P.Wolfe was approached by the Client to act as an Owner’s Representative in carrying out demolition works at the Rockaway Power Plant. The project was very complex in many ways. The location of this project was located next to multiple residential surrounding buildings. In addition, this location was in close proximity to John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport. The allotted buffer zone of the project had to account for this which set great limitations on how the demolition had to be executed. In addition the facility was constructed using Asbestos, lead and other non-degradable construction materials that posed a threat to the outlying community. P Wolfe was responsible for coordinating multiple disciplines throughout the project. In addition to the general contractor and the normal sub-contractor and consultants, this project had many independents that needed to be coordinated. Especially for the asbestos and lead material handling.
As Owner’s Representatives, P Wolfe's major obstacle throughout the project was accounting for the buffer zone. P Wolfe needed to ensure that no part of the demolition breached the allotted buffer zone. It was determined that the height of the exhaust tower was too high and would breach the buffer zone in any direction if it were to be demolished conventionally. P Wolfe determined that the best way to comply with safety regulations was to demolish the height off of the top of the tower, piece by piece, until a safe height was achieved that was in compliance with our designated buffer zone.
The second challenge was with the lead and asbestos materials being prevalent in all the structures. This would need to be handled appropriately before any further demolition commenced. P Wolfe assisted the client in handling the asbestos and lead materials through a separate asbestos removal specialist firm. These materials were not environmentally friendly and non-degradable and had to be disposed of in specified dumping yards and this was also coordinated. P Wolfe engaged the specialist contractor to carry out the work with in the specified budget and time frame. Due to the nature and complexity of the project very few contractors had submitted bid pricing. This situation made the procurement process complex however P Wolfe’s expert negotiation skills and procurement strategies were able to acquire the appropriate specialist contractor within the specified budget. Once the contactor had finalized the work, the other trades were able to commence with the rest of the demolition.
Third challenge for P Wolfe was dealing with the surrounding community. This was given the highest priority. Traffic congestion and access restriction were major problems as the streets had to be opened for access with minimal disruption. P Wolfe coordinated with the appropriate local community and government authorities to ensure that the project would have minimal impact on normal routine. P Wolfe also consulted with JFK and the local military department to ensure all parties were made aware of the situation due to the close proximity of the airport's location.
P.Wolfe Owner’s Representative helped the Owner in
- Ensuring financial interests were protected before and during construction
- Ensuring the project was completed to design on time and on budget
- Effective project controls
- Early risk identification and effective mitigation strategies
- Improved communications and reporting among all parties
- Smooth collaboration
- Better scope identification
- Continuous improvement and improvisation
- Quality control
- Value engineering and cost reduction
- Owner Satisfaction