Warehouse Demo In Long Beach

ATE Environmental, Inc. is on track for demolishing, off-hauling and preparing the way for a new High School in Long Beach, California.

By Loren Faulkner -- California Builder and Engineer, 5/5/2008

warehouse demoliton Some 360,000 square feet of industrial warehousing on 13.4 acres of property is being torn down in time for Los Angeles Unified School District's South Region High School No. 4, scheduled for opening in 2010. The site is located just off the 710 Freeway, in the North Long Beach area.

"Our demolition work started in January and will finish in June 2008," says Juan Carlos Santana, project manager for city of Industry-based ATE Environmental, Inc., the demolition contractor for the job. The company is owned by Leo Hurtado.

"We're performing abatement and demolition, and rough grading of the terrain," says Santana. Two of the storage buildings have been totally demolished at this point, while the third is in the prepping stages.

"We're using Volvo excavators with various breakers and attachments to take down the warehouse walls in small sections," he added. "After the walls are down, we break the sections, separating the rebar and concrete. The slabs and footings are broken up and removed after that." The Volvo excavators have been recently purchased from Mathews Machinery, out of Corona, California. The three Volvo excavators make up the main demo equipment being used, plus two wheel loaders and a truck loader.

Sorted on site and then off-hauled to various disposal sites in the area, hauling is being administered by ATE Environmental. Santana is figuring 900 truckloads of debris will have been off-hauled by completion of the demolition project, and each truck can carry from 18 tons to 20 tons per load. Santana said the demolition portion cost of the construction site is approximately $800,000.

Challenges

According to Santana, "Some of the walls are 32 feet high, and close to the street. We make sure those are saw cut down properly to prevent any of them collapsing onto the street."

Then there is the matter of clearing away asbestos used in the initial construction of the facilities back in the 1960s, with crews outfitted in Hazmat gear. The amount is substantial. All three roofing structures have asbestos within them. But with a crew of 10 working eight-hour shifts, five days per week, all has been going according to schedule, Santana said.

Main Demolition Equipment

Volvo EC360BLC Excavator

Volvo EC290BLC Excavator (2)

Volvo L110F Wheel Loader

Volvo L120E Wheel Loader

John Deere 755C Dozer

10 Common Misconceptions about the Demolition Industry

Setting the record straight — Demolition industry practices touch the lives of businesses and ordinary people everyday. It is none the less surprising how little is known about the significant role demolition contractors play in this country's economic prosperity and redevelopment. Source: National Demolition Association's website, www.demolitionassociation.com

Misconception	Fact
1 Demolition contractors primarily implode, or "blow up" buildings.	Implosions account for less than 1 percent of all demolition work.
2 Demolition contractors destroy many structures that should be saved.	Demolition contractors are instrumental in achieving the goals of preservationists.
3 Demolition contractors don't participate in the nation's recycling effort.	The demolition industry was salvaging building elements and materials for reuse long before it was the ecological "thing to do."
4 Demolition contractors unnecessarily overcrowd landfills with debris.	The industry is reducing its use of landfills in favor of recycling.
5 Demolition is an unsophisticated business.	A safe and successful demolition project requires a working knowledge of both construction and the law.
6 The methods of demolition never change.	Demolition practices today are not only quicker, but safer and more cost-effective.
7 One demolition contractor is basically the same as the next.	Don't tell that to the owner who has had the misfortune of dealing with an inexperienced contractor.
8 Demolition is dangerous business.	In the hands of professionals, the danger is controlled.
9 Demolition is expensive.	Commercial demolition work generally costs less than 2 percent of the replacement cost of the building.
10 Once a demolition project is completed, the owner's worries are over.	A project owner cannot "contract away" his responsibility or liability.