Sustainable Construction

Case Studies

Name of Project: Antioch University Seattle, WA (Case study #10)
Link: ftp://ftp.tjcog.org/pub/tjcog/regplan/solidwst/wastspeccs.pdf
Description: Classroom and office renovation for university’s adult education center; private sector.
Size: 48,000 square feet
Waste Impact: Project waste was reduced
Project Costs: reduced 25-50%
Local Landfill fee: $110/ton
Type: Renovation

Summary: Antioch University completed renovation on a 48,000 square foot classroom and office renovation. Contractors were required to submit draft and final waste management plans. Materials recycled included: clean dimensional lumber, concrete, bricks, concrete masonry units, metal, drywall, acoustical ceiling tiles, and fluorescent light bulbs. Overall, the project saved 25 to 50% of project costs and resulted in a reduction of land-fill destined waste.

Name of Project: Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI (Case study #6)
Link: ftp://ftp.tjcog.org/pub/tjcog/regplan/solidwst/wastspeccs.pdf
Description: Renovation and new construction of university science labs and offices; public sector
Size: 250,000 square feet
Waste Impact: demolition waste was reduced
Project Costs: Stayed the same
Local Landfill fee: $57/ton

Summary: Western Michigan University completed a new construction and renovation on a 250,000 square foot science labs and offices. Contractors were required separate and recycle materials. Workers who contaminated separating bins were fined to cover the cost of cleaning up the contamination. Overall, the project costs were the same but resulted in a reduction in land-fill destined waste.

Name of Project: Douglas School, Douglas, MA
Link: http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/managing.htm#data
Description: Construction and renovation, commercial new construction
Size: Commercial new construction 137,000 square feet; renovation and addition 6,800 square feet
Waste Impact: Reduction of 57%
Project Costs: saved almost $32,000 75%
Local Landfill fee: $11-12/ton

Summary: Douglas School completed New Construction and Renovation on a 137,000 square foot public school in 2003. Contractors were required to submit a waste management plan and to separate and recycle materials. Materials salvaged and/or recycled included: 50 tons of gypsum wallboard, along with concrete, metal, and wood. Overall, the project saved $31,812, or 75% of project costs, and resulted in a 57% reduction in land-fill destined waste.

Material	Tons	Recycling Cost	Avoided Disposal Cost*	Savings
Concrete	285	$8,265	$31,065	$22,800
Metal	69	$1,380	$7,521	$6,141
Wallboard	49	$2,559	$5,450	$2,891
Cardboard	0.67	$67	$70	$3
Wood	40	$4,381	$4,358	(-$23)
TOTALS	443.67	$16,652	$48,464	$31,812

Name of Project: Construction Waste Reduction Case Study Middlebury, VT
Link: http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/wastediv/recycling/pubs/MiddleburyCaseStudy.pdf
Description: The new development for a recycling facility for Middlebury College
Size: 5,272 square feet
Waste Impact: 1.7 tons recycled or reused, 6.3 tons disposed of
Project Costs: Reduction
Local Landfill fee: Not given, however, saved $165 in tipping fees

Summary: Middlebury College completed new construction of a 5,272 square foot recycling facility in May2002. Materials recycled included: clean wood, cardboard, and scrap metal. Overall, the project saved $165 in tipping fees and resulted in a 21% reduction in land-fill destined waste.

Name of Project: MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Link: http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/cdmit.pdf
Description: Demolition of the Media Lab of MIT. Lab was compromised of two buildings, located in a congested urban area.
Size: 47,000 square feet
Waste Impact: 4,519 tons of material total waste reduction of 96%
Project Costs: Contract was for $345,000
Local Landfill fee: Not given

Summary: Massachusetts Institute of Technology completed demolition of a 47,000 square foot laboratory in March 2002. Contractors were required to submit a waste management plan and to recycle materials. Materials salvaged and/or recycled included: office furnishings, office equipment, desks, asphalt, brick, concrete, timbers, ceiling tiles, doors and metals. Overall, the project saved $17,684 of project costs and resulted in a 96% reduction in land-fill destined waste.

Name of Project: Keene State College Deconstruction of houses to make room for parking spaces
Links: Keene State College Sustainability
Deconstructed houses to increase parking opportunities
Description: This was a house that needed to be deconstructed in order to create more parking spaces for Keene State College.
Size: Not given
Waste Impact: 50-70% was recycled or reused
Project Costs: $71,000
Local Landfill fee: Not given

Summary: Keene State College completed a demolition on three houses in 2008. Materials salvaged and/or recycled included: floors, siding, trim, windows, doors, framing and sheathing lumber. Overall, the project cost remained the same but resulted in a 50 – 70% reduction in land-fill destined waste.

Name of Project: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Nursing and Student Community Center
Link: http://www.earthly-ideas.com/portfolio/uthsc.htm
http://www.recyclecddebris.com/rCDd/Resources/Documents/CSNDemolitionOrDeconstruction.pdf
Description: This was a multi-phase project, consisting of renovating space for the Human Genetics center, the deconstruction of the Graduate of Biomedical Sciences building and construction of School of Nursing and Student community center.
Size: 37,368 square feet
Waste Impact: out of 6,162 tons, 4,753 tons of material (77%) was salvaged from the deconstruction
Project Costs: Not given
Local Landfill fee: Not given (side note) Texas has cheap landfill costs…Local landfill costs is $9.95 per cubic yard

Summary: The University of Texas completed a 37,368 square foot renovation of the Human Genetics center, a demolition of the Graduate of Biomedical Sciences building and construction of School of Nursing and Student Community Center. Contractors were required to recycle 70% of materials. Materials salvaged and/or recycled included asphalt, concrete, wood, site debris, carpet, ceiling tiles, bricks, masonry, scrap metal, furniture, fixtures and equipment, metal casework, and a canopy and skylight. The project resulted in a 77% reduction in land-fill destined waste.

Name of Project: Harvard Kitchen Renovation
Link: http://www.wastemiser.com/CS-Dunster-10-06.pdf
Description: Renovation of a 35,000 sq foot kitchen at Harvard
Size: 35,000 sq ft
Waste Impact: 95% reduced
Project Costs: Decreased costs between $13,000 and $17,000
Local Landfill fee: Not given

Summary: Harvard completed renovation on a 35,000 square foot kitchen in September 2005. Contractors were required to separate and recycle materials. Materials salvaged and/or recycled included: metal, carpet, doors, ceilings, floors, and kitchen equipment. Kitchen equipment was carefully removed, then donated to communities in need. Overall, the project saved between $13,000 - $17,000 of project costs and resulted in a 95% reduction in land-fill destined waste.

Name of Project: Harvard Business School Hamilton Hall
Link: http://www.wastemiser.com/CS-Hamilton-04-01-06.pdf
Description: Renovation of a Dormitory at Harvard Business School
Size: 40,000 sq ft
Waste Impact: 97% reduced
Project Costs: Decreased $105,000
Local Landfill Fee: Not given

Summary: Harvard completed renovation on a 40,000 square foot dormitory. Contractors were required to recycle materials. Materials salvaged and/or recycled included: furnishings, mirrors, doors, countertops, sinks, toilets, metal, brick, concrete, and gypsum wallboard. Overall, the project saved $105,000 of project costs and resulted in a 97% reduction in land-fill destined waste.

Name of Project: Harvard Business School Wyss Hall Gut-Renovation
Link: http://www.wastemiser.com/CS-Wyss-10-10-06.pdf
Description: Renovation of a dormitory
Size: 5,000 sq ft
Waste Impact: 96.25% reduced
Project Costs: Not given
Local Landfill fee: Not given

Summary: Harvard completed renovation on a 5,000 square foot dormitory. Contractors were required to submit a waste management plan, monthly recycling report, and to separate and recycle materials. Materials salvaged and/or recycled included: metal, brick, concrete, gypsum wallboard, furnishings, paving, and mixed debris. Originally designed to achieve LEED Silver certification, the project is solidly in Gold with a potential for LEED Platinum, including 5 LEED points delivered by IRN .Overall the project resulted in a 96% reduction in land-fill destined waste.

Name of Project: Vermont Law School Renovation of a classroom/administration building
Link: http://www.wastemiser.com/CS-VTLaw-10-06.pdf
Description: Renovation of 28,000 sq ft historic wood-framed, 4-story structure; new construction of 7,250 steel framed addition.
Size: 28,000 sq
Waste Impact: 80% reduced
Project Costs: Not given
Local Landfill fee: Not given

Summary: Vermont Law School completed renovation on a 28,000 square foot classroom/administration building and a new construction of a 7,250 addition. Contractors were required to recycle materials. Materials salvaged and/or recycled included: metals, concrete, wood, floors, casework, and wainscoting. They worked to maintain an environment consistent with the building’s architectural and interior design origins. Overall, the project resulted in an 80% reduction in land-fill destined waste.

Name of Project: Building Deconstruction of 6 houses by the University of Florida
Link: http://www.recyclecddebris.com/rCDd/Resources/Documents/CSGReuseRecycling.pdf
Description: Deconstruction of 6 wood-framed houses in order to compare cost-effectiveness as compared to traditional demolition
Size: Total of about 9,000 square feet
Waste Impact: Reduced by about 30%
Project Costs: Reduced by 37%
Local Landfill fee: Not given

Summary: The University of Florida completed a demolition of 6 houses totaling 9,000 square feet in 1999 - 2000. Contractors were required to recycle. Materials salvaged and/or recycled included: wood, drywall, asphalt, and metals. The houses were built between 1900 and 1950 and contained lead based paint and asbestos. Overall, the project saved 37% of project costs and resulted in a 30% reduction in land-fill destined waste.

Name of Project: University of Michigan
Link: http://leedcasestudies.usgbc.org/overview.cfm?ProjectID=689
Description: 25% Construction, 75% Renovation of an historic 1903 building
Size: 108,000 sq ft
Waste Impact: Greatly reduced: reused anything possible (60% of materials that were renovated), and only bought salvaged or recycled materials when necessary
Project Costs: 17.7 million
Local Landfill fee: Not given

Summary: The University of Michigan completed new construction and renovation on a 108,000 square foot academic building in. Contractors were required to separate materials and to recycle. Materials salvaged and/or recycled included: doors, brick, and others. The builders used as much salvaged material as possible for the new construction.

Name of Project: University of Oregon New Construction
Link: http://leedcasestudies.usgbc.org/overview.cfm?ProjectID=597
Description: New Construction
Size: 137,000 sq ft
Waste Impact: Recycled 97% of construction waste
Project Costs: $41,000,000
Local Landfill fee: Not given

Summary: The University of Oregon completed new construction of a 137,000 square foot academic building. Contractors were required to submit a waste management plan. Over 50% of the new construction was comprised of recycled materials. Overall, the project resulted in a 97% reduction in land-fill destined waste.

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