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From sanitary landfill to scenic parkland

Spring 2013

The flocks of seagulls that for more than eight decades have incessantly scavenged the amorphous mound of trash that once formed the topography of the Palo Alto landfill are now forced to move on to new feeding grounds. After a survey — initiated by Palo Alto city officials that involved aerial photographs and a topographical drawing — showed that the landfill's intake had dropped precipitously during recent years, the facility officially closed July 30, 2011.

During its regular operation, the landfill accepted approximately 120 tons of garbage daily, including 60 tons of yard trimmings, 20 tons of concrete and enough soil to keep the grade of the hill in accordance with its planned design. That design, coincidentally, was so alluring that this past fall, the Palo Alto City Council put the landfill on a fast track for conversion to parkland as soon as possible.

Converting the once garbage-laden site into a spectacular public space — complete with biking, walking and jogging trails, and a scenic view alongside the pristine San Francisco Baylands — began with a capping process that included bringing green waste directly onto the site in order to create a healthy soil for native grasses and other plantings. The cap also includes piping with wells for leachate, as well as for methane, which will be piped to an incinerator at the water treatment facility and subsequently burned.

Once the cap is deemed safe by solid waste management officials, native species will be planted on the 51 acres, and the space will be annexed to adjacent Byxbee Park, nearly doubling its size. The trail system, covered in crushed oyster shells — which will move with the landfill as it shifts due to natural compaction and settlement — create the desired ambience for the park, while spectacular views from the high points of the site contrast with the more sheltered areas inspired by the shell mounds of the Ohlone people who inhabited the site two to four thousand years ago.

Enter Toubar Construction — and a new DL300 wheel loader

Lifelong Bay Area resident Charlie Touchatt has been involved in the trucking, construction and remediation business for decades. Started 53 years ago, Touchatt Trucking was his signature company, followed in 1986 with the founding of Toubar Construction — Touchatt's contracting company — which specializes in demolition, excavation, site grading and drainage.

"Toubar Construction actually got started because of another landfill capping project," Touchatt recalls. "Once we finished putting the final cap over the defunct Menlo Park landfill in 1986, Toubar Construction took off and has grown steadily from there. We now have over 40 employees and a fleet of equipment that includes large, medium and mini excavators, compactors, graders, scrapers and loaders. We also have a screening plant. We've been fortunate that business has remained consistent over the years."

When Touchatt received confirmation that his company had been awarded the Palo Alto landfill capping and park restoration project — a job that required the preparation and placement of more than 150,000 tons of quality new topsoil — he began searching for a larger capacity loader than his current model. He reached out to a trusted sales representative with RGW Equipment in Livermore, Calif., for a loader recommendation. After presenting Touchatt with a few options, the two agreed that the Doosan DL300 wheel loader would be the most efficient and productive choice.

Touchatt first had the opportunity to operate several Doosan construction equipment models after his sales representative invited him to the Doosan Real Operation Center (The ROC), in the desert just outside Tucson, Ariz. There, Touchatt became an immediate Doosan heavy equipment enthusiast.

"They had all these different machines, which I ran every one of them," Touchatt recalls. "They took us out to a copper mine and told us to run the machines freely; they wanted our honest opinions about each one. We operated a lot of different pieces of equipment there — loaders, excavators, even a log loader that I really love running — and told us to dig as deep as we wanted to dig and operate the different models as hard as we felt comfortable. I was like a kid in a candy store."

"They allowed me to try out a few different loader models for a period of time before we settled on the DL300 wheel loader," Touchatt says. "We used the loader to keep the screening plant fed, a continuous process that involves mixing compost with clean dirt to produce the topsoil we use to cover the cap liner placed on the landfill surface. We're mixing the compost and the dirt at a specified ratio, then running it through the plant to produce a final one-inch-minus topsoil particle size material.

"I needed a wheel loader that was easy to operate, reliable and had the capacity to keep the plant filled and productive at all times," Touchatt says. "So far we've completed in excess of 100,000 tons and the DL300 wheel loader has been a godsend. We're using it exclusively to load the screening plant. It's working every day and we've had very good luck with it. I really like the machine."

Comfortable. Capable. Consistent.

Among the many features Touchatt and his operators appreciate about the DL300 wheel loader are improved ergonomics, increased production, reliability and easy maintenance.

"The DL300 offers powerful, versatile, lift-and-carry capabilities, impressive digging power and consistent, efficient performance," Touchatt says. "The loader has excellent traction and more than enough power, regardless of the type of surface loading conditions. And the bucket capacity of more than 4 cubic yards has no problem keeping the screening plant fed with materials.

"The DL300 wheel loader is also very operator-friendly. The comfortable enclosed cab helps maximize loading proficiency, while minimizing operator fatigue. The spacious cab has great visibility, an adjustable steering column (tilt and telescopic adjustments) and all the controls are strategically situated to optimize operator comfort. My guys love running it. Of course, it's air conditioned, and has a stereo in it. It's also got the suspension seat; certainly no complaints from any of the operators, most of whom actually look forward to running it."

The DL300 loader ... life after the landfill

While Touchatt admits the motivation behind the purchase of his new Doosan DL300 wheel loader was justified by the ongoing landfill-to-park restoration project, he also envisioned the loader as a great fit for the types of projects completed most often by Toubar Construction after the Palo Alto landfill is restored to its park-like setting.

"With the types of projects we do, I have the need for a loader every day," he says. "One of the reasons I went with the DL300 is because I knew it would be a great fit for the different types of projects we complete, that are the core of our business. Now we have a loader with more capacity, is easier and more efficient to operate, and overall more reliable than we had previously. Since adding the DL300 wheel loader, I envision my business growing exponentially — something I've been considering for some time. Now, with the proper equipment in my fleet, that consideration can become a reality.

"Reliability is so important in any construction business," Touchatt says. "We can't afford downtime, and that's why I only deal with companies like Doosan and RGW Equipment. They are responsive, reliable and reputable. Not only do I not have any complaints about the machine, I have additional peace of mind knowing that RGW and Doosan are going to stand behind the loader. If there is ever a situation where a repair is needed, they'll make it happen as quickly and efficiently as possible."