title: Pile settlement and volume reduction measurement during forced-aeration static composting.
abstract: In this study, a settlement measurement device was used to track the settlement of different layers in composting piles, and time courses of settlement velocity, bulk density distribution, and effective bulk density were investigated. Settlement is divided into two stages: the physical compressive settlement and the mass loss settlement. At the end of the former stage, bulk density (rho') and pile height (h) follow rho'=Ah(B), where A is a fitting parameter for the initial bulk density of the composting material, and B is the compression parameter. The physical compressibilities of composting mixtures are night-soil sludge and garden refuse (1:1) >sewage sludge and cornstalks (5:4) >night-soil sludge and garden refuse (2:3) >sewage sludge and bark (1:1). Adding the proportion of bulking agent in the proper extent effectively retarded composting settlement. Bark exhibits a better supporting capability than cornstalk does as a bulking agent.
authors.affiliation: Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Tong-Bin
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ding
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Guo-Di
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Duu-Jong
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D005308:Fertilizers; D008372:Manure; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D008372:Manure; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil