5-24-19

8A — May 24 - June 13, 2019 — Industrial / Distribution Centers — M id A tlantic

Real Estate Journal

www.marej.com

I ndustrial R eal E state & D istribution C enters By David M. Winslow, Ph.D., PG, Eugene M. Gallagher, P.E., GZA Geotechnical/environmental engineering approach to brownfields reduces redevelopment liability B rownfields present complicated liability concerns for develop-

projects are completed more quickly, more cost-effectively, and withmore effectively man- aged risk. Th i s a p -

services, water/flood hazard services, and construction management. We approach brownfields projects with sev- eral key environmental and geotechnical engineering con- siderations in mind from the outset, among them: Consider the entire lifecycle of the development plan Understand the implications of remedial excavations within planned building footprints and evaluate the compatibility of environmental remediation plans with the proposed build- ing foundation systems/loca- tions. Areas that will ultimate- ly need to provide structural

support should be prepared accordingly at the time of re- mediation. For example, during redevelopment of sites on which underground storage tanks (USTs) are removed, poor or uncompacted soils may be used as backfill. These soils are suit- able to reach environmental closure but may not have the compaction density necessary to support the foundations of buildings planned for the re- development; backfilling with appropriate soils at the time of the UST removal prevents the need to remove and replace poor soils later in the project timeline. The re-use of soils

on-site is also best evaluated considering the full scope of the development plan, including development feature locations and foundation/compaction issues for backfill. While re- use can significantly reduce off-site disposal volumes and costs during remediation, if the materials are not properly managed there may be com- plications during development that lead to costly redisposition of materials. Build remediation into the design Vapor intrusion is a potential environmental concern at many brownfield redevelopment sites and construction of a subslab depressurization system (SSDS) is an effective remedial solution. By integrating the SSDS into the future foundation design, the SSDS lateral piping and sumps will be appropriately configured to avoid conflict with the foundation structural components. This collaborative approach minimizes construc- tion delays and cost overruns later in the project. Design it once Consider constructability and regulatory requirements of engineered systems — such as support of excavation (SOE) infrastructure, dewatering, and groundwater cut-off sys- tems — and develop a design that works for both remedial excavation and construction of building foundations sys- tems. Although this requires close coordination between the architect, environmental engineer, geotechnical engi- neer, and others, the results are well-worth it. This com- prehensive design approach was especially beneficial on a recent, complex GZA brown- field redevelopment project with a shallowwater table and contaminated groundwater. A single dewatering system was designed and permitted to serve not only the needs of the remedial activities, but the construction of foundations that extended beneath the water table. When geotechnical engi- neers and environmental professionals work together from the onset of a project they can identify and address not only potential conflicts — and avoid them — but can also capitalize on opportu- nities to create efficiencies, bringing more certainty to an inherently uncertain process. continued on page 24A

ers, as below- ground envi- r o nme n t a l and soils en- gineering un- knowns can cause delays and add costs to a project. When multi-

p r o a c h t o b r own f i e l d r e d e v e l o p - m e n t h a s served c l i - ents of GZA GeoEnviron- mental, Inc.

David Winslow Eugene Gallagher

disciplinary professionals from a single specialty geotechnical/ environmental engineering firmwork together on complex soil and groundwater condi- tions, brownfield development

(GZA) and Melick-Tully & Associates, A Division of GZA, well. The firm offers five core services: geotechnical engi- neering, environmental ser- vices, ecological/permitting

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