Asbestos Soil Remediation for a Tier 1 Builder in Wakerley

The Challenge: Contamination Blocking Civil Works

Following demolition at a Wakerley site, asbestos-contaminated material remained in the ground. The demolition contractor initially estimated that about 20 tonnes needed removing. Unable to complete the remaining work in the time they had, they referred the builder’s site supervisor to Total Asbestos.

The builder was ready to start civil works, but before any other soil could be moved, the contaminated material had to be assessed and dealt with. Uncertainty about how far it extended, and how to manage it, had already held the program up for about two weeks.

Establishing the Full Extent of the Work

Once Total Asbestos became involved, further inspection indicated the contamination was far more extensive than the initial estimate suggested. The team engaged a hygienist to attend the site, carry out sampling and define the remediation scope. That written assessment became the basis for the work, and Total Asbestos followed it.

The eventual scope was excavation and removal of approximately 1,000 tonnes of contaminated material. The gap between the first estimate and the real quantity is the lesson of this job: establish the extent properly before treating contamination as a small residual clean-up.

Mobilising Once Approval Was Received

With the scope defined and approval received, Total Asbestos mobilised immediately. The team deployed a 20-tonne excavator and a 30-tonne excavator, supported by a four-person crew: two operators, one asbestos supervisor and one asbestos technician. Approximately 1,000 tonnes of contaminated material were excavated and removed in three days, following the hygienist’s scope. The waste went to Remondis at Swanbank.

Coordinating Remediation on an Active Site

Other personnel were working on site while the remediation took place. Clear communication with those workers was central to coordinating activities and keeping them out of the asbestos work area. Air monitoring was carried out during the project; the project team reports every result was below 0.01 fibres per millilitre.

Clearance and the Project Outcome

The remediation was completed in May 2026. Following the clearance issued by the hygienist, the builder resumed civil works immediately. What began as an estimated 20-tonne clean-up became a removal scope of about 1,000 tonnes. Defining the extent with a hygienist, mobilising promptly after approval and coordinating excavation with other site personnel allowed the team to clear the contamination that had been holding up the construction program.

Is asbestos-contaminated soil holding up your project?

Our asbestos soil remediation service and site decontamination service are built for construction programs: scoped with a hygienist, resourced with 20 and 30-tonne excavators, and documented with air monitoring, waste tracking certificates and clearance. Contact Total Asbestos to discuss site assessment, remediation requirements and mobilisation.