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“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” December 14, 2011 • Vol. XXIV • No. 25 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
Calcasieu River Bridge Receives Makeover By Bill Murphy CEG CORRESPONDENT
Blanchard, S.C. County Celebrate Partnership…8
JC B of Alabama Hosts Open House…12
JM Wood Hol ds Two-Day Sal e in Mont gomery…70
Table of Contents ............4 Attachment Section.28-31
Major work on the Interstate 10 bridge spanning the Calcasieu River in Louisiana will begin after Thanksgiving, when pins on 48 girders will be replaced. The pin-replacement work is complicated because Topcor Services LLC, the general contractor for the project, will be removing 4-in. (10.2 cm) pins, enlarging the hole and inserting 4.5-in. (11.4 cm) pins, said Patrick Bernier, a division manager overseeing the project for the Baton Rouge-based company. The intent is to make the bridge sturdier and safer. “The new pins will provide a better load transfer,” he said. This portion of the bridge repair project is slated to be completed by Dec. 22. The work is part of a larger, $5.7 million repair and maintenance project of the Calcasieu River bridge connecting Lake Charles and Westlake in southwest Louisiana. The work is a Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development (La. DOTD) project. The overall project began in August and should be completed anywhere from February to April. The 60-year-old bridge will be spot cleaned and painted, anchor bolts and handrails will be repaired, road surface joints will be installed, resealed and damaged rivets will be replaced and missing dueling pistols that adorn the handrail will be replaced. see BRIDGE page 56
Truck & Trailer Section .... ..................................33-36 Crushing, Screening & Recycling Section ....37-46 Parts Section ................47 Auction Section ................ ......................Starts on 67 Advertisers Index ..........74
Patrick Bernier, a Topcor Services division manager who is overseeing the Calcasieu River bridge project, said Lake Charles, La., locals call the span the Pistol Bridge because it has 5,000 pairs of dueling pistols adorning its handrail.
Construction Employment Rises Construction employment rose in half the states and decreased in half in October and during the past year, closely matching the stable national employment picture, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. The even split between gains and losses reflects the accelerating improvement in apartment and private nonresidential construction, offset by a declining public market and stalled single-family sector. “Construction employment gains are likely to
remain spotty for months to come,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Local factors, rather than regional or industry trends, seem to dictate whether a state has rising or falling construction employment in a given month.” North Dakota ranked first among 24 states and the District of Columbia that recorded construction employment gains from October 2010 to October 2011. The state added 19 percent (4,100 jobs). Oklahoma ranked second (8.1 persee EMPLOYMENT page 69
Cowin, ASC Reach Agreement on Volvo Distribution On Nov. 16 Cowin Equipment Company purchased the distribution rights for Volvo Construction Equipment in the state of Alabama from ASC Construction Equipment USA Inc. The Alabama territory also includes the Florida panhandle and coastal Mississippi
regions. The realignment of territories suits both companies’ strategic ambitions and has had limited impact on jobs, other than the transfer of affected ASC employees to Cowin. According to Brad Stimmel, president of ASC Construction
Equipment USA Inc., “It is a transaction that will allow us to continue our growth in the U.S. as well as to assist Volvo with enhancing its expansion of quality dealers in North America. Because of their long history in the territory and additional locations, I believe
Cowin Equipment Company is equipped to expand customer service in the Alabama territory at a faster pace than ASC could have in the short term. As part of the Volvo family, anytime ASC can help strengthen the Volvo dealer net see COWIN page 50