Demolition crews are expected to begin razing Meyer Library at Stanford University in Stanford, California, on Feb. 4. The project is expected to take approximately 40 working days and to be completed by mid-April, according to a report on the university’s website.Using a 30-foot crusher parked at the site, crews will break up concrete chunks from the building into aggregate for recycling. The crushing is expected to take place behind construction fencing at the south end of the site.
The crushed concrete will remain on the site, and will be used as stabilized backfill when Stanford restores the site and creates landscaped open space, with walkways, benches and gentle slopes surrounded by trees, according to the university. The open space project is expected to be completed in late December.
“By making the decision to crush the concrete and keep the material for reuse on the site, Stanford was able to reduce the number of trucks to 300 from 2,400,” says Kharon Hathaway, a project manager in Stanford’s Department of Project Management, who was quoted in the report.
Construction crews will reportedly take steps to mitigate the dust created by the demolition, including wetting down and covering loads of debris before trucks leave the site.
All surrounding buildings will remain open during demolition, according to the report.