Northwest Demolition was contracted to demolish and remove the Keauhou Beach Hotel, a seven-story concrete structure situated above the shoreline on a redesignated Hawaiian Cultural Heritage site. The structure was comprised of a structural steel frame, reinforced concrete walls, and pre-stressed 8” hollow core planks with 2” topping slabs.  The structure also had extensive poured-in-place basements and associated out-buildings. The structure’s location on land and extending over water required calculated work planning and engineering protocols to comply with the permitting agencies and firm deadlines governing over-water work. The on-land demolition process employed a high-reach excavator to bring the structure down safely and efficiently.

Due to the significant risk to worker safety and environmental release, the over-water work required the use of Husqvarna demolition robots, which met the engineered weight capacity of the over-water floors and allowed for a controlled demolition that prevented the release of demolition debris from entering the sensitive shoreline habitat. Strict environmental protocols also required the installation and use of a debris catchment system and working scaffold platform to be constructed underneath the bottom floor. Additionally, significant fugitive dust suppression systems were utilized to mitigate risk to public health and the surrounding environment.

The specialized equipment utilized onsite minimized the requirement for manual labor, reducing personnel exposure and other safety concerns. This project highlights Northwest Demolition’s ability to utilized specialized equipment to successfully tackle complex demolition projects with sensitive safety, environmental, and cultural concerns. This project was completed ahead of schedule and with zero recordable or first aid incidents.

As a result of our efforts onsite, our client, Kiewit Building Group, was awarded the 2019 Build Hawaii Award from the Associated General Contractors of Hawaii.