August 5, 2008 – The scheduled demolition for Frank George Apartments in Palatka, Florida has been postponed due to the discovery of asbestos within the building. Workers who were preparing the site were first to locate the toxic material.

The original plans for the building were challenging because of its size, but with the addition of asbestos materials, the entire project has become more hazardous, more complicated, and more expensive.

The building will still be demolished, but only once all asbestos-containing materials have been removed. Since asbestos was heavily used in construction materials during the twentieth century, many large buildings such as the Frank George Apartments are covered with the toxic substance.

Public and private buildings, as well as homes, were often constructed using asbestos-containing materials because of its durability, strength, and fire-resistant nature. Unfortunately, the inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause several forms of cancer, including mesothelioma.

For that reason, many buildings that contain asbestos materials end up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in containment or removal. All asbestos abatement projects are required to follow strict regulations in an effort to keep occupants, workers, and the community safe.

When dealing with demolition, every single piece of asbestos-containing material must be removed before the building can be demolished. Demolition can create large clouds of asbestos dust, meaning if even a small amount of asbestos remains, a potentially large number of asbestos fibers can be released into the environment. According to some experts, inhalation of very small amounts is enough to cause the development of asbestos-related diseases and make mesothelioma treatments complicated.

In the case of the Frank George Apartments, crews from asbestos containment firm CST Environmental are working to remove all the asbestos using controlled and safe methods.

Asbestos is present in the interior as well as the exterior of the building. Inside the building, the ceilings are covered with a sprayed plaster coating that contains asbestos. On the exterior, workers are thoroughly wetting asbestos-containing cement before removal to prevent small fibers from becoming airborne.

To ensure the work area remains safe, air samples are routinely taken and checked for asbestos fibers. Once the cleanup is complete, the company will oversee the demolition of the building.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 at 11:14 am and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.