Grand Forks Landfill

Landfill Siting & Design

Burns & McDonnell and its local subconsultant, Webster, Foster & Weston (WFW), were retained by the city of Grand Forks, N.D., to provide assistance during the selection of a site for a new municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill. WFW initially prepared an exclusionary siting map, which identified areas in Grand Forks County that were not suitable for siting a sanitary landfill. Burns & McDonnell subsequently evaluated additional areas of the county for soil suitability, identifying additional areas as excluded from consideration for landfill development.

The city's landfill committee followed a siting process using the principles of Systematic Development of Informed Consent (SDIC). Four sites were selected and approved by the North Dakota Department of Health. The Burns & McDonnell/WFW team was retained to perform a hydrogeological investigation of the selected site and a permit application from the state.

Baling Facility Design

Burns & McDonnell performed a feasibility study comparing the operation of the new landfill as a balefill or a conventional landfill. The balefill was found to be financially competitive and offered other advantages (litter reduction, less cover soil, fewer haul trucks, etc).

To support the balefill, Burns & McDonnell was retained to design a baling facility for the City of Grand Forks. For efficiency, the baling facility was sited on property near the existing landfill and near the City of Grand Forks. Unusual soil conditions were present at the site that would not allow conventional foundations to support a heavy industrial building without severe and damaging settlement. A study of alternative foundation systems was implemented to determine an economical and viable solution and to keep construction costs within the city’s budget.

The foundation was designed as a continuous concrete mat, which also doubled as the floor slab, supported on four feet of lightweight structural fill (geofoam) that was placed in the over-excavated building site. The facility was designed as a precast pre-engineered concrete building incorporating pre-cast insulated concrete panels for the walls and roof supported from a pre-cast concrete frame. The building was supplied by a manufacturing company located in Grand Forks.

The facility included a large tipping floor, two pit conveyor systems, two large baling machines with dust collection devices, storage space, breakroom, office space and restrooms. The site included truck scales and a modular scale house. The building featured an infrared heating system along with ventilation system, separate HVAC for office/breakroom/restrooms, lighting and fire protection systems.

• Design
• Site selection
• Hydrogeological investigations
• Feasibility study
• Construction services:
  • Submittal reviews
  • Periodic inspections
  • Consultation during placement of geofoam and concrete mat
  • Analysis of mat for construction loads from the erection crane
  • Participation in weekly construction progress meetings
  • General construction oversight