subject: What Is Involved in a Demolition Cleanup? [print this page] What Is Involved in a Demolition Cleanup?
Chris Darling represents A Track-Out Solution in Las Vegas, Nevada. Offering expertise in green building standards and state-of-the-art recycling programs, the company is committed to preserving the environment as well as providing innovative waste removal solutions for residents and business owners across Las Vegas.
Most of us associate a Las Vegas demolition with big crowds, spectacular explosions and impressive clouds of dust. Once the crowds have cleared out and the dust has settled, however, one of the most time-intensive parts of any demolition is waste removal. In my experience, a big part of supporting a demolition crew is providing the equipment and waste haul-out services necessary to clear the area quickly and efficiently.
Provide Necessary Equipment
A Track-Out Solution, which started as a street sweeping service, has handled large-scale waste removal and recycling services for residential, commercial, and industrial demolitions. Because prompt and efficient waste removal is a critical part of moving the clean-up process along, our company prides itself on responsiveness and timely pick-ups. We know the job superintendents are depending on us to stay on schedule, so we do everything we can to help facilitate a smooth clean-up.
In order to facilitate the clean-up process, we normally provide several of our largest dumpsters 40-yard bins that are primarily used for lightweight, bulky materials like insulation and HVAC ductwork. For very large-scale demolitions, we can also provide a 140-yard tractor trailer that can be filled on site. As waste containers are filled, they are hauled away and replaced with empty units.
Recycle the Waste Materials
The waste materials can be recycled or re-used once they are removed from the demolition site. Our company is committed to recycling as much as possible. We do our best to keep the demolition and construction waste we handle out of landfills. As waste bins are hauled away, they're taken to a MRF (pronounced "murf" a materials recovery facility), a special government-regulated facility at which waste materials can be sorted, prepared and then processed for re-use or sale.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) projects are handled with even more attention to environmental details. LEED is an internationally recognized "green" building certification program that provides builders and building operators with a framework for managing the environmental impacts of certain projects throughout the building's lifecycle. LEED guidelines encompass building construction, operations, retrofitting and demolition. For example, during a recent project at CityCenter, one of the largest LEED certified projects in the world, we were able to recycle approximately 100,000 tons of concrete waste.
When it's handled properly, concrete waste can be crushed and used for road base. Other waste materials from demolitions are recyclable or re-usable as well:
1. Metal waste can be recycled.
2. Most plastic waste is also recyclable. Plastic is usually compressed into large cubes, or bales, for efficient removal.
3. Cardboard waste can be recycled as well that's one of the easiest materials to recycle.
4. Wood waste, in most cases, can either be composted or taken to biomass plants. If it's composted, it can eventually be used for mulch. If it's taken to a biomass plant, it can be converted into an energy-producing material. At one plant near Moapa, Nevada, we've been combining wood chips with coal. These processes aren't simple, but we offer major environmental benefits.
In fact, recycling demolition waste is more than just environmentally responsible, it's also the most cost-effective approach to the cleanup process. Recycling buildingmaterials is less expensive for us than sending waste to the landfill. Because it helps keep our costs down, we're able to keep costs down for our customers.
