SWA Southwest County Transfer Station Tipping Floor

The Southwest County Transfer Station in Delray Beach serves as a convenient one-stop drop-off site for both your Home Chemicals and regular Recyclable items. Palm Beach County residents may drop off plastic containers bearing the numbers 1 through 7 except Styrofoam, glass bottles and jars, aluminum cans, milk, juice cartons, drink boxes, newspapers, cardboard, magazines, catalogs, brown paper bags, and school/office paper.

WGI provided an HD LiDAR Static Scan to produce dense data of the tipping floor. Extreme and harsh conditions in solid waste facilities and transfer stations create challenges for tipping floors. Every day, these floors are exposed to some aggressive environments, including impact loads, abrasive elements, chemicals, and damage from heavy processing equipment. The successful operation of transfer stations keeps these tipping floors in the best condition possible while minimizing downtime and optimizing return on investment.

WGI performed a Static Scan of this tipping floor in 2018 and was again requested for a comparison scan in 2022. This surveying service allowed SWA staff to make a direct comparison of the floor between the years to pinpoint the loss of volume. The Static Scan from an HD LiDAR sensor produced millions of data points resulting in a point cloud of data on an assumed datum.

Most tipping floors are composed of poured concrete. However, concrete does not hold up well under the heavy abuse of a high-volume transfer station and is prone to cracking and fracturing. The surface of the tipping floor can lose a significant portion of the concrete every year in high-volume transfer stations. These tipping floors may require frequent repair or replacement. While this is a costly proposition, the facility can be out of operation for two weeks or more while the concrete floor is being repaired.

WGI performed the fieldwork in a matter of hours on the weekend while the Transfer Station was closed to not impede SWA’s production.