Cambria Contracting: Mall Rats

Typically, when people hear the name Cambria Contracting they don't picture a phalanx of  well manicured haberdashers.  Simply because of the nature of our work, and perhaps our headquarters locations, Cambria Contracting is thought of as the nadir fashion.  Nothing could be further from the truth, and we can prove it too.  Just read our following story about a time we went to the mall.

Located in Pittsburgh, PA the Eastland Mall was built in 1961 and served as one of Pittsburgh's premiere retail outlets for decades.  In fact it held that title up until 2007, when Cambria Contracting was called in to to demolish the 940,000 sq. ft. facility.  Overlooking the Monongahela River the Eastland Mall was one of Cambria Contracting's more scenic worksites.  

One of the unique challenges of this particular job was the large amount of asbestos that had been used in both the original building, and the re-building of the mall after a fire in 1971.  Asbestos was throughout almost all of the materials used in the construction of the mall, including but not limited to floor tiles, ceiling tiles, plaster, and mastic.  Although the mall had once been an open air shopping plaza, after the fire it had gained a roof in the rebuild and this somewhat aided Cambria Contracting in making sure that the appropriate areas were sealed off.  This process has to be precise to ensure the job site maintains EPA standards.  

Alongside the towering amount of asbestos were plenty of other challenges.  There were bulbs, ballasts, and mercury switches throughout the facility which had once helped accommodate the crowds of people who once populated the walkways of the mall.  When identified and then disposed of properly these industrial lighting and plumbing components do not pose as much of a risk as the asbestos.  In fact, if removed cautiously these items are ripe for resale and have a high value to clients looking for asset salvaging.  

The mall had also had been a place where crowds could gather to feast on food court delights.  Throughout the mall's 42 year life span many different greasy spoons took up kiosks throughout the food court.  All of which were supported by a plumbing and coolant system and cleaning agents.  All of this hazardous waste had to be removed in order to comply with present criteria.  Cambria Contracting successfully mitigated the environmental threats that these chemicals presented as well.  

After all the hard work had been done, so Cambria Contracting decided to treat themselves to a movie in the mall's theatre.  After taking in "Eastern Promises" (very good, Cambria Contracting recommends!)  Cambria Contracting walked out of the theatre and promptly tore down and gutted the entire 680,000 sq. ft. facility.  Aside from some delicate removals for asset salvage purposes this part of the project did not present nearly as much of a challenge as the other components involved.

All in all, it was simply another job by Cambria Contracting done right.

Cambria Contracting Saves Clients Money

Cambria Contracting is one of North America's largest industrial demolition companies, but one of the real areas of expertise they possess is the ability to salvage and profit from the items which comprise their demolitions.  Not only is this aspect a large source of joy for site owners and environmentalists alike.  With the experience and knowledge that Cambria Contracting possesses, the list of what can be salvaged, scrapped, resold, or re-used is already very long and continuously growing.  Even if a company shows no interest in these measures, Cambria Contracting still takes all appropriate steps to encourage items to be renewed and serve purposes anew.

Most of the salvage that Cambria Contracting comes across is metal.  Most of it can easily be cleaned and re-sold on the market as simple scrap.  Sometimes it requires decontamination efforts but Cambria Contracting is more than happy to take this step as it usually is required by the DEC in general, but also allows for the material in question to be re-used.  Often times in industrial cases, many of the metal components of an old plant, if extracted correctly, can be re-sold and incorporated to new plants throughout the world.  Cambria Contracting see this re-use as one of the many duties it is responsible for to make sure full value is gained from any and all materials or machines.  

In fact, there are many things most contractors do not realize can and are recycled.  Again, this is where Cambria Contracting  again displays how important it is to remain on the forefront of industry knowledge.  Roofing shingles can now be made into asphalt.  Plastics of all densities are re-used to make tough, pallets for industrial use.  Metals are scrapped to be re-used again, unless they are good-to-go components to be re-used in another facility.  

This is easily one of Cambria Contracting's favorite parts of a demolition.  It cuts owner's costs, keeps landfills from filling up and in some cases allows other construction projects to come in under budget by using a pre-owned item.  Our commitment to the environment helps make the difference.  It is just one of the many reasons Cambria Contracting has excelled as North America's premier demolition company.