Construction on the new J-Wing of Emory Hospital, which sits close to the North Decatur Building, moves into high gear with a deep excavation that requires occasional blasting. Some 20,000 truckloads of dirt and 65,000 tons of rock will be removed during the excavation for the parking deck, to a depth of 50 to 55 feet. The J-Wing is expected to be completed in 2016, with opening of the new building scheduled for the first quarter of 2017.
According to Kim Comstock (IT F&A), daily blasting will occur at 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The second time slot is only a backup, but should be planned on in case there is any issue with the first blast. Blasting will continue for approximately 3 months. Staff in NDB report they can feel the vibrations from the blast. There are sensors set up at various points around the construction site to track the degree of vibrations.
When completed, the new parking deck will feature five levels of parking, almost entirely underground.
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