NASHVILLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Layton Construction demolished one of the tallest buildings on the campus of Vanderbilt University, Carmichael West Tower 3 residence hall, today. The removal of Carmichael Tower 3 makes way for the second of three new collegiate residences in the West End Neighborhood of Vanderbilt.
The controlled implosion of the 14-story Tower was approximately an 11-second process overseen by Layton Construction, LLC, acting Construction Manager of Vanderbilt’s West End Neighborhood and Residential Colleges, and Controlled Demolition, Inc. (CDI), a national leader in large-structure controlled demolition. The implosion was triggered by a series of dynamite explosives placed into the structural elements of the building, creating the strategic “fall” of the tower.
Photos and a video of today’s implosion can be found at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/98pm0rwicqa5g55/AACfU40l5zBDt5GhBpay17J6a?dl=0
“The execution of today’s implosion was successful due to a great partnership with Vanderbilt University and CDI,” said Senior Vice President of Tennessee Operations Randy Patterson. “Our greatest challenge today was ensuring the implosion stayed confined to the a very tight site, as this building was on the corner of Vanderbilt University’s residence hall area, close to other halls, the Greek housing, as well as West End Avenue, a major thoroughfare connecting the Vanderbilt area to downtown Nashville. Safety will always be our greatest priority.”
Patterson says the key to success was teamwork in building preparation. “There was an immense amount of work and coordination performed by multiple parties to ensure that this critical implosion date was met on schedule.”
Located on West End Avenue between 24th and 25th avenues, Carmichael Towers 3 and 4 have been home to tens of thousands of students since their opening in 1970. Named in memory of the university’s third Chancellor, Oliver Cromwell Carmichael, the residence halls served undergraduate students.
Prior to the July 27 implosion, Carmichael Tower 4 served as the site for a unique training exercise for more than 800 Nashville firefighters. The Carmichael Towers 1&2 on West End Avenue will remain open to residents through the 2019-20 academic year.
About Layton Construction
Layton Construction Company is consistently ranked among the top commercial contractors in the nation, currently the 44th largest builder on ENR’s Top 400 Commercial Contractors list, with revenues of $1.8 billion annually. Layton specializes in construction management, design-build construction and general contracting. Layton’s construction projects are found throughout the United States, and cover a wide spectrum of industry sectors, including healthcare, hospitality, education, office buildings, manufacturing, warehouse and distribution, sports and entertainment and public safety. Headquartered in Utah, Layton also has regional offices in California, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Denver and Tennessee. For more information, visit www.laytonconstruction.com.
