Adamo's Detroit demolition drive

A former automotive facility in Detroit, USA, is providing a major undertaking for Adamo Group Inc, a second generation demolition business that is celebrating 50 years in the industry this year. The company is currently engaged on demolition work at the former American Axle & Manufacturing Detroit Manufacturing Complex, where it is demolishing Plants 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9, in addition to removing the parking deck and powerhouse. Covering an area of 121,000 square metres (1.3 million square feet), structural demolition follows on from the removal of universal wastes and asbestos containing materials and the salvage of equipment and recyclable ferrous and non-ferrous materials. All the structures will be demolished down to grade level and handed over to AAM for final disposal.

The fact that the complex is actually situated over the boundary of the cities of Detroit and Hamtramck and is divided by Holbrook Avenue means that it effectively two separate sites, a fact that complicates the permitting process. In addition, other plants and facilities are remaining active on the site during the demolition work, requiring that utilities be re-routed before they were disconnected for the plants to be demolished.

Adamo is using 25 Cat, Volvo and Sennebogen machines on the work, including a Cat 385CL UHD high reach and other hydraulic excavators down to a Cat 312DL, equipped with multi-processors, grapples and shears, material handlers for sorting duties, wheeled loaders, water trucks and a concrete crushing plant. The company expects to complete the contract in early summer 2014 and anticipates that it will recycle more than 20,000 tonnes of ferrous, 62,000 tonnes of non-ferrous materials and more than 12,000 tonnes of concrete.