JACKSONVILLE,
FLORIDA- One of northern Florida's most historic concert venues
has been demolished by ISEE-member Demolition Dynamics, Franklin,
Tenessee, and D.H. Griffin Inc., Greensboro, North Carolina.
Jacksonville
Veterans Memorial Coliseum played host to dozens of top-name
performers during its 43-year existence, from Elvis Presley,
Jimi Hendrix and Frank Sinatra during the 1960s and 70s to
Bruce Springsteen, The Police and U2 during the 80s and 90s.
Countless sporting events, circuses and conventions were also
held at the 11,000-seat venue.
The
Coliseum was such a central part of local community, that
in 1995 officials decided to erect the county's new quarter-million
dollar Veterans Memorial Wall just beyond the east face of
the structure. The beautiful 65 foot-long black granite monument
served as an inspiring tribute to more than 1,500 area war
heroes, however it eventually posed a unique challenge for
demolition teams working to remove the arena. Until this project,
no one had ever attempted to implode a full-size arena with
such a priceless liability - or for that matter, any liability
- located just eight feet away. As Jacksonville Mayor John
Delaney stated, "Many of the families of service members
consider the memorial sacred ground, and do not want it disturbed."
Enter
blaster Steve Pettigrew and Demolition Dynamics, whose unparalleled
success with similar sporting arena projects is acknowledged
throughout the industry. Pettigrew devised a unique plan that
called for the "cutting away" of the Coliseum's
two closest exterior wall panels, which would allow them to
remain standing during the implosion. This offered the dual
advantage of protecting the monument from flying debris while
buying a precious seven feet of additional distance to the
closest blast point.
The task
of separating these two panels, as well as stripping out the
entire interior of the structure and preparing it for implosion,
fell to the team at D.H. Griffin. Under the direction of Project
Manager Frank Riner, workers removed all seating and concession
areas, then drilled 325 holes in concrete columns for the
placement of explosives. Another Griffin team worked to protect
the War Memorial by meticulously encasing the structure in
scaffolding and plywood while shrouding individual granite
panels in heavy-gauge blue tarpaulin.
The Demolition
Dynamics team followed by loading 275 lbs. of conventional
nitroglycerin-based explosives into the coliseum's support
columns and roof connections. Pettigrew wired each roof support
at the three columns to remain standing on his first delay,
so that the roof would break free from this section an instant
before the entire structure and its 100 foot-tall dome began
to collapse. A total of 97 additional delays were then used
around the perimeter of the building to ensure a gradual and
complete collapse.
When the dust cleared, community officials were relieved to
find the War Memorial in perfect condition, with not so much
as a scratch. Ground vibration and airblast levels recorded
by ISEE-members CDB Inc., Jacksonville, Florida and Protec
Documentation Services, Mt. Laurel, New Jersey were well within
established limits.
Once all of the debris is removed and the site restored to
grade, the Memorial will be surrounded by a two-acre walking
park.
