Challenge
When a truck with the bed raised blew over sideways in a sudden gust of wind in mid-western USA, safety was the primary concern. Truck dumps tend to be elevated to give room for the dumped material to be processed so the wind speeds are higher as are the risks. [Background – a 40mph wind is enough to topple a 27,000 lb dump truck, but in a location where winds are accelerated because of buildings or topography the general wind speed to do it can be as little as 30 mph.]
The company’s immediate fix was to put weather restrictions in place, but that severely hampered operations. As a secondary issue, large dust clouds were also created as part of the dumping process so the company went looking for a way to control the wind and the dust.
Solution
A steel frame was designed to provide wind fences on both sides of the tip ramp that are higher than a fully elevated tipping truck. The construction is portal style (where the supports are pinned at ground level, but rigid on the sides, the knees, and the roof) to enable the fence to be mounted on the existing concrete edges of the ramp- that is only 4 poles for the complete structure – two fences, each 40ft high and 50ft long.
The end result is a safe tipping experience in all weathers – and less dust too. It was completed in 1998
