Site Demolition and Earthwork of Former Shopping Center - The Foundry

In the 2013 construction season, Independence Excavating, Inc. teamed up with Mosites Construction and the Staenberg Group for a project near the transportation hub at the intersection of Interstates 79 and 70, in Washington County, south of Pittsburgh. The 70-acre site was a historic coal mining site, which was developed into a commercial site in 2006, with various retail stores. Shortly after construction, there were issues at the site causing damage to buildings, and the overall instability of the grade. In the last few years, the Staenberg Group teamed with Mosites Construction, and ultimately Independence Excavating, to remediate the ground issues and redevelop the site.

The major portion of the remediation was the removal of the 95-foot high reinforced earth basket retaining wall to create a lush grass slope. All of the excavation soils from this removal were reused on site to re-grade and redevelop the site for future new commercial and retail development. The planning and coordination of the work along the leading edge with our safety department was implemented flawlessly - not only to keep our workers and other trades safe, but to remove the leading edge effectively and efficiently ahead of schedule.

The project also included installation and revision to existing wetlands and water features of the site to preserve the environment. Our heavy iron danced around the delicate eco-system features to preserve a vibrant site in coordination with environmental consultants and regulators. Independence Excavating crews also installed all new drainage systems throughout the site to work with the new eco-systems.

By the time the fall weather hit, the developers had a re-graded and brand new site ready for buildings, pavement and all the follow-on trades to make a new commercial development for a busy area. We appreciate the work and coordination with the Staenberg Group and Mosites Construction to make this a successful project. Our work force performed this project with professionalism and attention-to-detail allowing for a successful turnover to redevelop the site. Thank you to our subcontractors and supplier members of our team, as well as our support shop and dispatch throughout the project.