
Three primary concerns come up when transporting compostable organics: site volume generation, moisture content, and bulk density (weight). Hallco Live Floors equipped trailers allow for the circular transportation of raw materials to and compost away from composting facilities.
The feedstock sources for compostable raw materials are important for two main concerns: volume and type of vehicle required for transport. A small restaurant in the inner city will produce a smaller volume than a farmer pulling crop residuals off their fields or a tree trimmer after a storm. The volume also creates concerns with the size of the vehicle needed for the removal of the organic material. Transfer stations collecting organics will generally have the real estate needed to maneuver larger transfer trailers around the facility. A typical household in the larger cities needs a smaller collection truck, nimble enough to navigate the city streets collecting multiple households before emptying into a larger vessel. This collection of smaller household organics will then be transferred directly to the composter or to a collection site at a transfer station where a transfer trailer, such as those equipped with Hallco Live Floors, can be utilized to transport both feedstocks and finished compost.
Another major concern is the level of moisture in the feedstocks. Moisture is measured as a percentage of water in the raw materials. This measure varies greatly with consideration not only to the type of organic, but also the time of year it is collected. Fresh cut grass from a suburban community in the early spring or kitchen food scraps will have a much higher moisture content than racked leaves in the fall from the same area. The higher the moisture level of the materials, the heavier they are to transport. With organic feedstocks for compost, moisture of 45-65% and the accompanying extra weight of that moisture, will create compression of liquid in the bottom of a large transfer trailer. Hallco’s floor systems are capable of handling organic loads from 15-45 tons. The liquid created from compression will require a leak-resistant or leak-proof design in the floor system to keep from dripping onto roads, ferries, and scales. Smaller volumes of wetter materials such as waste food from hotels, restaurants, prisons, and convention centers can be accommodated in roll-off containers and then transported to a collection site such as a transfer station or compost site.
Bulk density is the measure of weight for a given volume. Waste organic materials with a higher bulk density will require a large vehicle to move it from generation to compost facility. Smaller vehicles may be used but would require move frequent and costly trips. A transfer trailer would be the best option for the generators of large amounts of organic waste. Feedstock will have a much higher bulk density than finished compost for most producers.
Hallco Industries, Inc. has been producing leak-resistant and leak-proof Live Floors systems for nearly half a century. A traditional horizontal unloading system is mounted under the belly of the trailer. This type of drive system utilizes a 21-26 aluminum reciprocating slat design and varies according to the trailer manufacturer and width of the trailer. These systems can be made leak-resistant but due to the hydraulic drive attaching to the floor from underneath, they are not able to become completely leak-proof. An under-mount drive system is perfect for dryer feedstock of organics and for unloading finished compost with moisture levels below 50%.
For the transport of high moisture feedstocks, Hallco employs its front-mounted Brute leak-proof Hallco Live Floors systems. These have hydraulics on the outside of the nose of the trailer. This allows for the connection of the floor slats to be sealed and positioned outside of the rising liquids inside the trailers. The aluminum floor slats are mounted on raised subdeck, allowing for a sealed floor in the trailers.
As more communities begin to mandate the recycling/non-landfilling of household organics, the need to transport them properly will become more vital to the success of these programs. Curbside pickup of organics is conducted in most states in North America. However, these organics programs are largely focused on yard waste, which is generally low in moisture and bulk density. Many communities are expanding these mandates to include food waste which is much higher on both these scales. To combat the high moisture created by food waste, transfer stations are utilizing leak-proof Hallco Live Floors to eliminate the leaking of organic liquid during transportation.
Utilizing organic feedstocks for compost provides many challenges for communities and transportation haulers alike. Sorting various types of organics and ensuring their proper place on the organics management pyramid will become paramount in the fight against food waste. With landfilling as the last option, many communities are looking to find new novel ways of dealing with this problem.
For transport haulers of waste organics, looking at these three factors combined; high moisture, high volume, and high bulk density allows them to better understand the need for the proper equipment to safely transport these products. Hydraulic power units will need to be fitted appropriately. By utilizing high-volume transfer trailers to move larger volumes of feedstocks and finished compost, an organization can reduce trips and utilize fewer employees during transport. Furthermore, operators will need to consider the amount of liquid produced from high moisture organics. A wet load can create between 6 and 18 inches of liquid in the bottom of a trailer if left overnight. Utilizing a leak-proof transfer trailer will be required to prevent the liquid from spilling onto the road or vehicles traveling behind them.
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