Dickson’s Creative Solutions Shine in Bellevue 600 Project

July 01, 2024

Project Summary

Bellevue 600 – Phase 2 is one of the most unique and noteworthy projects NDA member Dickson Company has ever worked on. In the process of abating and demolishing this 10-story, 133-foot-tall building, the company encountered different challenges on all four sides that required creative problem-solving and specialized equipment to address.

Located in downtown Bellevue, Washington, this 227,000-square-foot building, once home to the regional office of Honeywell, was set to be demolished to make way for a new office tower. The site had active uses tucked close in on all sides, most notably a crew working on the adjacent Bellevue 600 – Phase 1 project just 15 feet from the east wall, working 80 feet down preparing the foundation for a new neighboring building.

During the bid process, the general contractor and its client made it clear that any debris entering the excavation was unacceptable. Dickson Company took this seriously, and with a team of engineers and demolition professionals, the company decided against relying solely on high-reach machinery to do the demolition. Instead, it formed a plan to demolish the building in two parts, first by using robotic demolition machines and support equipment to demolish the sections of the building closest to the transit hub to the south and the excavation to the east. Once the most critical parts of the building were demolished, the rest of the building was taken down using a 155-foot high-reach excavator.

Upon completion, Dickson Company was able to deliver the client a clean site, on time and under budget, with no injuries and no uncontrolled debris ever leaving the job site or entering the excavation.

Sustainability

Once hazardous materials were abated, Dickson Company used small equipment and demolition attachments to size, reduce and separate out all possible recyclable materials. One of the additional efforts made on this project was to extract all acoustical ceiling panels prior to any demolition activities so they could be recycled rather than go into the landfill waste stream. Ninety-three percent of debris was recycled/reused.

Special Project Considerations

This project presented a unique challenge for Dickson Company. The nearby excavation was an active worksite with construction personnel working continually for the duration of the project. Dickson Company brought together a team of demolition professionals and engineers to come up with a plan that would enable it to meet the schedule and keep them safe. When the company concluded that using a traditional high reach approach for this demolition wasn’t feasible, it pivoted to a hybrid approach that would allow it to demolish approximately one-third of the building that was closest to the excavation using remote control demolition equipment and small support equipment floor by floor. Only then did the company deploy high-reach equipment to demolish the less sensitive portions of the building.

Challenges in Every Direction

• Occupied Office Building to the North
• Active Roadway 50 feet to the West
• Transit Hub and Bus Terminal 40 feet to the South
• Active Excavation 15 feet from the East Wall

Dickson Company was a 2024 Excellence in Demolition Category 2 Finalist for this project.