Flashback: Four, 17-storey buildings imploded - Demolition & Recycling International
Flashback: Four, 17-storey buildings imploded In the 25 years since it was first published, D&Ri - like the demolition and recycling industry that it covers - has gone from strength to strength. Showcasing the vital and complex projects delivered by our industry friends and colleagues has always been at the heart of D&Ri, and it all started with this first site report.
D&Ri’s first site report, published in 1999. (PHOTO:D&Ri/Brandenburg/CDI) A complex of four, 17-storey buildings on Chicago’s south side, known as the “Lakefront Properties” have been demolished by implosion. The high-rise residential blocks have been empty for 13 years and they were the first non- industrial buildings to be demolished by the use of implosion in the history of the City of Chicago. The demolition of the blocks is the first step in the planned redevelopment of the north Kenwood neighbourhood into a new mixed income housing estate. The project, for client the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), was conducted on a fast-track basis and started in late September last year [1998]. After reviewing the qualifications of seven project teams, on October 27th, CHA awarded the US $2 million contractor for demolition by implosion to Chicago-based Brandenburg Industrial Service Company as the prime contractor.
The four, 17-storey buildings on Chicago’s south side, known as the “Lakefront Properties”. (PHOTO: Brandenburg/CDI). The explosives, demolition design, and performance operations then subcontracted to Controlled Demolition Incorporated (CDI) of Phoenix, in Maryland, USA. Demolition methodology Working on a phased basis, Brandenburg first removed combustibles from each of the 17-storey structures. As the materials were removed, CDI crews followed closely behind, drilling holes in the reinforced concrete columns for subsequent placement of explosives. It took CDI’s loading crew 72 hours to place 830 lb (376 kg) of explosives in over 2,700 independently delayed locations throughout the four buildings. The carefully timed explosive or “implosion sequence is designed to use the weight and structure of the buildings to break the framework of the blocks in mid-air, and direct the fall of debris away from the adjacent properties. Early one morning in mid-December, crowds gathered to watch the impending implosion. At precisely 08.30, the button was pressed and the south-east corner of the southern-most structure began to fall, as the implosion sequence proceeded through the complex from south to north, as planned. CDI’s loading crew placed 830 lb (376 kg) of explosives. (PHOTO: Brandenburg/CDI) Clearing demolition debris As the structures collapsed into four fragmented piles of debris, Brandenburg’s forces moved inside the implosion safety perimeter to clear the dust that had settled on streets and sidewalks. The clean-up operation was completed in just three hours. The significance of this project was that is was the first non-industrial use of implosion in the history of the City of Chicago. The clean-up operation was completed in just three hours. (PHOTO:Brandenburg/CDI) It was also the first use of implosion on the CHA’s vacant and obsolete high-rise blocks which were developed as part of the Federal high-rise program in the 1950s and early 1960s. Reports from the project suggest that this first use implosion was enthusiastically received by both local authorities and community residents and there is every indication that the methodology will be used to remove additional high-rise public housing in Chicago in the future. The Chicago Housing Authority estimated that demolition by implosion reduced the length of the time to complete the project and the overall costs by 15-20%. Originally published in D&Ri, Volume 1, March-May 1999
Brandenburg was re-approved to continue as a participant in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) as a Star site! Brandenburg Industrial Service Co. became the first demolition company to receivethe U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA VPP 'star' safety status in 2008.
“As a VPP participant, you serve as a role model for other employers, workers, and unions by implementing excellent safety and health management programs. Your commitment to worker protection that exceeds government regulations is commendable”, said William J. Donovan, US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. CONGRATULATIONS to ALL BRANDENBURG EMPLOYEES for your continued dedication to the prevention of injuries and illnesses!
To learn more about VPP visit: https://www.osha.gov/vpp/all-about-vpp
THE TOP 20 FIRMS IN DEMOLITION AND WRECKING 2023 THE TOP 20 FIRMS IN DEMOLITION AND WRECKING 2023 THE TOP 20 FIRMS IN DEMOLITION AND WRECKING 2023
A Clean Sweep Once the utility work was completed, the team began work on the demolition of two major production and packaging areas. These areas spanned over 200,000 sq ft of floor space and were densely packed with equipment, utilities, conveyors, etc., and included the removal of seven slip sheet machines. Removal in these areas also included non-load-bearing concrete masonry walls and mezzanines. A significant feature of one area was a sterile room autoclave that was 200 ft long with a 15-ft diameter made primarily of stainless steel. Once the demolition of the main floor and drop ceiling was completed, the removal of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) began. One area had several thousand feet of asbestos-coated ductwork. Brandenburg self-performed the removal of ACM ductwork. To date, 1,300 tons of ferrous and nonferrous metals have been recycled from these areas and more than 195,000 labor hours have been worked without injury or incident. Ramboll Project Executive Robert Patullo, states, “At Pfizer, the most important part of project execution is safety. Pfizer, Ramboll and Brandenburg have worked as a team to make sure the work is done safely and will continue to make safety the most important aspect of the project. Work on the plant retooling continues. The Ramboll/Brandenburg team is already working on a plan to retool another production area with the same challenges faced as the previous two areas. That work is expected to take place during a scheduled outage in late 2023.
On 31 July 2021 personnel from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) witnessed the demolition of a 182 m (600 ft) smokestack and 10 boilers and precipitators at Johnsonville Fossil Plant in Tennessee. They were the last remaining elements of TVA’s oldest coal-fired power facility. Brandenburg Industrial Service Company started plant demolition in 2019. It began with the abatement of 10 boilers and the concurrent demolition of outbuildings as well as the removal of the turbines, turbine hall and all marine features. Demolition was completed on time and on budget and Brandenburg’s efforts facilitated the recycling of approximately 100,000 t of steel and about 100,000 t of brick, block and concrete. The 150 Brandenburg professionals completed the 34-month project in 550,000 man hours.
Brandenburg Industrial Service Co claimed the “best of the best” World Demolition Award for the USA as the World Demolition Summit (WDS) returned in-person to Europe for the first time since 2018. The contractor’s transatlantic triumph at the awards evening in Vienna, Austria, was in recognition of its removal of coal-fired plant on behalf of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which had already won the Contract of the Year US$1 million or over category. Its overall success was even more notable as the 10 contractor-based shortlists had produced a different winner each time, making competition for the top award extremely fierce.
