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Sept. 22, 2004

Olin Hall Implosion Facts

The following is a compilation of information about the demolition of 网曝门's Olin Hall this Saturday

At 10 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 25, Olin Hall, the eleven-story dorm on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, will be reduced to rubble. 网曝门, Anderson Excavation and Controlled Demolition, Inc. (CDI - Implosion Subcontractor) of Phoenix, Maryland are working together on the demolition.

网曝门, Anderson Excavation and CDI would like the community to be aware of these facts:

1. Early Saturday morning, the University Police Department (UPD) will set up a safety zone of 1000 ft. around Olin Hall. This is a precautionary measure to protect pedestrians and automobiles. Pedestrian traffic and automobile traffic will be rerouted approximately one hour prior to the demolition and for approximately 30 minutes or more following the implosion.

This is to prevent people from getting too close. We need your cooperation with the police to make sure that this is a safe job. For those persons inside the Safety Zone, we ask that you cooperate with the UPD and contractors. Everything they say to you or ask of you is to minimize inconvenience or to promote safety. No unauthorized personnel are to be within the safety zone 30 minutes prior to the implosion. If someone is spotted, the implosion will be held back.

All roads into campus will be closed at 9 a.m. 网曝门 Police are asking that all people wanting to watch the implosion come on campus before 9 a.m.

Spectators:
Spectators can watch the implosion (free of charge) from these angles:
1. Student and Faculty area- visitor side of Malone Stadium (home side of Malone Stadium is open to Indian Athletic Foundation Members only)
2. North-east area of Fant-Ewing Coliseum, in Masur parking lot.
3. The auxiliary parking lot north of Malone Stadium.
In addition to these sites, a gala champagne brunch will be held on the 7th floor of the 网曝门 library. At this event, Anne Raines, former Monroe City Council Member and Eric Hogan, President of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, will push the plunger to blow up Olin. They won the live auction with a bid of $8,000 at Envision 网曝门 2004. Guests will be admitted with prior reservations only (event is sold out).

Bayou DeSaird will be closed and the area will be patrolled by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Agents.

Media Vantage Points (Be in your area by 8:30-45 a.m. Sat. morning).
1. On Bon Aire Drive- in a designated area north of the coliseum.
2. The 7th Floor of the Library.

View the online map of implosion: http://www.ulm.edu/demolition/roadblocks.html.

2. Dust is an unpreventable byproduct of all types of demolition. With a wrecking ball, the building is slowly broken up releasing dust over several months. With implosion, the same overall quantity of dust is released over several seconds, and may linger in the general area for 4 to 6 minutes. Depending on wind speed and direction on the day of the implosion, the dust may or may not reach your properties. As a precautionary measure, we recommend that all windows, doors and air intakes are closed, and cover any other openings that might allow dust to enter your apartment, house or building. It is also recommend that you turn off all exhaust fans before 10 a.m. on Saturday as these might draw air into your building through cracks in walls and windows. The dust associated with the implosion does not contain any asbestos. Prior to the implosion Olin Hall went through asbestos abatement.


3. There will be heavy dust in the block immediately surrounding the demolition site. Dust may also prevail outside and downwind of the safety zone, depending on weather conditions. If you find dust uncomfortable or irritating, or if you have any respiratory conditions that would be aggravated by dust, please stay indoors during the demolition.

Olin Hall Bricks will be available to take home after the implosion. Once the area around Olin has been cleared, people will be able to go to a designated area by Olin to pick up a brick.

Any questions from the public should be directed to Sue Edmunds, Assistant Vice President for External Affairs. She can be reached at 342-3622.

An implosion is a process where a small amount of strategically placed explosives are used to fell a structure. Explosives will be placed in structural supporting columns on four levels of Olin Hall. When the explosives are detonated they will sequentially eliminate the structural supports, allowing gravity to pull the structure to the ground.

Approximately 200 lbs of nitroglycerine sensitized dynamite will be used. Explosives will be placed at 537 locations throughout the building. The entire process will take approximately 10 seconds.

Olin, now thirty-six years old, will be imploded to make way for updated student housing. The new apartment-style residence halls will have high-speed internet access and free cable access. The project, which will be built and managed by JPI, Inc., is expected to be complete by the fall of 2005.

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