A large bulldozer fell into a pit dug March 3 during the demolition of a county government office complex in Washington, Pa., southwest of Pittsburgh, but the operator appears to have been uninjured, according to published reports.
Detroit-based demolition contractor Adamo Group had begun work on the project the day before with a $1.55 million county contract awarded last year, which includes demolishing a six-story 1970s office building and an adjacent underground parking garage. The operator of the excavator was not identified.
A video taken from a nearby building posted on a local news site shows the partially obscured excavator working around the garage entrance and then adjusting its position just before disappearing from view. Photos and video after the incident show the excavator partially lying on its side in the pit.
A county spokesman says the incident is under investigation and officials have requested a public safety incident report from Adamo, including the operator’s name, employer and an update on his condition. In the coming days a crane will be brought to the site to remove the excavator.
Media questions about the incident were referred to Adamo, who has not responded to ENR’s request for comment.
The building is being demolished to make way for a new county public complex. In a social media video released last week, County Commissioners Chairman Nick Sherman detailed some of the existing building’s structural deficiencies, including standing water, aging exterior membrane and deteriorating support beams.
He added that the cramped space for many county agencies “was deemed unsafe by the structural engineers who came in and said the building was not structurally sound.”
In preparation for demolition, the county last summer awarded a $1.44 million contract to JG Contracting Co., Carnegie, Pa., to stabilize a wall between the old office building and the historic county courthouse. After a 10- to 12-week demolition phase, the site was to be prepared to begin construction on the new three-story, 70,000-square-foot public safety building.
Estimated to cost up to $35 million, the new facility will contain 911 emergency dispatch facilities, a booking center and offices for the county sheriff.
