The World Demolition Award (Contracts over £1 million) winning project

Photo: Brandenburg

Stretching a mile and a half wide and more than a mile long, the original complex covered 15,767,708 sq ft and was crossed by 120 miles of conveyors.

Its on-site power plant alone, 225 ft by 350 ft, totaling 75,168 sq ft and rising up to eight stories, generated enough electricity to light a city the size of Detroit.

The facility also carries a tragic legacy: the February 1, 1999 explosion at the Rouge Power Plant remains one of the most severe industrial accidents in the region’s history.

In 2024, Brandenburg Industrial Service Company, working alongside Devon Industrial Group (DIG), Ford and Cleveland Cliffs, undertook the long-awaited abatement and demolition of the abandoned structure.

The project brought closure to a significant chapter of the Rouge Complex and required complex engineering, environmental cleanup and carefully sequenced demolition within one of the most operationally sensitive industrial sites in the United States.

Background and project initiation

The extended delay in decommissioning the plant stemmed from multiple factors: safety concerns stemming from the damaged superstructure, the massive scale of the demolition scope, co-mingled utilities that still fed active Ford and Cleveland Cliffs operations, and ownership changes over the years.

Brandenburg began analyzing demolition options as far back as 2008, revisiting the site repeatedly to update costs before ultimately being awarded the work in 2024.

The company was selected through a two-phase competitive bidding process, with technical and commercial submissions reviewed independently.

DIG, serving as the owner’s agent, provided construction management and safety oversight and played a central role in specification development and contractor evaluation.

Engineering survey and pre-demolition preparation

Before any demolition could begin, Brandenburg conducted a comprehensive engineering survey. A lead estimator, Environmental Manager, EH&S Manager and multiple operations personnel verified existing conditions, identified hazards, and determined appropriate demolition methodologies.

A pre-job walkthrough was held to map utilities and initiate the formal development of a Health and Safety Plan, demolition plan and required submittals.

The survey confirmed one of the site’s most significant challenges: the presence of extensive live utilities, both above and below grade, serving the active one-square-mile Rouge Complex.

Photo: Brandenburg

Many of these utilities passed directly beneath or adjacent to the abandoned powerhouse and were required to remain fully operational.

Alongside the engineering work, Brandenburg’s Hazwoper-trained crews conducted a facility-wide sweep to remove abandoned chemicals and universal waste including lamps, bulbs, ballasts, exit signs and mercury devices.

An extensive cleanup recovered more than 200,000 pounds of dirt, dust and grime from floors, walls and equipment. Areas impacted by PCBs, including the substation basement and a former air compressor garage, were delineated and addressed as PCB bulk product waste; more than 200 tons of PCB-impacted material were removed. Crews also drained low points of liquid piping systems, collecting over 1,000 gallons of residual oils.

Abatement and isolation

Asbestos abatement began with accessible ACM such as electrical wiring, pipe chase insulation and window components across multiple levels.

Initial containments were established around west units 1, 3, 5 and 7, followed by containments for units 2, 4 and 6. More than 150 tons of ACM were removed in less than three months.

Once cleanup progressed, DIG isolated the powerhouse from all active utilities and created physical air gaps in electrical services to safely allow demolition activities to begin.

Challenges and constraints

The most significant obstacle faced by the Brandenburg–DIG team was an active utility tunnel containing critical water and sewer services that passed directly through the center of the power plant footprint.

Rerouting was impossible due to the operational impact it would have on Ford and Cleveland Cliffs.

An engineered solution was developed to install extensive protective steel plating over the tunnel. This plating enabled heavy demolition equipment to operate above the live services without causing disruption or structural compromise.

Additional constraints included nearby pump houses, steam and gas lines, and western structures that were designated to remain, requiring selective demolition, manual separation and precise protective measures.

Equipment and approach

Demolition was carried out using a fleet anchored by two Liebherr 954 track excavators and a Liebherr 984-EW equipped with LaBounty shears, Genesis UP90 processors, Atlas Copco hydraulic breakers, and other attachments including Brandenburg’s fabricated brick pick and grapple.

A Komatsu WA430 loader and a 954 with grapple supported debris removal, and five skid-steers with shears, buckets and hammers provided additional versatility.

The demolition zone was sequenced from east to west. The 984-EW and 954 units first removed exterior tanks, ancillary equipment and low-elevation structures to establish working space.

When work progressed into the turbine hall, active steam and gas lines, a pump house along the northern perimeter and structures to the west required enhanced protections and selective dismantling.

A Grove GMK6300L 300-ton mobile crane assisted in the removal of components that could not be accessed safely with mechanical means.

Selective dismantling and arch salvage

Photo: Brandenburg

Inside the turbine hall, crews exposed eight historic steel arches on the third level of the powerhouse. Brandenburg’s specialist high burners surgically cut the arches for salvage, coordinating with crane operations to preserve each piece.

All eight were removed intact and will be displayed at the Henry Ford Museum.

Felling and mechanical demolition

Following separations from structures that were to remain, the turbine hall was cleared and prepared for felling. Engineered plans guided the sequence of structural cuts, and a strict quality control process ensured adherence to the approved methodology.

The high-bay turbine hall structures were pulled over using cables, after which demolition progressed to boilers 2, 4, 6 and 8 on the east side. These units were felled sequentially using a similar engineered approach.

Boilers 1, 3, 5 and 7 to the west, located close to protected structures, required mechanical dismantling by the 984-EW. With reach to the top elevations, the machine executed controlled deconstruction without impacting adjacent assets.

Material processing and site restoration

Demolition of the power plant generated approximately 20,000 tons of recyclable steel for Ford and Cleveland Cliffs. Nearly 40,000 tons of masonry and concrete, 1,200 tons of refractory material, and roughly 4,000 tons of construction debris were processed and removed. PCB-impacted waste totaled approximately 200 tons.

Clean material was imported to fill basements, pits and trenches, and final grading was completed using a Caterpillar 973C dozer.

Across the project, Brandenburg logged more than 71,000 work hours with zero safety incidents.

Outcome

The abatement and demolition of the historic Ford Rouge Power Plant were completed safely, on time and on budget within a 14-month period.

The project’s success reflects extensive planning, close collaboration among Brandenburg, DIG, Ford and Cleveland Cliffs, and rigorous execution across environmental, structural and operational disciplines.

The removal of the long-dormant structure and the recovery of historically significant elements, including the eight steel arches destined for the Henry Ford Museum, mark the end of a major chapter in the River Rouge Complex’s history.