Case Study: Fiberglass Floating Docks Save High Maintenance Costs

0809-Floating Landfill DocksSeepage from Snohomish County, Washington landfill mounds is held in containment pits where it is treated with bacteria and agitated until effluent is purified and can be returned to surrounding land. In the past, when it was necessary to service the aerators, landfill management hired a crane to move aerators out of pits and workers went out in canoes to hook cable between the crane and aerators. This process was time consuming, expensive and dangerous to workers.

TECHNICAL DATA
Product: Fiberglass Floating Docks
Process: Pultrusion
Materials: Fiberglass reinforced polyester, fire retardant
Sizes:

DURAGRID® T-1800 1" grating

EXTREN® Series 525 structural shapes:

  • 2" x 1/4" Square tube handrail
  • 3/8" Plate
  • 8" x 3/8" Wide flange beam
  • 8" x 3/8" Channel
For: Parametrix Design Engineering
User: Snohomish County Landfill

The solution to this maintenance problem is two “fiberglass floating docks” — one in each seepage pit. Constructed of EXTREN® fiberglass structural shapes and DURAGRID® fiberglass grating and fabricated by Strongwell-Chatfield Location, each 780 square foot horseshoe shaped dock is mounted on a styrofoam float. The aerators are hooked by cable to the dock and workers simply pull the aerators into the work area for service.

The dock must float to accommodate the change in effluent level and be strong enough to withstand the stress of high winds and wave action. The service docks are also used to give workers access to take samples and monitor effluent.

The fiberglass docks are resistant to the extremely corrosive effluent and require little maintenance. The floating dock design has eliminated the crane rental costs and made servicing the aerators quicker and easier.

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