Consolidated Edison, Manhattan, NY
The total dismantlement of Consolidated Edison’s steam/electricity power plant in midtown was a phased demolition that began in 2002 and was completed in August 2007. The site of the plant posed the greatest logistical problems.
The 5-block Kips Bay, multi-building campus was densely constructed and squeezed between the FDR Drive on the east, First Avenue on the west and the Queens-Midtown Tunnel vents on the north with the tunnel running under the Con Ed property.
The first structures to be demolished were the 11-story office building and support structures. Dust control was a major consideration because these buildings contained significant amounts of asbestos – even in the caulking around the windows. The support structures, a switch house and frequency house, had to be dismantled very carefully. The roof was like that of a gymnasium. There was the potential for the walls to become unstable when a domed roof was removed
The biggest challenge was during the last phase. Two 300-foot stacks once towered over the two 17-story power plants were dismantled in a very controlled demolition. Additionally, the walls of the power plants rose flush to the sidewalk boundary requiring hand demolition on these exposed walls to protect pedestrians, traffic and contiguous property.
Once the core machinery was visible, the final phase work began. After removing the PCBs and machine oil, the old generators were broken using machine power. The remaining pieces were extracted with specialized machinery.
Philadelphia Convention Hall, Philadelphia, PA
The Convention Hall was part of a complex of buildings scheduled to be demolished to make way for new medical facilities associated with the University of Pennsylvania. Before demolition began in 2005, architecturologists, who specialize in architectural antiques and artifacts, excavated, salvaged and recycled many of the Art Deco-style architectural items from these early 1900s buildings.
The Convention Hall had a 200-foot lateral center height and a vast interior expanse. Implosion was not an option in this case due to the close proximity of Children’s Hospital and University-owned buildings. A unique “hinging” process was developed to modify the domed structure for controlled demolition. A customized LRD 750 with a 160-foot boom was used to “snip” and dismantle the center span supports.
The LRD 750 has a near-tool mounted water cannon to reduce dust and to extinguish potential fire. It also has a mounted video camera to safely monitor demolition details from the ground. Dust and noise had to be kept to a minimum and pedestrian traffic could not be interrupted.
Large pieces of steel removed by the LRD were cut and sorted along with limestone and recyclables. To keep the site safe and productive, containers were regularly circulated throughout the site to continuously haul away debris.
The main roads around the site and the adjacent railroad remained open during demolition which was completed in January 2006.
FAA Traffic Control Tower, Newark Airport, Newark, NJ
To modernize airport services and infrastructure, the FAA built a newer, taller control tower at Newark Airport. The “old” control tower, with a radar dome on the roof, was scheduled for demolition after asbestos abatement was completed.
While the old tower was structurally sound, the building was beginning to need roof repairs and other regular maintenance. Also, as the airport grew to meet the demands of the aviation industry, the old tower no longer offered traffic controllers a full view of the ground activity. In 2004 it was demolished while the airport maintained its active schedule.
Long reach demolition (LRD) equipment was used to pulverize the concrete structure. Working in a secure area meant all arriving and departing vehicles carting supplies and demolition debris had to have security escorts to and from the project site.
The old tower was located within the envelope of the arriving and departing aircraft. If there had been an emergency, all machinery had to be able to be moved within a ten-minute time limit. At night, temporary red-flashing lights had to be placed on the LRD equipment and tower to alert aircraft of the potential hazard within their scope.
Abatement and demolition were completed in five months.
Resorts International, North Tower, Atlantic City, NJ
When gaming came to Atlantic City, a “free-standing” hotel became the “North Tower” when a casino was added adjacent to the hotel. As the hotel and casino business grew, a complex of new wings and towers provided modern hotel accommodations. The North Tower had out lived its useful life. It was scheduled to be demolished to make way for a newer, modern, larger addition to the casino.
This 12-story building had to be selectively demolished so that the casino could remain active/open at all times. Work was performed around the clock with strict guidelines not to interfere with the active casino and hotel amenities
Where the casino abutted the old tower, workers had to saw cut the tower free. Demolition of the North Tower was completed in 2002.
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 U.S., weather delays for a project may seem unlikely. But high winds, lightning and even rain have been the biggest challenges LVI has faced on this job.
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 America to review LVI’s plan of operation, all of whom were impressed with LVI’s on-site management team and the quality of work. Because of the high-risk nature of the work, extreme safety measures were put into place, including arrangements with the Arizona Department of Safety to have a rescue helicopter on site within 10 minutes if required.
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 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.
Martin County Schools, Martin County, Florida
Hurricane Frances hit Florida in early September 2004, making landfall in Martin County on the state’s southeast coast. The high winds and driving rain caused varying amounts of damage throughout the Martin County School District, based in Stuart. Schools were closed for seven days, after also being closed for one day in mid-August because of Hurricane Charley.
Three weeks later, Hurricane Jeanne took a Frances-like path through the Sunshine State, and the Martin County schools were once again in the direct line of fire. Ultimately, all 20 Martin County school buildings suffered some damage.
After consulting with other school systems hit by Hurricane Charley, the Martin County district established a “first alert” contract with LVI Services. The contract ensures rapid response in times of unscheduled need, such as natural disasters, or fires. In setting up the no-cost agreement just days before Frances hit the area, the school district provided information on its buildings and operations, and the parties agreed to pre-negotiated rates for labor and materials. The school district activated the contract immediately after the hurricane hit, allowing cleanup and recovery to begin immediately.
Martin County and LVI were very successful in prioritizing their post-storm activities and customizing their response levels. For example, cafeterias and gymnasiums were often cleaned up first because they had large open spaces to get air flowing and to use as a staging area for books and furnishings that could be dried out and salvaged. A high priority was placed on having the power restored so HVAC and ventilation systems could be used to help the drying process and prevent mold.
The prioritization of schools was based on visual inspection of damage and water intrusion. If it appeared the roofs were still intact and that water could be rapidly and efficiently extracted, damaged or saturated areas were blocked off so the rest of the school could reopen. Work on the damaged areas was done after hours to minimize disruption of the school day. A systematic approach to “moisture mapping” enabled LVI to determine where to start, which areas needed the most attention, and where cleanup efforts were most likely to be successful.
LVI mobilized a trained work force of about 300 people – from its Florida office as well as company offices from as far away as Colorado, New York and Texas – to respond to the school district’s damage. Moving and housing hundreds of workers was difficult, especially because the storms closed or washed away many roads and left millions, including many nearby hotels, without power. The lack of power also meant that backup power sources were needed for ventilation and air sampling equipment.
In the end, LVI’s partnership with Martin County Schools allowed the buildings to be tended to in a very organized and prompt manner to minimize disruption to students and teachers.