CalContractor - 2022 Demo & Recycling

Issue 6 - 2022

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The Future of Scrap Metal Recycling in California

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CONTENTS 2022 Demo & Recycling

06 12 18 24

AIM RECYCLING Leverages Massive Rail and Trucking Fleet to Better Serve Customers in the California Scrap Metal Industry AMG DEMOLITION & ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE, INC. Completes Mass Excavation and Demolition of Building 1 on IQHQ RaDD Project in San Diego NORTHSTAR CONTRACTING GROUP, INC. Brings Down Former Superior Courthouse in San Diego to Make Room for New Multistory Mixed-Use Highrise Development

PUBLISHER: Kerry Hoover khoover@calcontractor.com

EDITOR: Brian Hoover Senior Editor

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Aldo Myftari FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION: Please call: (909) 772-3121 CalContractor is published twelve times each year by Construction Marketing Services, LLC. Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

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GRANITEROCK Completes Full-Depth Reclamation on Sulphur Fire Roadway Disaster Repair Project for City of Clearlake

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AIM Recycling Leverages Massive Rail and Trucking Fleet to Better Serve Customers in the California Scrap Metal Industry

By Brian Hoover, Senior Editor / Photos contributed by AIM Recycling

R

ecycling scrap steel conserves energy, landfill space and raw materials.

In the United States, the steel industry has been recycling steel for more than 150 years and recycles millions of tons of scrap metal every year. Scrap metal is classified as ferrous and non-ferrous. Ferrous metals contain some degree of iron, while non-ferrous do not have an iron component. Some examples of ferrous metal include steel, cast 6

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iron and wrought iron. Examples of non-ferrous would be copper, aluminum, silver, gold, zinc and titanium. Humans have used both classifications of metals for thousands of years. Scrap steel is abundant here in the United States and comes from many sources, including automobiles, appliances, construction materials, and waste products from industry and manufacturing operations. The scrap metal industry in California is also robust, which makes sense

when considering that the State leads the nation in population at just shy of 40 million residents.

Scrap metal prices were at an all-time high in 2021 due to the pandemic and general lack of supply. Prices have since returned to their averages in 2022 but are still at respectable levels. Recycling scrap metal conserves our natural resources and recovering and processing end-of-life metal materials requires 56% less energy when compared to virgin C A LCO N T R AC TO R .CO M

production methods. This is why we have companies like AIM Recycling working hard every day to ensure that we have precious metals available for building and manufacturing at the lowest possible price and with the most negligible impact on our environment.

Peter Black started American Iron & Metal (AIM) in Montreal, Quebec, in 1936. From humble beginnings and just 1 yard, AIM has grown into one of the most CALCON TRAC TOR.CO M

innovative recycling companies in the world. Today, brothers Herbert and Ronald Black continue their father's proud tradition by maintaining an unwavering dedication to all clients, international and domestic. AIM's operations in the United States and Canada include the buying, processing, and selling of ferrous and nonferrous metals. AIM made its way into the California recycling marketplace in 2018 when it made a deal to partner with Ecology

Above: Processing and loading ferrous metals into railcars with Sennebogen 840 E material handlers at AIM Recycling main hub in Colton.

Auto Parts, Inc. (Ecology Recycling Services), started by Aaron Siroonian and Charles Sirroonian in 1966 as a "do it yourself" auto wrecking enterprise out of Santa Fe Springs.

The company grew to multiple locations and significantly increased services and revenue before partnering with AIM in 2018.

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Above: Diego Gagnon, General Manager of AIM Recycling California.

Right L-R: Juan Ortega, Shredder Manager, Ariel Salomon, Non-Ferrous Manager, and Carlos Gustavo, Ferrous Manager.

AIM Recycling (AIM) became the managing partner between the two companies in 2020. Diego Gagnon started working for AIM in Canada in 2014, quickly working his way up to management. The decision was made to transfer Gagnon to Southern California as General Manager of Operations when AIM became the managing partner in 2020. Gagnon explains that AIM operates through nine receiving yards in Southern California, through a planned triangle from San Diego to Hesperia to Santa Fe Springs. "The majority of the scrap metal ends up at the Colton main hub where our shredder is located. However, we conduct direct sales for the feeder yards for certain commodities," Gagnon continues. "90 to 95% of the scrap metal is recycled and distributed domestically to the Midwest or neighboring states like Arizona, Utah and Nevada."

So how does the ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal end up in an AIM facility? One way is through the general public, who bring in post-consumer goods that are weighed on a drive-in scale 8

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and purchased by weight. The company's other and much larger solution is to pick up the material by truck and bring it back to the Colton yard for processing. "Ford and Toyota is a good example of a company that we have worked with that creates a great deal of scrap byproduct from the manufacturing of electric cars. A lot of the scrap metal is also generated through construction demolition projects that we bid on daily," says Gagnon.

"We own and operate the largest demolition company in Canada, so we are heavily invested in that industry and understand that business model from front to back.

So much so that we recognize that the biggest thing a demolition company looks for when choosing a scrap metal company is service and trucking availability."

For developers and demolition contractors, working with the right scrap metal recycling company can mean a tremendous difference to the bottom line. "When developers purchase property with structures that need to be razed and removed, they need it done yesterday.

Construction and land costs mean

every delay is a loss in profit.

Here at AIM, we work within tight demolition timelines every day.

Our massive fleet of more than 600 trucks means that when a demolition contractor says they need 20 trucks today, they will get them on time without subbing out to other trucking companies. This is one of our huge advantages over other recycling companies here in California," says Gagnon. "We also own and operate a fleet of 2,600 railcars with 315 cars currently in our Colton main facility. We will soon be increasing that number to 500 railcars, allocated specifically to California operations." Gagnon explains that the railcar advantage allows AIM to control its own destiny. "Right now, there is a costly, high demand for railcar leases, and we don't have to worry about that variable here at AIM. Additionally, our railcars are customized specifically for the scrap metal business. This is an enormous savings when you compare conventional trucking to transporting with railcars," continues Gagnon. "One railcar { Continued on page 10 } C A LCO N T R AC TO R .CO M

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Above: Sennebogen 840 E material handlers with 60' reach loading railcars with ferrous materials in Colton. { Continued from page 8 }

can hold what five trucks could carry, equating to 100 tons of scrap metal versus 20 tons. Much more cost-efficient that can be the difference in whether we win or lose a large contract."

Gagnon says that some of the most sought-after material comes from building demolition projects.

This includes plate and structural steel (P&S), copper and aluminum.

"It is so important to pay attention to the details in this business.

Price points change by the day, hour and even minute. Copper, for instance, is at $4 a pound right now, so when you purchase 50,000 pounds that equates to $200,000.

There is not much room for error in planning these large transactions," says Gagnon. "Another commodity we are always looking for is busheling, clean scrap not exceeding 12 inches in any dimension. This is new production steel with no contamination and anything under ¼-inch thick is considered prime grade. Domestic mills are looking to get as much of this material as possible, and the best way to transport busheling is by rail."

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According to Gagnon, the scrap metal recycling business would be impossible without the right heavy equipment to separate, process and load the material. "When purchasing and maintaining our heavy equipment, we work through redundancy. We never want to have a single machine from each manufacturer. That does not make sense, and by working with one particular manufacturer in each category, we can manage our spare parts inventory and service schedules more efficiently," says Gagnon. "For example, all of our large material handlers in Canada are Liebherr, and here in the United States, they are Sennebogen. It is not always about the machine you purchase; it is more about the service and parts availability." AIM relies on Volvo Construction & Equipment Services for all of the Sennebogen material handlers, as well as for their excavator and wheel loader needs. "We can't say enough about the machines and service we receive from Volvo Construction Equipment & Services. They have done an outstanding job of keeping us up

and running, which is the name of the game in this business. We also enjoy working exclusively with Quinn Company Cat for our Caterpillar forklift and skid steer needs. They have also been great to work with over the years."

According to an annual report from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), California achieved a 42 percent recycling/ composting rate in 2020, up from 37 percent the year before.

Progress is being made with each coming year, but there is still much room for improvement. That is why companies like AIM will be needed here in California indefinitely. AIM Recycling California is a DBA to Ecology Recycling Services, LLC. For more information on the company and its services, please visit its website at www.aimrecyclingca.com or call their Colton main office at (909) 370-1318. Cc

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AMG Demolition & Environmental Service, Inc. Completes Mass Excavation and Demolition of Building 1 on IQHQ RaDD Project in San Diego

By Brian Hoover, Senior Editor / Photos provided by AMG

I

QHQ’s Research and Development District (RaDD) is currently under construction at San Diego’s waterfront. When complete, the 8-acre waterfront site will span five city blocks and serve as host to five new buildings.

Together, these structures will encompass 1,700 square feet of lab, office and retail space and will be dedicated to the advancement of life sciences. According to a

recent press release, the first phase of the RaDD Project is estimated to be completed by 2023 and will include one 17-story tower, a series of mid-rise buildings, a museum and 3-acres of green space and rooftop decks. With a price tag of approximately $1.5 billion, the project is said to promise more than 4,000 jobs, $50 million in annual taxes and fees, and another $15 billion in other economic benefits.

However, before any of this new development could begin, several existing structures had to be razed, and hundreds of thousands of tons of earth excavated, moved and exported. Turner Construction Company (Turner) is the prime contractor for IQHQ on the RaDD project. Turner hired AMG Demolition & Environmental Service, Inc. (AMG) out of San Diego as the subcontractor

AMG bringing down 485,000 square foot Building 1 at IQHQ Research and Development District (RaDD) in San Diego.

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Left: A sea of Komatsu excavators processing material and completing the demolition of Building 1 at RaDD project.

Below: Volvo high-reach excavator, JLG boom lift and Komatsu excavators bring down and process material onsite in San Diego while AMG crew member keeps dust to a minimum.

responsible for the demolition and mass excavation on the RaDD project. AMG is a family owned and operated company whose stakeholders include the husbandand-wife team of Mike Gafa, Sr. and Annette Gafa, along with their sons, Mike and Justin. Mike Gafa, Jr. has been working at AMG for nearly 20 years and has dedicated much of his time to the RaDD project for the past five years.

CALCON TRAC TOR.CO M

“IQHQ’s RaDD project represents one of the largest urban commercial waterfront sites in all of California.

At AMG, we are very excited to have been chosen to perform the demolition and mass excavation on this high-profile project,” says Gafa. “Our work on the RaDD project began in November 2020 and we recently wrapped things up in March 2022.”

Bringing Down Building 1 AMG’s scope of work on the RaDD project was primarily to demolish the 485,000 square foot Building 1 and excavate and export nearly 1 million cubic yards of earth. However, before any demolition could begin on the multi-level concrete structure, asbestos and lead remediation had to be performed. “After all of the abatement was complete, our

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Below: Digging out and demoing pyramid shaped 15’ x 15’ pile caps that were 10-feet thick and 20-foot on center.

Above: View of all 1,700,000 square feet of excavated, demoed and graded property at future IQHQ Research and Development District site in San Diego.

crews went to work gutting the entire building down to a concrete shell before proceeding with the heavy demolition of the structure,” says Gafa. “The building footprint was around 60,000 square feet with the northern portion reaching up 10-stories and the southern part 13-stories due to the additional penthouse level.”

Gafa explains that his crew utilized a Volvo EC480E high-reach demolition excavator equipped with a massive hammer attachment to bring down the building conventionally from the ground level. “Our Volvo high reach excavator is capable of reaching up to 100-feet and it made our job easier while bringing down, 40,000 cubic yards of concrete, 1,500 tons of rebar and other steel and 4,000 tons of other construction debris for a final 94% recycling rate,” says Gafa. “Our talented crew members worked south to north starting with the 130-foot-high penthouse level and working down from that point.

We had additional excavators in place separating the concrete from 14

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the rebar and processing the material to 2-foot-by-2-foot sections before going out to local recycling facilities. Once the building was down, these 12 additional Komatsu excavators were also kept busy demoing the surface slab and the stubborn 150 pile caps located below the surface.” Gafa says that the pile caps were 10-feet thick, located every 20-feet on center, and were 15 feet by 15 feet square at the bottom and shaped like a pyramid where they reduced to 9 feet by 9 feet at the top. “Digging out the pile caps was quite a challenge, but in demolition height is always the biggest factor. The higher the building, the greater the difficulty and challenge. As our operators worked their way down, level by level, the safety challenges were reduced exponentially,” continues Gafa. “Logistics on a project of this magnitude is always a challenge, but so is dealing with all of the multiple agencies on a such a high-profile project. Building 1 did not have much setback and it was not easy bringing down a

130-foot building with pedestrians walking on a sidewalk just 40-some feet away. Everyone had to be mindful of every detail and be ever mindful of falling debris and dust control. Safety is number one and always at the forefront on this and any other job we take on.”

Mass Site Excavation and Deep Dig for New Underground Parking Structure Gafa says that much of the mass excavation was performed to make room for the new multistory parking garage with three subterranean levels. “AMG team members were tasked with digging a massive 30-to-33-foot hole that covered 500,000 square feet of raw footage. The job was made even more complicated by having to separate the soil into five different classifications, from non-hazardous to hazardous and everything in between,” says Gafa. “Then we began the trucking and export process out to several different sites based on that segregation.” { Continued on page 16 } C A LCO N T R AC TO R .CO M

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Gafa points out that the excavation of the cavernous hole was made even more complicated by the continuous ground water coming in from ocean just a few hundred feet away. “Turner had numerous pumps going around the clock and a great deal of patience and skill was required during this process,” says Gafa. “The bottom soil was so saturated, we had to bring in Pavement Recycling Systems to mix-in 12-inches of cement treated base across the entire footprint. When this was complete and cured, our crews then began digging 20,000 cubic yards of structural footings to a depth of six to seven feet for the next six months.”

In addition to mass excavation and demolition, AMG was also called upon to deal with all of the site utility disconnections, as well as coordinating traffic

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control, fencing and protecting an existing sewer line that ran under the roadway to the USS Midway on the other side. “We utilized 40 cubic yard steel plate boxes and flipped them upside down, welded steel plates like a canopy over all of the conduit. This job was not easy, but in the end, it proved to be extremely satisfying and rewarding. A big thank you to everyone from IQHQ and Turner Construction, to all of the other subcontractors, and, of course, our numerous and talented AMG team members.,” continues Gafa.

“I also want to thank Clairemont Equipment who has been there for us for the past eight years. We had Komatsu excavators working hard on the RaDD project site ranging from PC138’s at 33,000 pounds to the PC650 at 165,000 pounds. Clairemont represents Komatsu and they manufacture outstanding equipment, but for us

it comes down to reliability and service, and Clairmont has been so great to work with and has never let us down. I also want to mention and thank the team at Volvo Construction Equipment & Services who have also been there for us with exceptional equipment and service.”

For AMG and everyone who participated in the RaDD project, there will be many years of pride and bragging rights as they drive by the site knowing they were a big part of that development. The more than 1,700,000 square feet of life sciences-centric waterfront campus will serve San Diego residents and visitors for many ears to come. For more information on AMG and their capabilities, please visit their website at www.amgdemolition.com or call their San Diego offices at (619) 501-7427. Cc

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Below: NorthStar crew members working through evolving safety measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the old Superior Courthouse demolition site in San Diego in 2020.

NORTHSTAR CONTRACTING GROUP, INC. Brings Down Former Superior Courthouse In San Diego to Make Room for New Multistory Mixed-Use Highrise Development

By Brian Hoover, Senior Editor / Photos provided by NorthStar

T

he new 22-story Central Courthouse building in San Diego opened at Union Street and C Street in late 2017, taking the place of the old courthouse on West Broadway, initially constructed in 1961.

Holland Partner Group (Holland) purchased the old courthouse and property from the County and began construction on a 37-story mixed-use, $400 million high-rise and smaller adjacent podium building. Originally named Courthouse Commons and later changed to "West," the 445-foot glass and steel tower will feature 270,493 square feet of office 18

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space, 18,595 square feet of retail space and 431 apartments.

Scheduled for completion in 2024, the new West project could only begin after the old Superior Courthouse was abated, demolished and removed from the site.

Holland turned to NorthStar Contracting Group, Inc. (NorthStar) to fulfill the demolition responsibilities on this high-profile project. Dave Reinhard served as the project manager for NorthStar, the largest demolition and abatement company (by annual revenue) in the United States. "We were given a 12-month schedule in July 2019 and finished one day early in July 2020.

However, a significant amount of asbestos abatement had to be done before any hard demolition could commence. The total amount of hazardous waste removed from the old Superior Courthouse building came in at 2,700 tons, a process that required numerous truckloads to complete," says Reinhard. "The abatement process required around six months to complete before the 6-month-long hard demolition could begin."

NorthStar crews demoed, processed and removed 13,400 tons of concrete, 550 tons of trash and 15,500 tons of steel on the C A LCO N T R AC TO R .CO M

Inset & Below: Flying a Brokk to the working level of the courthouse to demo decking in low load capacity areas.

Above: NorthStar crew removing the center of the building to gain working room throughout the project site.

old San Diego Superior Court demolition project. This was primarily a steel structure, so there was not much rebar to be separated.

The concrete was processed to less than two-foot sections and sent to crushing facilities offsite.

"I have to say that this was one of the cleanest pre-demo buildings we have ever entered. It was stripped clean down to just about everything but the carpet, builtins and court benches," says

Reinhard. "Interestingly, the project also includes the construction of an $80 million tunnel that will connect the San Diego County Central Jail with the new courthouse.

We were asked to do some demolition through the basement walls to aid in this new construction.

Additionally, the north block contained a maintenance garage and gas station with underground fuel tanks that needed to be excavated, removed and abated.

There were just a lot of unusual moving parts to this particular demolition project, and just as we completed the abatement and started the demolition, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. We lost one day to the pandemic as we worked through new safety measures and regulation changes on at least a weekly basis.

Through all of these challenges I was assisted by my co-project manager, Lou Hannemann. Truly a rewarding project full of unprecedented challenges.”

According to Reinhard, the old courthouse carried a footprint of around 33,000 square feet, with an 8-story high tower and another connected 4-story section. "We demoed the 4-story section first, leaving parts of the building intact on both sides so that we would

Left: Ground floor conventional demolition.

Inset Left: Flying a Link-Belt Spin Ace to upper floors for demolition.

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Left: C Street overpass section of building.

Center: 600 volt trolley lines located 24 inches below structure to be removed.

have a larger footprint to work with on what was otherwise a relatively small lot," says Reinhard. Reinhard further explains that the old 8-story courthouse was brought down floor by floor with equipment like Link-Belt 80 X3 Spin Ace excavators and Brokk remote-controlled demolition robots craned to the top level to begin demolition. "We had around 60 individuals onsite for the abatement (led by Mario Quinones, superintendent) and close to 45 for the hard demolition (led by John Hurley, superintendent). Along with the Brokk and Link-Belt's working top down, we also had a Link-Belt 350 excavator bringing down the final level and loading out trucks," continues Reinhard. "Although we

Right: Structural steel beams being removed with crane.

wrapped things up a day early, there were several delays due to existing utilities and issues with disconnections. Demoing old buildings and infrastructure is always challenging, but our amazing crews are always up to the task."

Reinhard points out that working within any city environment is always a challenge, especially on a job like this courthouse demolition where there were no permanent lane closures. "Our crews were limited to working within a one city block footprint. Bringing down the 2-story overpass section of the

Above: Overpass Structural steel prior to final track shut-down and crane weekend.

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building located over an active trolley passing beneath was the biggest technically complicated issue for our NorthStar team members," says Reinhard. The courthouse spanned three city blocks with an overpass section over both B Street and C Street.

The overpass was only around 24-inches above the 600-volt trolley lines that remained in operation except for the beginning and ending weekends. "We utilized the first 72-hour weekend shutdown to install a wooden demolition deck over the trolley line so that it would not conduct electricity and to catch any falling debris. The trolley lines were then reopened { Continued on page 22 }

Above: Structural steel removed and track spanning portion of demo deck removed allowing trolley to go back in service 18 hours ahead of schedule.

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Above & Right: Front Street prisoner transfer bridge gutted, rigged with 190-ton crane and lowered to street level for dismantling.

{ Continued from page 20 }

as we demoed the enclosed overpass down to its skeleton of nine 30,000-pound steel beams.

Each beam spanned around 75 feet and needed to be removed in one piece then cut in half to fit on trucks," says Reinhard.

"The trolley was then shut down one last time during the final weekend so that a large crane could lift and remove the nine heavy steel beams and dismantle the demolition deck over the tracks. There was also a pedestrian bridge connecting the new Sheriff’s station to the old jail used to transport inmates to and from the facilities, and one that connected the old courthouse to the new Hall of Justice. Both of these were steel structure bridges that were removed during weekend street closures."

As the nation's largest integrated remediation and infrastructure services firm, NorthStar works with a wide range of clients and industries.

With nationwide resources, NorthStar has proven to be the perfect solution for demolishing 22

and deconstructing commercial high-rises, chemical plants, manufacturing sites, petrochemical facilities, military bases, and many other structures with complex demolition needs.

Additionally, NorthStar supports the Department of Energy's Environmental Management (EM) program to decontaminate, decommission and demolish nuclear weapons production and research facilities and associated sites throughout the United States. NorthStar offers services ranging from full decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) to asbestos and hazardous material abatement, facility demolition, and decontamination services in all radiological environments.

When you hear of or read about an implosion in Las Vegas, chances are it was done by NorthStar. The company was also named the Number 1 Demolition & Wrecking Contractor in the U.S.A by Engineering News Record (ENR) in 2020. For more information on NorthStar and its capabilities, please visit www.NorthStar.com. Cc

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By Brian Hoover, Senior Editor Photos provided by Graniterock

GRANITEROCK COMPLETES FULL-DEPTH RECLAMATION ON SULPHUR FIRE ROADWAY DISASTER REPAIR PROJECT FOR CITY OF CLEARLAKE

O

ctober 2017 marked a monthlong fire siege in Northern California that involved more than 170 fires and burned at least 245,000 acres. These devastating fires included the Sulphur Fire that occurred on Oct. 8, destroying 162 structures and burning 2,207 acres. There were no fatalities or injuries, but the inferno left a lot of damaged property including roadways.

Lakeshore Drive and connecting roadways in the City of Clearlake were damaged during the Sulphur Fire and further impaired after the response and cleanup efforts due to heavy emergency traffic from fire engines and other heavy support vehicles. It was clear that full reconstruction would be needed to bring these roadways back to their original structural integrity.

Argonaut Constructors (Argonaut), headquartered in Santa Rosa, was awarded the Sulphur Fire Roadway Disaster Repair Project from the City of Clearlake. This $8,784,288 job consisted of rehabilitating and resurfacing various roads over an 8.17 mile stretch adjacent to the Clear Lake shoreline. Argonaut then subcontracted to Graniterock for the full depth reclamation (FDR) portion of the contract.

Ed Schwartz is the Pavement Recycling Group Manager for Graniterock and he says that Graniterock’s FDR contract began April 4 and the final shift was completed April 28.

“Full depth reclamation is used to reconstruct a failed road structure with materials that are already in place.

The City of Clearlake and other agencies do not have an 24

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Top: Ed Schwartz, Pavement Recycling Group Manager, Graniterock.

Above: Dennis McElroy, Pavement Recycling Group Estimator, Graniterock.

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Top: Graniterock’s 240i Wirtgen Reclaimer pushes a 3800 gallon water truck and mixes cement with existing road structure on the Sulphur Fire Roadway Disaster Repair Project in the City of Clearlake.

Right: Dylan Jud reenters the cab of the Wirtgen 240i after reconnecting the 3800 gallon water truck.

unlimited budget to repair their long list of damaged roadways, so Graniterock offers cost effective alternatives to conventional methods. The FDR process is faster, easier and less expensive than the conventional mill and fill solutions of the past, while providing an equally or even superior finished product,” says Schwartz. “We were scheduled to complete the FDR in 18 shifts and our crew was able to complete the job in just 12 shifts.

This was especially impressive when you consider the rain delays that were involved.”

According to official documents no new roads were graded or paved within the scope of this two-lane road project. The fire response and cleanup efforts CALCON TRAC TOR.CO M

caused an average drop in the pavement condition index (PCI) from 53 to 47 on a scale of 100, although some street sections were impacted more severely. The FDR rehabilitation included the mixing of a chemical stabilization additive that was pulverized and mixed to a depth of 8-inches on most of the project and at 6-inches in the outlying residential neighborhoods. The FDR process also included grinding and mixing the existing asphalt material along with the underlying base rock to create a stable roadway foundation.

When the FDR process was complete, the general contractor (Argonaut) proceeded to put down 2-to-3 inches of hot mix asphalt.

The amount paved depended on

the specific street or roadway in question. There were a few areas where the FDR process was not necessary, and these sections received an asphalt overlay.

Additionally, the resurfacing lane widths varied from 15 feet to 30 feet, and the shoulder width varied from 1 foot to 4 foot. There were also damaged culvert pipes that needed to be replaced within the existing footprint.

Dennis McElroy is the Pavement Recycling Group Estimator for Graniterock and he describes the FDR work area as stretching throughout downtown Clearlake and into the neighborhoods along the waterfront. “Our FDR work was a bit more challenging due to the hilly terrain and the rural nature of DE M O & R EC YC L I N G / 2 0 2 2

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Top: One of the steep grades encountered on the project.

Above Right: First mix of San Joaquin while side road is being compacted after mixing.

Above Left: Completed FDR Section, ready for micro-cracking and asphalt overlay.

the area. The existing roadway was narrow with 9 to 10-foot driving lanes. In all we successfully recycled around 30,000 tons of existing asphalt and base material over a 775,000 square foot area,” says McElroy. “Our crew did a great job keeping the residents happy by doing everything they could to reduce and control traffic congestion.

We have worked with Argonaut Constructors for many years, and they always do such a great job, and our crews always work well together.”

Both Schwartz and McElroy agree that they put together several great crews within the Graniterock Pavement Recycling Group. “It is always important to thank and recognize our team members that 26

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work diligently and conscientiously every day,” says Schwartz. “We would like to thank our project engineer, Ali Mahboubi, our superintendent, Craig Jud, field supervisor, AJ Tamez, reclaimer operator, Dylan Jud, roller operator, Dominic Dorcich and spreader truck driver, Raymond Cid.” Graniterock utilized a Wirtgen 240i cold recycler and soil stabilizer to grind and mix the existing asphalt and base rock material. They also used two Struemaster spreader box trucks, along with a Sakai sheepsfoot soil compaction roller to prepare the roadway for the asphalt overlay. The FDR process has tremendously grown in popularity over the past 10 years.

The benefits of pulverizing and blending asphalt pavements and base material in place are many.

They include the minimal use of virgin material, less traffic disturbance and truck traffic, more environmentally friendly and a great economical alternative to other pavement preservation and replacement methods. Graniterock is committed to sustainable pavement through milling, micromilling, cold in-place recycling and full depth reclamation solutions.

Visit Graniterock's website at www.graniterock.com. Call 408-574-1470 or email dmcelroy@graniterock.com for more information. Cc C A LCO N T R AC TO R .CO M

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TRENCH SHORING’S KEVIN MALLOY NAMED 2022 PRESIDENT OF NAXSA Trench Shoring Company President Kevin Malloy was elected incoming 2022 President of North American Excavation Shoring Association (NAXSA) at their recent convention in Dallas, TX. NAXSA was created to promote the safe and efficient use of excavation shoring practices and represents the professions in the shoring industry—from manufacturers, engineers and rental companies to distributors, suppliers and government agencies, all of whom share the common goal of maintaining safety in the excavation shoring industry.

Malloy takes the reigns as NAXSA President with strong credentials, much needed in today’s challenging business environment. He was a founding member of NAXSA and leads Trench Shoring Company, one of the most influential companies in trench shoring and excavation. His vision for NAXSA and the industry is formed by the demands and challenges of a growing industry… and that vision always circles back to the core goal of “zero deaths or injuries.”

He notes: “The top challenges for the industry today include: 1. Hiring and retention of a qualified workforce 2. Fuel cost 3. Supply chain issues/shortages created by the Covid pandemic which have delayed acquisition of products and tools needed to do our jobs President Malloy’s focus will also be on continuity: continuing and supporting the good work of prior NAXSA President Brian Crandall 28

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and the committees. “Of particular importance,” Malloy notes, “will be to launch our participation with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in their Alliance Program. Our common goal is to leverage resources and expertise to help ensure safe and healthy workplaces and worker rights.”

Malloy is also excited by the biggest potential growth factors in the shoring and excavation industry.

He cites the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed in 2021 which will fund and create jobs across the country needed to fix crumbling bridges and roads, upgrade airports, ports and waterways, improve power and water systems, and expand broadband access.

The second growth factor he cites is education in the form of training. Giving workers the right knowledge using the right

equipment will help ensure a safe jobsite. He continues, “We need to educate contractors that are unaware of the dangers when excavating. We need to also educate these contractors who may be aware of the potential dangers, but who choose to skirt safety measures because they place profits before worker safety. In both cases, education and the right trenching and excavation solutions will help ensure success.”

The Covid impact had both short and longer- term effects on Trench Shoring Company and the industry. Initially, the big challenge was not being able to meet with customers at their offices and job sites. This personal interaction has always been a key element of his company’s process. “But we invested in new ways to keep in touch and execute contracts,” he notes. “And also, keeping C A LCO N T R AC TO R .CO M

our customers and employees safe per state regulations and CDC guidelines was complicated by the different views about the pandemic held by people.” Malloy concluded that the term “best practices” took on a whole new meaning, but that his company learned, adapted and got back to “business as usual.”

Member growth and engagement is the lifeblood for any association and President Malloy will be focused on shoring up both. These efforts will continue to include: • • •

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Practical content created by the Engineering and Safety Committees to assist their contractor customers Encouraging members to increase their NAXSA participation to be more engaged and involved Supporting members in their efforts to share NAXSA information with their customers which can include: links from NAXSA’s website on their company sites; including NAXSA stories in their customer newsletters; ensuring a continuous flow of important safety and industry resources initiated from and by NAXSA research

Incoming NAXSA President Kevin Malloy concludes with a value statement that reflects both NAXSA and Trench Shoring Company’s goals.

“Contractors that dig holes in the ground need to know a lot about many different things to do their jobs correctly and safely. NAXSA can bring them the most value by sharing expertise and knowledge of our products and services so they can focus on the things they need to be successful.”

For decades, the Southern California and Nevada construction industry has counted on Trench Shoring Company for their extensive construction knowledge, complete inventory and same-day service. They know time is money, so they produce same-day service from their 11 locations across Southern California, Bakersfield, Fresno, California Central Coast, the San Francisco Bay Area and Las Vegas. Whether it’s for a current project—or your next project—Trench Shoring Company should be your first choice for shoring equipment and service. Trench Shoring Company has consistently handled their customers’ toughest jobs and the most challenging job requirements with safety, service and customer satisfaction since 1973.

Trench Shoring University (TSU) training courses meet all OSHA requirements and is an important element of the Company’s “Safety and Service” commitment to the industry. Cc CALCON TRAC TOR.CO M

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