Eslich Wrecking Company Key Contractor in Giving Akron a Makeover

Since mid-2016, demolition contractor Eslich Wrecking Company has been involved in five different revitalization projects throughout Akron, Ohio, to help revitalize and redevelop the city

Beginning in mid-2016, Eslich has been involved in five different revitalization projects throughout Akron and its surrounding areas.
Beginning in mid-2016, Eslich has been involved in five different revitalization projects throughout Akron and its surrounding areas.

Information from this article was first published in Demolition Magazine and is being reused with permission from the National Demolition Association.

By Sara Anderson 

Eslich Wrecking Company is giv­ing Akron, Ohio, a makeover.

Known as the Rubber City from its deep roots in the rubber product manufacturing industry, Akron is in the process of reinventing itself in the decades following its decline as the nation’s tire manufacturing epicenter. An integral part of redevelopment and revitalization is the demolition of structures and sites that have, over the years, become obsolete. 

The family-owned and -operated Eslich Wrecking Company, an NDA member based out of Louisville, Ohio, is among the companies leaving its mark on the city. Beginning in mid-2016, Eslich has been involved in five different revital­ization projects throughout Akron and its surrounding areas. Chosen as the contractor due to the company’s safety record, experience and competitive pric­ing, these projects ultimately improve the surrounding communities because they help pave the way for new development.

Improving water quality 

The site of the Middlebury Separation Project (CSO Racks 5 and 7) sat vacant for many years before Eslich Wrecking’s crews began work on this eight-month-long sewer separation project in the middle of July 2016. To accommodate a water holding pond for the city’s storm water drainage system, two buildings — one of which was situated on the em­bankment of the 25-foot-wide Cuyahoga River — needed to be demolished.

Before demolition could begin, a 20-person environmental crew removed universal waste and asbestos from the site.

Next, the five-person inclinometer crew with its geotechnical engineers took measures to ensure site safety. The small worksite was situated on the river’s edge and also within 10 feet of high-traffic city streets. In addition, heavy, high-voltage power lines hung overhead. Inclinom­eter systems were installed to measure movement of the concrete walls along the river, as well as a structurally sensitive sheet-pile wall that was supporting a railroad track and power poles.

According to Eslich, the installation of the inclinom­eters and their weekly readings posed a unique challenge to crews because they had to be done without hampering the progress of the overall project. However, they were necessary to monitor the walls. In addition, the crew also worked to stabilize a power line that was leaning at a precarious 25-degree angle before the structures could be safely demolished.

The demolition crew was comprised of three individuals. The first step of the demolition process involved lowering the building structures to the ground. Truck drivers hauled away the resulting debris. After the debris was cleared, the foundation was removed and the compacted fill materials were installed.

Among Eslich’s successes was the ability to recycle 75% of the materials from the project, including concrete, brick and metal. According to DriveAkron, a city initiative to communicate the status of ongoing projects, another significant benefit of this project is improved water quality for the surrounding community. It also lends itself to a storm water wetland for nearby residents to enjoy.

Room for new roads

The former AkroDYNE plant — which was situated just off of Interstate 76 — was once a key player in Akron’s rubber and tire manufacturing industry. However, the 285,000-square-foot industrial site was no longer in use, and to accommodate a new roadway as part of the city’s overall new roadway system, demolition began in September 2016.

Crews included a 40-person environ­mental crew and a three-person demoli­tion crew, along with several truck driv­ers who hauled materials away from the site. The process began by disconnecting utilities and the abatement of asbestos, polychlorinated bi-phenols (PcBs) and universal waste.

Next, using a Komatsu PC200 with an Allied Gator MT20 shear, a Komatsu PC200 excavator equipped with a LaBounty grappler and an S300 Bobcat, the crew worked to demolish the superstructure of the build from east to west. There was an overhead door to assist with the removal of waste to the west, as well as a parking lot that was large enough to accommodate the labor intensive environmental work. Finally, the crew removed the concrete floor and the foundation before backfill and laying down topsoil and seed.

According to Eslich, this project was successful because the company “instilled a safe and efficient plan that allowed [them] to fulfill the customer’s request.” In addition, the company did not leave any traces of its work behind, putting the city of Akron in a position to construct a new and long-awaited roadway.

An eye on efficiency

As part of ODOT’s Central Exchange Project, Shelly & Sands Inc., ODOT’s contractor, hired Eslich to remove the steel structures of westbound and east­bound I-76. The bridge removal paved the way for reconstruction of heavily trafficked interchanges with the ultimate goal of bettering the flow of traffic and increasing commuter safety. 

Prior to the mobilization of the on-site crew of five, the concrete parapet and deck were removed from the bridge structure. Crews then worked to remove concrete beams, piers and end walls to the required limits. The steel structure was removed systematically, starting with shearing the cross bracing, then the main beams, into manageable length. The beams, which ranged from 2- to 1 1/3-inches in thickness, were then loaded onto trucks and shipped out.

Despite the challenging project site, which was within close proximity of freeway entrance and exit traffic, and demanding timelines, Eslich was able to perform the work for Shell & Sands on time and within budget. It also recycled 100% of all materials removed. 

Beyond city limits

Located just outside Akron is the small city of Barberton, Ohio, home to Bab­cock & Wilcox Power Generation Group Inc., which designs, manufactures and constructs power generation, environ­mental and clean-energy solutions. The demolition of approximately 500,000 square feet of the company’s industrial foundry buildings, which date back over 100 years, were ordered for demolition to make way for future development opportunities.

Crews totaling approximately 20 people went to work in October 2016, begin­ning with environmental abatement and removal of nonferrous materials. Due to the foundry’s close proximity to the BWX Technologies Inc.’s nuclear power plant, crews worked meticulously to disconnect only the necessary utilities before construction began. Fulfilling the dust containment requirements and shearing the riveted columns also proved challenging for Eslich, but the company was “fortunate to have an experienced team of people and the necessary equipment to minimize the challenges of this project.”

The next step of the process was demolition of the superstructures. To accomplish this, workers relied on the powerful Komatsu PC450-7 equipped with a Labounty UP50 shear, Komatsu PC1000 equipped with an Allied Gator MT100 shear, Komatsu PC138 equipped with an Allied Gator MT15 shear, CAT­345BLVG equipped with an Allied Gator MT70 shear, CAT345BLVG equipped with an Allied Gator MT90 shear, S300 Bobcat and HAWC (High Pressure Air Water Cannon) Dust Destroyer.

Although this project is scheduled for completion in April, Eslich aims to recycle 90% of the materials from the demolition, including ferrous and nonferrous materials.

Saying goodbye to a landmark

The decline of Rolling Acres Mall, a city landmark when it opened its doors to the community in 1975, began in 2006 when the first of its anchor stores relocated. Key tenants continued to leave until 2008, when the mall offi­cially closed its doors and auctioned off its key fixtures. In the years that followed, the mall’s parking lot became overrun by weeds, and its apocalyp­tic-looking abandoned interior became a hub for crime and vandalism. The property and its surrounding land, now owned by the city of Akron, was approved for demolition in July 2016.

Eslich began the process by removing the environmental materials of universal waste and asbestos in October 2016. Several anchor stores were still standing, so crews worked to plug, cap and relo­cate utilities and separate the structures from the mall structure. Next came the demolition of the mall structure itself. Crews used a Komatsu PC200-8 excavator with LaBounty grappler, PC360-8 excavator with LaBounty UP45 shear, Komatsu PC350-7 excavator with LaBounty UP45 shear and LaBounty grappler, CAT950 wheel loader equipped with an Allied Gator grappler claw bucket and an S300 Bobcat.

This project, which is still underway and scheduled for completion in April, will be finalized once the concrete is removed and the site graded for redevel­opment. Eslich projects 85 to 90% of the concrete, brick and metal for this job will be recycled.

Once the project is complete, the site will be available for redevelopment. Sev­eral proposals, including one for a youth sports complex and hotel, have been presented to the City Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee, but no final decisions have been made. According to Mayor Dan Horrigan, the site, which boasts 1.3 million square feet of space and sits conveniently near the heart of the city and surrounding highways, opens the city up to many possibilities.

 

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