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 neighbor's remodel, new home construction, or community revitalization. Bulldozers, dumpsters, and labor have consistently been the waste management plan for builders and subcontractors alike until now.
Until recently, a residential development would be subjected to bulldozers disturbing the grounds. Heavy equipment like bulldozers contribute to the lack of erosion control. For disposal, the piled debris must be raked up and sorted through by laborers, a process that could take weeks. The debris is then transported to landfills. When containers are on-site, the waste created tends to be greater because it is out of sight and 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, including for:
• 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 being gypsum. Gypsum has been used as a soil amendment for over 200 years. It will actually add needed nutrients such as calcium and sulphur to the soil, but it does not raise the pH of the soil. Scrap brick and block becomes usable aggregate as well.
A house need not always be demolished. A third house on Harper Street was lifted off its foundation and moved to its new location on West 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 percent more expensive than traditional bulldozing and land-filling, but as a company, we 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 will develop in Chattanooga. Our goal is to help lower the cost of green building for everyone."
To learn more please see: http://www.packer2000.com/index.html
