The structural demolition and implosion of the former Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, located on the historic boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with an interior of over 1 million square feet, was “as high profile as they come,” says the project’s demolition contractor Haines & Kibblehouse (H&K) Inc.
The tight working conditions and massive scale required calculated planning and special considerations for protecting the surrounding area. H&K, the Philadelphia-based heavy civil construction division of H&K Group, specializes in complex jobs, particularly high-rise, low-rise and industrial demolitions.
H&K prioritizes dust suppression with every project, especially for notable projects such as Trump Plaza, where an open boardwalk and nearby casino complicated the job.
“All demolition work has one thing in common, and it’s dust,” says Steven Schwartz, an estimator and project manager at H&K. “You can’t get away from it.”
He says dust suppression has become increasingly important as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration place a larger emphasis on silica exposure and other potential environmental issues relating to dust.
“You can keep it within your bounds of your job, but, boy, don’t let it go outside that fence line because you’re probably [going to] get fines or be shut down,” Schwartz says.
A difficult job
The Trump Plaza project, which started in 2020, involved multiple buildings, including a 32-story structure that was adjacent to the Atlantic City Convention Center.
The building was deemed hazardous by the city in June 2020, citing concerns for public safety because of falling debris.
Following some back-and-forth between state and local courts regarding plans for the property, the structure officially was demolished and the remaining components imploded in February 2021.
Schwartz says it took roughly three to four months of assessments and finalizing negotiations with the city and property owners before a third-party contractor was able to start asbestos removal—the final step before H&K crews could begin their demolition work.
The first step of the demolition was removing the building’s façade, made from a material called Dryvit, which Schwartz describes as “a Styrofoam board with plaster on the outside.”
“Due to the dust suppression equipment, the right wind conditions and a lot of plain old good luck, we didn’t need [the units] for more than a couple hours.” – Steven Schwartz, estimator/project manager, H&K Inc.
“That’s really the main reason the building was condemned, because that was blowing off of the building and falling to the ground,” he says.
To tackle the removal safely, H&K crews placed 32 stories of netting around the building. During this process, crews also gutted the building floor by floor.
“We brought in some heavy equipment to start the low-rises, and I think that took two [or] three months,” he says of the demolition process. “While we were gutting the high-rise, we had already gutted the low-rises. So, there’s a sequence: gut the low-rise, gut the high-rise, wreck the low-rise, then implode the high-rise.”
The structural demolition work was completed with a 125-ton long-reach excavator with a 120-foot stick attached.
Units in action
Dust Destroyer 300 dust suppression units manufactured by Carroll, Ohio-based Company Wrench were used throughout the process.
During the demolition debris removal period, or what Schwartz calls the “gut out,” material was thrown down elevator shafts and loaded into trucks, which could create dust and flying debris.
These units were paired with water trucks and fire hoses during the structural demolition, and roughly 10 units were used during the implosion, conducted by Controlled Demolition Inc., Phoenix, Maryland.
“We worked very hard with Company Wrench to supply us with a bunch of Dust Destroyer 300s,” Schwartz says. “They worked with us in figuring out how many we should have, where they should be located, what we needed to feed those monsters and get us set up without having to rent them for two months because the implosion is a one-day event.”
During the implosion, Schwartz says, as many as 30 workers also were stationed in the surrounding work area to keep watch for any dust that spread to the streets.
“Due to the dust suppression equipment, the right wind conditions and a lot of plain old good luck, we didn’t need [the units] for more than a couple hours,” he says.
“Very little dust traveled outside of our site. … We were very lucky [that] little crosswind affected us, but the dust suppression equipment helped dramatically.”
A single unit also was employed during on-site concrete crushing following the demolition, which H&K used for backfilling.
Following the completion of the project, H&K decided to purchase its own Dust Destroyer 300 after witnessing the machine’s impressive performance firsthand.
Schwartz says he first became aware of the product while attending the National Demolition Association’s annual convention.
The company also had experience using dust suppression units from Company Wrench for a demolition in Columbus, Ohio, and that experience helped in developing a relationship with the manufacturer and rental company.
“Sooner or later, I’m probably going to buy another one or two depending on what happens this spring with a couple of jobs, or at least rent some more,” Schwartz says.
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