Construction Accidents
Excavator Incident Halts Pennsylvania Demolition Project
A screen shot from a drone video recently posted on Facebook by Washington County, Pa., officials shows demolition work getting underway at the county government office building complex days before the excavator fell into a trench.
A large excavator tumbled into an excavated pit on March 3 during demolition of a county government office building complex in Washington, Pa., southwest of Pittsburgh, but the operator appears to have been unhurt, according to published reports.
Detroit-based demolition contractor Adamo Group had begun work on the project the previous day under a $1.55-million county contract awarded last year, which includes demolition of a six-story 1970s office building and adjacent underground garage. The excavator operator was not identified.
A video taken from a nearby building posted on a local news site shows the partially obscured excavator working around the garage entrance, then adjusting its position just prior to disappearing from view. Post-incident news photos and video show the excavator lying partially on its side in the pit.
A county spokesperson says the incident is under investigation, and that officials have requested a public safety incident report from Adamo, including the operator’s name, employer and update on his condition. A crane will be brought to the site to remove the excavator in the coming days.
Media questions about the incident were referred to Adamo, which has not responded to ENR’s request for comment.
The building is being demolished to make way for a new county public complex. In a social media video posted last week, County Commissioners Chair Nick Sherman detailed some of the existing building’s structural deficiencies, including standing water, aging exterior membrane and deteriorating support beams.
He added that cramped space for many county agencies “was deemed dangerous by structural engineers who came in and said the building was not structurally sound.”
In preparation for the demolition, the county last summer awarded a $1.44-million contract to JG Contracting Co., Carnegie, Pa., to stabilize a wall between the old office building and the historic county courthouse. Following what was set to be a 10-to 12-week demolition phase, the site was to be readied for construction to begin on the new three-story, 70,000-sq-ft public safety building.
Estimated to cost up to $35 million, the new facility will contain 911 emergency dispatch facilities, a booking center and offices for the county sheriff.
