Concrete runways are transformed into office walls

Arvada-based ReCrete Materials, Inc. got the runways from the former Stapleton International Airport to stand on end.

In a unique effort, Etkin Johnson Group, general contractor Murray and Stafford, Inc., concrete contractor CAL Construction, Inc. and Forest City Development are using ReCrete’s ready-mix concrete made from the former airport’s recycled runways to create the tilt-up panels (outer walls) for their office and industrial development, Enterprise Park at Stapleton.

According to the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, the 3.1 million pounds of recycled concrete used on this project is the largest use of recycled concrete in a tilt-up application ever. “The current perception that recycled products may only be used for lower-end uses is obsolete,” ReCrete president Jason Buesing states.

The developer, Etkin Johnson Group, plans to seek LEED certification for this project which includes three buildings with 441,000 square feet of office and industrial space within the Stapleton Redevelopment. Energy efficient, green building design will be incorporated throughout. The decision to use recycled concrete for the project was based on several factors. “The material was readily available at nominal additional costs, it meets our quality standards and using it has positive environmental impacts,” comments Jim Vasbinder, vice president of development for Etkin Johnson Group.

ReCrete Materials, Inc. is on the cutting edge of utilizing recycled concrete in new, ready-mix applications. Projects to date have been private, public, industrial and commercial with a client list that includes the City and County of Denver, the City of Thornton, the City of Arvada, the Town of Golden and numerous local residential and construction firms. Utilizing concrete debris from Denver’s former airport, as well as from various local demolition projects, conserves natural resources, reduces the volume of concrete in landfills and reduces the carbon footprint for ReCrete and their clients.