How to Get Rid of Burn Piles Without Burning

Feb 22, 2024

A horizontal grinder and loader working together to turn an unburned pile of waste wood into reusable wood fibre

Waste wood results from any construction project that happens in brush or wooded areas and it needs to be removed for safe construction and eventual operation of the newly-constructed asset. In the past, it was common to gather waste wood into huge piles and then burn those to ashes when the conditions were favorable. However, concerns about wildfire risk, air quality from smoke, and environmental responsibility have put regulators in a position to authorize fewer and fewer burning permits for waste wood. So what can you do with the piles of wood that are left behind on your site?

Leaving them as is creates a future maintenance obstruction, a fire hazard, and a safety risk to people and wildlife moving through the area. One solution is to use a horizontal grinder that can turn your unwanted wood into small pieces that can be disposed of more easily. In this article, we will explain how this process works, what are the benefits, and how we helped one of our clients handle their waste wood problem on a powerline right of way project.

What is Waste Wood Grinding?

Waste wood grinding is a process that uses a specialized horizontal grinding machine to shred, or grind wood into small pieces that can be transported and disposed of more efficiently. The size and quality of the wood does not matter, as the grinding equipment can handle any type of wood, from logs to branches to stumps. The machine is equipped with a conveyor that can pile the resulting wood fibre or directly load it onto trucks if necessary.

Waste wood grinding can be done on-site or off-site, depending on the availability of space, equipment, and transportation. On-site grinding is more convenient and cost-effective, as it reduces the volume of the wood, making it easier to haul away if desired. Off-site grinding may be necessary if the site is too small, crowded, or inaccessible for the grinding equipment. If there is no immediately available solution to reuse the fibre, such as for bioenergy or pelleting, then the most cost-effective solution is to spread the resulting wood fibre into a thin layer throughout the construction area to allow it to naturally decompose.

What are the Benefits of Waste Wood Grinding?

Waste wood grinding has benefits for both the environment and the project owner. Some of those benefits are:

 

  • It immediately frees up the working area that was previously taken up by piles of waste wood
  • It offers a non-burning way to dispose of waste wood on a project site
  • The resulting fibre stream is consistent in piece size and can be adjusted from 5cm to 20cm in size
  • The fibre can be re-purposed if desired
  • There are no hidden large pieces or incomplete, buried leftovers – everything that goes into the grinder is downsized to specification
  • Horizontal grinders can be equipped with multi-stage magnets to remove ferrous metal scraps from the fibre

How We Helped Our Client with Their Waste Wood Problem

One of our recent projects involved handling waste wood for an expanded powerline right of way clearing. The project had initially collected all waste wood into nearly 200 piles scattered throughout the construction area. Due to the high wildfire risk and the proximity to standing trees, the client was not able to get authorization to burn the wood on-site, and they did not have the resources or the time to haul it away piece by piece. Complicating the project was the proximity to the live powerline conductors.

We offered our waste wood grinding service as a solution to their problem. We brought our Petersen 5710C horizontal grinder to the site with its accompanying grapple loader. The loader directly fed wood from the piles into the grinder, which deposited the fibre onto the ground. After the grinding team moved away to the next pile, a dozer was used to spread the wood fibre in a thin layer throughout the project area. The result was a right of way covered with a thin, consistent layer of mulch (typically less than 5cm thick) that did not create any future hazards or constraints for brushing, access, or other maintenance activities near the powerline. The client had the piles handled without the risk of managing burn piles and without smoke.
A horizontal grinder and loader working together to turn an unburned pile of waste wood into reusable wood fibre

CONCLUSION

Waste wood grinding is a great way to dispose of your waste wood without burning it. Whether you need to get rid of wood from a linear right of way or site construction project, we can help you with our waste wood grinding service. We have the equipment, the expertise, and the experience to handle any size and type of wood. Contact us today to get a free quote and find out how we can help you eliminate your waste wood problems.