Composting

• Facilities Studies and Economics Analysis
• Qualification of Compostable Materials
• Design of Collection and Processing for Compostables
• Design and Procurement of Composting Facilities
• Odor Control System Design
• Compost Market Assessment
• Operation and Maintenance Reviews and Troubleshooting

Dvirka and Bartilucci Consulting Engineers (D&B) has completed project design and development assignments successfully for facilities which compost yard wastes, wastewater sewage sludge, and the organic portion of municipal solid waste. D&B’s assignments have included the design of small, outdoor municipal yard waste composting sites; enclosed yard waste composting facilities for 150 tons per day (tpd) of leaves, brush and grass clippings; a 900 tpd facility to process municipal waste into compost feedstock; and a 180 wet-tpd sludge composting facility.

As a result of this experience, D&B is thoroughly familiar with the composting equipment and technologies commercially available. In addition, D&B has inspected a majority of the major sludge and solid waste composting facilities in the United States, as well as several solid waste facilities in Europe.

Many composting facilities have been plagued by poor performance, resulting in extensive and costly retrofits or facility shutdowns. D&B has evaluated many of these occurrences in order to understand the design and operating parameters which are key elements to the success of composting facilities. These key parameters include waste receiving and pre-processing, feedstock preparation, compost agitation, aeration, curing and storage, overall compost building ventilation, comprehensive odor control, building corrosion control, runoff control, compost purity, compost maturity and market development.

D&B believes that the sludge cocomposting facility in Rockland County, New York, will set a standard for similar projects. D&B has managed the development of this facility which will provide the county with a full-service approach in which contractor guarantees cover the performance of the facility. The guarantees include sludge receiving capacity, compost processing and curing capacity, compost quality, compost beneficial use, building corrosion control, and no detectable odor beyond the property line from the composting building. This facility will utilize a combined scrubbing and enclosed biofiltration system to control odors.

D&B also recognizes that cost effectiveness is a crucial element in the feasibility of a composting project. The project must be cost effective when measured against alternate disposal or processing options, such as landfilling, incineration, sludge chemical stabilization or sludge drying. D&B’s broad experience in this area enables it to accurately estimate project construction and operating costs based upon a variety of design specifications. This provides D&B’s clients with the ability to make informed decisions and balanced trade-offs regarding design and operating alternatives.

For more information on D&B’s Solid Waste Management services, please contact Vice President, Theodore S. Pytlar, Jr., at (908) 668-4747.