Concrete Products

SEP 2015

Concrete Products covers the issues that attract producers of ready mixed and manufactured concrete focusing on equipment and material technology, market development and management topics.

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16 • September 2015 www.concreteproducts.com An artificial reef program utilizing discard- ed concrete transmission poles to enhance south Florida's marine environment garnered Florida Power & Light Co. the Industry Excel- lence Award, Environmental category, in an annual Southeastern Electric Exchange program. Over a three-year period, FPL ini- tiated a recycling program repurposing 183 prestressed poles—approximately 3,000 tons of concrete—for projects off the coast of St. Lucie County. The reefs provide habitat to 110-plus marine life species, whose abun- dance and variety attract divers and anglers. "FPL's generous gift has become a popular fishing and diving site for residents and vaca- tioners alike," says St. Lucie County Marine Resource Coordinator James Oppenborn. "These reefs have created a direct economic opportunity for area businesses to shuttle visitors to and from the reefs' locations." "There were four main considerations to weigh when we embarked on this pro- gram. We had to beneficially reuse poles, reduce waste sent to Florida landfills, limit the amount of required construction man- agement, and manage costs," observes FPL Distribution Environmental Manager Loretta Cranmer. "This is a perfect way to demon- strate to customers and industry peers that there are sustainable opportunities to lever- age when it comes to reducing waste while at the same time making a positive contribu- tion to the local economy. NEWS SCOPE ENVIRONMENTAL 'Spent' prestressed poles live on to anglers and marine species' delight Florida Power & Light was recognized this year for a decade-long project to develop four sites within the St. Lucie and Martin counties' artifcial reef program. Here, reef contractor McCulley Marine Services dispatches a 500-ton load of donated materials and structures. PHOTOS: Florida Power & Light "We have to look at opportunities that are practical from a construction manage- ment perspective, beneficially reuse poles and avoid negative impacts to project costs. Artificial reef programs meet all the criteria." FPL is expanding artificial reef program donations into other counties, Cranmer adds, incorporating an environmental "recy- clable" assessment process on any project that involves transmission infrastructure. For coastal county projects that include removal of 30 or more used concrete poles, the environmental assessment now includes an added scope referencing the option of donating structures to local artificial reef programs.

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