Deconstruction: A Local Government Model Wayne Fenton Orange County Public Works, Hillsborough, NC

What is Deconstruction? Deconstruction is the process of selectively and systematically disassembling buildings that would otherwise be demolished to generate a supply of materials suitable for reuse in the construction or rehabilitation of other structures. Deconstruction differs from recycling in that recycling does not seek to capture building materials in a reusable form (i.e., whole bricks, blocks, clean, unbroken pieces of lumber, etc.)

A Brief History Orange County owns 34 buildings Buildings range in age from pre- Revolutionary war to modern structures

The Building Approximately 3,000 square feet

The Experiment A 1920’s/1950’s mixed construction structure housing a sheltered workshop Building located in heart of historic district Sat vacant for several years after suffering severe storm damage Options considered

The Process Project approved by BOCC Purchasing Dep’t persuaded Bid-process tailored Seasoned local deconstruction specialists hired Process documented

Desired Project Outcomes Removal of unsafe structure Capture of valuable materials, especially for use in other similar vintage structures Demonstrate feasibility of process Provide skills enhancement opportunities Document the process: –To develop promotional video –To develop basic “how-to” video

Materials Recovered 39+ tons of building materials recovered for reuse through deconstruction

Recovered Materials BRICKCONCRETE BLOCKS DIMENSIONAL FRAMING LUMBER OAK TONGUE & GROOVE FLOORING PINE TONGUE & GROOVE FLOORING WINDOWS DOORSWOOD SIDINGPINE WALL PANELING

Materials Recycled 6 tons of metal 1 ton of white goods 140 tons of concrete

Waste Generated Less than 100 tons of waste generated by deconstruction required disposal Primarily rotted wood, mixed composition items, sheetrock, shingles

Benefits of Deconstruction

Economic Cost of deconstruction can be less than cost of demolition Salvaged materials have a value Cost avoidance in tipping fees Preservation of landfill space Job-skills training

Environmental Preservation of landfill space Resource conservation Deconstruction a cleaner technology than demolition – less noise, air pollution

Educational Governments should lead by example Act as a catalyst to contractors, facility owners/managers Be a model for other governments

Cost Benefit Analysis Demolition Costs Estimate: $50,000 Deconstruction Costs Actual Expenditures: $37,929 Savings Salvaged Materials Value: $37,130* Landfill Fees Avoided: $1,600 * Based on local vendor estimate

Measuring Success Structure successfully and safely removed Some materials have been reused in other projects Demonstrated feasibility of deconstruction option Provided temporary workers with enhanced skills – two hired by County, one still employed Promotional video complete & limited distribution

The Video High quality, low budget 16 minutes running time