Spectacular Sand Sculpture Turned Heads at IFAT 2014

An incredible reproduction of Auguste Rodin’s famed sculpture ‘The Thinker’ was created entirely from sand on Hydro International’s (UK) booth at IFAT 2014.  

The 3m-high masterpiece was crafted throughout the five day show by world-renowned sand artists, Niall Andrew Magee and Benno Lindel. Promoting the theme ‘The Fine Art of Grit Removal’ the sculpture was designed to challenge designers and operators of wastewater treatment plants to think again about their approach to grit removal. 

Seven tonnes of carefully selected fine sand were shipped on to the booth to create the novel replica of Rodin’s best-known work which gradually took shape to the amazement of visitors during the five day event.

Says Hydro’s International Business Director Clive Evans: “We wanted to create a spectacle on the booth that would capture people’s imagination and get them to think again about fine grit.

“Conventional thinking about fine grit removal is being overturned by scientific research and operating practice that shows that particle size, shape, specific gravity and composition all influence settling velocities and affect removal efficiencies. Taking out finer grit particles than has been accepted practice could result in better plant performance and energy efficiency.”

Hydro International offers a high-performance portfolio of grit removal, grit washing and de-watering technologies. New to Europe but already proven in North America, the space efficient HeadCell modular, multiple-tray settleable solids concentrator and targets grit as small as 75 microns. It is widely accepted as the ‘next generation’ grit separation technology. 

The Hydro Grit King is an advanced hydrodynamic vortex separator that augments gravitational forces to separate grit from water with minimal headloss. Its simple free-standing vessel or constructed chamber design is well proven in the UK as well as in several countries across the Middle East. It uses no power and has no moving parts, achieving low operating and maintenance costs.