QQ Parking Garage & Loading Dock Demolition Project

With a long history of successful projects for the Cleveland Clinic, Independence Excavating is teaming up again with Donley's, Inc. on yet another one. This time, instead of helping to build a new heart center or a huge new parking garage, it's the demolition of one of the older parking garages and a loading dock to make way for the extension of a new tunnel that will tie in the new E. 89th St. Parking Garage to the existing tunnel complex.

The 5-story QQ Parking Garage is scheduled to be demolished in two main phases. The first phase includes the southern of the garage and the loading dock that sits just to the north of the garage. However, an extensive bracing system needed to be designed and installed before any demolition could begin because the portion that makes up phase 2 will continue to be partially active until late this year. Independence installed concrete shear walls, designed by Barber & Hoffman, Inc., in the basement and a system of huge cable cross-braces, purchased from Samsel Supply Co., on the floors above to separate and stabilize the remaining portion of the garage over the active basement area. Once this phase of demolition is complete and all the rubble is removed, we will install the required shoring and a dewatering system in order to excavate for Donley's concrete crews to complete and tie in the extension of the new Tunnel from E. 89th St. to an existing tunnel under E. 90th St.

Phase 2 of the demolition will begin once the tunnel can be backfilled and all of the Clinic's employees and AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) deliveries to and from the E. 89th St. Garage can be shifted over from the basement and into the newly completed tunnel. Currently scheduled to begin in late 2009, phase 2 demolition work will extend into 2010.

Finally, after all the demolition is completed, Donley's concrete crews will be able to finish their scope of work by completing the construction of an underground "AGV Depot" that will service the growing number of AGV robots in the CCF tunnel system. Once Independence is able to complete the backfill work and put the site to grade, a landscaped green space will hide the bustling new Tunnel and AGV Depot that will run just below the surface.

With all the bracing work completed and the phase 1 demolition work just getting into full swing, we are looking forward to meeting the many challenges this project includes and working together with Donley's, Inc. to complete another quality project for the Cleveland Clinic.