Target Corporation was interested in establishing a SuperTarget in Acworth, Georgia. Located just outside of Atlanta, a 40-acre closed site previously used as an “inert” landfill for disposal of land clearing wastes and rubble was selected for a new shopping center with Target as the anchor store. A portion of the subsurface fill was on fire, but despite the risks, the area was considered a prime location for the new Lakeside Marketplace.
Target turned to retail developer North American Properties to initiate the project. North American Properties, in turn, retained SCS Engineers to control the subsurface fire and mitigate methane gas.
SCS performed a peer review of conceptual plans for controlling the subsurface fire and mitigating methane gas and suggested several changes. SCS then provided engineering, construction, and health and safety monitoring for the fire control and methane mitigation aspects of the project so that development of the Lakeside Marketplace could begin.
With construction complete, Lakeside Marketplace tenants include SuperTarget, Ross, PETCO, Books-A-Million, OfficeMax, and Famous Footwear. This project serves as a prototype for landfill redevelopment: a combination of investigation, design, construction oversight, and construction services with an ultimate goal of superior risk management. SCS expertise in both subsurface fire control and methane management and our understanding of retail construction and development were key to the project’s success.
Mitigation measures by SCS Engineers include the following:
Injection of carbon dioxide to help control combustion.
Installation of a passive methane mitigation system for most of the buildings, consisting of a vent layer vented to the roof and a 60 mil Liquid Boot spray-applied barrier membrane. For one building, SCS designed and installed an active ventilation system, using a 2,300 scfm blower and automated controls mounted on the roof.
Stores located over the deepest part of the fill (60 feet) are supported on H-piles, as are utilities that would be adversely affected by differential settlement. Dynamic deep compaction was used to stabilize high traffic areas and building footprints where fill was relatively shallow. Aggregate piers were used for other buildings at the site.
All stores are protected by active and passive SCS methane management systems and services include monitoring activities and quarterly reports to the local Building Department and the County Fire Department for Weingarten Realty that acquired the property from the developer.
Brownfields and Remediation Services
Environmental Due Diligence and All Appropriate Inquiries
