Atlantic was contacted by an out-of-state contractor regarding the demolition of a former high profile building located in East Providence. This building, a former radio station, had been left unattended for several years and succumbed to the elements. Our client requested Atlantic to quote the demolition of this derelict structure in order to deter unwelcome trespassers and ensure the safety of those living in the surrounding area.
When performing a full-scale demolition, it is important to know that there are many facets to the project and several important items requiring completion prior to starting the physical demolition. This process starts off with acquiring the demolition permit from the city/town, which includes obtaining paperwork and documentation from numerous utility companies prior to the issuance of the permit.
We started off simply with the quote for the demolition of the building, and the costs to file for the permit. From there, Atlantic contracted with an independent industrial hygiene firm to perform testing at the site for any hazardous materials (which must be removed prior to the start of demolition). While waiting on these results, Atlantic’s team was able to contact the utilities companies on behalf of the owner to begin the process of acquiring shut-off letters. This includes, but is not limited to gas, electric, cable, water, and sewer companies as well as a pest-control company to properly bait the area for rodents.
Once the results from the hygiene firm were received, it was discovered that there was a vast amount of asbestos-containing materials throughout the building, as well as old PCB transformers; Both of these items needed to be addressed prior to the start of demolition. Atlantic contracted with the hygiene firm to write an Asbestos Abatement Plan, to be submitted and approved by the Rhode Island Department of Health. Once this plan was approved, Atlantic was able to submit the mandated notification form to RIDOH, advising them (at least 10 business days in advance) that we would be performing the asbestos abatement at that facility. This allows for the State to regulate the abatement, and ensure everything is performed properly. Over the course of about one month, Atlantic abated all asbestos-containing building materials, including flooring, pipe insulation, transite cement board, window caulking, roof penetrations, and glue daubs, located throughout the facility.
Once all items were abated, it was time to address the PCB material. All PCB materials were properly abated, containerized, and disposed of according to all State and Federal regulations. After over a month and a half of preparation and hard work, Atlantic received verification from the city of East Providence to move forward with the demolition of the building.
The full demolition and cleanup of the surrounding area took approximately (1.5) weeks from start to finish. In the end, the clients were left with a clean and empty lot for a finished product. They were more than happy with the finished result and even happier that the liability of the unsafe structure was no longer a burden to bear.
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