ACP Pubs

Steve Hudson

More Talk About Green
March 31, 2008

Last time we talked about the greening of Chamblee, Ga., but interest in green construction is showing up elsewhere in the state too. One of the latest places to go green is the Georgia Ports Authority', where green was a factor in the recently completed Container Berth 2 Upgrade. Green elements included use of recycled material and shifts to equipment which uses more green-friendly fuels.

"These projects will increase capacity, improve efficiency and the environment," said Steve Green, Georgia Ports Authority's (GPA) Chairman of the Board. "Our goal is to create jobs and be good stewards of the environment and these projects do exactly that."

The $11.6 million Container Berth 2 upgrade project included the use of 12,200 tons, or 24 acres, of recycled concrete material.

"Not only did we eliminate the need to import quarried stone but also the need to dispose of it," said Doug J. Marchand, GPA's Executive Director. "Emission reduction from this project alone is significant."

As part of its Container Berth 2 upgrade, the GPA announced the completion of more than 300 slots on terminal for refrigerated cargo containers. These new cargo racks are completely electrified and greatly reduce the GPA's reliance on diesel power for cargo refrigeration on terminal.

The GPA also announced that it had completed a six-year project to transfer its ship-to-shore cranes from diesel to electric power. "Today we have 17 cranes powered solely by electricity," said Marchand. "As a result of this program, the Port of Savannah will conserve more than 1.5 million gallons of diesel fuel every year. It is safe to say that the release of hundreds of tons of nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter will also be avoided." 
    How are green materials being used on your projects? Are they working well and saving money? Are they causing complications or increasing costs?

Posted by Steve Hudson on March 31, 2008 | Comments (0)