UAMS Prepares for Feb. 19 Dorm Implosion
Contractors are now stripping the 10-story student dormitory on the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) campus down to its concrete shell in preparation for its February demolition to make room for a major hospital expansion.
About 50 pounds of explosives will bring down the 45-year-old dormitory during the implosion, scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 19. The demolition of the dorm, along with tearing down the adjacent Jeff Banks Student Union, is part of the ongoing $255 million UAMS campus expansion.
Site preparations will continue up until the February implosion date as interior walls are removed to reduce the amount of dust generated. The work started in mid 2005 when it was closed to students. Next, all furnishings and other items were taken out and asbestos was removed.
Maryland-based Controlled Demolition Inc. is leading the dorm demolition project.
Chandler Demolition Co. of Memphis is assisting with the demolition as is the general contractor for the expansion project, CDI Contractors LLC of Little Rock, which previously served as the general contractor for construction of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute building at UAMS.
UAMS also is working with contractors to plan for traffic control, safety and other issues related to the implosion.
A three-block area around the site will be cleared of traffic and people just before the implosion. Those in the WardTower of the UAMSMedicalCenter and the John L. McClellan Veteran’s Hospital will be moved away from exterior walls facing the dorm, and the sky bridge connecting the buildings will be closed. Spotters around the site will ensure no one enters the restricted area.
|