Salem, MA – Salem State University is undergoing numerous campus upgrades. Marr Scaffolding Company is part of the team that is contracted to assist in the demolition of the former library building on the university’s North Campus. Working for JDC Demolition, subcontractor to general contractor Lee Kennedy Co., both Marr’s Scaffold and Shoring Divisions are involved in the project.
In early April Marr’s Scaffold Division erected a combination of sectional and systems scaffolding to provide access to the perimeter of the old library building, an expanse of approximately 1,000 linear feet. Following that, 80,000sf of Monaflex wrap was installed to enclose the entire structure. Given the close proximity to other campus buildings and the surrounding active neighborhood, the library’s enclosure provided protection of the public and the workforce as well as dust control.
Demolition began with removal of the cantilevered sections of the building on the east and north sides and then moved to the west end to work eastward to demolish the remainder of the structure. JDC is removing the scaffold as it works its way down the building, which is now approximately 75% torn down.
The shoring installation for the project used a combination of Shore X, Hi Lite and post shores. The main focus was to support the exterior cantilevers on the third and fourth floors during demolition, along with the expansion joints in the floors on the interior. Extra shoring was added for areas on each floor to support materials and equipment loading in and out of the building and to also support unreliable waffle slabs.
The majority of the shoring work was completed in July and engineering is almost finished on a special wall bracing component which will complete the shoring part of the project. 100% fall protection was maintained on the jobsite despite a challenging scaffold erection due to the uneven grade around the building and nearby drive lanes.
Marr Scaffolding’s sister company, Marr Crane & Rigging, has provided crane service on the jobsite at various times to JDC Demo; including a 50, 70 and 90-ton crane to facilitate the demolition.