Sustainable Building Technical Manual - Etn-presco.net

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS ROSE GARDEN ARENA 11Portland, OregonOne of the best examples of the savings potential for recycling of construction-related demolition debris is the Portland Trailblazers Rose Garden Arena, anew 750,000-square-foot stadium built in Portland, Oregon, in 1995. In demolishing the old stadium and an adjacent facility, the project contractor, TurnerConstruction Company, was able to divert successfully from the landfill the majority of the construction and demolition debris—including 1,300 tons ofwood, 1,000 tons of metal, and 29 tons of cardboard—through reuse and recycling. In addition, the contractor diverted large quantities of gypsum wallboard,site-clearing debris, concrete, and asphalt. For a recycling cost of only $19,000, the contractor avoided an estimated $166,000 in landfill costs.Rebates totaling $39,000 were received from third party vendors for the metal and cardboard. The resulting net savings from the project for the full recyclingeffort was approximately $186,000.In addition to construction-waste recycling, the building industry is beginning toachieve significant waste reductions through more building reuse and adaptation, asopposed to demolition. In past decades, the trend has been to raze a building at the endof its first life (assumed to be the “useful” life) and replace it with a new building. Withingenuity, older structures can be successfully renovated into cost-effective and efficient“new” structures. Adaptive reuse of older structures can result in financial savings toboth sellers and purchasers. One example is the National Audubon Society headquartersbuilding in New York, the product of a 1993 project that recycled a 100-year-old eightstorybuilding. Conservation of the building’s shell and floors saved approximately 300tons of steel, 9,000 tons of masonry, and 560 tons of concrete. Audubon estimates a savingsof approximately $8 million associated with restoration instead of demolition andnew construction. 12ConstructionApplication of green building concepts can yield for savings during the constructionprocess. Measures that are relatively easy to implement can result in savings to the contractorin the following areas:■ Lower energy costs, by monitoring usage, installing energy-efficient lamps and fixtures,and using occupancy sensors to control lighting fixtures;■ Lower water costs, by monitoring consumption and reusing stormwater and/or constructionwastewater where possible;■ Lower site-clearing costs, by minimizing site disruption and movement of earth andinstallation of artificial systems;■ Lower landfill dumping fees and associated hauling charges, through reuse and recyclingof construction and demolition debris;■ Lower materials costs, with more careful purchase and reuse of resources and materials;■ Possible earnings from sales of reusable items removed during building demolition; and■ Fewer employee health problems resulting from poor indoor air quality.This listing suggests some possible areas for cost savings; the project team can identifyother possibilities through a cooperative and integrated team approach. The contractorcan also improve relations with the community and building owner by viewing them aspart of the team effort to implement environmentally sound construction measures. SeePart V of this manual for more detailed information and discussion of environmentalconstruction guidelines.I.6CHAPTER 1: THE ECONOMICS OF GREEN BUILDINGS