Converting a former chicken plant into a concrete plant
Capital Ready Mix Concrete sought to expand their operations by converting an existing chicken processing plant into a concrete plant. WithersRavenel provided environmental due diligence, permitting, and stormwater management services for the site. These services helped convert the Brownfield site into an efficient, eco-friendly ready mix concrete facility.
Brownfields assessment performed
WithersRavenel environmental staff completed a Brownfields assessment of the site. The team investigated if hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants remained from chicken processing operations.
Once the Brownfield assessment was completed, WithersRavenel provided a grading plan to prepare the site for construction. The grading plan used a cut-and-fill approach. It moves soil from one part of the site to another. It avoids trucking in new soil from another source. Cut-and-fill is more economical from both labor and materials standpoints, and it was possible due to the lack of contamination at the site.
Buildings evaluated for reuse
The site plan involved the evaluation of multiple existing buildings for use or reuse. One building was unsalvageable and was therefore demolished, but another building was rehabilitated. Existing water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure was also reused where feasible. WithersRavenel is designing a site plan for the area where the building was demolished. The plan will provide parking and access for a facility. Capital plans to lease the facility to others.
Because of major changes to the grading and vertical structures, WithersRavenel rewrote the site’s Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. A new dry detention pond was added to the property to supplement the existing stormwater infrastructure and improve runoff quantity and quality.
Features of the new ready mix concrete plant
The new ready mix concrete plant will include a concrete truck washout pit with a special treatment and disposal process for used water. The treatment process uses a settling pit to remove solid particles from wash water. It also uses a pH monitoring system to control water released into sensitive wetland areas.
In addition to the washout pit, WithersRavenel designed site ingress and egress, reconfigured the existing parking, and converted an irregularly shaped area of the property into overflow parking. The overflow parking balanced Capital’s goal of no unused space with a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers riparian buffer. This buffer regulates use and stormwater treatment near wetland areas.
WithersRavenel obtained approval for all of these developments from the Town of Pittsboro and Chatham County.