Tramac's Role at Major Airport Redevelopment
from our March, 2000 Issue

If we were to give an award for the largest number of Tramac attachments working at a single job site, Breeze Demolition, Brooklyn, NY, would be our winner hands down. Breeze is a major subcontractor in the $1 billion-plus modernization of JFK Airport's International Arrivals Building (Terminal 4)… part of a $9 billion airport redevelopment program. This, by the way, is the nation's largest such redevelopment program and includes new and renovated terminals, a new roadway system, upgraded utilities, a new Air Traffic Control Tower, three new parking garages and a light rail transit system.

Breeze was at JFK last summer, taking down the landmark Parabola Building. The Terminal 4 demolition began just weeks ago and is expected to last approximately five months.

Tramacs Wherever You Look…
Toby Romano, President of Breeze, has been a Tramac loyalist for years. He says that in addition to quality of the products, "the service has been excellent." The good service he's talking about comes from Ray Alessi of R. Alessi Equipment Co., New Rochelle, NY, "who's quick to get to us when there is a problem."

For the terminal demolition, Breeze has brought in two PFH shears (the 1200 and a 1000), an MP70 Grapple, and five hammers (a V55, a V32, a 900, and two BRP 95s). A crew of between 25 and 30 is on site each day. The building is three stories high. Breeze is demolishing the East and West "knuckles"—23,000 sq. ft. and 40,000 sq. ft. respectively—shearing heavy steel beams (a perfect job for the PFH1200) and breaking up the thick slab floor and footings.

Terminal in Operation During Demolition
According to Breeze, the biggest challenge comes not from the nature of the material being processed, but from working right next to a busy terminal. The sections being demolished have to be "dissected" from the remaining building and insulated walls erected. Many special precautions must be taken to protect the existing sprinkler, water and heating lines located in a crawl space above the top floor.

With a high volume of air and people traffic continuing around the demolition sites every working day, Breeze is counting on the efficiency and dependability of its Tramac arsenal to keep the job progressing safely, smoothly, and on schedule.