The McGuire

Seattle, WA

Demolition Overview

Overview
This document describes the demolition plan for The McGuire apartment building and attached
parking structure including methods, durations, work hours, crew size, truck rate and mitigating
potential negative impacts to the neighborhood.

Method and Duration of Demolition

The McGuire will be demolished in fourteen to eighteen months over the following four phases.
Note that due to the dense urban location and lack of basement to contain debris, neither the
tower nor the parking structure will be demolished by use of explosives.

1. The parking structure will be demolished to the top of the first floor slab by Mass
Demolition. (See the next section for a description of each demolition method.)
2. Next, the tower will be demolished from the top down to approximately level six by
Floor-by-Floor Demolition.
3. The remaining floors of the tower will be demolished by Mass Demolition.
4. Finally, the below-grade foundations and substructures of the parking structure and tower
will be demolished with hydraulic excavators and the ~5’ deep excavated hole will be
filled in with gravel.

Description of Demolition Methods and Impacts to the Neighborhood

Mass Demolition uses hydraulic excavators capable of

reaching up several stories and “munching” or
“nibbling” structures from the top-down in a controlled
manner. The parking structure and the lower floors of
the tower will be demolished by Mass Demolition.
This is the ideal method for these locations because it
is safe and efficient for low-rise structures and
appropriately addresses the following neighborhood
concerns:

Safety: Mass Demolition is the safest method of

demolition for low-rise structures in dense urban Controlled Mass Demolition by hydraulic
excavator with water misting to reduce dust
locations because it is controlled and methodical.

Noise: The hydraulic excavators generally work by “munching” instead of impact and thus
produce less noise and vibration than other demolition methods, such as hammering.

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 The McGuire
Seattle, WA

Demolition Overview
Dust: Misting water at the point of concrete disturbance is the best way
to reduce dust. The hydraulic excavators will be fitted with a water
hose at the mouth of the “muncher” and hand-held water hoses will be
used at truck loading.

Traffic: Extended traffic lane closures are not expected to be required

for the demolition of the McGuire. However, it is likely that parking The Theconcrete
“muncher” cracker is
is a non-
will be closed in the alley and that sidewalks around the building will a non-impact, vibration
impact attachment that
be closed throughout demolition. In addition, since the parking free willattachment.
minimize vibration
and noise during
structure comes right up to the sidewalk and alley, some portion of the Mass Demolition of the
parking lane and alley will have to be closed for safety, trucking, and parking structure and
access for the hydraulic excavators during Mass Demolition of the lower floors of the tower
parking structure. However, Mass Demolition proceeds bay by bay relatively quickly and the
operations will be moved within the footprint of the removed structure and streets re-opened
(with flag-persons controlling traffic flow in and around the jobsite throughout) as soon as safety
allows.

Floor-by-Floor Demolition will be used from the top of the

tower down to approximately level six. Working from the top
down, one level at a time and bay-by-bay, mini-excavators
will rubblize the floors into cobble-size pieces. This debris
will be pushed down the elevator or stairwell shafts to the
ground floor, where it will be loaded into the trucks. The
interior columns and perimeter concrete moment frame will
be cut into pieces and moved by the tower crane to the
ground, where they will be processed into cobble-size pieces
and loaded into the trucks. This is the ideal demolition
method for the top of the tower, which is too high for the
hydraulic excavators used for Mass Demolition. Floor-by-
Floor Demolition appropriately addresses the following
neighborhood concerns:

Safety: Floor-by-Floor Demolition is the safest method for

The crane will remove large pieces
demolishing post-tensioned, exterior moment frame high-rise
from the perimeter of the tower for
rubblizing on the ground to control dust
structures in dense urban locations because the decks will be
and noise in Floor-by-Floor Demolition
detensioned in a sequential, controlled manner as the floors
are rubblized and the perimeter concrete moment frame will be carefully removed from the
building by the tower crane and processed at ground level where the debris is contained. As an
additional safety precaution, plywood will be added to the deck and outside vertical face of the
existing scaffolding at each working floor to contain broken concrete and keep it from falling

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Seattle, WA

Demolition Overview
through to the ground below. Mesh will also be installed on the outside of the scaffolding at the
working floor and two floors below to further minimize the potential for escaping debris and
dust.

The Floor-by-Floor demolition

plan, sequence and load
calculations will be reviewed,
approved and stamped by a
structural engineer licensed in
the State of Washington. For
additional safety, these plans
and calculations will be peer
reviewed by an additional,
impartial (not otherwise
involved in the project)
structural engineer licensed in
the State of Washington. The
engineered plan will include
post shoring as needed to
support the floors during
Section Through Scaffolding and Building demolition. The demolition and
(Not to Scale) shoring on each floor will
Mini-excavators will rubblize the deck above the “work floor.” The remaining follow the specific plan as
decks will be supported by post shores designed by the structural engineer. dictated by the structural
Plywood will be installed on the deck and interior wall of the scaffold at the
work floor and mesh will be installed on the exterior of the scaffold at the work engineer. No deviations will be
floor and at least two floors below to control dust and noise. allowed to the plan without a
specific field change being
made to the work plan by the
structural engineer.

Noise: Floor-by-Floor demolition will not exceed the allowable noise levels in the City’s Noise
Ordinance. The project will further reduce the noise disturbance to the neighborhood by:
1. Installing plywood on the deck and outside of the scaffold at the floor of work.
2. Installing mesh on the outside of the scaffold at the floor of work and two floors below.
3. Installing solid perimeter site fencing.
4. Moving debris from each floor to the ground level within chutes inside the building.
5. Lining the sides and base of the debris chutes with sound-absorptive materials.
6. Large elements such as the interior columns and perimeter moment frame will be
processed at the ground level inside the solid perimeter site fencing.

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Seattle, WA

Demolition Overview
7. Debris will be down-sized or rubblized with
the use of “muncher” attachments to limit the
use of noisy demolition hammers. Demolition
hammers use will be limited to oversized
materials or where down-sizing is impractical
by other means.
8. Planning circular truck routes to minimize the
use of back-up alarms.
9. During loading of trucks, care will be taken
not to drop rubble in the truck beds. Rather,
rubble will be lowered and spread into the
beds, front-to-back, minimizing surface-to- Mini-excavators will rubblize the upper floors of the
surface contact during loading. tower and push debris down interior chutes, containing
dust and noise during Floor-by-Floor demolition
Dust: Misting water at the point of concrete disturbance is the best way to reduce dust. Hand-
held water hoses will be used at all demolition points and truck loading. In addition, the beds of
the trucks will be wetted prior to loading to prevent dust transmission during travel and wheels
will be washed and streets swept as needed. The need is expected to be minimal as lay-down area
and truck loading will occur on the concrete slab of the former parking structure, which allows
for a clean site with minimal dust and mud. Similar to the noise discussion above, the plywood
and mesh on the scaffold, solid perimeter site fencing and interior debris chutes will minimize
dust.

Traffic: Extended traffic lane closures are not expected to be required for the demolition of the
McGuire. However, it is likely that parking will be closed in the alley and that sidewalks around
the building will be closed throughout demolition and the parking lanes and alley may be closed
periodically, if needed. Flag-persons will be employed to control traffic flow in and around the
jobsite.

Foundation Demolition will be by excavators with hydraulic breakers to break the foundations
into pieces and bucket attachments to dig up the foundations. Broken pieces will be loaded into
the trucks or crushed to gravel-size for backfill of the ~5’ deep excavated hole. This method of
foundation demolition appropriately addresses the following neighborhood concerns:

Safety: Foundation demolition by excavators with hydraulic breakers and buckets is the safest
and industry standard method for demolition foundations. The demolition will be limited to the
maximum extent possible without requiring perimeter shoring, thus mitigating the safety risk of
undermining the surround sidewalks and streets.

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Seattle, WA

Demolition Overview
Noise: Breaking up 5’ thick pieces of concrete is noisy. However, this phase of the demolition is
relatively short and the noise will be contained to the greatest extent possible by the solid
perimeter site fencing.

Dust: Misting at the point of demolition and truck loading will continue to be utilized throughout
foundation demolition. The solid perimeter site fencing and street sweeping as needed will
further contain the dust.

Traffic: No street or sidewalk closures are expected during this phase. Flag-persons will continue
to maintain safe and efficient traffic flow in around the jobsite.

General Comments

Working hours will be within the allowable working hours by the City of Seattle’s noise
ordinance. Regular work hours are presently planned for 7am to 5pm on weekdays, extending to
7pm on weekdays and Saturdays from 9am to 7pm when necessary, such as during critical
operations or to maintain schedule. Work hours and the noise plan will be coordinated with
DPD.

Crew size will vary from ten to forty individuals on site per day, depending on the phase of
demolition. Mass Demolition of the parking structure and lower tower levels and Foundation
Demolition will require ten to twenty individuals. Floor-by-Floor Demolition will require
twenty to forty individuals. Some parking for workers will be provided inside the construction
boundary after demolition of the parking structure. Additional parking for workers will be
provided using local pay lots and/or use of mass transit.

Truck Rate will vary from twenty to forty trucks per day, depending on the phase of demolition.
Mass Demolition of the parking structure and lower tower levels will produce higher daily loads.
Floor-by-Floor Demolition of the upper tower will produce lower daily loads. Truck rates will
not be constant and there will be many days where no truck trips occur, while debris is
accumulating or being prepared (downsized) for shipment. Truck rates, haul routes and the
overall traffic and pedestrian plan will be coordinated with SDOT.

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 The McGuire
Seattle, WA

Demolition Overview
Closing
This demolition plan for The McGuire focuses on safety and mitigating impacts to the
environment and neighborhood, our top concerns.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact:

Katie Henry
Project Manager
Lease Crutcher Lewis
(206) 622-0500
katie.henry@lewisbuilds.com

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