Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Robert Jordan | With the push of a button and the help of two years of statewide planning, N.C....... read more read more
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With the push of a button and the help of two years of statewide planning, N.C. Connect Bond funding and some expertly planted demolition charges by Pettigrew Incorporated North Carolina Army National Guard Col. Rodney Newton, North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) Construction Facilities Management Officer brought down the 16-story former Western Youth Institution facility in Morganton, North Carolina, July 11, 2020.
The site will be cleared for the construction of a new NCNG Regional Readiness Center by Hickory Construction and sub contractor D.H. Griffin Companies.
“I grew up a combat engineer but in the Guard we never brought down anything this big,” Newton said.
Several dozen safety, contracting and construction experts both commercial and North Carolina State Government personnel, gathered to watch the demolition clearing the way, literally, for the new 38 acre NCNG training facility.
Local first responders checked and double checked the former Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice campus for any possible safety risks. The was a constant crackle of radios as each gave the all clear ensuring no one was in the demolitions area. Newton and the demolition contractor president, Steve Pettigrew Jr., went over details for Newton to trigger the contractor's charges at the right time.
Sirens blared warning everyone that own one minute the high rise building would be reduced to rubble and scrap by controlled implosion.
After a 10-second countdown Newton pressed the control panel and a series of small explosions echo through the hills. Seconds later there was a puff of smoke and debris as the floors gateway and the tons of steel and concrete slowly crumble into the facility's parking lot shrouded in an enormous cloud of dust.
Once the debris is cleared, with nearly 90 percent being reused on site or recycled, construction of center can begin. Approximately 450 Soldiers from four units assigned to various NCNG brigades will train on site using the most up to date digital technology. It will also house a multitude of military vehicles.
“Bringing units together from different brigades improves efficiency and makes state active duty deployments easier,” Newton said.
The center is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
| Date Taken: | 07.11.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2020 10:36 |
| Story ID: | 373758 |
| Location: | MORGANTON, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 307 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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