Deconstruction Management Blog

From Builder Magazine, January, 2012

Waste Management Reducing C&D waste can also lower your construction costs

Residential construction and demolition (C&D) waste comes to nearly 60 million tons annually in the U.S., more than 10 percent of the total domestic waste stream. Upstream, about 40 percent of the raw materials consumed in the U.S. are used in construction. One result: Increased tipping fees at a landfi ll near you.

Builders looking to save some money— and perhaps even generate some revenue— have committed to waste management practices that address how much material comes on the jobsite (and in what form), how it is used, and what’s done with the scrap.

And it’s not just for those going for green building certification, where a baseline waste management plan is required and a little extra eff ort can earn additional points.“Even if a waste management plan isn’t prescribed, it’s still easy to implement and delivers tangible benefi ts,” says John Peavey of the NAHB Research Center in Upper Marlboro, Md. — rich binsacca

1. Reduce
The best way to manage C&D waste is not to create it. To that end, it’s critical to know what materials make up the bulk of the waste. By weight and volume, wood and drywall alone account for more than 60 percent of all jobsite waste. Practices and products, including advanced framing and engineered components and detailed framing and panel layouts on 2-foot modules, can reduce miscuts and unnecessary scrap

2. Source-Separate
In sophisticated C&D recycling markets, builders who separate recyclable materials rather than commingling make it easier and less expensive for recycling centers to process the waste. The key is to match the size and number of containers to the waste being collected, and to each phase of work, to make it simple for crews and subs to support.Putting multiple and mobile containers where the waste is being generated also is efficient

3. On-Site Recycling
In more remote recycling markets, consider C&D processing on site. Small-scale grinders for wood, drywall, and cardboard (the thirdlargest waste contributor) are a larger investment in a jobsite recycling effort, but might well pay for themselves by eliminating hauling and dump fees. A wood chipper can also create landscape mulch—and perhaps create a side business serving other builders to further offset the investment.

4. Salvage

The lingering recession is boosting teardowns, but there’s gold in them thar homes—if you spend the time to “deconstruct” them for salvage or recyclable material. Experts in the field recycle up to 80 percent of an older home’s wares, from brick to windows to plumbing fixtures—and may earn a tax credit and/or a few extra bucks for their efforts while all but eliminating dumpster rentals and tipping fees.

Source: http://mydigimag.rrd.com/display_article.php?id=939402

Courtesy of Dick Russ, WKYC-TV

Veterans memorial saved at local church by deconstruction

CLEVELAND — A plaque honoring veterans from a church being demolished will be saved and given a new home.

The six-foot-tall memorial will be carefully removed from what remains of Saint Catherine’s Church on East 93rd Street.

It was first noticed last Friday as demolition of the old structure was underway.

The church was closed at the end of 2007 and was recently sold to a charter school, which opened next door. All the sacred obejcts had been removed from the church over the years.

Over the weekend, a second matching plaque, which had been damaged, was found in the remains of church wall which had been taken down.

“These were not sacred objects, so they were not taken with things like the altar, statues, and so on,” said Robert Tayek, spokesman for the Diocese of Cleveland.

It was not known who had originally installed the memorial plaques, or when. Each contained about 250 names.

“We’re going to take the plaques down and we’re going to donate them to the Catholic Cemeteries Association so that they can go ahead and put them into a memorial they already have there,” said Pharon West, of Imagine Schools.

A veterans section of Calvary Cemetery contains war memorials retrieved from other Catholic churches which had been closed over the years, including St. Margaret of Hungary, and St. Hyacinth.

Catholic Cemeteries Association Director Andrej Lah told WKYC efforts would be made to properly and respectfully house and display the veterans memorials from St. Catherine’s at Calvary Cemetery.

The church’s cornerstone was also removed Monday and, in a hollowed out area under the stone, a copper box was discovered. The “time capsule” had been placed inside the cornerstone in October, 1915, as construction on the church began.

“Inside the cornerstone we found a copper box, and inside the box was a whole story of Cleveland from almost a hundred years ago,” said Joe Rettman, president of Deconstruction Management, Inc., which is supervising the deconstruction of St. Catherine’s.

The box contained newspapers from 1915, coins, religious artifacts, photos, and other objects people had placed into the time capsule.

“We were so excited,” Rettman said. ”This is the first time this box had been opened since October 24, 1915. We did not know we would find so much real history from Cleveland. And because it was copper, everything survived in excellent condition.”

The contents of the time capsule will be turned over to Holy Spirit Church in Garfield Heights.

That church, which was formerly known as St. Timothy’s, was merged with St. Catherine’s and St. Henry’s several years ago. The new church was called Holy Spirit.

WKYC-TV

reposted from http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/02/ohio-homebuilders-fight-tougher-code.html?sid=101

Homes built this year in Michigan and Pennsylvania will be more energy-efficient – and more costly – than those built in Ohio, as those states enact building codes that have remained in committees for almost two years in Ohio.

Ohio homebuilders have opposed the codes, which are based on the International Code Council models, on the grounds that they would add significantly to the price of a new home at exactly the wrong time. Several new construction codes are on the table, including a new residential code, but the biggest lightning rod has been the council’s proposed energy-conservation code.

“We think the code is very short-sighted,” said Vincent Squillace, executive vice president of the Ohio Home Builders Association. “Why, in the middle of a three- or four-year depression, would you cause a financial impact on the homebuying public?”

According to an analysis done for the association, the energy code’s recommendations could add up to $2,500 to the cost of a central Ohio home and take more than 20 years to pay off in utility savings.

Proponents of the energy code, which is backed by a large coalition of consumer, environmental, conservation and civic groups including the League of Women Voters and the NAACP, dispute those figures.

According to a study done on behalf of the code’s advocates, the changes could add about $800 to the cost of a typical new home and save a homeowner more than $200 a year in utility costs, leaving a four-year payback.

“We’re requiring our utilities to use 21st-century technology, and our manufacturers and car makers,” said Jennifer Miller, the conservation coordinator with the Ohio chapter of the Sierra Club, which has been active in organizing support for the proposed code. “It’s really time we bring our homes up to the same standards, too.”

Besides Michigan and Pennsylvania, the council codes have been adopted by Illinois and Iowa and are under consideration in Kentucky and Indiana.

“All around us, states are updating their codes to protect consumers and to protect the environment, and Ohio has just paused,” Miller said.

The codes have been under discussion since early 2009, when the International Code Council, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, drafted model codes for states to consider.

One of the proposed residential code’s most controversial provisions would have required sprinkler systems in new homes to protect against fire. That provision is almost certain to be scratched from any final Ohio code, as it has been in other states, say those involved in the process.

The most contentious remaining recommendations are found in the energy code. Among them: raising the R-value insulation requirement for exterior walls from R-13 to R-20 and basement walls from R-5 to R-10. (A different set of recommendations would apply to southern Ohio counties because of their different climate.)

The code also recommends that at least half the light bulbs in new homes be high-efficiency such as compact fluorescent bulbs; that homes meet an air-tightness standard that could include a blower-door test; and that air ducts be sealed if they are in nonheated spaces such as attics or crawl spaces.

One of builders’ biggest fears is that increasing exterior wall insulation would force them to construct 2-by-6 walls instead of the more common 2-by-4 walls.

That fear is unwarranted, said Isaac Elnecave, a senior policy manager with the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance who has testified on behalf of the energy code. Elnecave said builders can avoid putting in thicker walls if they cover the outside of the building with a layer of foam insulation.

In addition, code review committees are exploring different approaches to greater efficiency that might eliminate a minimum R-value, said Regina Hanshaw, the executive secretary of Ohio’s Board of Building Standards, which is responsible for the state’s building codes.

“The energy subcommittee is looking at adopting the (energy provisions) as a whole but is also looking at stakeholders to see if they can develop an alternative path that might be as energy-efficient,” Hanshaw said.

Much of the two-year debate has focused on details of that alternative path. After much jockeying, the Board of Building Standards came close to approving a set of codes in November 2009 but shelved it with instructions from Gov. Ted Strickland’s office to review the codes’ “potential impact on the state’s struggling economy,” according to a board memo.

Hanshaw said she expects a code to be adopted in 2011. The state must adopt more-energy-efficient building codes sometime in the next eight years to live up to its end of a bargain with the federal government that allowed the state to begin receiving $96 million in energy-related federal stimulus funds.

Squillace said the homebuilders’ association will continue to oppose new codes, setting the stage for a lobbying battle in the new year.

“There is no reason to change the code,” he said. “If you keep everything in place, you’ll be able to keep some housing affordability.”

Proponents of the changes say that although they understand the builders’ concerns, they will likewise push to adopt the tougher codes.

“There’s a lot of good reasons to do this, both environmental and economic,” Elnecave said. “If you have energy-efficient building codes, homeowners make out well because they’re saving energy and money.”

jweiker@dispatch.com

Building deconstruction, or “construction in reverse,” is the most effective way to preserve the embodied energy of the materials that comprise the built environment. Deconstruction is defined as the comprehensive dismantlement of building components, specifically for reuse, resale, recycling and waste management. Compared to traditional demolition in which a structure is torn down as quickly as possible and waste is deposited into commercial landfills, careful consideration is given to deconstruction and waste redirection throughout the entire process. Deconstruction focuses on giving salvageable materials a new life once the building as a whole can no longer continue and addresses the appropriate disposal of waste.

However, the biggest drawback to deconstruction is the extra time and labor required by the process, thereby adding to its upfront premium. To offset this disadvantage compared to traditional demolition, most deconstruction firms are non-profits, thus providing a tax deduction to the property owner for the appraised value of any materials salvaged for reuse. Deconstruction Management , Inc. (DMI) is a for-profit entity that provides on-site management of deconstruction contractors and facilitates the reuse, resale and redirection of salvageable materials. In a recent project, we successfully returned 70% of the proceeds received on the sale of reclaimed materials back to the property owner (a non-profit with no incentive to receive a tax deduction for donations).

One of the industry’s primary goals is to identify potential consumers of reclaimed building materials that are prepared to pay cash to give a building component a new home. One such solution to date is the Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore project where local Habitat for Humanity affiliates own and operate a retail store that sells building materials reclaimed from deconstruction projects or donated by contractors. These stores have been a valuable component of the independent affiliates to offset their reduced operating cash flows due to the recent economic downturn. There are many other local outlets for the resale of reclaimed building materials, most of which are non-profit organizations that not only sell, but will accept donated materials in good working condition in exchange for a tax deduction.

Deconstruction Management, Inc. is working to simultaneously expand deconstruction opportunities as well as establish a secondary use marketplace where prospective buyers can connect with sellers of reclaimed building materials. In her 2009 report, Dr. Rachel Weber concludes a study on the demand for a large scale C&D material reuse store in the greater Chicago are with the following statement:

“A growing ecological awareness is influencing consumption patterns… buying used has the potential to save not only consumers money but also building owners and developers who will likely have to pay higher fees for dumping debris in landfill in the near future. This is why building material reuse stores across the country are reporting increased sales despite the current recession. Moreover, on the labor market side, deconstruction is becoming an oft-mentioned “green job” that has the potential to replace some of the manufacturing jobs that have been lost, while offering a path to additional opportunities in the construction industry and the skilled trades.”

Established in 2009, Deconstruction Management, Inc. (“DMI”) is the first dedicated, for-profit “deconstruction” management firm in the country. Founded on the principles of the triple bottom line of social equity, environmental stewardship and economic prosperity, DMI provides a full, turnkey operation for building removal, remediation, renovation and material reclamation.

Through a strategic partnership with a web-based auction house and warehousing facility, DMI has successfully returned a portion of the proceeds on the sale of reclaimed material back to property owners.

Utilizing advanced communication and information technologies, DMI is able to coordinate, consolidate and present all of the pertinent documentation for each entity involved in a building’s deconstruction in a timely, transparent, secure and paperless system.

By working together with DMI in the establishment of a viable marketplace for reclaimed building materials, the City of Cleveland will become the leader in the expanding global material reuse industry while supporting the Mayor’s vision of Sustainable Cleveland 2019, providing an economic engine to power a green city on a blue lake.

(reposted from Cleveland Plain Dealer article, 7/10/10 by Kaye Spector)

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The four-story, 44,000-square-foot retreat house on the former St. Joseph Christian Life Center property soon will be no more. But parts of it will live on.

"Deconstruction" of the building, now owned by its neighbor Hospice of the Western Reserve, begins today. Building materials from the 1927 structure will be reused, resold or recycled.

Some of the reused materials will stay right on the 12-acre property, which the hospice purchased last year from the Cleveland Catholic Diocese.

More than 10,000 cubic feet of brick will be salvaged, with some of it to be crushed for use as a base for path pavers or use in the hospice gardens along the lake, said David Simpson, the hospice’s chief executive.

Other bricks will be saved for fundraising — sold to people who share a history with the property, he said.

"I’d like to make a connection to some of those people," Simpson said. "A lot of those people are sad to see the building go down. They wouldn’t if they knew the condition of the buildings."

Marble bathroom dividers, vanity mirrors, wrought-iron doors and rails, lighting fixtures and wood casings all will get a second life through the deconstruction.

The nonprofit agency decided to tear down the building after a study showed it would cost $11 million to renovate it.

The building had structural problems, a leaking roof, extensive water damage, black mold, asbestos, an antiquated electrical system and internal and external vandalism. It had been unoccupied since 2007, when the diocese closed the retreat.

Hospice officials met several times with neighbors to talk about the property’s future.

"The building was in deep trouble," Ward 11 Councilman Mike Polensek said. "We came to the conclusion that there was no other choice."

After the building is demolished, the site will become a green space that community members, patients from the neighboring Hospice House and their families can use for reflection and healing, Simpson said.

The hospice plans to expand its memorial Vista Walk and gardens to connect the two properties.

A carriage house and former priest house will remain; no plans have been made for these buildings.

Historical markers are planned to recognize the history of the property, which was used as a sanitarium, hospital, Catholic Youth Organization headquarters and orphanage before becoming the St. Joseph Christian Life Center.

Those who want to share their stories and photos about the site can do so on the hospice’s website, hospicewr.org/clc.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: kspector@plaind.com, 216-999-3904

Common practice in preparing a site for redevelopment usually entails demolition of any on-site buildings or structures to clear the way for reuse of the land. If plans don’t include restoration or rehabilitation of onsite structures, then deconstruction should be considered as the next step to address on-site structures before demolition.

Deconstruction can be an economically viable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional demolition.

The benefits of deconstruction include cost savings, job creation and environmental preservation.

Deconstruction may save as much as 30-50% when compared to traditional demolition costs. Labor costs for deconstruction are typically higher than for demolition. However, landfill disposal fees are lower because there is less tonnage that ends up in the landfill. Combined cost savings exist with avoided disposal costs and recovered material value. Because deconstruction is labor intensive, it can lead to the creation of jobs for the currently displaced workforce.

Deconstruction helps preserve natural resources by offsetting the need for virgin raw materials through the adaptive reuse of existing building materials.

Usually 70-80% of waste can be diverted from the landfill with a deconstruction project. Salvaged materials can be reused, sold for recycling/remanufacture or donated. Demolition activities generate a wide variety of debris including wood, concrete, steel, brick, and gypsum. Many of these materials (if not contaminated) can be reused or recycled. Deconstruction and selective demolition methods divert large amounts of materials from the waste stream thus conserving limited landfill space. If time does not allow for complete deconstruction, items such as doors, light fixtures, windows, cabinets, etc. can be readily salvaged or “cherry picked.”

The U.S. EPA supports and encourages the reuse of construction and demolition materials. A good deconstruction project requires good planning. Identify knowledgeable and experienced demolition and salvage contractors. Identify markets for recycling, companies/non-profits for reusing materials or donation of materials.

In keeping with the principles of brownfield redevelopment and the reuse of previously developed land, the deconstruction industry supports the re-incorporation of formerly used materials. Please consider whether deconstruction techniques can be used to prepare your site for renovation or construction.

Site Highlight

Green Redevelopment in Ligonier: Former Essex Wire site (Brownfields Bulletin – July/August 2008)

Local example of “green” deconstruction and building material recycling.

Damaged in the 9/11 attacks, the Deutsche Bank Building is being deconstructed.

New York’s construction attorneys are watching the deconstruction of the unoccupied Deutsche Bank Building with piqued interest.  Heavily damaged in the 9/11 attacks, the building was supposed to come down by 2005.  The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the firm managing the deconstruction, is working with the contractor, Bovis Lend Lease, to maintain adequate levels of employee safety throughout the process and remain on schedule.

“The goal is to improve efficiency, but not at the sacrifice of safety. Sometimes easier said then done, but we’re all optimistic,” said New York construction accident lawyer David Perecman.

All throughout the deconstruction process, the LMDC retained the services of environmental consultants to conduct environmental testing of the building materials, possible toxic hazards, dust, and mold.

Upon completion, the vacant lot will be incorporated into the new World Trade Center development.

As an industry, the practice of deconstruction is new to many in the risk community such as attorneys, insurance brokers, surety professionals and underwriters.  Workers compensation and OSHA do not have documented safety manuals specifically for deconstruction and the insurance community does not have adequate actuarial data to effectively assess the risks to people and property and set adequate rates for deconstruction projects and contractors.

I am currently working with the state of Ohio’s Bureau of Workers Compensation (one of three monopolistic states for WC) and several insurance companies in drafting safety guidelines, educating underwriters as to the unique risks of deconstruction and providing research on successful deconstruction projects to date.

As most of us look back on 2009, we here at DMI (Deconstruction Management, Inc.) are excited for the opportunity to have a positive impact on the future of sustainable development in 2010.  Harnessing the energy from Mayor Frank Jackson’s Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Appreciative Inquiry Summit, DMI will look to expand the nature, scope and availability for building deconstruction projects throughout the region.

Although the majority of deconstruction initiatives to date deal with residential properties that may be vacant or abandoned, we look to expand the opportunities for responsible demolition into large scale commercial, industrial and municipal projects.  Any construction activity on an existing structure that generates waste is a candidate for deconstruction.

By utilizing our network, a building owner can endeavor to minimize their contribution to our local construction and demolition debris landfills.

The network continues to grow and we are optimistic about receiving the support of our regional policy makers that share our zero waste vision.

An abandoned house on East 78th Street

The newly incorporated Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corp (The Land Bank) holds great promise for helping cities reutilize distressed properties, rebuild neighborhoods and shore up declining tax bases.  As a partner with cities and other units of government, lenders and individual property owners, the Land Bank has the potential to restore housing markets, rebuild communities and change development patterns on a regional scale, targeting future growth and development to core areas. 

The overriding question community leaders have asked themselves throughout the evolution of the Land Bank is “What decisions can we make today that will shape our future?”  By re-imagining our region as a stronger, more vibrant place of opportunity, we have the unique ability to learn from our past and recent failures to drive our regional economy to a new tomorrow.

Leading off the discussion was Land Bank chairman and Cuyahoga County Treasurer Jim Rokakis.  A true public servant, Mr. Rokakis has led the office of the County Treasurer since 1997 and has succeeded in expanding programming, enhancing tax collection procedures, increasing revenue and services all while saving taxpayers dollars by reducing staff levels.  With his sights set on the plague of vacant and abandoned properties throughout the area, Mr. Rokakis worked with the team responsible for the drafting and subsequent adoption of Ohio HB 294 that was passed in December of 2008. By creating the entity through a state charter, the new corporation can act more expediently in the acquisition of vacant and abandoned properties than any other entity. The Cuyahoga County Land Bank is an active land bank in that it has money to buy land that contains an existing structure. Mr. Rokakis stated that the long term goal of the Land Bank is to become the “go-to place in the county where property can be deposited.” Recognizing the slow and agonizing nature of an organization with such visionary goals, the Land Bank maintains very clear and defined goals for 5, 10 and 15 years into the future to preserve the organization’s mission and focus.

Also speaking on the panel was Gus Frangos, President of the CCLRC (aka The Land Bank). Mr. Frangos detailed the challenges of creation and unique operations of the County Land Bank. Recognizing the challenge laid out before him, Mr. Frangos is eager to attack the formidable beast and change the landscape of the community forever. “You can’t stabilize anything until you stop the hemorrhaging” said Mr. Frangos as he discussed the current goals of the Land Bank. One very differentiating characteristic of the Land Bank, as explained by Mr. Frangos, is the desire to become a fully independent, self sufficient, revenue producing entity. In order to grow the operation to become what they leaders envision, the unit must produce a reliable revenue stream so as to be leveraged and bonded. That is going to be very tough when you are given the hand that they have been dealt.

The panel also included Sally Martin, Housing Manager for the City of South Euclid, Terry Schwarz, Senior Planner at Kent State University’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, John Wilbur, Assistant Director of the Cleveland Department of Community Development and Paul Alsenas, Director of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission.

These public forums are meant to provide the community with insight into the steps being taken to address our region’s most urgent problems. To hear a podcast of this and other previously held forums, visit the college’s website at http://urban.csuohio.edu/forum/.

 image credit: Care2