Blast rock at an Upstate construction site has been upcycled for local watershed restoration.
Our client, Broadview LLC, had approximately 300 tons of blast rock at their job site, Broadview Greenville. The challenge with blast rock is what to do with it. It’s not a standard aggregate and this particular load wasn’t suitable for re-use on-site.
Melanie Rhulman, regional watershed manager and President of Save our Saluda, saw the surplus rock and contacted David Anderssen, JDG Principal and Senior Project Manager, to discuss potential uses. Save our Saluda is an Upstate non-profit dedicated to protecting and restoring the Upper Saluda Watershed. Melanie saw an opportunity to recover the blast rock and use it for local watershed restoration.
Development Manager Terry Birch, of Broadview LLC, and Tom Baer, of Triangle Construction were both agreeable to Save our Saluda’s solution. Thanks to funding from the Naturaland trust fund and a matching state grant, Save our Saluda recovered and recycled 300 tons of boulders and rock from the Broadview construction site.
These materials will now support Save our Saluda’s work on the Upper Saluda Watershed. This watershed provides critical water resources for local communities, business and industry in the Upstate. The recovered material will stabilize and restore a section of the North Saluda River, along the future extension of the Swamp Rabbit Trail near Marietta. Recycling and repurposing these materials locally, instead of landfilling them or processing them for aggregate, is consistent with our approach to restorative design.
Hats off to Melanie Ruhlman for recognizing this opportunity, to Terry Birch and Tom Baer for their support, and to Table Rock Construction, Herk and Naturaland Trust for help with hauling the blast rock. This kind of restorative solution has lasting benefits for the Upstate.
Want to know more about how restorative design can make your project greener? Give us a call at 864.250.0701 or drop us a line here.
