Hydro to Display Sand Sculpture at IFAT 2014

A reproduction of Auguste Rodin’s sculpture “The Thinker” will be created entirely from sand at Hydro Intl.’s booth at IFAT 2014 to promote the theme “The Fine Art of Grit Removal.”

The piece will stand 3 meters high and will be crafted throughout the five-day show by sand artists Niall Andrew Magee and Benno Lindel. The artwork is designed to challenge designers and operators of wastewater treatment plants to think again about their approach to fine grit removal.

Seven tons of fine sand will be shipped on to the booth to create the replica of Rodin’s best-known work. Magee and Lindell, of German-based company Sandcity, will take 80 man-hours to complete the sculpture.

The sand will be loaded into wooden molds, each becoming progressively smaller in size, and moistened with water before being compacted by hand or machine. When all the molds have been filled, the first mold will be taken off and the art of sculpting will begin. The artists will begin sculpting from the top of the structure and carve down to the bottom, removing the molds one by one as they progress. The head and shoulders of the figure will be revealed on day one with the rest of the sculpture slowly taking shape over the next four days.

The Hydro International stand will be designed to look like a fine art gallery. It will feature walls of framed artwork, which will replicate the classic style of a number of famous paintings. Live working models of HeadCell and Hydro Grit King technologies will also be on show.

“We wanted to create a spectacle on the booth that would capture people’s imagination and get them to think again about fine grit," said Hydro’s International Business Director Clive Evans. "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 portfolio of grit removal, grit washing and dewatering technologies.

Source: Hydro Intl.