Posillico widens its aggregates recycling options

Farmingdale, New York-based Posillico Inc. has invested in a new 20 tons per hour hydrovac materials washing plant for its recycling facility on Long Island in New York.

The company has commissioned a new Hydro:Tip unit to recover what equipment provider CDE calls “high-value, in-spec recycled sand and aggregates from waste muds, fluids and clays – byproducts generated from the hydro excavation process.”

Established in 1946, Posillico Inc. is a fourth-generation family business that provides a range of integrated services including heavy civil work for the public and private sectors to environmental remediation, paving, drilling and utilities contracting.

In 2019, Posillico partnered with wet processing industry supplier CDE to remove contaminants and extract value from contaminated soil that formerly had been destined for landfills. “The Posillico team understood that with the right technology this material could be processed, generating new revenue streams while simultaneously producing in-spec secondary sand and aggregate products for the construction industry in New York,” states CDE.

The three-acre Posillico Farmingdale facility has the capacity to recycle up to 3,000 tons of soil per day while recovering recyclable and saleable products that meet State of New York remediation standards. Products recovered include concrete and mason sands, and three different sized aggregates.

CDE business development manager Joseph Teahl says Posillico’s drive to transform the recycling sector in the local market is matched by its commitment to investing in the right technology, as demonstrated by its investment in the Hydro:Tip.

“It was identified that there was a need to recycle hydro excavation waste on Long Island,” says Teahl. “The team at Posillico recognized the problem at hand and, knowing CDE technology intimately, turned to us to explore workable solutions for handling this tricky-to-process waste.”

Comments Posillico facility manager Robert Tassey, “We saw a need in the market to address the waste burden generated by hydro excavated material. Our existing CDE contaminated soils wash plant has demonstrated not only the capabilities of the technology, but the commitment of the CDE team to finding new and pioneering ways to close the loop. We knew CDE was the right partner for the job.”

CDE’s Hydro:Tip is designed to allow operators to process wet materials including mud, fluid and clay in a cost-effective and responsible manner, facilitating the recovery of sand and aggregates that can be re-sold to generate additional revenue streams.

Suitable for urban environments, the Hydro:Tip enables hydro excavation fleets to set up closer to extraction sources to reduce transport time, cost and fuel emissions, says CDE. It then achieves significant landfill diversion with most of the solids recovered from hydro excavation activities being reusable in the construction industry, adds the United Kingdom-based firm, which has a United States office in Texas. 

“Our goals for the materials business are to provide the highest quality materials at the best prices for our valued customers,” says Posillico’s Tassey. “The hydro excavated waste that we are bringing in is comprised of the same type of fill that we bring in normally. So, we knew there was valuable material critical to the construction industry locked within this waste stream. The only difference is that it’s more of a slurry form and more difficult to handle.”

Posillico’s 20 tons per hour Hydro:Tip system ensures the safe processing of wet waste, providing optimal material recovery and creating valuable resources, says CDE’s Teahl. “Tankers deposit their load directly into the hopper, after which the material is rinsed and dewatered with CDE’s Infinity Screen technology before the oversize material is deposited.”

“Our sand fraction falls to the sump from where it is pumped to the cyclone in order to remove the silt-water slurry. All of that output – the oversize material and sand fraction – is then loaded into the complete C&D waste wash plant process which enables further wet processing to guarantee final in-spec sand and aggregate products.”                                          

The new equipment also is removing the costly burden associated with slurry disposal for Posillico, says Tassey. “With the addition of the Hydro:Tip, we’re now able to dewater those slurries, separate the liquid from the solids, process the water directly into our wash plant, and then handle the solid material in the same way we would with our other incoming fill,” he comments. “It’s the cleanest, safest, most effective and efficient way to manage hydro excavated waste on Long Island.”

Up to 85 percent of hydrovac material coming into Posillico’s Farmingdale facility is being reclaimed via its CDE system, recovering products including marketable aggregates and sands, say the two companies.

Commenting on the relationship between CDE and Posillico, Teahl says it’s gratifying to see the partnership flourish. “Posillico’s commitment to CDE as well as our commitment to them is evident in what we have managed to achieve together at Farmingdale and the impact the facility is having on the island.”

Tassey says the two companies share an excellent working relationship. “I’d recommend working with CDE because they’re reliable and they have a genuine, authentic determination to provide the highest level of customer service in the industry. They engineer real solutions to urgent real-world problems,” says the Posillico plant manager.