‘3R’ Deconstructing Old Notions of Demolition for 2010

Publish Date: August 2008

When talking with Corinne Fulton, General Manager of 3R Demolition, it becomes clear very quickly that she is extraordinarily proud of what her company does, and the people who work there. And why not? 3R is not just another demolition company; the Burnaby-based business is leading the way into the future of responsible and sustainable demolition and deconstruction.

The ‘3R’ in the name actually refers to the same 3R’s we are all taught in school – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. That is because the company is committed to the concept of “deconstruction,” which Fulton explains is a word used to differentiate between the traditional notions of ‘remove and dump’ demolition from today’s highly sophisticated, environmentally friendly deconstruction, recycle and salvage opportunity industry.

“A lot of people think demolition is about smashing down walls with a sledge hammer or a wrecking ball, but the process is really very complex and needs to be planned very carefully,” said Fulton. “It’s the reverse of building, and it takes just as much skill and attention. I like to think of my people as artists.”

3R has become very proficient in deconstruction. Not only is their Burnaby headquarters built almost entirely of reused materials, but their onsite projects are also able to reuse typically around 80% of the materials removed, including concrete, metals, wood, and even drywall.

These practices have earned the company major work on 2010-related projects including the new UBC Winter Sports Arena. This is a project which earned the company the coveted Leed Gold certification only awarded to projects demonstrating a thorough application of green building practices and principles. On the project 3R was able to recycle 87% of the materials they removed, diverting 8,413 tons of waste away from the landfill.

The company has also worked on the Trout Lake arena in Vancouver which will be used for Olympic training leading up to the 2010 Winter Games. And most recently, 3R has won a contract from Dominion Construction to help prepare BC Place for the 2010 Opening & Closing Ceremonies. And thanks to 3R Demolition and hundreds of other BC companies devoted to sustainability, the 2010 Games are well on their way to being the most sustainable Games ever.

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