Independence Excavating Kicked Off Florida Citrus Bowl Renovation with Successful Surgical Demolition
CLEVELAND, Sept. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of Turner Construction's Citrus Bowl renovation team, Independence Excavating surgically demolished Orlando's historic, 72,000-seat stadium ahead of schedule in February. The team demolished the structure, which was first built in 1936, while carefully preserving the intertwined upper bowl seating. The new Citrus Bowl is slated for reopening in November 2014, with final completion in 2015.
Timely completion of this high profile project's short 11-month duration depended on Independence Excavating's ability to demolish 90% of the old Citrus Bowl structure in just 4 weeks. Vice President of Demolition Donnie DiGeronimo believes that planning and coordination were key elements of Independence Excavating's successful project kick-off. "Before we hit the field, our operations, safety and resources specialists had already efficiently coordinated each task, relocated the right equipment from around the country and allocated the most qualified people. We broke down every detail of the job to fully understand where and when debris would fall so we could maximize personnel in each area, quickly advancing the stadium demolition," said DiGeronimo. This detailed planning paid off as Independence Excavating delivered their project seamlessly without change orders or safety incidents and completed work three days ahead of its compressed schedule, despite an increased scope of work. The team achieved this accelerated delivery by leveraging double shifts, adding local employees and collaborating with local contractors. By enhancing its team with local employees and subcontracting to Orlando-based firms including Abatement Central and Central Excavating and Hauling, Independence Excavating helped bolster the local economy as part of the Citrus Bowl project.
General Superintendent Steve Wilk also attributes the project's success to the firm's uncompromising commitment to safe operations. "In addition to our complex project scheduling, we spent as much time planning our safety approach as we spent planning the actual demolition. We worked hard to identify and eliminate hazards before they became an issue," said Wilk. As with each of its projects, the team began each task with an "all hands" meeting to plan safety, establish clear communication, and disseminate responsibilities. Independence Excavating's safety commitment paid off, achieving 10,000 safe hours with no accidents or incidents on this project alone. Their exceptional performance on the Citrus Bowl demolition and other key projects reinforce the firm's recent recognition as a winner of the National AGC Safety Excellence Award – First Place.
With offices in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Chantilly, VA, Independence Excavating is an industry leader in challenging site development, heavy industrial applications, demolition, environmental solutions, concrete construction, aggregate crushing and one of the Midwest's premier and diversified construction companies. Founded in 1956 by the DiGeronimo family, Independence Excavating has earned a solid reputation for honesty, integrity and outstanding performance.
SOURCE Independence Excavating, Inc.
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