Rooms to Rubble

Site foreman Robert Saunders, manning a JS 220/360 degree excavator, sorts the rubble of Building 402 into separate piles of concrete and scrap metal, Aug. 10, 2007. The contractor is responsible for removing the rubble and sorted materials from the base. The unusable pieces will be crushed and recycled for future building materials. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)

Rooms to Rubble

Bearing a striking resemblance to a dinosaur head, the shear of the excavator being used to demolish Building 402 at RAF Mildenhall, has the ability to exert 28,000 pounds per square inch of pressure. With this level of strength, the brick walls crumble as if they're made of cardboard. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)

Rooms to Rubble

The contractor handling the demolition of Building 402 utilizes water spray from two hoses to control dust levels, Aug. 10, 2007. Because the site is so close to a major base road, concerns of dust and falling debris will be significant challenges throughout the active wrecking phase. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)

Rooms to Rubble

Building 402, after being soft stripped, which involves removing all wood and carpet, stands primed for demolition, Aug. 9, 2007. Once used as visiting quarters, Building 402 will be replaced by a plot of grass once the rubble is removed. The 15-week project is part of the base General Plan to create a campus-like appearance near the Airmen dormitories. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)

Rooms to Rubble

The contractor in charge of the demolition project for Building 402 estimates 2,000 tons of rubble will need to be removed from the base, Aug. 13, 2007. The materials are first sorted into piles such as scrap metal and concrete. However, the unsorted mess will be crushed and recycled and finally sold for future building construction. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco)

Rooms to Rubble

Published Aug. 20, 2007
By Tech. Sgt. Tracy L. DeMarco
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

RAF MILDENHALL, England -- Building 402 used to house Airmen, but it's being pulled down brick by brick so a new housing development for ladybugs and ants in the form of green blades can take its place.

Demolition officially began June 11. The contractor reduced the building to ruins last week and will begin removing the remnants soon.

"We are estimating 2,000 tons of rubble," said Trevor Gooch, senior site manager for the project. "It may take as many as 100 lorry loads of 20 tons each to haul the building off base."

Before the JS 220 excavator could begin knocking in doors and trampling down floors, the building had to be gutted of items such as carpet and wood. That's called a soft strip. Next, two teams of asbestos removers harvested the lethal mineral. Then, once the structure was an empty shell, the smashing could commence.

Robert Saunders, site foreman, drove the dinosaur-looking excavator, which can exert 28,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. He sliced through metal roof beams in an instant and then next he gingerly lifted those pieces and placed them in a scrap metal pile.

"A good driver can pick up an egg with the claw and not break it," said Steve Perry, 100th Civil Engineer Squadron base civil engineering project manager.

With sounds of shattering glass and tumbling tiles, Mr. Saunders ripped through a third floor bathroom. As the building toppled he carefully sifted through the destruction sorting it into designated piles such as scrap metal and concrete. The unsorted massive mound of materials called 'spoil' will eventually be crushed, recycled, and sold as filler for future construction projects.

Building 402 became a target of obliteration because it violated an anti-terrorism force protection standoff requirement for billeting - it sat too close to a public road and parking area. The location also presented the contractor with specific challenges. They're using water mist to control dust and must remain constantly conscious of falling debris on the side of the building closest to the road. However, location wasn't the only consideration.

"Changes in base demographics, the need to invest wisely on our existing real property, and noncompliance with the General Plan, previously known as the 2020 Plan, all contributed to the decision making to demolish Building 402," said Mr. Perry.

The logistics of the project were perhaps the largest threats to smooth execution. For instance, telephone services, Internet capability, electricity, and heating systems all traveled either directly through Building 402 or adjacent to its obsolete framework. The contractors have made every effort to protect those resources, even going as far as re-wiring the lights around the 9/11 memorial and wrapping the commemorative plaque and hedges in protective mesh.

The decision to plant grass where Building 402 vacates, versus pouring a pool of pavement for parking, was decided in the General Plan. That plan - a civil engineering product overseen by the wing commander - is used to forecast RAF Mildenhall's long-term concepts and strategies. It's a living document with the ability to evolve and grow with the base. According to the plan, the aim of the Building 402 project is to create a dorm campus environment with more organic views.

The 15-week project, costing 190,000 pounds, is set to be complete by the end of September. It will leave a clear view of Building 400, the old bowling alley - a view that hasn't been seen since 1968. Building 400 is also scheduled for demolition sometime in the near future.