At a Glance
The Citizens Bank demolition was made possible through a wet demolition technique coordinated between Nabholz, the owner, and the architect.
Careful attention was given to the safety of surrounding businesses, roads, and pedestrians as the building was located in the middle of downtown Jonesboro.
Owner
Designer
Location
Budget
Key Solutions
PRIORITIZING SAFETY DURING DEMOLITION ON A TIGHT URBAN SITE
The City of Jonesboro approached Nabholz to safely demolish a seven-story Citizens Bank building that had been vacated for 24 years and, after being evaluated by engineering experts, ruled as a public safety hazard. The building was located in a tight area in downtown Jonesboro, with the closest adjacent buildings just 10 ft and 40 ft away. To the building’s south, the city’s courthouse and a major downtown intersection posed additional safety complications.
Falling debris and dust from demolition was a major safety concern on site. Nabholz completely or partially shut down streets on three sides of the building during demolition to protect cars and pedestrians. Adjacent buildings were wrapped with visqueen to keep dust out, and weighted plywood was placed on roofs to prevent damage from any falling materials.
Our team utilized a high-reach excavator to perform controlled demolition, removing small chunks at a time, and reducing the risk of falling debris. Water trucks sprayed down removed debris to mitigate spreading dust and asbestos while waiting for transport to a landfill. To efficiently and safely haul the contaminated debris, we developed a three-step process. Using as little space as possible, we made a lane for dump trucks to drive into. The driver was instructed to remain in the truck and fill out a manifest while the on-site crew lined the truck bed with plastic wrap, preparing it for the debris. Once that was complete, the driver pulled up to the next station, where the truck bed was loaded. A final third station then covered and secured the bed with plastic wrap, ensuring safe transport. The driver would then haul the debris to the landfill, present the manifest, and repeat the process until all building remnants were properly disposed of.
Nabholz performed daily air quality tests on each side of the building to ensure asbestos limits weren’t exceeded. Morning safety reviews for air quality and falling debris were also held daily, ensuring all safety procedures were followed to keep workers and pedestrians free from harm.
After four months of construction, Nabholz successfully demolished the Citizens Bank building for the City of Jonesboro on time and within budget. There were zero OSHA recordable incidents across 5,900 man-hours, and air quality was successfully maintained at safe levels while handling materials with asbestos.
