. In 2005, LVI was awarded a contract for asbestos abatement, interior demolition and select structural demolition of Trumbull College, a 118,000-square-foot residential complex consisting of several interconnected buildings ranging from three to five stories.
Special care had to be taken because of the historical significance of the buildings, but the work was on a very tight schedule to allow the buildings to reopen for school in the fall. And, unforeseen circumstances also required change and flexibility on the part of the contractors.
LVI was also awarded the contract for Silliman College, Yale’s largest ever renovation, with work beginning in May 2006. Based on LVI’s success on other projects at Yale, LVI was awarded the entire contract for Silliman when originally the job was to be split between two firms.