Sustainable Building Practices are Good for the Environment and Business

Chris Martin, of AC Martin, and the lead architect on the Wilshire Grand project in downtown L.A., wrote an article a few years ago for the Los Angeles Downtown News about the sustainable practices used for the “green deconstruction” of the old hotel on the site.  He states the fact that, “From demolition to construction to maintenance, the new projects in Downtown are incorporating green construction. It’s not only for environmental or PR reasons — done right, the moves can also save money.”  He goes on say that deconstruction of the old Wilshire Grand exhibited the best in today’s new green practices. 

Going the way of a wrecking ball for the old hotel was not practical as it had been constructed in 1951 and was filled with high levels of asbestos.  Without care taken to remove the asbestos, it would have contaminated the valuable building materials that included glass, steel, aluminum and concrete, and have made them unusable.  By carefully deconstructing the building, crews were able to properly remove the harmful asbestos as well as to recycle the greatest amount of materials.

Concrete from the structure’s columns, walls, and floors was broken into pieces at the jobsite and then taken away to recycling plants to be crushed.  This type of crushed rock is excellent for backfill, roads and building pads.  The steel that was recovered from the old hotel was sent to a plant to be melted down and reformed into new rebar.  

Furthermore, the new Wilshire Grand tower is using many recycled building materials and will incorporate sustainable practices.  Mr. Martin suggests that, “We can all look for new ways to focus on sustainability and environmental protection. It’s not just good for the environment, it’s also good business.”   

Conco’s mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring expertise, experience and quality to each project.  We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for public works projects, commercial, parking structures, educational, and other construction development.