Chaplin, Jonathan

Trash collection along a roadside is usually done by hand which requires a lot of workers and time. There are machines available to remove trash on smooth surfaces such as concrete, but none of them are able to pick-up litter on grassy areas. The objective of this project is to design and build a machine to collect trash and litter lying on grassy areas alongside a road. A "trash harvester" would make the process easier, safer, faster, and more economical. The trash harvester was initially designed with a shredding attachment; however this has been superseded with a conveyor design. The trash harvesting principle has been proven in field trials and the machine will collect 100% of paper, bottles, and soda cans. The machine will also lift 2 x 4s up to 15" in length.

The goal of this project is to develop a sub-soiling regimen that will enhance and be compatible with existing erosion control measures. This project is important in minimizing the effect of construction-induced compaction on the urban and rural landscape. This activity, if successful, will become a building block for use in Best Management Practices (BMPs) that will ensure full vegetative growth post construction, and save on the cost of reapplication of erosion control measures. For a good comparative study, several sites were selected for typical slope and soil type. The study shows that there are low cost benefits to deep tillage of ROW. Heavy clay soils are problematic in that improvements in infiltration could not be detected after a single tillage operation. In lighter sandy soils, the benefits of tillage are such that significant increases in infiltration can be gained following a single pass tillage operation. The differences in tillage implement used could not be detected. The post-tillage aesthetic appeal when using a non-inverting plow (Kongskilde Paraplow) was apparent in this study. The vegetation was largely undisturbed following tillage, and this would be beneficial in preventing erosion on slopes. The ripper and the DMI inverted more soil, and therefore the tillage operation was less appealing to motorists. The relatively low cost of ownership and operation for the tillage is overshadowed by the high land cost when new roads are constructed. Tillage would be beneficial on lighter soils, however the "utility congestion" that is likely in such a scenario would make machinery management difficult.

The purpose of this project is to mechanize the trash collection process. There are machines available to remove trash on smooth surfaces such as concrete, but none of them are able to pick-up litter on grassy areas. The objective of this study is to design and build a machine to collect trash and litter (such as papers, plastic bags, bottles, aluminum cans, etc) lying on grassy areas alongside a road. A "Trash Harvester" would make the process easier, safer, faster, and more economical.