DEMOLITION MANAGEMENT AND ESTIMATING PROJECTS

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA

I consulted for the demolition of a large grain elevator complex. There are a total of 55 silos. Each is about 120 feet high with head houses and several small buildings. The project also includes 2 large steel tanks, each tank is 100 feet in diameter and about 50 ft high.

My work included developing cost estimates, demolition methods, specifications, develop bid list, and help conduct walk through of bidders.

This project was supervised by City of Council Bluffs, Community Development Department and I worked with FEH Associates, Des Moines, Iowa.

MONNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

MANKATO

Retained by Minnesota State University and FEH, Des  Moines, Iowa to help prepare demolition specification for the implosion of Gage Hall, 2 – 13 story residence halls, containing 110,000 sf each and a 2 story, 50,000 sf, dining hall located between them. My work included, cost estimating, developing bidders list, conducting bidder walk-through, meet with community to explain implosion procedure and what they should expect. The complex was constructed in 1965-66.

ASHLAND, KENTUCKY

Retained by AK Steel to develop demolition costs and methods for their closed coke plant.

The plant shut down in 2011, putting about 100 company employees out of work. The closure also impacted about 250 contract employees.

The 85-acre parcel currently has an assessed value of $6,918,700, according to the office of Boyd County Property Valuation Administrator. The property is located along the Ohio River and has access to the river, CSX railroad line and U.S. 23. Company records said the site off Winchester Avenue has 138 acres.

I was also asked to develop a bid list of responsible demolition contractors to bid the project. One of the contractors I suggested was awarded the demolition project.

MELLON ARENA

PITTSBURGH, PA
Retained by Oxford Development, Inc and the Pittsburgh Stadium & Convention Authority.

My work included helping develop specifications, suggest demolition methods, help conduct pre-bid walk-through of potential bidders.

Evaluate bids and interview the six lowest bidders and rank their abilities. Help with the contract award.

The Mellon Arena, also local known as the Igloo, was the home to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ national hockey team.

WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

MACOMB, ILLINOIS
Retained by the University and Durrant Architects, Des Moines, Iowa to help prepare demolition specification for the implosion of the 15 story Wetzel Hall dormitory. My participation also included, cost estimating, developing bidders list, conducting bidder walk-through, meet with community to explain implosion procedure and what they should expect. Answering questions of concerned interests.

PITTSBURGH SPORTS & EXHIBITION AUTHORITY (SEA)

PITTSBURGH, PA

Retained by this Authority and their developer Oxford Development Company to correct a failed demolition procedure.

The Authority hired a demolition contractor to demolish the former 10-story St. Francis Medical Center, which was on the site for the new Penguins Hockey Stadium.

The demolition contractor tried a method called “controlled collapse.” This method uses cables to pull the main column supports from under the building. In this instance the cables snapped after pulling several cables leaving the building in an extremely dangerous condition. The City shut the project down.

My job was to get the project back on track. The first thing we did was get the building certified by structural engineers that workers’ could enter the structure and prepare the building for new demolition methods.

Next we got the City to lift their prohibition on implosion, which they did. Three weeks later the building was imploded and the project was back on track and on budget.

BLACK & VEATCH

Los Angeles, California
Developed demolitionn costs and methods for Los Angeles Sewerage Treatment Plant clarifier and aeration basins. This project included the demolition and removal of 57,000 cubic yards of concrete.

RAS LAFFAN CITY

QATAR
Retained by URS Engineering, Doha, Qatar to develop demolition costs means, and methods for the demolition of a large ship conveyor system and storage silo. The conveyor feed sulfur pellets to dock side ships and the large pre-stressed concrete silo that stored the sulfur pellets.

Ras Laffan is the main industrial city of Qatar; it supplies 25% of the world’s liquefied natural gas.

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

NEW YORK CITY
Provide assistance in the analysis and presentation of comments on the plans and specifications for the decontamination and deconstruction of the Deutsche Bank Building and 4 Albany St., Ground Zero, New York City

Advise the EPA whether industry standards for decontamination and deconstruction have been utilized in the plans and specifications and whether the plans and specifications ensure public and worker safety and environmental protection.

The Deutsche Bank Building was severely damaged as a result of the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The building was struck by an extensive amount of falling and blown debris from the WTC collapse. And is considered the most contaminated office building in the United States.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Special Weapons Agency, Washington, D.C.
Estimate labor costs, time schedule and demolition methods for the dismantlement of former Soviet Union biological weapons plant in Stepnogorsk, Kazakhstan. This project required a site visit to this southern Siberian City to evaluate local conditions and meet with plant principles to coordinate planning. The plant was used to manufacture Anthrax, and was the largest biological weapons facility in the world.
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BIBB AND ASSOCIATES

Lenexa, Kansas
Prepared cost, salvage, debris and labor estimates for the demolition of the massive Ft. Leavenworth Army Prison. This prison is a large brick structure with several wings and was built in 1916. Bibb & Associates is now known as the Kiewit Power Engineers Company.

BECHTEL CORPORATION

Providence, Rhode Island
Developed methods for interior demolition and cost estimates for the South Street Power Station in Providence, R.I., owned by Narragansett Power Co.

METRO 25 KOREA

Seoul, Korea
Arranged to have section of the Haengju Bridge dynamited. Sections of this bridge collapsed during construction and had to be cleared for the bridge to be rebuilt.

LOCKHEED CORPORATION

Burbank, California

Provide assistance in developing cost estimates, project planning, scheduling and preparing detailed work plans for the demolition of Lockheed’s Burbank manufacturing facility. This site contained over 300 acres of building structures and at one time was one the largest aircraft plants in the world.

AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Washington, D.C.
Developed methods for demolition and site clearance of earthquake damage in Nicaragua and Guatemala. This required trips to the area to evaluate local conditions, damage, and evaluate clean up costs.

LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER & POWER / Inter-mountain Power Agency

Delta, Utah

Developed demolition costs for the Inter-mountain Power Plant, Delta, Utah. This is the largest coal-burning plant in North America, built at a cost of over $2 billion and finished in l987. This plant supplies power to the City of Los Angeles.

Construction required moving 8 million cubic yards of earth; 500,000 cubic yards of concrete; 72,000 tons of structural steel; 500,000 tons of reinforcing steel; l3 million feet of cable and wire, and 615,000 feet of piping.

BECHTEL INTERNATIONAL

Moscow, Russia
Prepared demolition report for equipment and labor requirements for the demolition of fourteen-bunkers and ancillary buildings at a former Soviet facility.

INTERNATIONAL PAPER CO.

Erie, PA
Perform background checks on bidders for the demolition of a large plant in this city. The checks uncovered a serious criminal action against one of the bidders.

FLOUR DANIEL CO.

Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Developed procedures for debris removal of a collapsed 600′ chimney. Debris had to be removed in such a way as not to hinder the investigation surrounding the cause of the collapse. The chimney collapsed on the power station causing an estimated $200 million in damages.

RAYTHEON ENGINEERS & CONTRACTORS

Houston, Texas
Develop demolition methods and cost estimate for the partial removal of the Baytown Tunnel, Houston, TX. This was a two lane automobile tunnel under the Houston Channel. The tunnel was 32′ below mean water level and was 36′ in diameter. It was removed to deepen the channel to 40′ to accommodate super tankers.

NEW ENGLAND POWER COMPANY, Westborough, Massachusetts
Developed cost estimates for the total demolition of the Manchester Street Power Plant, Providence, R.I.

AGWAY, CORPORATION, Syracuse, New York
Provided specifications, bid list and cost estimates for the demolition of their fertilizer and blending plant in Caribou, Maine.

ATHENS GENERATING PLANT, Athens, New York
Develop demolition plan and cost estimates for this facility that went on line 2003. This plan was required to meet specifications for they’re licensing permit to go on line. This was part of their decommissioning requirements.

U.S. WEST COMMUNICATIONS, Des Moines, Iowa
Provided cost estimates, specifications, bidder list, conducted bidder walk through and open bids for the demolition of a micro-wave tower on the roof of their main switching facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This tower was 300′ high, weighed 306 ton, and was located in downtown Cedar Rapids. Also performed the same service for another tower owned by them in Ames, Iowa.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS POWER COMPANY, Peoria, Illinois
Developed demolition cost estimates for the Wallace Power Station, Peoria. Also worked on strategy for a lawsuit brought by the contractor who failed to complete demolition work at the station.

CH2M HILL, Seattle, Washington
Developed cost estimate and demolition methods for the Bunker Hill Mine, Kellogg, Idaho. This mine had been designated as a superfund site.

U.S. COAST GUARD, Washington, D.C.
Monitored demolition of Elizabeth, New Jersey Railroad Bridge. This was the largest lift span bridge in the world.

CITY OF NEW YORK, CORRECTIONS DEPT., New York City
Developed costs and demolition method to remove two large concrete L.N.G. tanks, Staten Island, site of a proposed new prison. These tanks and associated equipment cost $200 million to build and was never used.

BARCLAYS’ BANK, New York City
Developed demolition estimate and supplied contractor list to finish project they financed for Cuyahoga Wrecking Co, at the Bethlehem Steel Plant, Sparrow’s Point, Maryland.

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, Washington, D.C.
Developed demolition costs and time frame for the former U.S. Navy Headquarters, Constitution Avenue, Washington, D. C.

BAYFRONT ARENA, St. Petersburg, Florida
Worked with George F. Young, Inc. a Florida engineering firm to develop specifications, budget, plans, methods and conduct bidder’s walk-through. This was an exhibition hall used by the city for graduations, ice shows, etc. We devised a plan to implode the roof of the structure and then demolish the walls in a conventional method.

MAECORP, Chicago, Illinois
Prepared demolition specifications and methods for a superfund site in Cincinnati, Ohio. This project involved the demolition of two large buildings contaminated with radioactive material.

AMAX CORP., Climax, Colorado
Developed demolition costs and methods for their mining facility, Climax, Colorado. This included demolition of over 165 buildings.

TAMPA ELECTRIC COMPANY (TEMCO), Tampa, Florida
Evaluated potential demolition costs for the removal of environmental equipment installed in their three large Tampa area-generating plants. The installation cost Of the equipment exceeded $400 million.

DUTTON & VAUGHAN, Demolition Contractor, New Orleans, LA
Developed demolition bid for a chemical plant.

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, CINCINNATI, OHIO
Retained by the EPA to take part in a Peer Review Panel for suggested new regulation for asbestos abatement procedures in demolition operations. The regulation which did pass would have let contractors demolish small structure and houses leaving no friable asbestos in place during demolition. The new methods proposed would have been much more expensive than present methods without any increase safety in methods.

CUH2A HILL, Atlanta, Georgia
Developed methods and costs for the demolition of seven building on the campus of the Center for Disease Control, Atlanta.

WRECKING CORPORATION OF AMERICA, Washington, D.C.
Monitored and developed demolition methods for large boiler plant located Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA.

WISCONSIN ELECTRIC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Developed costs for the demolition of the large Lakeside Power Plant.

AMIS CONSTRUCTION, Phoenix, Arizona
Developed costs and demolition methods for a section of the Good Samaritan Hospital, Phoenix.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, San Francisco, CA
Evaluated asbestos removal at the Kaiser Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.

TOWN OF BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS
Developed demolition costs for the General Dynamics Shipyard.

AZCON, INC., Stone Mountain, Georgia
Prepared demolition bid for a large oil refinery in Kansas City.

DOLBEN APPRAISAL & CONSULTING CO., Boston, MA
Developed costs for the demolition of the Greyhound Bus Terminal, Boston, MA.

ALGONQUIN GAS TRANSMISSION COMPANY, Boston, MA
Developed demolition costs for their Freetown, MA transmission facility.

AMAX CORP., Hartford, Connecticut
Developed demolition costs for the Union 76 mine facility, Questa, NM.

STRUCTURAL STEEL FABRICATORS, Linthicum Heights, Maryland
Developed demolition costs for extra work performed at the Springfield Mall.

SAINT ELIZABETH’S HOSPITAL, Boston, MA
Prepare the demolition specifications for a large church connected to the hospital.

IVAN BRICE ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM, New York City, N.Y.
Developed demolition methods and cost estimates for a 7 story concrete structure used by Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center.

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, Boston, MA
Developed demolition costs for the Charles Street Jail, which they purchased for hospital development.

MCGINLEY & HART ASSOCIATES, Boston, Massachusetts
Develop selective demolition costs associated with the moving of large historic warehouse at the former Charlestown Navy Yard.

DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY, HOUSTON, TX
Develop demolition costs and methods for the demolition of their subsidiary Hampshire Chemical Co., Nashua, N.H.

VRW CONSTRUCTION CO., AUSTIN, TX
Developed OSHA Demolition Survey for an interior demolition project they had at Southwestern University.

BARGE WAGGONER SUMNER & CANNON, INC. Develop estimated costs and quantities for the demolition of the 20-story Baptist Memorial Hospital, Memphis, TN. This building was imploded in the fall of 2005. This is largest hospital complex ever imploded in the United States.

OCI Chemical Co., Green River, Wyoming Develop demolition methods and costs for soda ash mine and plant. This project was undertaken so the facility would meet state licensing requirements.

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY, AMES, IOWA Worked with the engineering firm, Howard R. Green, Cedar Rapids, Iowa to develop program for the implosion of two 12-story residence halls. This required preparation of specifications, cost estimates, demolition methods, disposal requirements, out-of-state bidder list, and walk-through for bidders.

VETERANS MEDICAL CENTER, Memphis, TN Develop budget estimates, demolition methods, time frame, and review specifications for this project. Worked with the architectural/engineering firm JMGR, Inc., Memphis. This project required removing nine stories from the fourteen story medical center. The medical center had to stay in operation while demolition was going on.

South Carolina Electric & Gas Co., Jenkinsville, SC Develop costs and methods for the demolition of a 1958 atomic reactor built for the United States Atoms for Peace Program.