Waste Not: The Scottsdale Transfer Station (Available only in Structural Engineering Special Issue)

Scottsdale, Ariz., is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. In 1980, it had 88,000 residents; in 1997, it had 170,000. By 2020, demographers expect the population to surpass 275,000. While the population explosion has taxed many of the city’s resources, perhaps none has been affected as much as its waste disposal system. After evaluating myriad methods by which to handle the ever-growing volume of trash, city officials, working with consultant Camp, Dresser & McKee, Inc., designed a state-of-the-art waste transfer station. The new station, situated near an exclusive country club, was designed to match the region’s desert landscape and architecture. The facility can handle up to 400 tons of waste per day, and has sufficient room and height clearance to allow for indoor tipping and bed-up maneuvering. Engineers estimate that the station, which opened in July 1996, has increased the productivity of the city’s collection vehicles by up to 30%.