Last edited 22 Feb 2021

Cart away

1 Introduction
2 Cart away off site
3 Classification of waste soil
4 Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
5 External references

[edit] Introduction

In construction the term ‘cart away’ refers to the removal of materials such as soil that need to be taken away from site. An example is during the excavation process, when excess soil that does not get backfilled may have to be carted away and disposed of off site.

[edit] Cart away off site

After excavations, excess soil that is not used elsewhere will be specified to be carted away from site. Various machinery and plant can be used to handle the soil. Excavating plant will be used to move soil into dumper trucks if the project scale requires. Dumper Trucks are used to cart away loose material from site. There are various dumper trucks available which can be categorised as:

Mini dumper truck.
Rigid dumper truck.
Articulated dumper truck.
Tracked dumper truck.

A typical dumper truck is equipped with an open-box bed, which is hinged at the rear and equipped with hydraulic rams. Dump truck sizes can vary but a small dumper can take a 7 tonne load and hold 18 – 20 cubic metres. Some of the larger dumpers can hold up to 30 tonnes.

The contractor that is responsible for the site will have to manage the logistics of the cart away of material. Site parameters and constrains will dictate the logistics of the carting away. Small sites within a city might not have access for big dumper trucks and a fleet of small dumper trucks might need to be arranged for efficient removal. The contractors methods and plans may be captured in a site waste management plan.

[edit] Classification of waste soil

The Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) published guidance on the classification of waste soils. Where waste soil is to be exported from site it must be classified as either a Hazardous or as a Non-Hazardous waste. This classification is carried out in accordance with the guidance provided by the Environment Agency's publication WM3 (Waste Classification - Guidance on the classification and assessment of waste).

There are three types of landfill where soils can be sent for disposal :

Hazardous landfills.
Non-hazardous landfills.
Inert landfills - a sub-group of the non-hazardous category.

Inert landfill material can be classified as material that won’t:

Dissolve, leach or produce an ecotoxic leachate.
Combust.
Physically or chemically react.
Degrade.
Adversely affect any matter that it comes into contact with including environmental pollution or health and safety risks.
Undergo significant physical, chemical or biological transformation.

It is an offence to dispose of a waste at an inappropriate disposal site including disposing of non-hazardous material at a hazardous site.

There are different costs involved for hazardous or non-hazardous materials at disposal sites. There is also an additional landfill tax charge that is different for hazardous and non-hazardous materials. Hazardous materials can have a significantly higher tax charge. Contractors will receive waste disposal notices for each load removed off site and should keep records of all their waste.