On the Job with Great Lakes Fusion

 

Bryan Marks, owner of Great Lakes Fusion in Durand, Mich., has worked in the landfill industry his entire life. His company specializes in HDPE pipe fusion and the installation of methane and leachate collection systems as well as excavation and drilling. We caught up with him and his crew at one of his many jobsites throughout the Midwest to learn more about his work and why he fuses pipe exclusively with McElroy machines.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS PROJECT?

We’re fusing a two-mile, 18” mainline that will loop all the way around the landfill, and off the mainline we’ll branch smaller 4”, 6” and 8” lateral piping up the hill which will connect to the gas wells that we have actually drilled into the landfill. This gas collection system will extract the methane from the landfill and all of that methane gets piped to a cogeneration facility which uses the methane to turn big power generators to make enough electricity for 5,500 homes.

WHY IS IT NEEDED? 

We’re adding more gas wells. As the landfill grows, they have to drill more gas wells into that new trash to collect the new methane. As they add wells, they need to add more lateral pipelines and also extend the larger mainlines.

WHY IS HDPE THE BEST MATERIAL ON LANDFILL APPLICATIONS?

I would say for its durability and chemical resistance. As the landfill settles, the HDPE settles with the landfill without cracking or breaking.

WHAT KIND OF MCELROY EQUIPMENT ARE YOU USING ON THIS JOB?

TracStar® 500, TracStar 28, Pit Bull® 28, Pit Bull 14 and Pipe Stands.

WHY DO YOU STICK WITH MCELROY?

Number one, it’s the most reputable fusion equipment on the market that I know of today. It’s made right here in the USA. And parts availability … that’s huge.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE MCELROY EQUIPMENT HELPS YOU BE MORE PRODUCTIVE?

I absolutely do. I have extensive experience with McElroy equipment which we buy from ISCO Industries and Sandale. Some of our units are over 30 years old. So in my experience with McElroy, it’s durable, it’s great equipment, it’s easy to use and you have the ability to take the carriage off and put it in the trench if you need to. The flexibility of McElroy equipment is far superior to anything I’ve seen out on the market.