Minutes of the June 20, 2000 meeting

Meeting Minutes

of the June 20, 2000 meeting on the project titled,

"On-line Sorting Technologies for CCA-Treated Wood"

Meeting Location: Sarasota Central County Solid Waste Disposal Complex, Nokomis, FL

Attendees:

Gary Bennett, Utilities Dept., Solid Waste Operations Division, Sarasota County, Sarasota, FL

Kim Cochran, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Jim Gabbert, Meyer & Gabbert Excavating Contractors Recycling, Sarasota, FL

Dave Hahn, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Naila Hosein, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

Jodi John, Sarasota County Resource Conservation, Sarasota, FL

Bernine Khan, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

Monika Kormienko, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

Jenna Carlson, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Helena Solo-Gabriele, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

Timothy Townsend, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Paul Wingler, Utilities Dept., Solid Waste Operations Division, Sarasota County, Sarasota, FL

The meeting began at 3:30 pm and ended at 5:00 pm.

Introduction

Monika Kormienko provided a general overview of the project including objectives and technical information concerning the conveyor system and x-ray fluorescence detector system.

Progress on Shelter

Tim Townsend provided an update concerning the status of the shelter. The height of the shelter will likely be increased to 15 or 20 feet. A cost estimate of $9,000 to $11,500 was obtained from Trident Inc for the roof and support columns. Three construction contractors (Anderson and Ellis Construction, Bob Howard Construction, and John F. Swift Inc. ) were contacted. Anderson and Ellis Construction indicated that they were not interested in the project because the project was too small. The other two companies have not yet responded to the inquiries. Three concrete companies were contacted: Fred Derr Concrete, Prestige Concrete, and John F. Swift. A detailed time line for construction was presented which included the time for preparation of design drawings, fabrication of the enclosure, and permitting. Comments

Paul Wingler mentioned that permitting will likely take 3 to 4 weeks.
Jim Gabbert emphasized the need to provide a firm completion date for installation of the roof and support columns. He suggested that a clause be added to the contract concerning construction delays. A financial penalty should be included for delays in erecting the structure.
Jodi John mentioned the contractor should be knowledgeable of new hurricane building standards.
Jim Gabbert suggested that a State A contractor be hired for project management. This manager should check the construction details and electrical installation.

Progress on Conveyor

Helena Solo-Gabriele distributed two cost estimates obtained for the conveyor system. The costs were obtained from American Conveyor of Miami ($11,????) And from Powerscreen of Lakeland ($24,500). The contact at American Conveyor, Jeff Pritchett, provided many suggestions concerning the design of the conveyor system of which two were presented during the meeting. One design consisted of a moveable side arm which can be used to position the wood sample along the edge of the conveyor and would permit for a gap below which the x-ray detector could be mounted. The second design consisted of a series of rollers which also included gaps for x-ray access. Comments

Jim Gabbert mentioned the need for a rubber wiper along the edge of the conveyor that would prevent debris from wedging into the gap along the conveyor. He distributed a copy of a conveyor catalog published by Anderson Industrial (1-888-781-8322). He also mentioned that a used 4 foot weighing scale was available for purchase. He plans to provide the team with more information concerning the vendor.
Jodi John emphasized the importance of obtaining representative samples from the wood waste pile for study. Tim Townsend mentioned that he will follow-up by obtaining a copy of a readily available sampling protocol. It was also mentioned that the focus of the study was to test the detector system and not necessarily to characterize the wood waste.
Jim Gabbert emphasized the need to assure that the conveyors were safe. He also emphasized that his electricity was single phase and therefore the conveyor should be designed to run on this type of electricity.
Helena Solo-Gabriele voiced a concern about the potential for wood to jam at the outlet end of the conveyor. Jim Gabbert recommended that the outlet conveyor be slanted upwards so that the wood drops into a roll-off.

Progress Concerning Laser Detector

Dave Hahn provided hand-outs concerning laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). He described a potential mounting system that would permit for the laser to be moved horizontally across the conveyor. He also presented data that showed that there was a large difference in the signal from treated wood versus untreated wood. He presented a comparison between LIBS and XRF.

Contracts

Jodi John mentioned that the primary contract was approved by the Board of County Commissioners last Tuesday. She will continue to serve as the County contact person when it comes to financial matters and reporting. She emphasized the need to bill only for work that had been completed to date. Gary Bennett will serve as the County contact for all other matters. Gary Bennett mentioned that Paul Wingler will be the primary contact concerning construction matters. Gary Bennett requested proof of insurance coverage from the University. Jodi John mentioned that she received positive feedback concerning the project from the County Commission. Jim Gabbert mentioned that he received two phonecalls from County Commissioners commending him on the collaborative project. Jodi John emphasized the need to schedule an open house once the system is operational to inform the public of the project. Jim Gabbert mentioned that the project could also be linked with local Science Fairs.