Dorm Demolition: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

When the spring semester begins on Jan. 19, West Chester University students and faculty will return to a campus with a changed skyline. Exterior demolition on two of the older high-rise residence halls - Sanderson, built in 1970 and Ramsey, built in 1967 - began during the winter break. Both buildings are being dismantled by a crane using a device that compresses one floor at a time.

The careful demolition process used for these structures is taking a bit longer than a dramatic implosion would, but the result is less disturbance, explains Dee Giardina, Executive Director of Design & Construction. Despite delays due to the weather (snow and wind), the project is still relatively on schedule.

A large portion of the building material is being recycled, Giardina notes, including steel and copper pipe, concrete, carpet, masonry, wiring and plumbing fixtures. Last summer and fall, much of the contents of the buildings were removed and reused by other groups on campus. WCU Plant Operations, for example, will reuse the old dorms' major electrical equipment including switchgear and generators in Schmucker Science building, and will reuse as needed locks and cores, plumbing fixtures and piping, and miscellaneous building materials. The University's Environmental Health and Safety department received the fire alarm components for reuse in other buildings while the department of Public Safety received all the electronic security devices including cameras, card readers, and electronic door hardware for reuse in other buildings.

The University's Residence Life and Housing department received all moveable equipment, some lounge furniture and miscellaneous equipment and redistributed some of it throughout the existing residence halls. The alumni office also received some building souvenirs.

Other elements from Ramsey and Sanderson, including resident and lounge furniture, were recycled to Slippery Rock and Cheyney universities, Habitat for Humanity, and a community support group for Amish families. Components of the fire alarm, sprinkler and heating/ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems were reused here on campus and recycled to another PASSHE school.

By March, the Ramsey site will be graded and prepped for a summer groundbreaking of the new student recreation center. The construction fence will remain in place in preparation for construction. The Sanderson lot will be leveled and graded, awaiting future student housing.

The names Sanderson and Ramsey are being retired, and the nameplates and plaques that once hung on the buildings were given to relatives/families.
Each building cost approximately $1 million to raze.