C&D recycling systems have evolved slowly but steadily over the years. When you consider the materials generated from demoed buildings, renovations and new construction, it is easy to appreciate what it takes for a sorting system to separate out constituent materials of value while minimizing the associated residual wastes destined for the landfill.

A recent history of innovation

The challenge has always been how to get C&D recycling equipment to do more, so people could do less. Adding a low-speed shredder at the front end of the system was a big step in the right direction for many in the industry, as it helped regulate the size and flow of a waste stream that is by nature, a hodgepodge of contrasts—big vs. small, heavy vs. light and valuable vs. costly to dispose.

Those running systems without shredders commonly added steel Z-pan apron feeders to help provide a metered, more uniform flow to downstream equipment and workers. These systems’ low feed heights enabled excavator operators to better see and control the material mix and flow going to the screen(s).

Over time, the single line systems morphed into dual line C&D systems. Here, the “B line” was added to mechanically capture the small- and medium-size metals and aggregates that would have previously been easily missed by human hands. This addition helped impact the dual line system’s overall recovery rates and increased profitability.

The conventional wisdom has always been “the more magnets the better.” Similarly, density separators on B lines have become equally as ubiquitous, as they mechanically recover aggregates ranging from the size of a finger to the size of a head, efficiently separating by density in the process. As landfill tip rates are typically based on weight, keeping heavy aggregates out of the residuals directly impacts recyclers’ bottom lines.

Ever in search of ways to further increase the recovery of metals and aggregates, a few additional trends have taken root. C&D recyclers have toe-dipped into adding eddy current separators on their B line lights to mechanically capture the nonferrous metals which could otherwise be easily missed. The same goes for optical sorters, which are mostly utilized for capturing hand-size and smaller grade-A wood.

Additionally, many recyclers have added rubber mat secondary (or in some cases, tertiary) screens, with two goals in mind: One, smaller fines remove the “blowables” which can be objectionable to landfills. Secondly, more acute fine screening gives small aggregates a chance to become a revenue-generating product rather than an added expense to the disposal bill. In many systems, these aggregates are captured by the density separator already in the system.

The arrival of new solutions

Until recently, each of these technology advancements in C&D have been squarely aimed at improving recovery rates of the small- to medium-size stream. After all, how could a piece of machinery possibly be tasked with dealing with the infinitely variable stream consisting of large material on the A line?

If you’ve watched a C&D sorting system in operation over the past 20 years, you’ve no doubt been struck by the difficulty of the job the sorters on the manual A line have. In a 5-second window, it might not be unusual to see slowly passing concrete slabs, cardboard, tarp, carpet, pallets, two-by-fours, paint cans, toys, bikes, scrap metals, chimney pieces, film plastic, toilets and more rolling down the line.

Conventional wisdom had until recently dictated that only humans could possibly deal with the nature of the material mix and burden depth of the manual sort line. But as robots began being added to recycling systems of other waste streams, some innovative equipment manufacturers in the C&D recycling space began exploring how robots might help solve this problem for C&D recyclers.

C&D recyclers in Europe have been utilizing robotic sorting systems in recent years, but many of their American counterparts have skeptically wondered how robots could possibly work here among higher production flows and more varied streams in both size and composition. What quickly became clear was that in order to give the robots any chance of effectively doing their job, the material stream being presented to them had to be radically improved.

To enable their ZenRobotic robots to effectively pick large wood, aggregates, rigid plastics and more on the manual A sort line, the teams at Komptech and Plexus developed a piece of front-end machinery to do just that—an extreme-duty, 14 foot by 20 foot ballistic separator. While its predecessor, the primary vibratory Finger Screen, strictly separated big from small, the ballistic separator allows for a three-way material separation.

The ballistic separator’s aggressively shuffling paddles pass the small- to medium-size fraction through circular holes in its paddles, while carrying the two-dimensional stream (think tarp, carpet, film plastic, cardboard, etc.) up and over the end, while in the process, rolling back the three-dimensional stream consisting of materials such as aggregates, wood and rigid plastics off its opposite end.

Each of these three ballistic-separated streams are collected by conveyors and directed for efficient onward processing with a substantially reduced number of manual sorters needed. With the majority of the bulky trash being directed to the two-dimensional sort line with minimal sorters, the valuable recyclables on the 3D conveyor can now be readily seen and accessed for optimized recovery with a reduced number of sorters either of the human or robotic variety.

The combination of the shredding and ballistic separation action has the added benefit of cleaning up metals, as a powerful in-line magnet can effectively capture large nonferrous metals before the 3D sort line. Another innovation in these systems that helps maximize recovery efficiency and uptime is the use of walking floor trailer-size metering bunkers for the 3D stream. These help regulate the flow to the 3D sort line, which is critical for use with robots, but equally as valuable for human sorters.

Help is on the way

These combined technologies offer respite for sorters, who have long wished for a day where they would only mostly receive good-quality material where they can simply see and pick what they want without being overrun by less valuable materials. The ballistic separator, which typically follows a shredder and vibe pan feeder to help spread out the flow to the far reaches of its paddles, helps make this happen in a way never before seen in North American C&D facilities.

Rather than requiring 10-15 sorters on a high-production manual A sort line, a ballistic separator-based C&D system will more commonly require just a handful of sorters strategically placed throughout. With a more uniform, regulated and stratified material flow, fewer sorters can achieve far higher recovery rates than was possible on less sophisticated lines.

These separators also offer another benefit in the form of negative sorting wood. While it is no secret that wood typically compromises 30-40 percent of the entire waste stream entering C&D recyclers’ yards, it has up to now largely been impossible for sorters to pick everything else off of the line to allow the abundant stream of wood to remain on the belt. But with the ballistic separator mechanically separating the large two-dimensional from the 3D stream, negative sorting of wood on the 3D sort line can now be readily achieved.

Like every piece of technology, ballistic separator-based C&D systems are not for everyone. As these systems are more equipment-intensive (so that they can be less labor-intensive), they tend to be larger and have a higher capital cost (though a lower long-term operating cost). So, we tend to see these gaining strong traction in higher tip fee areas where recyclers have larger daily inbound volumes, higher labor rates and established end markets for products.

While the ballistic separator was designed to optimize the performance of robots, North American recyclers have quickly discovered that it also helps substantially improve the performance of its human sorters and its overall lines. The result is there is little doubt that we will see an increasing number of C&D systems utilizing robots to help out manual sorters in the coming years, which is good news, as there is a place for both—under the right conditions.

Howard Fiedler is the VP of sales at Sparta Manufacturing. He can be reached at Howard.Fiedler@spartaway.com. Sparta Manufacturing designs, manufactures and installs C&D recycling systems.

There’s a saying I like—you can do a small job with a big machine, but not vice versa. Not enough contractors realize those words apply to high-reach excavators. The result: They miss out on an opportunity.

Whether it is a smaller contractor looking to get into demolition or a contractor who wants to start bidding on larger demo projects, it makes sense to consider investing in a high-reach demolition excavator. A common misconception about these machines is that they have a limited use. Yes, they are designed for high-reach projects. However, with the right machine, there is no reason these multi-use tools can’t be capable of working on all of a contractor’s jobs.

For contractors considering making the leap to the high-reach demolition market, here are three tips to help in the decision-making process.

1. Selecting the right boom configuration

It’s important to choose a high-reach excavator that has boom options that will allow one’s company to compete for the demolition jobs it wants to go after and offers versatility on the variety of jobs capable of being tackled.

For example, with commercial high-rises, like a hotel, the structure may have lighter steel at the top of the building. Thus, contractors looking to bid on this type of work will want to prioritize maximum pin height over tool weight since only a mid-size tool may be necessary.

For tackling the middle of a building or a mid-sized structure, like an industrial building, contractors won’t need as much height, but will need a stronger tool that can cut through that stronger material.

The strongest, thickest material is often found at the bottom of a structure. For these jobs, contractors won’t need as much height, but will need a boom configuration that can support a heavier tool. The same goes for processing material at or near ground level.

Finally, just because it’s a high-reach excavator doesn’t mean these pieces of equipment need to be excluded from being used for digging or earth moving. With the right configuration, these tools can be just as effective for these jobs. Therefore, contractors should consider looking for a machine with a digging boom option for added versatility.

2. Choosing factory-built vs. aftermarket customization

After a company has determined what boom configurations it will need, it should evaluate whether it should work with a third party to convert a standard excavator into a high-reach machine or if it should purchase a factory-built high-reach excavator.

Something to keep in mind with a third-party boom is that adding that to an excavator means the machine has essentially been built twice: first as a standard excavator and then with the high-reach boom added on. This means dealing with two companies when it comes to repairs, warranties and other issues.

I’ve seen many contractors get stuck in the middle when a problem arises, inevitably ending with the other two parties blaming each other. A factory-built high-reach excavator means service needs only require one call and parts can be delivered faster.

Also, contractors should consider the performance advantages of having a machine that is designed to do high-reach demolition work. From the platform to the cab to safety features—a purpose-built machine was designed and manufactured to do a specific kind of work.

Having a factory-built machine also means changing out the boom and attachments is easier. For example, a single operator has the ability to swap out a high-reach boom for a digging boom and arm in 45 minutes—without assistance from another laborer—on some machines.

3. Design differentiators

If a contractor decides to go with a factory-built machine, they should know there are design differences between brands. Some include the boom configurations that are offered and the ability to easily change between high-reach and digging configurations. Interestingly, it’s a component that’s close to the ground — the undercarriage — where a lot of other differentiators can be found. Look for a high-reach excavator with an undercarriage that provides a larger footprint for added stability. A retractable undercarriage that expands can also provide additional stability when needed. Finally, hydraulically extendable undercarriages allow for a 360-degree working range, decreasing the time needed to reposition the machine. This can also be helpful if the undercarriage features easy-to-remove track frames and the ability to self-disassemble and reassemble for easier transportation.

In the end, there are a lot of considerations when picking the right high-reach demolition excavator. The right equipment dealer and manufacturers can help you find the best fit for your needs.

The author is the national sales director, demolition, with Volvo Construction Equipment, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and can be contacted via email at volvoce.mediacenter@volvo.com.

Nearly a decade ago, when Dallas-based Champion Waste & Recycling Vice President Paul Kuhar was searching for equipment that could handle his construction & demolition (C&D) recycling facility’s material loading needs, an excavator seemed like the right choice.

“In C&D, a lot of times the [excavators] we saw … were always perched on debris piles,” Kuhar says. “A lot of people we talked to said that was the best way to process material because the machine is elevated and you can see what and how you’re loading material. We weren’t really fans of that approach, but that seemed to be the norm, so we went with that [and purchased an excavator]. But what we quickly realized is that we didn’t need to be perched on piles. We were going to feed from the ground.”

In the company’s Celina, Texas-based C&D facility, operators had been loading from the floor directly onto Champion’s finger screen. However, this setup made it difficult to accurately account for the materials loaded onto the system due to the placement of the cab.

“Our setup posed challenges because the excavator would be fully extended and the operator couldn’t see where he was loading, so he would either overload the system or he would underload the system,” Kuhar says.

Though the equipment had its limitations, the company stuck with excavators for years. But around 2015, Kuhar started hearing buzz about a newer piece of equipment that could handle a versatile set of needs: material handlers.

With a 60,000-square-foot material recovery facility (MRF) dedicated to commercial recycling in Dallas in addition to the a 65,000-square-foot C&D MRF the company operated, Kuhar wondered whether material handlers would be a better fit for Champion’s needs. He picked the brains of scrap handlers, who were the primary users of material handlers at the time, along with C&D operators who had taken the plunge in adding these machines to their fleets. Through these discussions, Kuhar says he became convinced adding a material handler to the company’s equipment fleet could be a shrewd move.

After diligent research, Kuhar settled on a Sennebogen 821 E material handler, which Champion first debuted at its Dallas commercial MRF.

Suitable testing grounds

The Sennebogen 821 E-series of material handlers have a reach of nearly 43 feet. Perhaps just as important, the cabs can lift hydraulically up to almost 9 feet, allowing operators to get a better view of where they’re loading. Additionally, since the machine has four different types of attachments available, it offers users the ability to handle a variety of different materials and jobs.

According to Kuhar, the Dallas MRF proved to be an optimal place to test the machine’s versatility and flexibility.

“The way we load material there and the way that facility is set up, it’s harder to load with the front end loader,” Kuhar says. “Our commercial facility is very unique in the way we’re set up to load material. We don’t have the ability to have loading ramps and different dockets and things like that.”

Kuhar says operators quickly found the material handlers to be a better fit in the facility than the excavators they were used to. Kuhar says the machines offer a panoramic view of the ground in the facility, and they feature joysticks that move with the seat for simple control of the material handler’s arm.

“The material handler gave us the ability to load material a lot easier,” Kuhar says. “It has the raised cab, so the operator can see inside of the trailer that he’s loading. Plus, it’s a wheeled machine versus a track machine, so it’s less wear and tear on our paved surfaces there.”

After realizing improved efficiencies at its commercial MRF, Champion purchased another Sennebogen 821 material handler the following year for its C&D MRF.

C&D facility

While Kuhar says excavators are typically the primary equipment used to load material at C&D MRFs, the company’s operators were up for the challenge in switching to a new material handler.

“We made the switch initially and bought a material handler for our Celina C&D facility,” Kuhar says. “We demoed it, we tested it out. … But it was something different, something new, so there was a learning curve there.”

Kuhar says the excavator that operators were previously using had a grapple bucket and only moved in a straight-line motion. After converting to the material handler, they began trying out two new attachments—an orange peel grab and a clamshell grab—that could articulate 360 degrees.

“Sometimes you get rebar, wires, things like that. And so with the five-finger orange peel grapple, we’re able to grab the material, and since it articulates 360 degrees, you can spin the grapple around, detangle some stuff, kind of fluff up the material,” Kuhar says. “We tried both attachments, and our particular operators liked the five-finger-type grapple better than the clamshell.”

Operators also had to get used to being in an elevated cab in the new material handler as opposed to being close to the ground where they were constantly staring up at the bucket on the excavator that blocked their vision. However, over the course of a few weeks, the difference became second nature for the team’s operators, Kuhar says. Despite the changes, Kuhar says it only took operators about a month to surpass the learning curve and get used to the new piece of equipment.

“The operators really liked the fact that they were able to be elevated in the cab. It’s like a bird perch. They can get up there and they can see all the material. They can see how they’re loading it,” Kuhar says. “Your line of vision is much better, and the ability to have that articulating 360-degree motion with the attachments allows you to do some different things that you normally couldn’t do with an excavator.”

After proving itself in the company’s commercial and C&D facilities, Champion purchased one more Sennebogen. The company now has three total: Two at the C&D facility that each run nearly 10 hours a day, and then one at the commercial MRF that runs nearly eight hours a day.

“The advantage for us really has been ease of loading. The operator is elevated in that cab, he can see all the material, he can load more efficiently, he can pick out things,” Kuhar says.

He adds that material handlers make prescreening easier, as operators can pick out large material that would otherwise damage the screen.

The material handlers have reduced damage to other equipment, too. Kuhar says even the best operators would sometimes damage crossbeams for auto-tarp systems on transfer trailers when using excavators simply because their line of vision was blocked. Now, operators have a clear view nearly everywhere they’re working thanks to the added lift from the material handlers, which has helped cut down on accidents.

Even with the transition, Champion hasn’t completely abandoned the company’s excavators. Kuhar says they still come in handy in a pinch, but that it is unlikely Champion will deviate from the material handlers being the company’s workhorse anytime soon.

“The excavator has its place in the C&D recycling world, and we still use it, … but the precision with material handlers is a lot better—at least from our standpoint,” Kuhar says. “There’s always going to be a debate amongst companies about what is the best option, but in our opinion, we’ve been really happy with the friendliness of how our material handlers can load, and the operators really enjoy it.”

This article originally appeared in the January/February issue of Waste Today.

C&D Recycling is critical throughout the U.S., but its importance becomes amplified in geographies where space is at a premium. One such location is on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

Although it has long been a pressing issue in Maui, the need to preserve landfill space became even more pronounced in 2016 when the only C&D landfill on the island closed, leaving companies without a permitted location to take excess inert materials.

Realizing the need for a solution, Pete Sullivan opened Kihei, Hawaii-based Hawaii Materials Recycling (HMR) in 2018 to help recycle concrete, asphalt, rock, dirt and clean sand. Sullivan, who has also served as the owner of PB Sullivan Construction since he established the company in 1994, says opening a C&D recycling facility focused on inert waste was a natural extension of his construction company’s operations.

“We have been crushing and screening rock, concrete and asphalt on job sites to support our construction company since 2006,” he says. “In 2016, the only C&D landfill on the island closed and there was no other permitted place to take materials. Quite often, there is a surplus of excavated rock or dirt on a job site. Ideally, you would take this material to another job site that requires the material, however, that is not always available, so it was a natural progression to open the facility.”

Although the need was clear, getting permission to open the recycling site, which sits on 10 acres HMR leases from landowner Haleakala Ranch, did come with its own set of challenges, Sullivan says.

He says HMR had to wait a year to get an initial permit to operate crushers on-site and about three years to get the special use permit from the county of Maui to use agricultural land for a recycling facility as well as three years to get a solid waste permit from the state’s department of health. He says to help facilitate the permitting process, HMR utilized a team of environmental, traffic, solid waste, civil engineering and land planning consultants, without whom “this process could have been much more painful,” according to Sullivan.

Getting the green light

Once HMR was able to procure the necessary permits, operations commenced in April 2018.

Sullivan says that in addition to his own construction company, other construction and demolition contractors, trucking companies and waste management providers are HMR’s biggest customers. These customers drop off C&D materials to the facility, with some leaving loaded with the company’s recycled materials to use on job sites. Additionally, the site is open to homeowners who come in for topsoil, wall rock and other products.

To process the 108,690 tons of material the facility received in 2019, HMR employs two fulltime employees and brings in several more when needed to help with crushing operations. Sullivan says the company also employs a range of different specialized recycling equipment to meet its needs.

“We use equipment from our construction company, and we favor Caterpillar,” he says. “We load the crushers with either a 330, 336, 345 or 349 Caterpillar excavator. A 972 Caterpillar wheel loader supports the crushing operation and loads outgoing trucks. As for the crushing and screening, a typical setup begins with a Komatsu 550 as our primary jaw crusher, which feeds a Powerscreen 1800 two-deck scalping screen. Then, material goes into a Pegson 1300 cone crusher that feeds into a Powerscreen 2100 three-deck screen that recirculates back to the cone and also feeds MGL or Edge stacking conveyors for stockpiling.”

Saving money and the environment

According to Sullivan, being able to recycle C&D materials on Maui has contributed to significant cost savings on the island.

“The cost of concrete here starts at about $150 per cubic yard. We continue to recycle this concrete and turn it into aggregate base course and a fine material used with mortar for masonry work. We also divert previously landfilled or fugitively dumped dirt, rock and asphalt,” he says. “Years ago, we were told by the Maui Department of Environmental Management that the cost to create landfill space was about $77 per cubic yard, so for every cubic yard that we can divert from landfill, we like to think that we are saving the people of this island that money.”

According to Sullivan, an average truckload of 25 tons with rock and dirt pieces larger than three inches can be dropped off at the facility for a tip fee of about $125. At the landfill, that would cost $1,875, he says. Beyond the tip fee savings, Sullivan says that the company’s customers appreciate that HMR is conveniently located in the growing area of South Maui, which has helped contractors save money through reduced trucking costs.

“Our tipping fees are so much lower than at the municipal landfill, we’ve heard people say, ‘[Using HMR] is a no-brainer,’” Sullivan says. “People find it amazing that we do what we do without being a landfill or quarry. … Since our opening, we have diverted from the landfill and from fugitive dumping in gulches and elsewhere and supported construction projects with around 200,000 tons of recycled materials. This value can be expanded into lessened trucking costs and by having trucks loaded both inbound and outbound from the facility, which saves on road wear, lessens traffic and reduces fuel consumption and emissions.”

Beyond helping protect landfill space and lessen trucking costs, HMR works to keep as green of a footprint as possible.

Sullivan says that HMR’s location, which sits in close proximity to waterways that lead to the ocean, presents some challenges, but that the company has been able to manage runoff with site grading and a retention basin.

The company has also been able to leverage its neighbor, the Maui County Wastewater Reclamation Facility, to use reclaimed water for dust suppression, which helps cut down on water waste.

“The R-1 water from the wastewater reclamation facility supplies us with all of the water that we need for dust suppression at a lesser rate than potable water. We were fortunate to have an R-1 watermain running adjacent to our site and were able to install a 2-inch meter with minimal costs. … Being located next to the wastewater facility has actually been a plus because of the stigma attached to these types of facilities—I believe that our facility represents the highest and best use of this land,” Sullivan says.

In addition to using recycled wastewater, the company also relies on solar power to help minimize its energy footprint. HMR employs the power of photovoltaic panels to help power its operations. Sullivan says the scale and scale house office currently are 100 percent powered by solar panels, with a generator for backup if necessary.

While HMR’s sustainability focus has made sense from a financial standpoint, Sullivan says the ability to preserve Maui’s natural resources is what’s most important.

“If we looked at a yard of concrete that weighs about 2.2 tons, and you think about the materials it takes to make up that yard of concrete, I don’t care what form it’s in, it should never go in the landfill,” Sullivan said in a recent release. “So, if we can avoid that and we can process it here, we’re creating less of a scar on the island.”

Work in progress

As HMR is only coming up on its second anniversary of operations, there is a lot of room to grow, according to Sullivan.

Because the company is located next to a wastewater treatment facility, the organization is currently looking at ways to recycle organics and sewer sludge. Additionally, HMR presently only recycles the metals that are embedded in the concrete it receives since its solid waste permit is specific in allowing only for inert materials. However, Sullivan says HMR is currently communicating with the state’s department of health about modifying the organization’s permit to include the ability to recycle metals.

Although it’s still early days for formal C&D recycling in Maui, Sullivan says that being able to offer a more mindful way of managing materials is one of the core reasons he got into the business.

“I believe that we are fortunate to live here, and that the opportunities that are created in this environment and community have greatly benefitted us as a company, so we think we should reciprocate in any way that we can. We work to supply the community with superior service and pricing for tipping fees and outgoing products that is well below what is offered through the standard means.”

The author is the editor of Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine and can be reached at aredling@gie.net.