Think back to how often you have seen building sites covered in large equipment, large waste containers, and a host of laborers sorting through demolished material. We have become accustomed to passing by demolition or renovation sites without a second glance, never questioning the project waste management of our neighbors remodel, new home construction or community revitalization. Bulldozers, dumpsters, and labor have consistently been the waste management plan for builders and sub-contractors alike until now.
Until recently a residential development would be subjected to bulldozers disturbing the grounds. Heavy equipment like a bulldozer contributes to the lack of erosion control. For disposal, the piled debris must be raked up and sorted through by laborers, which could take weeks, then transported to landfills. When containers are on site the waste created tends to be greater because it is out of sight out of mind. The community isn’t seeing the product that is being created but the huge amount of waste that has been generated.
The alternative is the Packer 750 Grinder. Grinding and on-site reuse of wood, drywall, and inert materials such as roofing shingles, block, and brick is proving the way to go. The Packer 750 is a key part of a waste management plan along with techniques to reduce the amount of material being generated and techniques to reuse material on site.
Collier Construction will be utilizing the Packer 750 grinder provided by Shrop Construction to reuse and recycle materials from two demolished homes on Harper Street. The wood waste ground into mulch can be used in variety of ways on the construction site: erosion control for disturbed areas, mulch berms to aid silt fencing in erosion control, protecting tree root zones, road and walkway stabilization for crews and landscaping. Existing plaster and sheet rock will be recycled, the main component is gypsum. A Gypsum has been used as a soil amendment for over 200 years. It will actually add needed nutrients to the soil such as calcium and sulphur, yet does not raise the PH of the soil. Scrap brick and block becomes usable aggregate that can be used as well.
It is not always the case that a house be demolished. A third house on Harper Street was lifted off its foundation and moved to its new location on W. Bell Avenue in early 2007. The one moved home and the two demolition homes provide a new and exciting construction project for this area. It is this joint effort of philosophy and building that brings Collier Construction, Metier Company who is developing new homes, and Architect Taylor Bowers who has designed new courtyard homes together for the purpose of revitalization to this neighborhood.
Ethan is honest about this new approach saying, "This process is around 20% more expensive than traditional bull dozing and land-filling, but we, as a company, feel a responsibility to keep construction waste to a minimum, believing that the extra cost is worth the benefit to our shared environment.
This effort is not only about this one project," says Collier, "it's about building in better ways in Chattanooga. The more often our demolition meets a standard of reuse and recycle for new construction, the more that heavy recycling opportunities in Chattanooga will develop. Our goal is to help lower the cost of green building for everyone."
To learn more please see: http://www.packer2000.com/index.html
