By Clay Cutchins
From Industrial graveyard to revived property. Two former Michigan automotive plants get a new beginning after careful site preparation and sensible demolition.
Tasked with decommissioning and demolishing the former GM Oldsmobile and Fisher Body plants in Lansing, Michigan, MCM Management Corp. Faces environmental, jobsite safety and other demolition challenges on the 6.5 million-square-foot project.
The adjacent sites of the former GM Oldsmobile Plant and Fisher Body Plant located in Lansing, Michigan, could make a battlefield seem pristine. Hanging wires, sagging support beams, crumbled concrete and jagged spikes of rebar all menace the skyline and site footprint. And these are just the visible hazards. MCM Management Corporation of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a one-stop solution for property rehabilitation offering demolition, hazardous material abatement and metals recycling, was awarded the contract for decommissioning and demolishing both auto locations in December 2005. The total building square footage is 6.5 million square feet, making this GM's largest decommissioning and demolition project to date.
Jim Sheaffer, MCM's vice president of environmental operations, took on the responsibility of the site preparation for demolition. His extensive experience in abestos abatement and in real estate development prepared him for the challenge of the former plant sites. Environmental cleaning and asbestos abatement began immediately in January 2006, with demolition beginning at the Oldsmobile plant in March 2006. Demolition at the Fisher plant began in February 2006, and is currently in remediation through the spring of this year. Thanks to its effective and comprehensive site preparation, MCM is rapidly progressing in its work to remove the former factory without harming workers, the environment and the surrounding community.
A Springboard to Safety
The task of demolishing even a simple structure can wield nasty surprises and costly delays. This is compunded when the task involves demolishing massive, dated structures like the GM Oldsmobile Plant and Fisher Body Plant. Standing in the shell of the plant, it is easy to be taken back in time and picture the original Oldsmobile workers toiling inside the factory. But there's no time for nostalgia- demolition must proceed with a comprehensive site preparation plan before any machines are allowed on the site. “Our problems are either magnified or simplified by the nature of the building and its prior owners. The initial survey and preparation of the site are absolutely vital to the safety and effective completion of the job in respect to speed and profitability for all involved.” Sheaffer says.
Sheaffer believed proper communication and a solid working relationship with environmental regulators and consultants is a key component to effective demo site preparation. “You have to be able to coordinate well with the developer and government environmental agencies and work together to produce a comprehensive plan that brings together all elements of testing to evaluation,” he says.
In the first phase of the plant demolition, the developers brought in consultants specializing in site hazard analysis to work closely with MCM in charting the course for the job. During this crucial initial phase of the site preparation, members of the hazard alaysis team worked with MCM to research all available sources and records of the property history. The combined team examined and re-examined site drawings to create an environmental impact study detailing possible threats emerging from demolition. This phase served as the groundwork for the identification and contingency planning for some of the vexing points of the demolition, including asbestos and lead identification,
TODAY'S DEOMLITION MAN For the layman, the term demolition contractor sparks images of wrecking balls smashing brick or massive skyscrapers disappearing in a cloud of dust with one push of an implosion plunger. This stereotype has labeled many demolition contractors as wreckers incapable of reading a blueprint. In practice, the job of a “wrecker” proves much more finite and requires precise procedures in preparing a site for demolition.
As government and industry have recognized the immediate and environmental dangers of suck projects, the demolition industry has eveolved. According to the National Demolition Association, only about 1% of all demolitions use explosives to implode a building. While often serving as an exciting marketing tool to announce a new development, implosions carry a heavy risk of danger. In addition to the explosives and shrapnel threat, implosions could spread noxious materials to the surrounding community. As a result, a grouwing number of municipalities prohibit building implosions. Many outside the industry were educated on such risks with the tragic events of 9/11 and the rising health concerns for first responders at the site, many of which were demolition contractors. Consequently, most demolition work today is performed by machines with specialized attachments.
The study also analyzed and accounted for the structural contents of the buildings. “In our experience at many jobsites we have been greeted with a host of surprises. The environmental impact study serves to help us identify these surprises before we begin,” Sheaffer says, adding that the biggest threats are often subsurface. “Buried tanks and containers can be a problem. Also, this phase must take into account any underground utilities such as sewers.
We are trying to limit the reinvestment into infrastructure below the surface. This is an aspect many will not be able to see at the ground level, but it is vital.”
This initial survey allowed experts to install pumps and sensors around the jobsite that gave MCM an accurate picture of what was going on beneath the surface during demolition. This provided peace of mind for the contractors, the surrounding community and the developer responsible for the well-being of everyone in the area. MCM will continue monitoring the air and subsurface throughout the demolition to protect the client from liability and, most importantly, the residents who live near the structure.
An Eye on Detail
The next step included multiple physical inspections of the property. At this stage, the monumental dangers of working at the plant demo site were truly evident. Platforms with broken railings dangled above vast open pits. Bare electrical wires hung- hopefully dormant.
Since the physical walkthrough requires employees to step gingerly, but more importantly, to keep a keen lookout for items to include in the analysis. MCM utilized its most experienced staff for this phase of the project. Mike Brehse, MCM's vice president and project manager for the Lansing project, joined Sheaffer on the expedition. The two drew on their years of industry experience to identify safety problems early in this project.
“In addition to tackling structural concerns with support features and the roof, we evaluate every aspect of the building. We identify hidden dangers such as the location of all thermostats that may produce mercury when we start demo,” Sheaffer comments. “There are a multitude of considerations many might not see, such as the dangerous contents of a simple exit sign or fluorescent tube and ballast.” The end result of the initial studies and investigation was MCM's “Site Specific Health and Safety Plan,” which summarized all the key elements of the demolition site preparation.
Regardless of his or her level of experience, MCM required every employee to view a mandatory video summary of the project and then become familiar with the safety plan itself. The plan detailed survey points and plotted problem areas and the related strategy to tackle them. The document also contained directions for emergency procedures, lists of appropriate safety personnel and action plans for first responders.
“In our experience at many jobsites we have been greeted with a host of surprises. The environmental impact study serves to help us identify these surprises before we begin.”
Bringing on Big Iron With a solid site preparation plan in place, the operations at the plants have run very smoothly since the machines were brought onsite. Equipment choices were a valuable component of the entire operation. MCM utilizes hundreds of machines with various attachment capabilities such as grapples and heavy-duty shears to complete the intricate tasks of demolition. The heart of its fleet features multiple models of Caterpillar excavators and water trucks, and Volvo articulated trucks. These machines grapple debris and sort into ferrous and non-ferrous metals, brick and concrete. MCM tracks the yield of materials and extends their life for another application by hauling recyclable material offiste to the proper facilities. This aids MCM's bottom line as well as the environment.
In addition to its usual fleet, MCM purchased specialized equipment to tackle this job. One of these acquisitions was an IronWolf crusher, which was attached to a Cat 980 loader for grinding asphalt. MCM also purchased a Cat 385C UHD (Ultra High Demolition) excavator, billed as the largest in its class in service in north America at the time of its delivery in 2006.
MCM was also vigilant about dust control on the site. The powdery “fugitive dust” released in the air, a cocktail that emits from the building during the demolition, was combated with frequent watering. A Caterpillar water tanker doused the ground with water to tamp down the fine particles.
Motor City Area Renewal As work continues on both plant sites, MCM's careful precautions and preparation continue to pay off. At press time, MCM's entire work on the Lansing site totaled more than 130,000 work hours without an accident. The demolition of the Oldsmobile plant is on schedule to be complete by the end of September this year, and work on the Fisher plant is also progressing.
As demolition advances, it is also becoming clear that this process is more about renewal than destruction. Because their state has been a longtime hub of automotive progress and innovation, Michigan residents are sensitive about the current plight of the American auto industry. Many of the old auto plants being demolished served as employment and community prosperity for several generations. Now, the site preparation of a demolition serves as the first step in a reawakening for the property and the community.
Clay Cutchins is a freelance writer in Pinckney, Michigan. He can be reached at writerclay@yahoo.com
Equipment Information Caterpillar, www.cat.com IronWolf, www.ironwolf.com Volvo Construction Equipment, www.volvoce.com