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Lindamood Recognized by the National Demolition Association for Excellence in Demolition at Frank Erwin Center
- Feb 10
- 2 min read
Lindamood is proud to have been awarded the Excellence in Demolition Award in the Projects Over $5 Million category by the National Demolition Association for the demolition of the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
The recognition was presented during the NDA’s 2026 Annual Convention & Expo in Phoenix and honors projects that demonstrate exceptional planning, innovation, safety, and execution. For Lindamood, this award reflects not just what was demolished, but how it was done.
A Complex Urban Demolition, By Design
The Frank Erwin Center was a 500,000-square-foot, six-story arena that had served the University of Texas and the Austin community for more than four decades. Its location made demolition uniquely challenging. The structure sat in the heart of an active campus, bordered by hospitals, major highways, and critical infrastructure, leaving zero margin for error.
From the outset, implosion was ruled out.
Instead, the project demanded a controlled, methodical approach that prioritized safety, precision, and protection of surrounding facilities. Lindamood developed a reverse-sequenced, top-down deconstruction strategy, dismantling the structure in the opposite order of how it was built to maintain control over every phase of the takedown.
Engineering-Driven Execution
The demolition unfolded through a series of carefully coordinated phases, including interior soft demolition, hazardous material abatement, and structural dismantling, many of which were performed simultaneously to maintain schedule efficiency.
A defining milestone of the project was the execution of one of the largest open-span mechanical trips on record, safely dropping critical structural members in a controlled, engineered manner. This operation demonstrated Lindamood’s ability to combine field execution with deep structural understanding, all without introducing vibration, debris risk, or disruption to adjacent operations.
Throughout the project, real-time monitoring, enhanced safety oversight, and continuous coordination were maintained. The result was a highly visible urban demolition completed with zero safety incidents and no disruption to nearby medical or university facilities.
Sustainability at Scale
Beyond technical execution, the project set a high bar for environmental performance.
Out of nearly 70,000 tons of material removed, more than 85% was diverted from landfill, including large volumes of concrete crushed for reuse and steel processed for recycling. The effectiveness of the recycling program was so significant that it was used as a live case study by researchers at the University of Texas, contributing to future sustainable demolition and material reuse initiatives.
Built on Trust and Collaboration
Lindamood was proud to partner with SpawGlass and the University of Texas System on a project where coordination, transparency, and trust were essential. The success of the Frank Erwin Center demolition was driven by the skill and discipline of Lindamood’s field crews and project leadership, supported by strong collaboration across all stakeholders.
What Success Looks Like
For Lindamood, success is not measured by spectacle. It’s measured by outcomes.
The Frank Erwin Center demolition was delivered:
Without implosion
Without incidents
Without disruption
And with lasting value for the community
Receiving the NDA Excellence in Demolition Award affirms what this project represented from the start: engineering-driven demolition, executed with precision, safety, and intent.
