AWS NEWS
Precise Coordination Key to success of Santa Ana
Demolition
AWS Construction Services Capitalizes on Strengths
The interior demolition is in full swing
at the Santa Ana
office building.
Ask any reputable demolition contractor
what is most important when performing a demolition project and you'll probably hear
things like experience, knowledge, and skill. But without precise coordination of
time, activity, and the work of related tradesmen, the project can quickly turn into chaos
for you and your client.
Just ask AWS Construction Services'
(Long Beach, Ca.,) Dick Dadourian, who faced the challenge of completing an interior
demolition of a 10-story building while one tenant was still present, and construction
crews installing new tenant improvements worked side-by-side with his workers.
"As we were
bringing debris down the elevator, drywall people were coming up so they can get work
started," he said. "It took a lot of coordination by my project manager and
foreman to keep everything running smoothly for the client," Dadourian said. The
building, located in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Ana, is owned by 401 Capital City
Tower. Constructed in the mid-'50s, it was undergoing a nearly total gut-out in
preparation for being remodeled into new offices.
Starting on the top floor, the crew
used exclusively hand labor with demo picks and bars to complete the interior
demolition. All previous tenant improvements, including ceilings, partition walls,
carpeting, and floor covering had to come out of each 10,000-square-foot floor. "As
soon as we swept up and finished up one floor, the construction trades were rights in
there after us," he said.
AWS installed a debris shoot running down the side
of 10- story building to carry smaller waste items
down to a debris box.
When the AWS
Constructions Services crew came to the 7th floor, they had to make a detour. The
tenant - who demanded extra time to move - stayed in place for a period time, requiring
the crew to skip from the 8th floor to the 6th floor. Once all the floors were done,
they completed their work on the 7th floor.
AWS Construction Services' crew installed a debris shoot outside the building to drop down
smaller items into a waiting debris roll-off box. But larger items, such as metal studs
metal ceiling grid, and HVAC ducting, had to be brought down via the elevator. "Just
coordinating traffic on the elevator alone was a challenge," remarked Dadourian.
AWS Construction Services staffed the job -
which lasted five weeks - with a 10-man crew. The aging building required asbestos
abatement, as well, which is an area of specialization for AWS. Asbestos was found in the
floor tile, pipe insulation, and in some areas of the dry wall mud, with the amount of
work varying from floor to floor.
A completed floor is shown, ready for work to begin
by
construction tradesmen who are remodeling the
building into new offices.
Other
hazardous material which had to be disposed of properly were scores of fluorescent bulbs,
which contained trace mercury. "Both these and the PCB ballasts had to be recycled
properly to meet environmental regulations," explained Dadourian.
"Being well versed in the proper deposal of hazardous materials
is an area where we are very diligent. The cost of proper deposal is not that much in
comparison to the potential penalty that could be incurred if the EPA or local agencies
inspected the site. It is in the client's best interest to go with a professional
contractor who covers every aspect of hazardous materials disposal for the project."
Among the precautions Dadourian's crew took to protect
existing portions of the building during the demolition was
putting down Masonite sheeting
to protect the beauty of
the lobby's marble floor.
In addition,
Dadourian and his crew conducted safety meetings every few days and consequently
experienced no safety violations or injuries. "CAL/OSHA is very diligent on job
site safety, so while we didn't get visited, we were completely prepared for them if they
did," he said. AWS was able
to recycle all the metal wall studs, metal ceiling grid, and most of the doors and wood
sheeting on this project. One aspect of the job that Dadourian is proud of is the way his
crew took precautions to protect existing portions of the building.
They put down Masonite sheeting to protect the block
marble flooring in the lobby, for example. "When we finally left the site, you would
have never known we had been there," he noted, "except for the fact that we
completed the job quickly, safely, and competently."
|
