Construction Sweeping

Initial Clean-up [VIDEO]

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The video below shows a property being brought back up to an expected and manageable level of cleanliness. This property had several years of accumulation and called for some heavy duty cleaning. The required equipment for this was a mechanical sweeper, a few shovels and backpack blower for detailing. When completed the  loading dock area was free of debris that included load lock shrapnel, pallet scraps and weeds growing from the accumulation. From this point routine maintenance will be needed for upkeep, however it will be much easier since removing years of litter and debris.

The video showcases the mechanical sweeper’s portion of the work. This unit is not limited to truck courts; it can also handle construction sites, city streets, manufacturing facilities and more.

Take a look!

 

For your free estimate on your parking lot maintenance and service needs click here to contact us today.

Keeping Clean Storm-water Runoff

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The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, also known as EISA, requires federal agencies to maintain or restore a site’s pre-development hydrology when projects impact more than 5,000 square feet of a site. (Section 438 of EISA)

[PHOTO BY TYMCO]

In more Lehman’s terms this means the EPA is looking to ensure that new construction and major renovation sites do their part to ensure that storm water runoff is clean when passing through these projects.  The EPA offers a list of practices to keep clean water running, here, but these are not the end all, be all for solutions.  Maintaining a clean site is very important when keeping these practices and sweeping is one way to make certain that any water coming through the site is as clean as possible. The idea that the water will be 100% filtered and clean is an impossible one when you consider all of your construction equipment and traffic, however once your initial lift and sewer are in place, adding a sweeping service will lower the contaminants (measured in PPMs) in the runoff. A suggested method is to reduce or eliminate the presence of curbs. The idea there is that absence of curbs allows the water to run through the property quicker and without restraints, but that’s inevitable when the projects calls for sidewalks and parking dividers/islands.  Another example for best management practices (BMPs) is to install pervious asphalt, concrete and walkways that allow the water to seep through and into the ground versus through the site and into sewers; this to a good idea, until the dirt accumulation is so tight the water runs past it.

How does sweeping help? Glad you asked! Only sweeping litter might help your quality test numbers but will still leave unacceptable levels of contamination. Sweeping with the right equipment and having operators that know what they are sweeping for is the key to improving the cleanliness of the runoff water.

  • Not all sweeping units will make the cut; to really eliminate the fine particles you need the following;
    • A regenerative air unit. A sweeper that use forced induction AND vacuum
    • A sweeping unit the is regularly cleaned and maintained with new suction hoses, access point seals and sweeping curtains
  • A company with a diverse fleet is ideal; having only one type of sweeping unit will limit performance. Although you will need a regenerative air sweeper to eliminate the finer particles, sometimes, especially in new developments, the amount of dirt, gravel and mud becomes too much for even the bigger air sweepers.  In this case you need a fleet that can provide a larger scale brush sweeper which would then be followed by an air sweeper. Having only one or the other will leave some jobs only half complete. It is more convenient to have the all in one instead of having to hire two types of sweeping companies.
  •  You need sweeper operator that is aware, experienced and knowledgeable in the BMP field. You may think all driver’s are the same, FALSE. A driver with little to no experience will simply drive around until it “looks clean” then leave and with his premature departure he leaves behind the fine particulates that will elevate contamination results. Implementing suggestions such as sewer inlet filtration and pervious grounds are great when combined with an experienced sweeper who will make sure those areas are closely monitored and frequently cleaned. Having a driver that can identify these areas, alone, is a plus. These areas require additional equipment; gutter brooms for the curb-lines and sewer inlets, shovels and good old elbow grease.
  • Talk is great but you also need a company that has verifiable references, documentation and experience. The reality is that anyone can provide a reference number to call, but a trustworthy company  will be able to provide more than just the contact number, examples;
    • Valid business license. Anyone can buy a sweeper, however that does not make them a legitimate and experienced sweeping company
    • High rated (verifiable) insurance. Most major projects will require a minimum one million+ in coverage
    • Longevity. You don’t want to trust the results of your State mandated audits for quality to a start-up company
    • Experience in the field. References to verifiable names in the contractor markets. ‘Joe Builders’ normally don’t meet the qualities of a reputable reference. Your choice should have experience with reputable companies that have used their services and attest that their ‘numbers’ have improved and/or not faltered

These are only some of the things you should consider when tasked with providing a clean working environment and ensuring that the runoff coming through your property is not contaminating your surrounding grounds and local sewer systems. To speak with someone regarding this type of service and/or if you know what you need and the above description fits the mold , we’re the company for you! Contact us Today!

Construction Sweeping [Photos]

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We’ve been working with a major construction and development company that is building the new headquarters for one of the world’s top automobile makers. The new campus is at the old GM plant south of Atlanta, adjacent to  Hartsfield-Jackson International. This campus will be home to many of the corporate executives and will also have a test track and off-road type obstacle course. Our task at this site is to maintain the parking garage but as they prepare to finish the test track area they requested our services with this project.

For this work we brought out the mechanical, or brush, truck. As seen on the before pictures, the asphalt had an abnormal amount of dirt as a result of the hill eroding over it after rain showers. The area was roughly a football field and a half long and maybe half wide, with areas of up to 3″ of piled dirt.

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After methodically sweeping the parking lot and removing the wash down and build up, we brought over an air truck to fine tune and polish off the area. As seen below in the after picture, the only thing left on the asphalt are the infamous stains of the Georgia red clay. At this point the project manager would have the asphalt washed down, a service we also offer, but because this work was in preparation for the final lift (layer) of asphalt there was no need.

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The completed work is a large area freed of a high volume of dirt and left ready for the asphalt crews to come in and make the test track ready for testing some very luxurious and fast cars! For construction sweeping or any other similar clean up services, call us!

Advantages Of Regenerative Air Sweeping

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The regenerative air systems for sweeping is easily the most thorough method of sweeping. Tymco’s and Schwarzes are the industry’s equivalent to Coke and Pepsi. The better sweeper is a matter of opinion and typically is dictated by the user’s history with either brand. Both are arguably the best in the sweeping world for parking lot sweeping and because of this it is hard to choose which one to use…so we run both. At WCS we use Tymco 210’s and Schwarze 348’s

Mechanical sweepers offer a great result for a superficial cleaning or on street or construction sweeping. This is not because they are inferior models but because they depend solely on brooms to remove accumulation and debris. Strictly vacuum dependent sweepers typically only run on a single power unit and must maintain a level of suction to be able to aspirate the surface matter. The ability to clean properly diminishes if the user does not maintain the sweeper and its seals and closures deteriorate. These sweepers are ideal for sweeping strictly litter. The diagrams below highlight how each type of unit leaves the surface area after each pass.

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Images courtesy of Tymco

We strive to leave each and every property detailed and to a level of cleanliness beyond what we found upon our arrival. To accomplish this we use and maintain only the best equipment, in our opinion of course. Together with the on-the-ground detailing with our backpack blowers, all properties are given the attention each deserves. If you would like to have a free quote or would like to request a demonstration to compare against your existing service, don’t hesitate to contact us  today!

Dirty curbs don’t stand a chance! [VIDEO]

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Despite the level of accumulation of dirt and debris within any curb, we can get it cleaned out and looking sharp in no time! With a little determination and attention to detail we helped clean this property, bringing it to a desirable level of maintenance. This property had roughly 50% of the boundaries, curbs and shoulders, like this. Check out our short video on a stretch of curb-line.

For this job we used a blower to detail and two trucks; an air truck and a broom truck. The video showcases the broom truck.

Parking Decks & Garages

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Don’t let the title and description of parking lot sweepers fool you! We are  not limited to just surface level lots. We have professionally modified trucks that are low enough to drive into any parking deck or garage in Atlanta. Low hanging plumbing, tight spaces and any other obstacle is easily overcome by us with our multiple options for equipment. In the rare event that it’s just too close for comfort, we can use our warehouse and garage Tennant sweeper/scrubber. 

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Give us a call today to service your property after a free estimate!

Parking lot cleaning VS parking lot sweeping

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What’s the difference between Watt Commercial Sweeping and any other sweeping outfit? Nothing, right? Trucks are the same, work the same way, anybody can run one…. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Although we do have units that others may also operate and the act of sweeping, itself, doesn’t vary much, what we have that others don’t is what sets us apart from the rest. To point out these qualities is not to speak poorly of others but more so to emphasize how we strive to be better for our existing and future customers.

We aim to have 100% consistency.  Not including justifiable failures, we deliver services as scheduled, whether it is routine service or on call service.  There is no need to wonder if the service promised is done. Not only will it be clearly noticeable by the way the property maintains it’s cleanliness but if there were any doubt, we can provide route verification via hard copies and third-party GPS tracking.  Each unit has a vehicle monitoring system that allows is to verify location, speed, productivity and execution.
Attention to detail is the biggest differentiating factor.  We are not satisfied with a lot that ‘looks clean’. We never arrive at any of our customer’s properties and leave without servicing, having deemed it ‘clean’. With our regularly maintained and replaced backpack blowers we move through each and every parking lot and extract dirt and accumulation from all curb lines, building perimeters, nooks, crevices and areas our sweepers are unable to drive into. Our regenerative air systems blast airflow down on the surface breaking loose build-up and in the same motion redirecting it up the chute and into the hopper. We thoroughly sweep the entire property leaving it cleaner than first appeared.
Eliminating the ‘Figure 8’. Undoubtedly, everyone has seen the late night sweeping unit doing figure 8 maneuvers and practically doing donuts  to chase down litter.  Although it is clear to spectators, the operator, while focused on the litter, fails to see how reckless he/she is being. We have eliminated this by training our drivers to use the truck and the direction in which it moves air supply. Keeping litter to the side of which the air is moving we maintain straight lines with fewer turns, constantly closing in on the litter.  Much like you’d move your lawn, slowly moving towards the center.  Together with the detailing blowers, this practice allows us to cover every square inch of the property while maintaining a safe distance from all stationary objects and vehicles parked within the lot.
Our employees are top-notch! Each and every employee is dedicated and committed to performing their duties proficiently and proudly. They too understand that every customer is as important despite the size of the property.  Without our employees we would not be able to offer the quality service we provide.

During every route our goal is to arrive at each property and clean it. We never arrive to simply sweep; moving rapidly through each lot, working anxiously to chase down only the visible litter so as to quickly finish and move on to the next lot. No, we come in to each property to service it-clean it; whether the service agreement calls for it or not, we detail with our blowers, remove visible litter from landscapes, clean off property and business entrances and exits. Our attention to detail is second to none.  When leaving your property there will always be, a guaranteed, cleaner parking lot. The implemented guidelines for servicing collectively provide the difference between our cleaning service and the other company’s  sweeping service.

To schedule a free estimate or to schedule a service contact us today!