Municipal Work in Germany and France
Page 53
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Oy the various papers which were read during the First International Conference on Public Cleansing, recently held at Olympia, two were of outstanding interest to our readers, one by Herr Schroeder, director of public cleansing of Frankfort-on-Main, dealing with "The. Collection and Disposal of Refuse in Germany," and the other by M. Boutteville, covering the subject of "Modern Methods of Street Cleansing in Paris."
At the outset of his .paper Herr Schroeder said that the preliminary requirements connected with the reorganization of refuse-collection work is the provision of motor-driven vehicles of large capacity and economically superior to the horse-drawn vehicle, such machines to accommodate standard bins and be fitted with dosing shutters, thus making it possible to load them. dustlessly.
Increasing Quantity of Refuse.
Before referring to some of the different systems in use in Germany, he said that for several years past an everincreasing quantity of refuse had been recorded in Germany. In 1924 the quantity of refuse in Frankfort-on-Main per head per day was 0.91 litres (.032 cubic ft.), whereas in 1930 it was 1.48 litres (.052 cubic ft.), i.e., an increase of 61.5 per cent. Even more striking were, he said, the comparative figures for other towns.
A survey. of the problem showed that by far the most refuse comes from the ground plots of the main business districts, namely, 1,338 litres per week per plot, the districts with a wealthy population being next on the list with 470 litres of refuse from apartments and 432 litres per week from villas. The houses of the middle classes having central heating show by far the smallest yield of refuse (58 litres per plot). In the working-class districts the amount produced is 110 litres per plot per week.
The quantity of refuse is determined by volume and not by weight, for the latter shows extraordinary dissimilarity in different cities. It is found that the effect of compression in the collection vehicle differs less than the variations in weight, which range from 0.25 ton to 0.8 ton per cubic metre.
The author gave details of refusecollection methods in use, and said that two systems are employed, one in which small or domestic receptacles are used, and the other in which big receptacles, or bins standing in the yards, are cm
ployed. The pail-emptying system is the technical phrase used for the first of these, but a distinction is made between bin emptying and bin changing.
The Three Different Systems.
Herr Schroeder then gave brief details of the small-bin system, the large-bin-emptying system, and the binchanging system. In the first, the receptacles are kept within the house, being placed in the streets on the days of collection and put back after being emptied. The capacity of the pail used is 35 litres, and the weight is about
8.3 kilogs. This type of receptacle suffices for one family from three days to a week. The bins are so designed that they can be carried only when closed ; the cover fits into the shutter of the collection vehicle and, by this means, dustless loading is obtained. The small-bin-emptying system has been adopted mostly by the smaller and medium-sized towns.
In the large-bin-emptying system receptacles are kept in the yard, from which they are collected and then emptied into the refuse vehicle, subsequently being carried back. The 110litre bin has been adopted as the standard receptacle. It is circular and is tapered towards the bottom, thus facilitating easy and complete discharge. As in the case of the smaller type of bin, its cover fits the loading shutter of the
vehicle. The bin weighs 25 kilogs. and is sufficient to meet the requirements of three or four families. Other sizes are in use, but all bins have the same size of cover.
With this system the receptacle does not, on an average, remain longer than 20 to 30 minutes in the street. The duration of life of the receptacles averages from eight to ten years. The average vehicle in use in Frankfort-onMain has a capacity from 10-12 cubic metres, but of late six-wheelers of 15 cubic metres capacity have been introduced, whilst oil-engined vehicles are being experimented with.
The Bin-replacement Method.
The third system is one in' which an empty bin replaces the full bin. When collected, the loaded bins are placed on low electrically driven vehicles, which are taken direct to the tip or to a reloading station. As a rule, 40 bins are loaded on each vehicle, and many of these collectors have trailers, by means of which the loading capacity is increased to about 6? cubic metres.
Herr Schroeder expressed the view that the hygienic aspect of the work should be given first place and that, subsequently, the most economical way of carrying out the work should receive consideration.
The other paper, by M. Boutteville, dealt with the work of the Technical Department of Cleansing of Palis. The author reviewed some of the problems with which the authorities are faced, and gave details of the methods employed for dealing with the sweeping and washing of streets. He gave particulars of the equipment of the department and of the tools and apparatus which are used to aid the niechanical processes. , The organization of the department was referred to at some length. For undertaking the work of mechanical cleansing in Paris there are. 252 machines, these being maintained by contractors.-They, are of De Dion, Laftly and Leta makes, some of them being sweeping machines and others sprayers, whilst another type performs the combined operations of sweeping
and spraying. Some of these appliances have been operating since 1920. They are maintained in 11 municipal garages in different parts of the city, so that unremunerative running is reduced to the minimum.