PAVEMENT maintenance
For Innovative Roadway Solutions success means taking advantage of new innovations, even if they present a challenge to current processes. The company partnered with Neal Manufacturing, a division of Blastcrete Equipment LLC, to help meet quality and efficiency needs on specialized highvolume highway and shoulder applications. All photos courtesy of Neal Manufacturing, a division of Blastcrete Equipment LLC
ENGINEERING
Preservation Company Leverages Maintenance Expertise The hardest part of a project for most contractors is the bid. Balancing customer specs with overhead costs to produce a number both sides are comfortable with takes skill and a deep understanding of an operation’s capabilities. Partnering with industry-leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to provide efficiency-optimizing equipment can give contractors an edge in the bidding process. But a tool is only as good as the hand wielding it—or, in the case of asphalt preservation applications, the one applying it. In this competitive industry, a successful bid requires expert leveraging of experience and equipment to provide quality results with no waste. For Innovative Roadway Solutions—a pavement preservation specialist operating in Texas, Missouri and the surrounding states—success also means taking advantage of new innovations, even if they present a challenge to current processes. This was the case when the company began using OnyxTM, a high-performance mastic sealer produced by Ingevity and specified by several departments of transportation in its operating area. To apply Onyx efficiently, Innovative Roadway Solutions needed an OEM partner with not only the experience to produce reliable equipment for the high-aggregate mixture; it needed a man-
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ufacturer willing to listen and custom-engineer machines for speENGINEERING cialized high-volume highway and shoulder applications. The company turned to Neal Manufacturing, a division of Blastcrete Equipment LLC, for a solution to help them maintain their reputation for quality and dependability and still be able to submit competitive bids. With more than 30 years of experience, Innovative Roadway Solutions always strives to provide affordable preventative mainteENGINEERING nance applications that extend the longevity of asphalt roadways. In 2017, the company became part of Lionmark Construction Companies—a privately held group specializing in pavement preservation and road and bridge construction. The acquisition extended Innovative Roadway Solutions’ service area and gave the company a chance to grow, doubling its size in just two years. One thing that remained constant throughout the growth period, though, is the company’s commitment to harnessing the latest ENGINEERING technology and products for the benefit of its customers. New and existing employees worked together to ensure Innovative Roadway Solutions remained just that—innovative. As they grew service offerings, they looked to incorporate processes and products popular across Lionmark’s area of operation.
ENGINEERING
