BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The demolition site at North Bethlehem’s Walnut Street Garage has nine vibration monitors, including three in the Verizon building nearby, per its request.
Bethlehem Parking Authority Executive Director Steven Fernstrom said at the parking board’s Thursday meeting that the equipment is used to “ensure the safety and precaution of the district’s historic buildings.”
On Feb. 23, a “partial collapse” at the demolition site resulted in “cosmetic damage” to a condominium just across the street, when a support beam fell onto the building’s roof just after 8 a.m.
“Following last Friday’s incident, the vibration data for each of these monitors was reviewed by our third-party vibration experts. None of the vibration levels exceeded the assigned vibration limits for the respective monitoring locations.”Bethlehem Parking Authority Executive Director Steven Fernstrom
Officials with New Jersey-based Vollers Excavating and Construction, which was brought on to handle the demolition, have said the beam “failed to fall in a controlled fashion.”
The company’s website lists 1,778,973 hours “without a lost-time accident.”
“Following last Friday’s incident, the vibration data for each of these monitors was reviewed by our third-party vibration experts,” Fernstrom said.
“None of the vibration levels exceeded the assigned vibration limits for the respective monitoring locations.”
One unit along that sidewalk at Guetter Street appears to belong to Vibra-Tech, a firm with an office based in Hazleton, Luzerne County.
Fernstrom said the ability to assess real-time and historical vibration data is a “fortunate asset,” and BPA is committed to operating within those thresholds.
Demo to continue again soon
Following the collapse, demolition was delayed for about a week by officials' orders to assess the safety of the nearby residents and businesses, as well as review project procedures.
But the garage is set to continue coming down “shortly,” Fernstrom said.
He said about 40% of the structure has been taken down so far, with 80% of the brick veneer removed, officials said.
“In the next 30 days, we hope to have 80 percent of the superstructure demolished and 40 to 50 percent of the materials cleaned up and sorted,” Fernstrom said.
“In the next 30 days, we hope to have 80-percent of the superstructure demolished and 40- to 50-percent of the materials cleaned up and sorted."Bethlehem Parking Authority Executive Director Steven Fernstrom
About 20% of materials have been hauled from the site and taken to appropriate landfill and recycling facilities.
The nearly 50-year-old parking deck will be replaced by a taller structure with 243 fewer spaces, along with some sort of mixed-use development to the immediate west.
Continued partnerships
Fernstrom said a transformer in the existing garage will be relocated during the demolition with help from PP&L.
BPA collaboration continues with Verizon, which has a building just east of the garage site, involving a fiber optic duct bank underneath the garage.
That process between the two entities will involve continued feedback, cooperative strategies and having Verizon representation present at future demolition and construction meetings, the director said.
More historic homes and businesses sit to the south of the majority-still-standing portion of the garage along West Market Street.
