Project Details:
General Contractor: Warner Constructors
Contact: Chris Applegate
Project Date: Start - August 2004
Completion Date - Week of January 17, 2005
Contract Value: $165,000
Contract Type: Fixed Price
Job Highlights:
Complete office renovations required both soft and hard demolition;
Concrete sawing and cutting of exterior tilt-up walls to accommodate
new entrance and windows and doors;
Simultaneous onsite operation with other trades;
Worked performed around live electric, plumbing, and fire sprinklers, requiring extreme sensitivity to safety issues;
Rain near end of project created additional pumping requirements;
Concrete canopy entryway removed adjacent street level;
Pedestrians walkway against the site.

Fast Forward Concrete Cutting, Inc. was selected as the demolition contractor by Warner Constructors because they are known to specialize in difficult and unusual projects. Also, since the Grips are an entertainment industry union, they require union contractors to be hired for their projects.

The Grips office building is a 3 story, more than 20,000 square feet structure, originally built more than 20 years ago. The Grips decided to completely renovate their offices, which meant the demolition contractor selectively gut out the interior leaving a few walls in the back half of the building.

The roof remained standing and Fast Forward stripped an exterior band from the roofline (penthouse) to the base framing system. A major part of the project was to cut openings for new windows and doors in the exterior tilt up walls as the plans called for moving the entrance from the front to the side facing the parking lot. There was a concrete canopy entryway on the front which was removed. Additionally, there were sections of concrete flooring on the first and second levels that were cut and removed. Asphalt sections were cut and debris hauled away.

Fast Forward's expertise was called into play on this job because they had to work around live electrical, plumbing and fire systems. Also, there were tight working conditions in the front since the building is located next to the sidewalk, where foot traffic was only blocked by a temporary walkway, resulting in difficulties getting equipment in and out of the area. Because heavy equipment couldn't be raised up, the second and third floors were demolished by hand. The foundation needed shoring up during the process, so Fast Forward needed to team up with the shoring contractor to complete the task.

Burbank experienced the most rainfall in nearly 100 years near the end of this project, which set Fast Forward back nearly a week. When they could return to work they found a moat had formed around the building which had to be pumped out before any of the laborers could enter the structure.

Safety was paramount on this project since electrical, plumbing and fire systems remained live during the life of the job. The superintendent conducted weekly safety meetings, and scoured the site for potential problems everyday. When he encountered a safety issue, he called it to the attention of the crew and then addressed the best way to handle the problem immediately.

Because Fast Forward Concrete Cutting Inc. is a company who believes in excellence in the performance of their work and clean and safe conditions on their jobsites, they have successfully completed the Grips Local 80 Office Building Renovation.