NORTHERN VIRGINIA DAILY

Article Date: May 22, 2003

AVTEX BUILDING TUMBLES AS PHASE TWO IS COMPLETED

By:  Mary Beiler

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed its second phase of demolition at the Avtex Superfund site on Wednesday with the demolition of the Polymer Plant.

The 90-foot, five story green building that sits near the entrance to the site was the last building standing in the front portion of the former rayon plant.  Its demolition left behind a view of the sky and mountains off in the mist.

The 30 some year old, building didn’t go down without a fight.

Workers at the site used a cutting torch at the bottom of the beams so that the building would fall over in the direction they wanted it to.  They then attached steel cables to a track hoe and pulled.  The building swayed back and forth for about 10 seconds, then fell to its knees at about 10:15 a.m.– with three floors still standing. 

Workers had to use a “grab and pull” technique to pull apart the remainder of the building.

“I would have preferred to have it settle right down to the ground, but its not that unusual that the building doesn’t fall right down,” said on-site Army Corps of Engineers representative Roger Griffith, as he stood in the rain watching the process unfold.

Griffith said the morning’s rain was actually a blessing in the demolition, because it helped to settle the debris more quickly.

The fall of the Polymer Plant is a “milestone” in the demolition work being performed by the Corps, Griffith said.

“We’re ready to end the section I demolition,” he said.  “It’s also the largest building we’ve taken down.”  The sheer size of the building alone posed challenges, he added.

Once the Polymer building is down, the Corps will continue working on the disposal of debris left on the site until there is nothing left but a smooth, graded area, Griffith said.  All the metal from the buildings is being transferred to Sims Metal in Richmond to be recycled.

Griffith expects the area to be cleared of debris by the end of June.  Once the debris is cleared and the ground is graded, FMC Corp. will move in to perform a soil investigation.

The Polymer Plant has been an icon of the site, easily identifiable with its size and characteristic green color.  The absence of the building really shows the progress being made with the cleanup, said FMC site manager Doug Bement.

The only other significant building left standing is the powerhouse complex.  Several smaller buildings also have yet to come down.

The Corps, which has said it needs an additional $10 million to finish the asbestos abatement and demolition of the industrial buildings, will continue with this work through the summer, It is hoped that additional funding coming through by the end of the Corps’ fiscal year, Sept. 30.  If not, they may be forced to discontinue the work.