North Carolina State University recycles materials of former classroom building

North Carolina State University (NC State) in Raleigh, North Carolina, deconstructed Harrelson Hall, a classroom building on campus, and recycled or salvaged 95 percent of the building’s nonhazardous materials and contents, a report on the university’s website says. 

According to the report, university officials evaluated the condition of the building and identified items that could be reused on campus or within the community before deconstruction began.

Mechanical and fire safety systems, lighting fixtures, energy meters, instructional technology and carpet tiles were among the items that were redistributed across the campus, the report says. Furniture sold as university surplus, whiteboards were sent to a new local high school and interior doors are now used by the local fire department as training exercises.

Deconstruction began in summer 2016, where 11.7 million pounds of debris, including concrete and steel, were taken to a local recycling company for processing. Hazardous materials such as asbestos were contained and disposed of according to federal and state regulations, the report says.

A new science classroom building will take the place of Harrelson Hall in the future, the report says.