The Northwest Solid Waste Transfer Station was originally constructed in 1980 on a closed landfill. Due to its age and limitations of the existing site, the County hired Ardurra to provide planning, design, permitting, and construction services for replacement of the existing building along with other scale facility and site improvements.

Limited by a ±$11 million construction budget and the inability to take the facility out of service, the County, Ardurra, and other team members were faced with a major challenge. The resulting project consisted of driving piles into the landfill around the perimeter of the existing building, constructing a new metal building over the existing building, and then demolishing the existing metal building from the inside out, all while keeping the facility in operation. The design approach retained the existing building concrete floors, walls, and lower level, which represented a significant cost savings. A detailed and innovative Construction Phasing Plan, along with “out of the box” life safety during construction measures, were also key to constructing the project without impacting existing operations.

The project was awarded the 2016 SWANA Silver Excellence, FICE Engineering Excellence, and ACEC National Recognition Awards.