The Tarp Deployment System was designed to withstand even the harshest of wind conditions, while saving landfill operators thousands of dollars in airspace.
Economical and simple are the hallmark qualities of the Tarp Deployment System (TDS).
That’s according to Alan Liebeck, General Manager at landfill equipment distributor Jaylon Pacific.
In order to help councils save thousands in costs per month and preserve their valuable airspace, Alan says the company acquired the TDS 20 months ago, a reliable and heavy duty tarpaulin deployment system.
Designed for small to medium commercial and municipal landfills, the TDS aims to significantly boost a landfill’s available airspace and extend cell life.
The traditional method of daily cover has been to cover the tipping face of a landfill with a few hundred millimetres of soil and/or sand at the end of each working day, depending on individual state and territory requirements. But with alternative daily cover, landfill operators can save thousands in landfill levy and soil and/or sand costs.
In a successful case study, Ace Environmental Services (ACE), which operates Grantville Landfill in Victoria, purchased a TDS unit with three 32m x 9.14m impermeable tarps complete with a deodorising unit.
Since purchasing the TDS unit, ACE has reduced machine operating time for sand spreading from two and a half to three hours per day, to about three hours per fortnight. Not only is this a significant saving in machine and operating time ($150 per hour), machine wear and tear is also reduced – cutting maintenance costs.
Prior to purchasing the TDS unit, 38 tonnes of sand was used over a two-week period and applied at a rate of 800kg/m³ of sand. The opportunity cost of the lost airspace is calculated at a tipping rate of $180 per tonne x 0.8, equalling to $144 x 38 tonnes.
For these reasons Alan says he has sold a TDS in all but one state in Australia, from the Western Australian town of Port Hedland to Darwin, Melbourne and Sydney.
“Our multiple tarp deployment system can cover 12,000 ft2 at one time which is significantly more than leading competitors.”
Alan says that one of the unique features of the TDS is the tarpLOX system, which acts as a ballast and ensures the tarp retains its shape during deployment and retraction. This eliminates common issues such as telescoping during retraction, the tarp folding onto itself during unrolling and the need for additional manpower during deployment. The system comprises six cables on a standard 32m tarpaulin.
“With six cables firmly in place, the tarps are capable of withstanding wind speeds of up to 100km/h. Extra cables can be easily fitted if required,” Alan adds.
He says the tarp material is made of a 320g/m2 robust open-weave polypropylene material, which allows some moisture to penetrate the cover to assist with dust suppression. An optional 406g/m2 heavy duty coated product is also available.
The tarp retraction and deployment system was designed to require minimal manual handling.
Each TDS is self-powered by a Honda motor, so that no other external power sources, fixtures or brackets are needed to operate the equipment.
The TDS can be attached to a D4 to D8 class bulldozer and a CAT 826-836 class compactor, avoiding the requirement to have additional machinery on site. Each TDS comes with a manual on-board control system, in addition to a heavy-duty remote control unit, so it can be controlled from inside the cab for added safety.