Echelon Masonry Case Study – Wilders Grove Solid Waste Service Facility (Raleigh, NC)

When the City of Raleigh began planning for the new Wilders Grove Solid Waste Services Facility, the primary objective was to maximize efficiency. To achieve that objective, the plan was to use as many recycled components as possible. Top soil, gray water, the city's glass and yard waste, even geothermal and solar energy and the location site itself...all are being recycled, making this project on target to be one of the first solid waste facilities to earn the coveted Platinum LEED® certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

A number of Oldcastle products contributed to these LEED® credits. Permeable pavers were used both in the parking lot (Aqua-Bric® Type 4)and for landscaping (Turfstone™). And, recycled glass was used in the manufacture of the Compac III retaining walls, the exterior Adams Split Face masonry, and the interior Adams Polished Face masonry.

Built on the site of the closed Wilders Grove landfill in east Raleigh, the 27-acre parcel was reclaimed by the placement of 160,000 cubic yards of fill generated from several city, state, and county construction projects. Other sustainable design elements include a geothermal HVAC and hot water system, water harvesting and recycling systems, electric vehicle plug-in stations, landscaping mulch comprised of recycled glass and yard waste, and metal roofing equipped for the future placement of solar panels.

Design Firm: Hazen and Sawyer - Raleigh, NC
General Contractor: T.A. Loving, Inc. - Goldsboro, NC
Mason Contractor: Mattachione Construction, Inc. - Apex, NC
Retaining Wall Installation: SVR Construction Company - Oxford, NC
Permeable Paver Installation: Fred Adams Paving - Morrisville, NC

Featured Product >> Adams Split Face Block

Adams Split Face Block is an integrally colored pre-finished block with a rough-hewn texture on one or more faces of the unit. Available in a variety of shapes and colors, Adams Split Face offers up to a 4-hour fire rating and is applicable for both interior and exterior use. For the Wilders Grove project, this product included locally recycled glass content and was used in a two-color design scheme for the exterior of the administrative building and the vehicle wash and storage facilities.

Featured Product >> Adams Polished Face Block

Adams Polished Face units are made differently than conventional ground face, utilizing a 10-head wet grind process that starts with an 80-grit diamond and works its way to a 3500-grit polishing wheel, giving the final finish a high luster. Used in the interior of the administrative building, the recycled glass content revealed in the manufacturing process will complement the artwork currently in commission that will grace the interior of the building to promote ways to reduce and reuse waste.

Featured Product >> Compac III

Compac III retaining walls are used throughout the complex and along the entrance to the grounds of the Wilders Grove facility. An economical alternative to natural stone, timber tie, or cast-in retaining systems, Compac III is lightway, easy to handle, and available with either tri-plane or straight face. For the Wilders Grove project, the Compac III blocks included recycled glass content.

Featured Product >> Turfstone™ Grid Pavement

Turfstone grid pavement blends perfectly with the landscape, allowing for either filler or vegetation inside the open grid. For the Wilders Grove project, the open grid allowed for the integration of recycled glass filler in the pedestrian areas to complement the recycling theme.

Featured Product >> Aqua-Bric® Type 4 Permeable Pavers

The Aqua-Bric Type 4 permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) system allows for storm water management to be handled on site, reducing and often eliminating the need for a retention pond. Used in the parking lot for the administrative building of the Wilders Grove complex, the infiltration qualities of this PICP system both reduces runoff quantity and increases ground water quality by filtering out harmful pollutants as storm water percolates down through the gradient gravel base.