UAMS Prepares for Feb. 19 Dorm Implosion

**James** · #1 (**permalink**) 01-05-2006, 09:22 AM

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.

DemoDave1 · #2 (**permalink**) 01-18-2006, 09:01 PM

So if I read this correctly CDI is the General Demoliton Contractor? When did they decide to bite the hand (all the rest of the General Demolition Contractors) that feeds them?
Why when Control Demolition is the General Contractor they specify half as much preparation as when they are a subcontractor? When they work for somebody else they work on half as many floors but they specify twice as much protection.

rdz · #3 (**permalink**) 01-19-2006, 06:30 AM

To all Demolition Forum readers:
Here are the facts:

Controlled Demolition Inc (CDI) is working as a subcontractor to CDI Contractors, LLC (A LOCAL GENERAL CONTRACTOR) who has the main contract with UAMS. CDI's subcontractor, Chandler Demolition, is presently performing the complete soft-strip of the dormitory and will remove the debris following the implosion.

CDI was approached by CDI Contractors, LLC while we were in Memphis working for Chandler Demolition. Our first response was for the client to contract directly with Chandler, and CDI would be their sub. Due to the highly sensitive nature of blasting a structure in the middle of an active hospital campus, THEY decided to make CDI prime.

As for the preparations on the 11-story dormitory, here's what we're doing:
1. Complete removal of all interior finishes.
2. Drilling columns on the Ground, 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 7th floors. That's 5 shot floors in an 11-story structure.
3. Covering each column being blasted with two, overlapping layers of chain link fence and geotextile fabric.
4. Hanging full-height curtains of chain-link fence and geotextile fabric on each shot floor.
5.Cabling the structure at each end on two floors.

Since we are prime, all the costs for the above are coming out of our pockets. We are also responsible for adjacent property protection and dust clean-up, again out of our pockets.

To DemoDave1:
I don't know, or really care, why you have a grudge against us. I've watched you slam our work at Big Rock. I've listened to you pretend you know blasting better than us. You would rather sling mud than obtain the facts. Maybe you should do a little homework.

To James:
Sorry for taking a shot at DemoDave1, but if he has the right to continually slam CDI, we should have the right to defend ourselves.

Regards,

Raymond D. Zukowski
Field Operations Manager
Controlled Demolition Inc.

**James** · #4 (**permalink**) 01-19-2006, 11:35 AM

This thread is now closed.

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