Equipment Today August 2020

Special Report: How to Adapt to Post-COVID Construction Helping you optimize ROI on your construction equipment

®

AUGUST 2020

ROAD BUILDING Technology adoption in a changing environment

JOBSITE SECURITY Cameras elevate security & productivity

THE DRIVE TO WHEELED MINIS WHEELED MODELS FIND

A PLACE AMONG THE CROWD

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#1 Market Leaders 8/4/20 10:16 AM

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Contents

AUGUST 2020 | www.ForConstructionPros.com

COMPACT WHEELED EXCAVATORS

COVER STORY

Excel in Crowds These machines thrive in applications where tracked equipment and backhoes face limitations.

Page 8

PRODUCTS 12 Compact Excavators 22 Road Building 30 Trucks & Transportation 41 Technology Trends 48 Equipment Gallery

DEPARTMENTS 4 Breaking Ground 6 Equipment Introductions 18 Jobsite Solutions 24 Trucks & Transportation Safety Culture Drives Success

42 Profit Matters

FEATURES THREE KEYS TO TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION IN CONSTRUCTION pg 14

Design Your Implementation Strategy

Make Sure to Get Buy-In

Road building and other contractors and workers must adapt to a changing construction environment.

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TRACKED OR WHEELED ASPHALT PAVERS — WHICH WILL BEST FIT YOUR NEEDS? pg 20 SPECIAL REPORT:

Contractor Survival Stories from COVID-19 Hot Spots pg How to Adapt to Post-COVID Construction pg

Advances in technology make jobsite camera technology much more than a theft deterrent.

Should You Expand Your Business Horizons?

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Hot Weather Concreting: Why Monitoring Concrete Temperatures is Essential

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50 Running the Business

Top 10 Construction Safety Tips Revisited

Roads of the future will generate energy, improve logistics and gather data. www.ForConstructionPros.com/21138298

Asphalt’s ability to make meaningful economic and sustainable impacts makes the material ripe for opportunity. www.ForConstructionPros.com/21138030

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44 Safety & Compliance

Innovation, Energy Generation and Communication Ahead for Transportation Infrastructure

Recycled Asphalt 101: Scratching the Surface

The type of work your company completes will help determine which type of paver you should buy.

CAMERA TECHNOLOGY ELEVATES SECURITY, SAFETY AND JOBSITE PERFORMANCE pg 38

Time-tracking App Lifts Labor Productivity

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES

Identify Inefficiencies

Placing concrete in hot weather necessitates extra precautions. www.ForConstructionPros.com/21138082

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4 Applications of AI That Could Positively Benefit the Construction Industry Don’t let fear or misunderstanding of artificial intelligence deter you from the possible positive outcomes. www.ForConstructionPros.com/21137938 August 2020 | EQ U I P MEN T TO D AY

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4 Tips to Clear the Confusion

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Becky Schultz / bschultz@acbusinessmedia.com

eing in the midst of a pandemic has been a dramatic learning experience for everyone from government leaders and disease control experts on down. There have been numerous missteps and plenty of misinformation passed along since the outbreak began, and recommendations for how

to manage the spread of the disease have been continually revised as new information comes in, causing a lot of confusion.

As we’ve seen, such confusion can have damaging, and in some cases, devastating impacts. Few industries can understand this quite as well as construction. Many in the industry have witnessed its effects

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SERVICE

THAT’S LOCAL

firsthand in the form of expensive project rework, or in the worst-case scenarios, accidents on the job.

Clearing the confusion is essential to maximizing both productivity and safety on your projects. Here are four tips that can help bring clarity: 1. Don’t make assumptions: One of the biggest missteps on any jobsite is to assume everyone knows their responsibilities and the potential challenges or hazards involved. Prior to project startup, gather your crew, as well as any subcontractors who will work on site, to outline responsibilities, potential hazards and project objectives. Use Tailgate Talks or Safety Huddles at the start of each workday to discuss individual responsibilities and to inform or remind workers of any potential risks specific to the day’s tasks.

2. Vary the method of communication: Everyone receives information a little differently. For example, some will listen carefully and quickly absorb it, while others may become easily distracted and pick up only part of the conversation. To reach all types of listeners, consider a mix of communication methods — a combination of verbal,

CLEARING CONFUSION IS ESSENTIAL TO MAXIMIZE BOTH PRODUCTIVITY AND SAFETY ON YOUR PROJECTS.

SCHEDULE

A DEMO

TODAY WITH A LOCAL DEALER

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B R E AKI N G G R O U N D By Becky Schultz

Introducing the

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written, video and hands-on guidance, depending on what’s being covered. Ask pointed questions to ensure everyone is on the same page. Also consider any language barriers that could potentially lead to misunderstandings.

3. Provide effective communication tools: Options for communication have come a long way beyond hand signals and walkie talkies. There is now a range of technologies available to facilitate clearer, more concise communication between workers as well as between the site and office, ranging from cost-effective apps on mobile devices to more advanced Bluetooth-based technology.

4. Encourage questions: Workers can be reluctant to seem like they “don’t get it,” so create an environment that encourages workers to ask questions if something is unclear. Emphasize to all employees that properly understanding the information can literally mean the difference between life and death in some cases, and there really are no “dumb” questions on a jobsite. ET

©2020 SANY America, Inc.

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8/3/20 12:00 PM

YOU BUILD. YOU PROVIDE. YOU GET THE JOB DONE. AND WE’RE HERE TO HELP.

TODAY AND EVERY DAY, FORD IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THOSE WHO SUPPORT OUR WORLD.

Available equipment shown.

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EQUIPMENT INTRODUCTIONS

These pages feature some of the latest equipment available. You’ll find a solid sampling of both new machines and models that have been recently revamped by the manufacturers. For more information on these products, simply visit www.ForConstructionPros.com and include the eight-digit code shown.

Vermeer D220x500 S3 Navigator

Case E Series Compact Vibratory Rollers The E Series includes seven rollers ranging from 33.5 to 43.9 hp and 4,920 to 9,520 lbs. They come in double-drum and combination configurations with drum widths from 39 to 54 in. The redesigned operator interface includes an electronic travel lever and rpm settings, drive settings, sprinkler system controls and more at the operator’s fingertips. The operation mode selector allows selection between loading, working and transport modes. The soft drive setting provides a smooth ride during asphalt compaction, while optional hard drive enables swift turns. Each unit delivers high centrifugal forces and frequencies at lower rpms with selectable dual vibration frequencies.

www.forconstructionpros.com/21120047

Snorkel S9070RT-HC Scissor Lift

The D220x500 S3 Navigator horizontal directional drill can be configured for large-diameter water and utility installations in urban areas, as well as pipeline work. Powered by a 415-hp Caterpillar C13 ACERT Tier 4 Final engine, it delivers up to 54,000 ft.-lbs. of torque at a spindle speed of 36 rpm and up to 240,400 lbs. of thrust/pullback. Fluid flow rates of up to 350 gpm can be achieved if the onboard pump is selected. The unit is available with an onboard cab or stand-alone operator cab, a 20- to 30- ft. rod rack and a rod stager or full-length catwalk.

www.forconstructionpros.com/21121316

Komatsu WA800-8 Wheel Loader The 254,700-lb. WA800-8 Tier 4 Final loader has a durable chassis with newly designed front and rear frame and loader linkages. Its re-engineered cab has a 7-in. high-resolution monitor, heated and ventilated air suspension seat and enhanced visibility. KomVision offers radar obstacle detection with visual and audible alert. The automatic dig, semiautomatic approach and semi-automatic dump systems automate the work phases when V-cycle loading haul trucks.

The variable traction control system and modulation clutch system provide optimal tractive effort in various ground conditions. A reinforced Z-bar loader linkage provides high breakout force in challenging digging applications.

www.forconstructionpros.com/21122010

Liebherr R 938 Crawler Excavator

The 25,500-lb. S9070RT-HC has a lift capacity of 2,000 lbs. and a maximum working height of 76 ft. It comes with a dual-powered extension deck, a platform area of 29,160 cu. in. and an extra-wide pallet gate.

Platform size is 27’ x 7’ 6” with a roll-out 4-ft. 6-in. deck extension.

Added rough-terrain capabilities include four-wheel drive, an articulating axle and 50% gradeability. Powered by a Kubota diesel engine, the unit includes proportional joystick controls, a platform overload system, drive motion alarm and descent alarm, plus four hydraulic stabilizers with automatic leveling.

The 85,770-lb. R 938 is powered by a 299-hp Tier 4 Final diesel engine and provides a 24-ft. 11-in. maximum dig depth, 36-ft. 8-in. maximum reach at ground level and up to 53,510 lbs. of breakout force. It is available with a variety of X-shaped undercarriage roller types that are lubricated for life. The spacious, temperature-controlled cab features pneumatic seats with vertical and longitudinal suspension, a high-resolution, user-friendly 7-in. touchscreen monitor and a windshield that can be fully lowered. A range of lighting packages are available including a high-performance LED+ lighting option. An unobstructed panoramic view and rear and side monitoring cameras maximize safety.

www.forconstructionpros.com/21120662

www.forconstructionpros.com/21124649

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EQUIPMENT INTRODUCTIONS

Leica iCON Site Leica iCON site offers smart and customized positioning solutions that efficiently connect the tasks, machines and teams on road construction and civil engineering projects. It enables integration and connectivity from the office, machine and field within one easy to use software solution.

The system includes grouping within code lists, height benching for tool point within Surface Pilot application, full support of all data formats for data merger function within Draw application, Tab&Hold map functionality and more. It also provides persistent backup functionality to an available USB or SD device for a CC80 or CC70 field controller.

www.forconstructionpros.com/21136295

LGMG T65J Telescopic Boom The 25,132-lb. T65J telescopic boom is ANSI A92.20 compliant and has a platform working height of 65 ft. when fully extended as well as a horizontal outreach of over 56 ft. with a below grade reach of almost 9 ft. Its 71” x 30” platform can hold up to 551 lbs. and rotates up to 360°. Pressure sensors ensure precise weights and increased operator safety. An advanced control system provides machine status updates, diagnostic capabilities and the ability to perform adjustments online and remotely. The unit has a gradeability (4WD) of 45% and is equipped with tilt-slope sensors and alarm.

Power is provided by a Deutz D2.9L4 engine.

www.forconstructionpros.com/21125086

Somero S-22EZ Laser Screed Machine The S-22EZ is equipped with 360° machine rotation, a 20-ft. telescopic boom and a choice of pivoting screed heads. It offers zero turn drive capability with a 360° steering angle. The customized OASIS laser control system is simple to operate and is upgradeable. The unit comes with a full-color LCD display with integrated diagnostics, Quick GradeSet System, automatic throttle and Programmable Quick Pass.

The redesigned, EZ Clean Head reduces cleanup time and improves long-term maintenance. Options include a 12- or 14-ft. head width, roller plow, onboard pressure washer with hose reel, operator heat, spray bar and the Floor Levelness System.

www.forconstructionpros.com/21136302

Bobcat V923 VersaHandler

The next-generation 1600H is available with a Caterpillar C15, Perkins 2506J or Cummins QSX15 Tier 4 Final-compliant diesel engine. All three have the ability to deliver 1,600 cfm at 100 to 150 psi and are powered by the company’s 25-Series air end. A 7-in. touchscreen controller provides easy access to all compressor operation data. The improved package design includes multiple service doors with robust, push-to-close latches. Aftercooled and filtered models include a next-generation condensate management system with no condensate drain required. An easy operation external fuel valve extends runtime beyond 10 hours.

The 18,158-lb. V923 VersaHandler features a 130hp Bobcat turbocharged, non-DPF diesel engine and heavy-duty drivetrain that enable a maximum rated lift capacity of 9,041 lbs., maximum lift height of 277 in. and maximum reach of 162.3 in. The low-profile extendable boom with Z-bar linkage enables a greater range of bucket rotation, an increased dump angle at full height and increased breakout force. The heavyduty hydrostatic transmission enables up to a 25-mph stepless driving experience.

The unit includes all-wheel, frontwheel and crab steering modes, as well as speed management and inching control travel modes and a two-speed travel option.

www.forconstructionpros.com/21127742

www.forconstructionpros.com/21138049

Sullair Next-generation 1600H Air Compressor

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COM PACT E Q UI P M E N T By Curt Bennink

s

Compact Wheeled Excavators

S

EXCEL IN

s.

These machines thrive where tracked excavators and backhoes face limitations.

C

ompact wheeled excavators have been popular in Europe, however, they remain a rare commodity on many North American jobsites. But in the right applications, these machines offer many advantages over other machine forms, especially in crowded urban environments.

Currently, seven out of the 10 top states and provinces for unit sales of compact wheeled excavators are in the Northeast, including Canada, notes Peter Bigwood, general manager, Mecalac North America. Unlike Europe and Korea, which have seen an expanding market for these machines, North American regions outside of the Northeast have been slower to realize the benefits these machines can offer.

“The total number of wheeled excavators sold in North America the last several years has been more or less static,” says Bigwood. “Globally, the growth in the wheeled excavator category has been steady and significant. There are obviously places where [they] are more popular than others. It should be no surprise that almost 100% of the wheeled excavators built in the world are built in Europe and South Korea.”

MACHINE FORMS EVOLVE

Volvo Construction Equipment

A common misconception about wheeled excavators is that you lose the stability of a crawler, but that simply is not the case with a good wheeled machine. They can be every bit as stable as a comparable tracked model.

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Bigwood cites history as a reason to be optimistic about the future of the compact wheeled excavator in North America.

“If you look at the history of digging machines, it started with somebody slapping a digging arm on a tractor,” he states.

This introduced the concept of the modern tractor-loaderbackhoe. Then, the concept of

the compact excavator emerged.

“It wasn’t that long ago people were saying that will never fly here. Just over 10 years ago, at its peak, the number of backhoes sold was about 27,000. Today, it’s about 9,000.” In the last 20 years, excavator sales went from well under 10,000 to 36,000.

Bigwood explains, “One of the things a backhoe is good at is driving around the city from job to job. One of the things it is not good at is digging in front of itself and dumping behind itself while not taking up a lot of room in the process.”

The compact tracked excavator has the ability to dig in front of itself and dump behind itself on crowded jobsites. The major drawback is travel speed.

“Most traditional excavators are crawling along at 3 mph,” says Bigwood. “Enter the wheeled excavator, which can drive from place to place in a city. It doesn’t need to be trailered, doesn’t damage the street it’s working on and can dig in front of itself and dump behind itself. It does everything a tracked excavator can do, but it can also do much of what a backhoe-loader can do.”

The working radius of the compact wheeled excavator presents a distinct advantage. “When working in tight spaces, you may find it more difficult to maneuver a backhoe that only has a 180˚ working radius compared to 360˚ on a compact wheeled excavator like the Volvo EW60E,” says John Comrie, product manager, compact wheel loaders and excavators, Volvo Construction Equipment. “The added flexibility allows more options to swing and dump

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COMPACT EQU IPMENT

these sites with a delicate footprint, yet still have the reach, depth, flexibility and stability to perform the necessary work to maintain and upgrade utilities.”

One of the key advantages is their high travel speeds and their unique ability to travel from jobsite to jobsite. These wheeled machines can reach speeds approaching 20 mph.

This becomes a real advantage if your job requires covering long distances and you perform a mix of on- and off-road work. The ability to travel in a single lane of traffic can drastically reduce transportation costs.

“They’ve been popular in Europe for a few decades now because of the narrow streets and densely populated metro areas.

It’s easier to maneuver a compact wheeled excavator in and around these old buildings,” says Comrie. “They are starting to take hold here, though, as contractors and government fleets increasingly recognize their versatility and speed. Common applications include ditch work, landscaping and utilities, as well as just about any job an excavator is needed for. The ability to travel on a road at high speed (19 mph) is a huge advantage.”

“They’ve been popular in Europe for a few decades now because of the narrow streets and densely populated metro areas. ” — John Comrie, Volvo

Like crawler excavators, wheeled excavators support a large number of attachments, making them a versatile addition to any fleet.

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Contractors need to get past their first impressions to really understand the various applications these machines can perform. “Because of their wheels, some people have tried to categorize them as a niche product for road work, but the reality is that they’re used in a large number of applications,” says Comrie. “Also, as more models are introduced, there will be even more options to suit customers’ needs.”

Reducing transportation costs is really a key advantage. “A benefit the wheeled excavator has in dense urban areas is the ability

Volvo Construction Equipment

material to load a truck without having to double handle material.

“Add to that the offset boom 70˚ left and 60˚ right, and you can really get into some tight areas that backhoes struggle to operate in,” he continues. “Plus, working at a 70˚ offset allows the operator an unrestricted view to the bucket when trying to locate sensitive pipes and cables.”

When trenching, the operator has to think about repositioning a backhoe. “But with a compact wheeled excavator that has a 360˚ working radius, you would simply lift the blade, hit reverse while still operating and, if you have the optional Steelwrist joysticks, the operator can do all this and steer without taking his hands off the joysticks,” says Comrie.

For all of the reasons listed, Bigwood expects compact wheeled excavators to eventually gain more acceptance. “The evolution is absolutely going in that direction. We obviously have a hill to climb in North America,” he acknowledges. “But if you look at the Northeast, there’s nothing special about [that region] other than perhaps more urban settings. There’s plenty of urban settings elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada where these units really do come into their own.”

North American contractors operating in some of the most congested areas in the Northeast have proven the market validity of the compact wheeled excavator. “There are strong markets in North America for wheeled excavators, and in the size classes offered by Wacker Neuson (the 6.5- and 10-ton class).

We see this particularly in the Northeastern United States and in Eastern Canada, Quebec in particular,” says John Dotto, product application and training specialist, Wacker Neuson.

“It’s in our oldest and most densely populated cities and regions where the utility of a rubber-tired excavator really shines,” he points out. “In historically well-preserved cities like Boston and Montreal, you have parts of the city where cobblestone streets have existed for hundreds of years, and are still lovingly maintained in order to preserve our heritage. A small wheeled excavator can operate on

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COM PACT E Q UI P M E N T

UTILITY WORK AND

to cover ground quickly without the constant need to trailer the machine for relocation,” notes Dotto. “Utility work and street repair are great applications for a mobile excavator, particularly on projects spanning several blocks. The ability of the machine to travel from site to site quickly allows the excavator to efficiently support ground crews that a slower tracked machine just can’t, and with no need to worry about track scuffs on sensitive or decorative paved surfaces. A wheeled machine is a great lowimpact solution.”

STREET REPAIR ARE GREAT APPLICATIONS FOR A MOBILE EXCAVATOR, PARTICULARLY ON PROJECTS SPANNING SEVERAL BLOCKS.”

One downside of wheels is you will lose some off-road traction compared to a tracked machine. “One of the drawbacks is similar to what you see with a skid steer vs. a compact track loader — higher ground pressure in soft, wet turf and unimproved surface applications creates conditions where rutting and tire slipping can occur,” Dotto points out.

But wheeled machines are often underestimated and can handle most applications. “In all but the muddiest, sloppiest conditions, a wheeled excavator is going to be fine,” says Bigwood.

“We have them with flotation tires. We have them with twin tires. We have them with turf tires. In a steep slope with very muddy conditions, you’re going to want a tracked excavator. But it’s disingenuous to say you are going to get stuck.”

Another key difference between a compact wheeled

Mecalac

Mecalac offers parking, work or road mode in a single switch.

Thanks to the unique central selector, the driver can switch into road or parking mode with the flip of the switch, saving up to 10 separate steps.

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WHEELS VS. TRACKS

excavator and a conventional compact excavator is the undercarriage. With the wheeled model, you only have to maintain tires vs. chains, sprockets, rollers, etc. on the tracked unit.

“With a tracked excavator, the maintenance is higher,” says Bigwood.

STABILITY MISCONCEPTIONS In the past, the stability of wheeled excavators has come into question.

“Stability, however, in most dry ground conditions and all paved surfaces is not a drawback of a Wacker Neuson wheeled excavator due to the dozer blade and stabilizers,” says Dotto.

“The stabilizers can be adjusted independently to allow the machine to be stabilized and leveled when working elevations vary. For instance, a stabilizer pad can be placed up on a curb with the other pad at street level if the situation requires.”

get it out of the way and add some weight below. We’ve used our Mecalac three-part boom, which tucks in behind the cab so that you are truly compact and you are not lifting way out in front of you like you have to with wheeled excavators that have a mono boom and dipper.”

The result is that the Mecalac MWR performance is comparable to

“And with the Volvo EW60E, you won’t be sacrificing power, breakout/tearout forces, reach or digging

Mecalac

The design of the compact wheeled excavator has a direct impact on its stability. “It’s all about balance,” says Bigwood.

“You really want a well-balanced machine.”

Some manufacturers simply modify an existing compact excavator to add a wheeled undercarriage, which can result in a design that is top and front heavy. With compact wheeled excavators, you can do things to stabilize the machine, such as use of locking axles or the addition of a dozer blade or stabilizer legs.

“But if the fundamental design is that you’re already top heavy and front heavy, you’re going to have some issues,” says Bigwood.

To address these issues, Mecalac started with a clean sheet design. “We’ve lowered the center of gravity,” says Bigwood. “We put the fuel tank in the undercarriage to

its tracked counterparts. Bigwood reports that they have conducted side-byside comparisons with compact tracked excavators where a load of concrete blocks was raised just above the ground and then extended out until the machines tipped. “To everyone’s amazement, the MWR went further than the tracked excavator by about 2 ft.,” he states.

Comrie agrees about the stability offered by compact wheeled excavators. “A common misconception about wheeled excavators is that you lose the stability of a crawler, but that simply is not the case with a good wheeled excavator. They can be every bit as stable as a comparable crawler,” he says.

“For applications that require stability, like heavy lifting, Volvo offers dual tires and HD counterweight,” he adds.

Mecalac started with a clean sheet design to overcome traditional shortcomings of wheeled excavators. One of the results is a low center of gravity. depth compared with a comparably sized crawler. It’s a common statement from operators that once you get used to the wheeled excavator, you never go back to track.”

There are also trade-offs necessary to make the machine more road worthy. “The uppercarriage requires some amount of suspension in order to be a viable road machine. Because of this, the uppercarriage can ‘squash’ when working,” says Dotto. “In order to combat this effect, Wacker Neuson mobile excavators allow the operator to lock the oscillation of the uppercarriage when working with the use of a foot

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COMPACT EQU IPMENT

pedal locking mechanism to stabilize the house. You simply unlock the oscillation when transitioning to road mode to allow for more comfortable travel.”

ATTACHMENT VERSATILITY One factor that makes compact wheeled excavators popular with municipalities is their versatility.

“Municipalities like to be able to do a lot of different things with one machine,” says Bigwood. “One great example is putting a flail mower on the end of a

Volvo excavators, are basically a wrist at the end of a boom.

They provide greater flexibility for attachments by rotating 360˚ and tilting 45˚ left or right. Using them can expand the types of work you do and decrease the amount of time it takes to do them.”

Compact wheeled excavators come with boom options for working in tight spaces. “Starting in 2020, Wacker Neuson mobile (wheeled) excavators will begin coming with a standard threepiece boom, increasing range of motion by 20% to 25% and further increasing the utility of these agile machines,” says Dotto.

Volvo also offers as an option a two-piece boom, which gives longer reach and higher dump height for loading trucks and allows digging closer to the machine. “The operator controls the two-piece boom by a foot pedal,” says Comrie.

years ago. “We tested the Volvo EW60 compact wheeled excavator against a competitively sized backhoe,” says Comrie.

“The first test involved digging a trench 60 ft. long and 3 ft. deep. The wheeled excavator did the work 38% faster and used four times less fuel than the backhoe. The second test dug a 9’ x 9’ pool, 3 ft. deep. The EW60 finished in half the time and burned a quarter of the fuel compared with the backhoe.”

According to Comrie, when comparing a compact wheeled excavator to a backhoe: ˜ Backhoes usually have a higher purchase price. ˜ Backhoe tires are more expensive. ˜ Backhoes consume more fuel due to a larger engine and hydraulic system. ˜ Tier 4 Final backhoes above

74 hp require a selective catalytic reduction system and regular diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) refueling.

The 64-hp Tier 4 Final engine in the EW60E, on the other hand, has a diesel particulate filter with full automatic regen and no DEF, which saves on cost and removes worries about having to store the DEF. For all of the reasons previously stated, the compact wheeled excavator is poised to gain acceptance in the North American market. “I don’t think it is going to happen overnight,” says Bigwood. “But it will happen. It is too compelling of an argument to not succeed eventually. After all — who ever thought people would abandon their backhoeloaders to the upstart compact excavators?” ET

BELOW: The ability of the machine to travel from site to site quickly allows the wheeled excavator to efficiently support ground crews in a way that a slower tracked machine can’t — and with no need to worry about track scuffs on sensitive or decorative paved surfaces.

BOTTOM: There are strong markets in North America for wheeled excavators, including in the 6.5and 10-ton size classes offered by Wacker Neuson.

CALCULATE ROI

wheeled excavator and running it down the road mowing or cutting back underbrush along the side of a road.”

These machines are also capable of pulling trailers with attachments to the jobsite.

“Suddenly, you’re a one-man repair crew,” says Bigwood. “You can dig the hole. You can backfill the hole. You can use a hammer on the end of the arm to break through the concrete or asphalt.

You end up with a very versatile machine which you don’t have to trailer around whenever you go to the next job.”

“Like crawler excavators, wheeled excavators support a large number of attachments, making them a versatile addition to any fleet,” agrees Comrie. “The use of tiltrotators is finally catching on in the U.S. Tiltrotators, such as the Steelwrist tiltrotator found on

Many factors need to be considered when calculating the ROI equation, including cost of transport and speed to complete the task. “In regard to return on investment (ROI), you have to consider the cost of transportation when talking about a mobile excavator,” says Dotto. “If a particular project, jobsite or business model calls for a machine to spend a significant amount of time traveling, the sheer speed of a wheeled excavator becomes an ROI beast.”

Let’s look at some numbers. “Say that an operator at $40 per hour travels at 3 mph in a tracked excavator. The cost is $13.33 to cover one mile. In an 18-mph wheeled machine, that same operator can cover one mile for $2.20,” says Dotto.

“You also have to consider all of the other ancillary productivity gains, such as being on site faster and starting the real work sooner. This is why, in any situation where the site conditions and application call for an excavator to do a fair bit of traveling, [you should] consider these real cost benefits of a mobile machine.”

Volvo Construction Equipment completed some tests against a backhoe a few

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Wacker Neuson

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COMPACT EXCAVATORS Products

Mecalac Updated MCR Series Excavators The updated 6MCR, 8MCR and 10MCR crawler skid excavators provide the swiftness of a skid steer with the rotation of an excavator for versatility and enhanced travel speeds.

• Combine a three-part arm and rotating ability to deliver 360° capability • Arm can be tucked in even with a full bucket for a true zero turn radius • Feature a hydrostatic transmission and drive motors with a dedicated pump to drive the motor • Capable of travel speeds up to 6.2 mph • CONNECT quick-coupler system allows operators to quickly transition between attachments without leaving the cab

www.forconstructionpros.com/21136452

Komatsu PC45MR-5 and PC55MR-5 Hydraulic Excavators The PC45MR-5 and PC55MR-5 tight tailswing excavators feature 38-hp 4D88E-7 2.19-liter, Tier 4 Final engines that use up to 5% less fuel.

• Enhanced working modes allow operators to match engine speed and pump delivery to the application • Auto-idle shutdown and economy modes help save fuel and reduce machine wear • Swing booms and convex sliding doors help with work in tight spaces • 3.5-in., high-resolution LCD monitor with Ecology Guidance enables monitoring of machine performance • High-strength, X-track frame

Takeuchi TB225 Compact Hydraulic Excavator

www.forconstructionpros.com/12114269

www.forconstructionpros.com/21136080

Kubota U55-4 Tight Tailswing Compact Excavator The 5-ton U55-4 has a 45.2-net-hp electronically controlled Tier 4-compliant engine.

• Maximum digging depth of 11 ft. 10.3 in. with a bucket digging force of 11,177 lbs.

• Standard Mode provides a 5% productive improvement and Eco Mode offers up to 9% fuel savings over the prior model • Auto-shift system enables automatic travel shift from high to low based on traction effort and terrain • Cab has a deluxe suspension seat, two-speed travel switch on the dozer lever, air conditioning, easy open front window, wider entrance and a two-pattern selection system

www.forconstructionpros.com/21135900

John Deere 30G Compact Excavator The 7,220-lb. 30G with reduced tailswing design is powered by a 23-hp Yanmar three-cylinder Tier 4 engine and delivers a 9-ft. 2-in. dig depth.

• Auxiliary hydraulics plumbed to the end of the boom • Mechanical control pattern selector valve located beneath the seat • Spacious operator station with large entryways and unrestricted sightlines • Third service door improves access to the cooling core and other daily checkpoints • Manual wedge-style quick coupler

www.forconstructionpros.com/12313318

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Wacker Neuson ET 42 Excavator

Sunward Excavator Line Sunward will be offering mini- to fullsize excavators to the North American market.

• Models range from the 4,145-lb., 18-hp SWE-18UF to the 78,400-lb., 338-hp SWE-365F • Offer maximum digging depths from 7 ft. 3 in. to 24 ft. 6 in., maximum reach at ground level from 12 ft. 11 in. to 37 ft. 2 in. and standard buckets capacities from .0515 to 1.9606 cu. yds.

• Large models include a heavy hydraulic system, strong swing and rotation system, power traveling system and a stable and reliable chassis

www.forconstructionpros.com/21135902

The 4,993-lb. TB225 incorporates allsteel construction and a 19.6-hp Yanmar Tier 4 Final engine.

• Provides a dig depth of 8 ft. 5.5 in. and a bucket breakout force of 4,339 lbs.

• Retractable undercarriage • Standard LCD multi-informational display, automatic load-sensing twospeed travel, pilot-operated joysticks and backfill blade with pin-on extensions • Operator’s station includes a ROPS/ TOPS/OPG protective structure, suspension seat and adjustable arm rests

The 4.2-ton ET42 features a low-profile hood design, expanded side window glass, large windows and an offset boom that provide a complete view of the boom, attachment and working area.

• Three-point bucket linkage system offers a 200° angle of rotation and greater vertical digging depth • Dual flange rollers in undercarriage • Cab models feature standard air conditioning, a four-position windshield design, 3.5-in. color display, cellphone charger and holder, air-cushioned seat and adjustable arm rest • Available in cab or canopy with LED working lights and an optional angle blade, as well as the redesigned Vertical Digging System

www.forconstructionpros.com/21123349

Gehl M100 Minimal Tail Excavator The 21,550-lb. M100 is the largest model in the company’s excavator line, with a dig depth of 14 ft. 10 in. and a bucket breakout of 12,216 lbf.

• Robust mono boom design will go 60° in either direction for consistent digging without the need to reposition the machine • 72-hp (gross) 4TNV98CT-VBV engine • 16-ft. 10-in. dump height and ground level reach of 24 ft. 3 in.

• Tailswing radius of 4 ft. 4 in.

• “Power-A-Tach” quick-attach system

www.forconstructionpros.com/20862583

Case CX30C Zero Tailswing Compact Excavator

Doosan DX62R-3 Compact Excavator

The CX30C has an operating weight of 6,020 lbs., a 24.8-hp Tier 4 Final engine and a bucket digging force of 4,520 lbs.

• Adjustable boom offset for improved maneuverability in congested areas • Auto-shift travel system for operator convenience in varying terrain • Offers an auxiliary hydraulic system with proportional controls, shut-off valve and easy to select joystick control patterns • Spacious, comfortable operator environment with optimal visibility, ergonomic controls, adjustable seating and line-of-sight digital displays

The design of the 13,779-lb. DX62R-3 reduced tailswing compact excavator adjusts the positioning of the upperstructure to the undercarriage to reduce tailswing length to just 4.9 in. of side overhang.

• Features a 13-ft. 6-in. maximum dig depth, 21-ft. 4-in. digging reach and 6.18-cu.-ft. bucket capacity • Incorporates a 59-hp engine and 35-gpm auxiliary hydraulic flow • Overall width of just 6 ft. 6 in.

• Available accessories include a rotating beacon, falling objects guard assembly kit and fuel filler pump

www.forconstructionpros.com/20991942

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COMPACT EXCAVATORS Products Kato 35N-4 Compact Excavator

Volvo ECR18E and EC20E Compact Excavators The ECR18E and EC20E are 79 in. tall and 39 in. wide with the undercarriage retracted or 53 in. wide when extended.

• ECR18E features a rear overhang of 0.5 in. with tracks fully extended, a topmounted boom cylinder, large tie-down points on the upper frame and a purposebuilt canopy with heavy-duty pillars • EC20E offers 13% more tractive force, 22% more lifting capacity at the front and 7% at the side, plus independently adjustable auxiliary hydraulic flows and optional second auxiliary line and auto engine idle and shutdown • Electric ISO/SAE pattern changer

www.forconstructionpros.com/21044783

JCB 19C-1E Electric Mini-excavator The 2-ton 19C-1E has three lithium-ion batteries creating 15 kWh of capacity to enable a day’s work on a single charge.

• Optional four-battery pack increases capacity to 20 kWh and delivers an additional two hours of continuous use • 48-volt electric driveline generates peak power up to 27 hp • Bosch Rexroth load-sensing hydraulic system enables optimal performance to a maximum depth of 9 ft. 3 in.

• Features an onboard charger with standard domestic 110V input for 12-hour recharging, available 230V option for eight-hour recharge or fast charge option for two-hour recharge

www.forconstructionpros.com/21087944

Yanmar SV40 Compact Excavator The 9,206-lb. SV40 ultra-tight tailswing excavator has a 39-hp electronically controlled, Tier 4 Final diesel engine.

• 11-ft. 3-in. digging depth • Features VIO progressive three-pump hydraulic system, ECO Mode, Auto-Decel Mode, two-speed operation and SMARTASSIST remote communication system • Comes with a backfill blade with float position and a hydraulic quick coupler

www.forconstructionpros.com/21131888

The 35N-4 has a 7,983-lb. operating weight, digging depth of 10 ft.

1 in. and bucket digging force of 7,992 lbs.

• Features a 24-hp water-cooled diesel engine, variabledisplacement piston pumps and two-speed travel • Hydraulic pilot controls • Auxiliary hydraulics standard • Standard A-F quick-change valve • Includes rubber or steel tracks and a backfill blade

www.forconstructionpros.com/21110494

Hitachi ZX60USB-5 Compact Excavator

Bobcat R2-Series E42 and E50 Compact Excavators

The 13,547-lb. ZX60USB-5 features a 12-ft. 4-in. maximum dig depth and 20-ft. 5-in. maximum dig reach.

• Fuel-efficient, 53-hp (net) Yanmar Tier 4 Final diesel engine • Power/economy work modes match engine speed to the job • Ergonomic short-throw pilot control levers provide smooth, predictable loweffort fingertip operation • Heavy-duty X-frame undercarriage • Standard backfill blade or optional allhydraulic blade angles 25° left or right

The 9,830-lb. E42 conventional tailswing and 11,357-lb. E50 minimal tailswing compact excavators feature 42- and 49-hp Bobcat D18 no-DPF diesel engines with improved cold weather operation.

• 10.4- and 11.4-ft. maximum dig depths • Dual-flange track roller system • Integrated counterweight boosts lift-overside capacity and improves over-the-side digging performance and slewing ability • Hydraulic control valve offers improved metering, finite movement and controllability for level grading plus fast cycle times

www.forconstructionpros.com/12311298

www.forconstructionpros.com/21104705

Hyundai Upgraded R35Z-9A Compact Excavator

Caterpillar 306 CR Next Generation Mini-excavator The 55.9-net-hp 306 CR has a 162-in. maximum dig depth (long stick option), 15,821-lb. maximum operating weight with sealed and pressurized cab and a lift capacity of 7,839 lbs. at a 9.8-ft. radius.

• Swing boom and compact radius design enable a 58-in. tailswing with counterweight • Load-sensing hydraulic system generates 46-gpm hydraulic oil flow • Next Generation LCD monitor provides easy to read machine information, jogdial and standard Bluetooth capability • Switch from lever/foot pedal steering controls to the standard Stick Steer system with the touch of a button

www.forconstructionpros.com/21090932

LBX Link-Belt 80 X3 Spin Ace Excavator The 18,900-lb. 80 X3 Spin Ace has a 54-net-hp Isuzu Tier 4 Final turbocharged, no-DPF diesel engine.

• Features a 13-ft. 9-in. maximum dig depth with a 22-ft. 9-in. reach at ground level and 12,800-lbf. bucket digging force • Speed Priority, Heavy and Applied Power engine work modes • Includes one-touch idle and auto idle functions and auto engine warm-up • Open-center hydraulics • ROPS/FOPS Level 1-certified pressurized cab with fully adjustable seat; ergonomic, low-effort joysticks and high-definition 7-in. LCD monitor

www.forconstructionpros.com/21116235

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The 3 1/2-ton class R35Z-9A zero tailswing compact excavator has a 10-ft. 3-in. maximum digging depth, 6,900-lbf. bucket breakout force and standard bucket capacity of .14 cu. yds.

• Boom swing capability allows boom offset of 75° to the left and 50° to the right • 23.7-hp Yanmar engine housed in a wider opening engine compartment • Includes a Werk Brau-compatible thumb bracket, diverter valve, proportional control levers with two-way piping, pin-grabber style dual-locking quick coupler and O/C piping and centered boom LED work light

www.forconstructionpros.com/21025939

Kobelco Mini-excavator Lineup This line of six mini-excavators includes operating weights from 3,671 to 11,860 lbs., minimal rear swing radius and zero tail overhang and a standard blade.

• 14.5- to 37.4-hp diesel engines • Digging depths from 7 ft. 3 in. to 12 ft.

10 in. and breakout forces from 3,395 to 11,128 lbs.

• Feature wide swing angles despite their compact size and provide optimal side-ditch digging performance

www.forconstructionpros.com/21121728

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R OAD B U I LD I N G By Jessica Lombardo

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Identify Inefficiencies

Three Keys to TECHNOLOGY Adoption in Construction

Design Your Implementation Strategy

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Make Sure to Get Buy-In

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Contractors and workers must adapt to a changing construction environment.

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n the traditionally slow to adapt construction industry, many organizations are either unprepared for or overwhelmed by the magnitude of new and emerging technologies. A 2018 report from FMI found that 55% of engineering and construction firms were “actively seeking new technology solutions” at that time while also using technology to more strategically manage organizational risks in areas such as resource allocation, productivity and efficiency and safety. Yet, the 2019 study “Using Technology to Improve Risk Management in Construction” by Dodge Data & Analytics, showed 90% of contractors surveyed “do not specifically budget for innovation.”

This under investment in technology is responsible for the slow growth in productivity for the construction industry.

To overcome this, the industry needs to break out of its comfort zone and work toward adapting workers to embrace the changing construction environment.

IDENTIFY INEFFICIENCIES According to a report by McKinsey & Company, the productivity gap in construction costs the global economy $1.6 trillion annually. That number

might feel huge and abstract, but the lack of productivity growth affects almost all construction companies and technology adoption will help it get better.

Construction business owners know that time is money and project overruns cost them both of those things. Since only 25% of construction projects are completed on time, the industry needs to investigate the reasons why overruns occur and find solutions.

You can use a variety of approaches and technology to identify areas where there are inefficiencies in your business and focus on increasing productivity to reduce delays. For example, you might put better processes in place for communication on jobsites, rethink the design or engineering processes and/or address labor shortages that often slow projects down.

While all those things can lead to productivity improvements, more advanced technology will continue to play a large role. The right tech and software solutions can make a huge difference in many aspects of a project.

DESIGN YOUR IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY Once you identify inefficiencies, you may want to go

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all in with using technology to eliminate them. However, it’s important not to let the pressure and need to boost productivity allow you to poorly manage implementation.

It can be tempting to introduce several new programs as a means of cycling through technologies to find the right one; but taking commitment away from new technology integration can cause your entire process to fail. If you don’t have a full program in place, it will be difficult for employees to commit, as well.

Keep in mind that technology doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Many platforms enable a layered approach to implementation where the end user can be up and running very quickly. The best technology companies create plans that start with creating a platform that addresses the most painful challenges construction companies face. These are the inefficiencies you identify.

A good tech platform will then proceed with a staged implementation of features that continually build and will eventually allow for ongoing innovations in the field or office.

Companies that successfully implement technology will first identify their existing system’s most significant deficiencies, as

well as what’s not working with their current approach, and then layer the introduction of new technology over a period of three to nine months.

MAKE SURE TO GET BUY-IN The technology you purchase is only going to be as good as the employees that use it. User acceptance is always one of the most difficult challenges to overcome when implementing a new solution, despite the promised benefits and efficiency upgrades.

Few people really like change, especially when it disrupts accepted, workable practices and accompanies any measure of downtime or new training procedures. Most users do not enjoy being forced to move from their comfort zones after years of trial and error with present systems.

Today, the companies that see the highest rates of technology adoption in their organizations start with a bottom-up approach that engages day-to-day users and builds upon their experiences and insights to create operational shortcuts while fixing broken processes.

This starts with the development of a planning team that thoroughly understands organizational needs and generates company-wide excitement, while

dealing with any concerns or disruptions along the way.

Finally, always offer continued training and education. You do not want employees learning something new and then not using the new system for months at a time.

Conduct just-in-time training so employees are learning what they need to know, when they need to know it. Make sure your company is also conducting training refresher courses on new technologies and procedures so your employees always know what the latest advancements are that can make their job easier.

Technology implementation in the construction industry should not be a painful, timeconsuming and disruptive undertaking. Most of today’s applications readily merge with legacy systems to provide widespread information and instant access to accurate, up-to-date client, project and management information from a single, digitized location. ET Jessica Lombardo is editor of Asphalt Contractor magazine.

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ROAD BU IL DING

TECHNOLOGY

6 TECHNOLOGIES RESHAPING HOW ROAD BUILDERS WORK

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The basic components of asphalt paving haven’t changed much in the past few decades, and still involve the use of durable, specialized machines. But the emergence of technology to improve productivity and quality of results is transforming operations, creating greater efficiencies and having a real-time effect on each stage of the paving process.

Here are some of the technologies helping to shape the future of the paving industry: 1. Efficient Material Planning & Delivery — Telematics and process monitoring solutions are allowing material to be delivered exactly when it is needed and enabling contractors to see the real-time delivery from plant to site, along with tonnage.

2. 3D Paving — Paving control systems use a 3D design to guide the screed from the start of a project to the designed elevation and slope, enabling paving operators to not only improve efficiency and productivity by eliminating stringlines, but resulting in a smoother surface and greater accuracy, particularly on larger and more complex designs.

3. Intelligent Paving Systems — Thermal mapping monitors the surface temperatures of the asphalt using an infrared camera and a global navigation satellite system. Viewing real-time temperatures, contractors can use devices to identify variations and take action to manage the plant to paver delivery process, fine-tuning their work for more uniform lay-down temperatures.

4. All-around Visibility — Machines are now coming equipped with 360˚ vision systems for a bird’s-eye view of the surroundings, helping to reduce blind spots and display obstacles that may not be in the operator’s direct line of sight.

Object detection cameras provide an all-around view plus alert operators of potential hazards via proximity warnings and avoidance zone notifications. Proximity detection systems detect personnel on the ground and alert the operator with a visual and audible alarm.

5. Smart Bands — Smart Bands can help model and predict upcoming fatigue risks at the start of a shift, ensuring site managers are aware of individuals operating machines on insufficient sleep.

6. Virtual Reality — Safety training can be customized for paving applications in a controlled and safe environment through virtual reality (VR). These solutions immerse the trainee into a virtual construction site, so the employee learns to interact with coworkers and identify hazards before working on the jobsite.

Learn more at www.ForConstructionPros.com/21121607.

TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES IN CONCRETE PAVERS Following is a Q&A with Kevin Klein, GOMACO’s vice president of Engineering/Research and Development.

Q: What significant advances in concrete pavers technology have enabled greater productivity, accuracy and efficiency?

A: Honestly… when it comes to advances in technology, it has to start with the [GOMACO] G+ controller. Because of what we can now do with the G+, machines can do more and even better than they ever have before — smart machines, GP3, GP4, 3300 Xtreme C&G, and the list goes on and on.

Q: What are some of the emerging technologies that promise to further enhance efficiency?

A: Sensor technology, which we will be able to apply to the concrete paving operations, will certainly affect jobsites more and more. Someday, we will have sensors taking readings from the concrete mix delivered to the paver, which can be used to change functions of the paver to match what is required for the concrete — paver speed and vibration, for example, or when tining operations should begin, when to cure and how much cure to apply.

As the sensor technology comes available, we will be able to use the data generated as input to the G+ controller and therefore manipulate machine function accordingly.

Q: What influence has GPS capability had on paving accuracy and paver controllability?

A: Whenever you talk about paving accuracy, you are mostly referring to the most important aspect, which is ride… But that said, we should talk about 3D machine control and not GPS. GPS is only one component of the equation, and oftentimes to achieve the best rideability, GPS will not be used. LPS, or local position systems (total stations), are more capable of producing good rideability than strictly GPS. GPS is sometimes accurate enough for preparing subgrade, or maybe even asphalt paving because of the floating screed design of an asphalt paver.

HOW TRAINING ASSISTS WORKER BUY-IN Every road building contractor has been on a project that requires them to use some form of new technology they aren’t familiar with in order to meet the job specifications. Most workers will manage to get through the project doing what is required of them and move on to the next job, forgetting how the technology helped improve their daily operations and ultimately the performance of the job.

This is the primary issue with technology adoption in the construction industry. Workers won’t use new options available to them unless they are forced to and then they regress back to what they’ve always done. Unfortunately, this is causing the industry to fall behind and contractors to miss out on new work. Those companies that have been early adopters of this technology, however, are wellpositioned to excel and therefore win more bids.

“The key to technology adoption for long-term use is getting them trained properly on how to use it correctly,” says Tim Kowalski, HAMM application support manager at Wirtgen America. “Those that end up doing the training and finally understand and realize that it’s a real benefit for them, whether it be intelligent compaction or thermal imaging, after they use it they start becoming a super user. They realize that it’s actually helping them to do a better job.”

Learn more at www.ForConstructionPros.com/21106521.

Wirtgen America

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R OAD B U I LD I N G

TECHNOLOGY

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WHY YOU SHOULD USE BIM ON ROADS

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EarthWave

Grade and slope technology is not new to the industry. What is relatively new is its adoption to achieve superior paving results. Contractors who aren’t using this technology on their pavers could start missing out on job opportunities and higher bonus incentives.

Automatic grade and slope provides automated control over the screed tow point cylinders in order to maintain precise mat thickness and percent slope or crossfall during paving operations. These control systems for asphalt pavers provide paving companies with a broad range of benefits including: •Improved grade and slope accuracy •Increased productivity •Assistance with smooth transitions •Improved mat thickness and yield control •Decreased costs related to grade and slope re-work In addition, these systems decrease operator fatigue related to manually controlling grade and slope.

“Mat thickness and slope are often controlled manually by screed operators. However, a properly set up automatic system not only makes the job of the screed operators much easier, but greatly improves accuracy of mat thickness and slope when the sensors and averaging beams (skis) are properly set up for the particular job conditions,” says Todd Mansell, product application specialist, Caterpillar, Inc. Because of the accuracy and consistency, properly configured automatic grade and slope systems can earn contractors maximum incentives or bonus money for ride quality (smoothness) in states where incentives are offered. The technology can also assist businesses with their labor issues by reducing the number of skilled workers needed on a paving job.

Learn more at www.ForConstructionPros.com/21106045.

GPS TECHNOLOGY CAN IMPROVE PAVING OPERATIONS

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Transforming transportation project design and delivery to smart, paperless, 3D electronic delivery presents significant challenges that will take years to conquer. Yet the urgency is clear — the need for transportation infrastructure improvements is increasing while public funding decreases, requiring states and agencies to “do more with less.” Innovation is one potential answer.

Most construction companies have heard of building information modeling or BIM. BIM is an intelligent 3D model-based process that gives architecture, engineering and construction professionals the insight and tools to more efficiently plan, design, construct and manage buildings and infrastructure.

While there are many success stories of using BIM for the vertical environment (buildings, bridges, structures, etc.), there are far fewer cases of its use on roadways. To date, BIM implementations are done largely because a bid required it and not because a contractor saw value in its use. Early adopters trend toward “lonely BIM,” where processes are isolated without a supporting BIM execution plan or cohesive strategy throughout the project duration.

However, in order to advance our current way of building roads, the industry needs to improve innovation, reduce construction risks and map out the whole life cycle of the asset, and BIM can help. It can: • Provide a digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of an infrastructure asset • Aid in the process of developing a precise, data-rich, virtual 3D representation of existing and proposed elements belonging to programmed construction projects • Serve as a shared knowledge resource for information about the infrastructure asset • Provide collaboration for various stakeholders at different phases of the life cycle of an infrastructure asset Learn more at www.ForConstructionPros.com/21087976.

HOW TO PAVE SMARTER WITH GRADE & SLOPE TECHNOLOGY

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Construction sites have a lot of moving parts. When one of those moving parts gets out of line or is late, the whole process grinds to a halt. And when those jobsites are spread across a multi-state region, those moving parts increase exponentially.

Just ask Shawn Smith, Central Region construction operations manager at Simon. Simon does bridge work, underground utilities and road construction across the West and operates in three regions, covering at least three states. Simon’s Central region can cover anything from aggregate hauling to paving with its fleet of more than 25 owned trucks, 40 leased trucks, pavers and other equipment.

Between the construction and its leasing program, Simon’s trucks could be anywhere from northern Colorado to Wyoming to Nebraska on any given day. To keep track of its vehicles, their maintenance and their productivity, Smith uses the FleetWatcher Materials Management System (MMS), a GPS-based tracking and monitoring system by Earthwave Technologies. Knowing where each truck is at a glance gives Smith ease of mind and also helps him manage his fleet more efficiently.

Learn more at www.ForConstructionPros.com/21117441.

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7/31/20 11:18 AM

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LOWERING YOUR TCO ON EXCAVATORS How to reduce unexpected downtime, excessive fuel use and unintentional operator misuse to get more out of your investments.

Your choice of machine, and the service and technology provided by the OEM, can make a big difference in your operating costs — and ultimately, your total cost of ownership (TCO). When it comes to purchasing excavators, evaluate the features that provide you with the best value over the life of the machine.

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J OB S I T E S O LUT I O N S

VERSATILE PAVER for Complex Jobs of All Sizes E&F Paving has found a flexible paver solution to handle everything from roundabouts to 30-ft.-plus widths.

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developments, but it also gets into county and state work.

When the contractor set out to add a new paver to its fleet, it had a good idea of what it needed in mind. “During the process of trying to find the right paver to upgrade the fleet, it was more about versatility,” says Kevin Hogan, vice president, E&F Paving. “What machine can we do the most with and knowing that it will have to be changed a lot?”

E&F Paving has made a name for itself as a highly versatile, diverse paving operation.

“During the course of a year, we see many different situations for a paver,” Hogan comments.

“Choosing [a unit] that could give us that versatility, be able to get in and out of jobsites — there was a lot to take into consideration. Having some background and familiarity with GOMACO equipment was a helpful portion of choosing the product we did and knowing what we would be capable of doing.”

FLEXIBILITY REQUIRED The product Hogan is

referring to is a GOMACO GP3 slipform paver, which is capable of paving up to 30 ft. and accommodating multiple width changes. It includes the G+ control system, which easily interfaces with either stringline or 3D machine guidance.

E&F Paving chose to go with the four-track version of the GP3. “Traditionally, a lot of people would think a two-track paver would work better for municipality projects,” Hogan acknowledges. “But until you’ve been fortunate enough to have been in different situations and

GOMACO

E&F Paving has become “expert” in paving roundabouts due to the volume of projects in its area. The four-track GOMACO GP3 helps make these often complex jobs easier.

inding the right concrete paver for your fleet isn’t always an easy process.

There are numerous factors that go into the selection process, including the types of projects, jobsite conditions, paver capabilities and more. But for E&F Paving Company LLC, versatility is the primary factor in paver selection.

E&F Paving specializes in concrete paving, performing projects in the Cedar Rapids metro and Lynn County, IA, area. Its work is primarily in municipalities and commercial

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been able to utilize a four-track machine, it is so much easier and feasible, and capable of so much more than a two-track.

Obviously, you can get different sizes of that, but this one is right in the sweet spot for us.

“For me, personally,” he adds, “it would be hard to look at any new paver and say I wanted to do a two-track.”

E&F Paving chose to run a Topcon 3D system on the paver.

“We had many different pieces of equipment that all used the Topcon, so it was just a logical choice to keep everything married up. We do a lot of swapping of equipment from one thing to another — ground gear and all that — so it’s just easier to stay on one platform,” says Hogan.

The contractor has used the GP3 on projects involving as much as a 50-ft. inside radius down to an 18-ft. radius. “Some of the bigger [projects] have an inside driveable apron,” says Hogan, adding, “We’ve been able to pour that inside apron also with the machine.”

The GP3 has been used on widths from 16 up to 30 ft., but has averaged in the 24- to 26-ft. range in the past year. “The guys aren’t constantly changing from one week to the next, but more than anything we’ve learned how to pave different widths in different scenarios with one machine. Everything is paveable, but everything doesn’t need to be paved with a full-width machine,” says Hogan.

“The complexity of a couple of the projects we’ve been on the last couple of years has given our guys the opportunity to grow more than most people would see in five years, in my opinion,” he asserts. “There hasn’t been very much where we just say: ‘Let’s do this, it’s all plain Jane.’

That really makes your people grow in the machine [operation] so much faster and become so much more valuable.”

GOMACO

THE ROUNDABOUT WAY In addition to larger paving jobs, E&F Paving has become “expert” in paving roundabouts due to the volume of projects in the area over the past decade.

“We’re just fortunate that the Cedar Rapids metro area has been progressive in the roundabout configuration,” says Hogan.

“One of the municipalities

GOMACO

J OBS ITE S OL U TIONS

did one a few years back that we got on. It was a very difficult one and we had a two-track [paver] at that time,” Hogan notes. Completion of that project helped in pleading the case for the four-track GP3.

“Fortunately for us, our owners listened to us and took our decisions/recommendations and led us in this direction.”

E&F Paving now completes roundabouts of all types. “I don’t know if we’re experts but we’ve done enough of them... We’ve done big ones down to the small ones and everything in between,” says Hogan. “Each roundabout has its own quirks to it. ” Most roundabouts include a drive-over curb, though one project called for a 6-in. standup standard curb.

“One we were on, when we pulled up on that site, we could only wonder... how are they going to get the paver around that? There’s just not enough room for everything,” Hogan recalls. “That one was the smallest one we’ve done, so it had it’s own difficulties and tight configuration.

Logistically, the city didn’t have many more options. They couldn’t acquire more property to make it much bigger.”

E&F Paving relies on its skilled team to prepare for jobs like this. “We have a good group of people. Everyone knows what’s going to happen as things start progressing and we have good management. It’s just progressions,” Hogan explains.“We buy ready-mix but we work with the same supplier and we’ve got a routine with them and that helps. They have an idea of what we’re doing before we do it... If you’re constantly using a different supplier, trucking can be a complex headache that no one wants to really deal with.”

TAKING CONTROL The current operator of the GP3 has become very familiar with the G+ control system. “It’s the only system he’s ever known,” says Hogan. “Fortunately or unfortunately, however you want to see it, he hasn’t had to grow through the years of analog into the micro system. He was able to jump right into G+.”

The versatility of the G+ system is another advantage of the paver. Even after three years, the operators are learning additional things it can do to help them on projects.

While Hogan admits there is a lot to learn about the system’s

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capabilities, he says it just requires an open mind. “It’s not so complicated that only certain people get on there and can understand it,” he says. “It’s just open mindedness more than anything.”

The G+ system is used primarily along with the Topcon 3D system, though occasionally stringline paving is required.

“It’s few and far between — not very often, but often enough to remind the guys that they’re better at stringless than they are string,” Hogan laughs.

“Hopefully, we can keep getting the work that we want and we can keep it that way, but you never know. It’s a competitive market out there and there’s a lot of people that probably have the same idea.”

Overall, Hogan has been extremely happy with the GP3’s performance and looks forward to using it on future projects.

“We have another state project next year that’s very complex,” he notes. “We have a couple of complex, multi-phase jobs with temporary pavement and halfwidth stuff and then a little bit of full-width. There’s some big reconstructions coming along, too, so it sounds like a very promising season ahead.” ET

The GOMACO GP3 slipform paver is capable of paving up to 30 ft. and can accommodate multiple width changes.

“We see many different situations for a paver. Choosing [a unit] that could give us that versatility, be able to get in and out of jobsites — there was a lot to take into consideration.”

— Kevin Hogan, E&F Paving

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R OAD B U I LD I N G By Jessica Lombardo

TRACKED OR WHEELED ASPHALT PAVERS — Which Will Best Fit Your Needs?

The type of work your company completes will help determine which type of paver you should buy.

Tracked pavers are preferred for softer bases because of their traction and flotation. Thy also offer better stability and can usually turn in a tighter space.

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Even though tracked pavers have increased their roading speeds, wheeled pavers are still designed to move much faster, making them ideal for traveling a longer distance around the jobsite.

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ome features on an asphalt paver, such as joystick controls or cup holders, are really about the preference of the operators. Some options however, like choosing a wheeled or tracked asphalt paver, will require more consideration into the type of work you’re going to be doing before you make the purchase.

If your company mainly completes new construction, you should consider a tracked paver. But if you’re going to be completing a lot of overlay and municipality repairs, then a wheeled tire paver should be in your fleet.

“Contractors need to consider the environment and the local geography they are going to be working in before deciding on a paver type,” says Kyle Neisen, product manager for pavers and MTVs at Roadtec. “For example, in Louisiana you would want a tracked paver to handle the sandy, wet, swampy conditions. If you are paving long stretches of plain highway work in Indiana or Ohio, a wheeled paver may be your choice.”

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Here are tips to keep in mind before making a purchase that you and your crew will have to work with for years to come.

TRACKS PERFORM UNDER PRESSURE Tracked pavers tend to be preferred over wheels on softer bases because of their traction and flotation. These machines offer better stability and can usually turn in a tighter space better than a wheeled paver.

“All applications are well suited for tracked pavers, but the place they really differentiate themselves as being better is placing asphalt over aggregate base,” says Jon Anderson, sales support consultant at Caterpillar Inc. “The benefit of having all that track surface area for flotation on the sub-base and the tractive effort that it provides is hard to ignore.”

Henry Polk, product manager at BOMAG agrees, noting, “Tracked pavers are best in subbase conditions because the weight of the paver is distributed over a larger area, thus reducing the risk of damaging the base.”

Since it’s not the final lift, it is more likely that you will be end dumping the trucks into the paver. As such, the ability of the tracked paver to push the trucks on the gravel base is critical.

“Tracked pavers excel when pushing end dumps,” Anderson states. “When mix from the truck is tipped back at an angle into the hopper of the paver, the truck tends to push away, so the truck driver must apply brake pressure in order to stay engaged. With a tracked paver, all that weight from the material

and the truck sits on top of the tracks and adds to the tractive effort of the paver. If you add 10,000 lbs. of weight in the hopper, the machine will have the traction to push much harder.

“A wheeled paver has most of the hopper weight over the front bogie wheels, so when weight is added to the hopper, there isn’t any more tractive effort from the drive wheels. There is a delicate balance between the truck driver being able to hold the truck to the paver and the paver being able to push the truck.

This function is easier when the wheeled paver has front-wheel assist or all-wheel drive but is still not as good as a tracked paver. Nobody is happy when the truck pushes out of the paver and dumps the load on the ground.”

The other place tracked pavers excel is wide width paving where you need a lot of traction to pull wide screeds. Smooth tracked pavers do not tear up the base like tracks with treads on them or, in many cases, disturb the base less than wheeled pavers when turning with a loaded hopper.

“Tracked pavers are also preferred for offset paving (e.g., 12-ft. lane and 5-ft. shoulder),” adds Bill Laing, product manager, road products at Volvo Construction Equipment. “The tracked paver tends to maintain a more stable platform when doing wide width or offset paving. Comparing the amount of contact area between a tracked and a wheeled paver, the difference is noticeable.”

Tracked pavers also do a great

job paving in hilly and mountainous areas with steep grades, again, because of the tractive effort they can deliver without slipping and still push a truck uphill or hold one from running away downhill. They can also be helpful in specialty applications like airports.

“The tracked pavers come in particularly useful when the paving widths start widening in any jobs where paving width is 20+ ft. and tighter tolerances are required,” says Vijay Palanisamy, senior product marketing manager, Dynapac North America.

“For projects such as airports or racetracks, tracked pavers are used primarily because it is specified in job specs and/ or the contractor prefers using a tracked paver due to the tighter tolerances, or because that it is the one they’re most comfortable using.”

“There’s not a single paving job that I can’t put a tracked paver on... It doesn’t matter if it’s a steep hill or a soft base,” Neisen says. “Tracked pavers can go anywhere — parking lots, highways, county roads, etc. They can be use on surfaces that are first-time pavement with a brand-new base or on milled surfaces.”

“It used to be that tracked pavers were more limited. But today with mobile tracked pavers providing high roading (travel) speeds, their versatility is irrefutable,” Anderson asserts.

WHEELS ARE BEST WHEN YOU HAVE THE NEED FOR SPEED While tracked pavers are made for new surfaces, wheeled pavers are built more for use on

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ROAD BU IL DING

Whether wheeled or tracked, it’s important that the paver is easily maintained and ready to work when needed. these components varies depending on the usage and paving surface. Whereas, wheeled pavers have two rear tires and four front bogie wheels as wear parts to replace. The rear tires are replaced more often than the front bogies as they are solid rubber. This is one of the main reasons contractors might choose wheeled pavers over tracked pavers if their application is suited to use both machines.”

Neisen adds, “Wheeled pavers are cheaper and easier to maintain as they have less moving parts than tracked pavers. With a tracked paver, you must inspect the tracks and ensure they are aligned. There are multiple places to check alignment and a few more places to grease. There are more parts, and more moving parts in particular, on a tracked paver.”

The bogies, bearings, friction drives and tracks that experience the wear and tear on a tracked paver need more care than wheeled pavers.

“As far as daily maintenance is concerned, they are very similar. But overall, it is going to be more expensive to replace tracks than it is to replace rear drive wheels and the tracks are probably going to need to be replaced a bit sooner,” says Anderson.

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CONSIDER BOTH COST AND YOUR CREW Choosing between a wheeled or tracked asphalt paver requires consideration into the type of work you’re going to be doing before you make a purchase decision. existing surfaces such as mill and fill applications and overlays where traction isn’t as much of an issue.

Even though mobile tracked pavers have increased their roading speeds, wheeled pavers are still designed to move much faster than their tracked counterparts, making them ideal for traveling a further distance around the jobsite.

“Wheeled pavers are preferred for areas where the operator needs or wants to move the machine without putting it on a trailer,” Laing says. “The wheeled paver is easier to move and travels faster, so it’s more flexible for transporting shorter distances.”

This is especially important when paving under pressure for highway and city work.

“Interstate night paving projects have time restrictions for paving start and end times, so paving contractors are looking for ways to cover as much ground as possible,” Palanisamy points out. “Those projects have restricted areas for parking/storage of the equipment and the distance varies from the storage to actual paving start and stop, which sometimes requires the paver to be driven on the road.

The wheeled paver has the highest travel speed, so it becomes the obvious choice for the contractor to reduce travel time to/ from the actual job starting/ending point.”

Anderson agrees, noting that wheeled pavers tend to be favored for city and urban work where a lot of moving around is

involved. They may be used to pave one city block and then be moved three or four blocks to the next site and so on.

EASE OF MAINTENANCE MATTERS No matter which machine you’re running, it’s important that the equipment you rely on is easily maintained and will be ready to work every time you need it. One of the main differentiators between wheeled and tracked pavers is the level of maintenance required to keep them working properly.

“Wheeled pavers in general have less wear items compared to tracked pavers,” Palanisamy says. “Tracked pavers have 20 to 24 track bogies, four drive and idler wheels, plus track band and bearings, etc. The lifetime of

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While a tracked paver is typically 13% to 15% more expensive than a wheeled paver — resulting in a $25,000 to $30,000 potential price difference — you need to consider your crew comfort level before letting cost alone determine your purchase decision.

“Ultimately, it comes down to what the operator is most comfortable with,” Polk says.

“Wheeled pavers steer differently from tracks because the paver steers on the front bogies, just like your car. Tracked pavers have a steering or pivot point that is often under the operator’s position. If a contractor gets good results from whatever paver they’re using, stay the course.”

This is why it’s important to gauge crew comfort level with one type of machine over the other before making a purchase.

“The thing that people who have grown up on wheeled

pavers struggle with when they change to a tracked paver is the steering,” Anderson says.

“While there have been lots of improvements over the years to the way tracked pavers steer, you can’t change physics. An unloaded tracked paver with the screed in the air has a center of gravity that is toward the

“CONTRACTORS NEED TO CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE LOCAL GEOGRAPHY THEY ARE GOING TO BE WORKING IN BEFORE DECIDING ON A PAVER TYPE.” rear of the machine, so the line of rotation is near the rear of the machine. If you take that same machine, float the screed, and put material in the hopper, now the center of gravity is near the mid-point of the machine, so the line of rotation is farther forward.

“On the other hand, a wheeled paver has a more consistent response no matter how it’s loaded,” he continues. “Wheeled paver guys have a tough time adjusting to that change in steering dynamics when running tracked pavers.”

Bottom line: your crew will always determine how successful your equipment is on the jobsite.

“If the crew is accustomed to a tracked machine and knows how a tracked machine behaves in various circumstances, they will be happy to continue using a tracked machine,” says Anderson. “Conversely, if they are used to a wheeled machine and you put a tracked paver on the job, you may put them in a situation where they can inadvertently damage the undercarriage, particularly the rubber band of the track.” ET Jessica Lombardo is editor of Asphalt Contractor magazine.

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ROAD BUILDING Products

BOMAG CR 820 Asphalt Paver The CR 820 Series 8-ft. pavers come in rubber or track models with a 10-ton hopper capacity and a 160-hp Tier 4 Final diesel engine.

• Stretch 16 hydraulically extendible screed offers 8- to 16-ft. infinitely variable paving widths and a 12-in. maximum paving depth • Quick-connecting extension kits deliver a maximum paving width of 20 ft.

• Three-Point suspension floats the paver over subbase irregularities and maintains preset screed slope and grade • Operator station includes dual swingout seat and consoles with 7-in. multifunction color display

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Power Curbers 5700-D Slipform Curb Machine The 5700-D features the SlipSmart Control System, simple and accurate controls that come ready to interface with Topcon, Leica and Trimble 3D stringless systems.

• “All up” jog switch raises or lowers all crawler posts simultaneously • Vibrator master scaling knob allows operator to increase or decrease vibration across all vibrators while individual vibrator adjustments remain relative to each other • Features improved cross-slope control, auto-calibration for the radius steer sensor, fine scaling of speed pots, an easypivot conveyor and more

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Miller Formless M-8800 Slipforming System The M-8800 can pour up to 102-in. barrier walls and bridge parapet walls and up to 20 ft. in straddle or sidemount configuration.

• 173-hp Tier 4 Final diesel engine • Latest generation MFS Control System includes sensors and handheld remote and is 3D ready • Four tracks with independent steering and two-speed hydraulic drive motors • Includes 10-spool vibrator control, hydraulic frame widening (48 in.), heavyduty dual transfer augers, 45-in. elevation tubes, high-volume water wash down system and triple grouser track pads • Standard machine pours in right- or lefthand configuration

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Caterpillar F-Series Pavers The AP500F and AP600F have wheeled undercarriages while the AP555F, AP655F and AP1055F come with the Mobil-Trac undercarriage.

• SE-Series screed platform available with vibratory only or vibratory and tamper bars • Some models offer screed packages with the capability of paving up to 33 ft. wide • ACERT Tier 4 Final engine includes standard Eco-mode and automatic engine speed control • Refined heat distribution of screeds allows integrated generator to bring screed plates to proper temperature in about 15 minutes • Screed extensions include two-speed proportional control

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Dynapac SD Asphalt Paver Range

LeeBoy 8616D Asphalt Paver The 4,150-lb. 8616D asphalt paver provides consistent material flow and delivers a paving width up to 15 ft. 6 in.

• Legend HD PRO screed features springloaded end gates, HD flight screws, heavy-duty crown and valley mechanism and an angle-of-attack adjuster with vertical height adjustment • Includes independent hopper wings, reversible augers and conveyors, hydraulic tow point cylinders, material cut-offs that can be set to automatically close in reverse and quick-change auger assembly • Stylish operator platform includes dual operator control platforms and multiposition, pivoting seats • 127-hp Kubota turbocharged engine with enhanced cooling system

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Wacker Neuson RD12 Series Tandem Vibratory Rollers The 1.2-ton RD12 series roller line includes improved visibility and curb clearance and easier service access.

• 34.5-in. drum with front drum dynamic centrifugal force of 3,400 lbs.

• RD12A powered by a 20.8-hp Honda gasoline engine and RD12K equipped with a 21.6-hp Kubota diesel engine • Fully recessed hydraulic motors provide optimal curb and side clearance • Tapered frame and hood design • Ergonomically designed operator’s platform with water and vibration functions integrated into the joystick control

The SD2500CS can meet tough ride specifications including airport runways, racetracks and new highways, plus is suitable for RCC paving applications.

• Includes operator-assist technology such as Truck Assist, Light Assist, Width Assist and Screed Assist systems • Dual speed screed control offers faster reaction around quick obstacles and slower control for fine adjustments • Can be paired with the V5100THE tamper, high-compaction electric screed and extensions to pave to 27 ft., plus enable flexibility of adjusting pressure and vibration parameters for optimal results

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Volvo DD128C Asphalt Compactor The SP 154i is primarily used for two-layer paving on highways and airport runways.

• 436-hp Cummins Tier 4 Final engine enables paving concrete surfaces up to 52.5 ft. wide and 18 in. thick • Available with automatic dowel bar inserter, up to three automatic side tie-bar inserters and a concrete conveyor for bottom layer paving • Standard oscillating beam and super smoother to produce a level surface • Hydraulically adjustable one-piece or two-piece side plates on both sides to minimize concrete loss • Four steerable and slewing crawler tracks

Powered by a 148-hp Volvo D4 Tier 4 Final engine, the DD128C delivers fast rolling speeds while maintaining proper compaction spacing with the Impact Spacing Meter.

• Includes a 79-in.-wide front drum with chamfer and radii drum edges and a 55-in.-diameter rear drum and autoreversing eccentrics • Automatic drum wetting systems on both drums • Amplitude range of 0.003 to 0.03 in.

• Standard Compact Assist Intelligent Compaction System

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Wirtgen SP 154i Slipform Paver

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Minnich A-1 Series Drills The A-1 Series single-drill, on-grade dowel pin drills can be configured to drill horizontally, vertically, into a wall or 6 in. from a corner.

• Include models that can fit into 24-, 30-, 36- and 48-in. cutouts with their wheels on for easy repositioning • Include adjustable drill height and depth • Simple to use pistol-grip controls minimize dry firing and conveniently placed foothold provides increased leverage when drilling • Can be equipped with the company’s dust collection system

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ROAD BUILDING Products Roadtec SB-3000 Shuttle Buggy The SB-3000 Shuttle Buggy material transfer vehicle offers 25 tons of storage in the main hopper and can hold more than 30 tons of material to maintain nonstop paving.

• Main operator positioned closer to paving action while maintaining optimal sight lines, with the ground operator protected inside the structure of the machine • 310-hp Cummins QSB6.7 Stage 5 engine with ground-level access • Four-wheel steer

www.forconstructionpros.com/21108856

GOMACO Xtreme GT-3600 Curb and Gutter Machine

A LONG WAY

The Xtreme GT-3600 with the Xtreme package means tight radius paving is even easier and more efficient.

• Each track includes rotary-sensored slew drives, sensored All-Track Steering and All-Track Positioning and smart hydraulic cylinders • Smart cylinders allow the G+ control system to know the exact track position to make steering adjustments as needed • Xtreme Radius program allows for tight radii on stringline • G+ control system easily interfaces with any of the major 3D guidance systems • Smart hydraulic cylinder utilized for intelligent offset when telescoping and side shifting the mold mounting system

TOGETHER

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Carlson Paving EZC34 Highcompaction Tamper Bar Screed The EZC34 TV electrically heated screed comes in a single tamper bar configuration and features a standard pave width of 5 ft. 10 in. to 11 ft. 2 in.

• Extension support system with highstrength aluminum extrusion • Adjustable slide block bushings provide optimal contact for maintaining consistent mat quality • Power screed functions include crown and extension height adjustment • Swing-out screed consoles • Available on the CP65 wheel asphalt paver

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AIROMAX AM 27 No matter how challenging your needs, AIROMAX AM 27 is your best ally for mobile cranes in industrial applications. The tire is particularly suitable for road usage. Thanks to its All Steel casing and the special tread design, AIROMAX AM 27 provides extraordinary traction along with high load capacity.

AIROMAX AM 27 is BKT’s response to withstand the toughest conditions in the construction industry.

BKT USA Inc. 2660 West Market St., Suite 100 Fairlawn (Akron) - OH 44333 Toll free: (+1) 888-660-0662 - Office: (+1) 330-836-1090 Fax: (+1) 330-836-1091

7/31/20 11:38 AM

T R U CKS & T R A N S P O R TAT I O N By Curt Bennink Pe Ben

All of the tractors are Western Stars with high-powered diesel engines and 90% of these trucks are less than three years old. The latest models have been ordered with Allison automatic transmissions to replace the previous 18-speed transmissions.

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SAFETY CULTURE Drives Success Pe Ben merges a safety culture with the latest technology, including a Lytx video telematics solution.

P

e Ben USA is a leader in the planning, off loading, stockpiling and stringing of pipeline projects all over the U.S. The company has developed high-quality equipment and implemented safety standards that keep it on the leading edge of the pipeline industry.

It has safely completed pipeline projects in some of the most extreme environments.

This success is partially due to possessing the best equipment for the job. “Just like our trucks and our trailers, everything is over-built because we are focused

on putting the best equipment out there we can,” says Todd Martin, director of safety for Pe Ben. Transporting and stringing pipeline requires specialized equipment. This includes trucks and specialized trailers. Pe Ben owns 100% of its fleet, which includes approximately 25, 40-ton excavators, 40 vacuum lifts and 90 vacuum shoes, 216 tractors and 225 pole trailers.

All of the tractors are Western Stars with high-powered diesel engines, and 90% of the trucks are less than three years old. The

latest models have been ordered with Allison automatic transmissions to replace the previous 18-speed transmissions. “We are hauling maximum loads all of the time,” says Martin.

The Allison automatic transmissions have proven valuable when operating off road. “It is a smoother delivery of power to the rear wheels with the automatic transmission,” says Martin.

“Once we get off road with them, that’s really where they are worth the investment. We don’t seem to get stuck out there on the right-of-way and we don’t need as much tow support.

These transmisTransporting and stringing pipeline requires specialized equipment. This includes trucks sions are worth and specialized trailers. the weight trade-offs.”

The trailers used by Pe Ben are unique and require a specialized skill set to operate.

The self-steering pole trailers allow drivers to safely go around

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corners and make turns that other trucks are not able to complete. “It takes a specially trained driver to drive a stringing truck with a rear steerable axle,” says Martin.

COMMITTED TO SAFETY Pe Ben is focused on the safe execution of every project and has a safety track record to back it up. “One of the things Pe Ben prides itself on is being a learning company. We’re focused on continuous improvement and what we can learn from every experience,” says Martin.

The safety emphasis comes from the top. “Everybody understands the top management is serious about safety. What we do is an inherently dangerous business if you look at it from an untrained eye,” Martin acknowledges. But when you understand the engineering and improvements made over the past 100 years in the pipeline business based on the knowledge of the people and on modern equipment, it has become a much safer business.

Even so, incidents still occur

when transporting pipeline on public roads. With the large pipe on the trailers, Pe Ben drivers have experienced incidents with other vehicles trying to pass and running into over-hanging pipe. These collisions can lead to expensive claims.

Pe Ben’s owner wanted to discover the truth behind these incidents. A video telematics solution promised to help provide an objective account of what happened.

“We asked ourselves what system would best meet our needs,” says Martin. “We started looking for the best system that was available.” Reliability and transportability topped the wish list, along with quality of the video and audio. “We rapidly narrowed it down to three companies.

Of those three companies, we started talking to people in the trucking industry.” Lytx received the most positive reviews from the people Martin interviewed and he saw that a lot of companies were switching to it from other solutions.

But the final tipping point came from Pe Ben’s insurance

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Pe Ben turned to Lytx based on the company’s reputation. It has seen a significant return on its investment, with its drivers being exonerated in over 90% of reported incidents.

a clearer picture of driver behavior around collisions.

This information will be used to help protect the fleet and drivers retroactively against claims and proactively by coaching drivers toward safer long-term driving behaviors and habits.

Compared to other video telematics in which event capture is triggered by accelerometers alone, Lytx MV+AI (machine vision and artificial intelligence) enables fleets and empowers drivers to identify and correct significantly more risk, both inside and outside of the vehicle.

DRIVER REACTION Implementing a system that can record driver behavior may create concerns for some drivers. For instance, the Lytx system not only provides video evidence to help exonerate innocent drivers, it also reveals risky behaviors the fleet could focus on to improve long-term performance. Pe Ben found that when drivers are familiar with the system and its benefits and focus on their safety, they see it as empowering.

Combining machine vision and artificial intelligence (MV+AI) with professional review and behavior tagging, the program delivers prescriptive and customized coaching insights to fleet managers. It also detects and alerts drivers of distractions and risky behaviors in real time to enable driver self-coaching.

Tying into the vehicle’s engine control module (ECM), the system can identify more than 60 risky driving behaviors. Martin explains that they are not monitoring all 60 driver behaviors, but have tailored the system to focus on a few that have a larger impact on their business.

“We have a core group of risky behaviors we focus on,” says Martin. “Some are riskier than others. The system allows coaching opportunities for the core

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drivers are not being watched the entire time.”

The more drivers who have been exonerated by the video from false claims, the greater the acceptance that this tool is really there to help them. “The word is really getting around about how much the system benefits drivers,” says Martin.

RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES Lytx provides access to up to 100 hours of continual video, which clients can easily locate, clip and download themselves.

Martin and his team can now quickly access video of incidents to see what really happened and resolve situations faster.

“Law enforcement has really been receptive to us sending them the videos to show what actually happened during a collision or if there are complaints,” says Martin. The results have been very revealing. At the time

this was written, Pe Ben had 24 complaints reported; 22 of them were determined to be unfounded. “That’s 92%.”

The result is an impressive return on investment. “You take one major collision, and if you are exonerated from it, the system pays for itself,” says Martin.

“The systems basically sell themselves when you look at it from my position.”

The ability to quickly determine what happened gives Pe Ben the piece of mind to work anywhere in the country.

“It allows us to operate anywhere in the lower 48 with the freedom of understanding that there are some places in this country that are more litigious than others,” says Martin. “It allows us to operate in those areas with a certain amount of freedom knowing that if there is an incident or a complaint, we’ll get the truth.” ET

3.5

The The ma Pe Ben

8.5

Pe env job Pe Ben

Pe Ben has safely completed pipeline projects in some of the most extreme environments. This success is partially due to possessing the best equipment for the job.

Pe Ben

Lytx

group of offenses and our focus is on improvement and driving positive change vs. being punitive.”

Pe Ben does have a progressive disciplinary program, however.

“The first time a driver reviews the video with their foreman, who ends up being their coach,” says Martin. “If the risky behavior reoccurs, we send a copy of the video to the driver and discuss it again. If the risky driving behavior occurs again, drivers are aware they will likely be terminated for up to six months.”

The system offers real benefits. “It does have a positive aspect to driver behavior modification and improving safety,” says Martin. The most important part has been protecting drivers from false claims. “Within 10 minutes of me receiving a complaint call, I can have a video in hand that I have already sent to law enforcement after an incident or a complaint. It tells the truth.” In the vast majority of cases, it has exonerated Pe Ben’s drivers.

Communicating the goals of installing this system on its trucks with the drivers was vital to the program’s success. Martin recalls that Lytx was very good in the onboarding process. The company advised Pe Ben on how to best implement the system and supported change management with drivers.

“For us, our newer drivers are accustomed to the technology, and we needed to be particularly mindful of the change it could represent for our most experienced drivers,” Martin notes.

“Unfortunately, we lost two long-term drivers.”

But within 30 days of the rollout, the drivers began to accept the technology. They quickly discovered it protects the driver just as much as it protects the company. “Once they realized that we weren’t out to get them and that instead the technology was for their protection, they have really learned to appreciate the program.”

Contrary to drivers’ perception, drivers are not being constantly watched. When an event occurs, such as harsh braking, it triggers an event with a 12- to 15-second video clip. “If we need to go back and look at the 30 minutes prior to the event or 10 minutes after the event, we have the ability to do that,” Martin explains. “But

The trailers used by Pe Ben are unique and require a specialized skill set to operate.

The self-steering pole trailers allow drivers to safely go around corners and make turns that other trucks are not able to complete.

Pe Ben

broker, who gave Lytx a glowing recommendation. “That was pretty well the deciding factor right there,” recalls Martin.

Lytx is a leading global provider of machine vision and artificial intelligence-powered video telematics solutions for commercial, public sector and field services fleets. It worked with Pe Ben to install its devices across the pipe hauling fleet.

“At the time, we had trucks in Virginia, North Dakota and Houston, TX,” says Martin. “We had Lytx come out to each of those locations and show our technicians how to do the installs.

They did the first two or three on trucks in the respective area.” The technicians were able to complete three to four installations a day in each location. “With a single device to set up, it seemed like a pretty simple process. For us, they were plug and play.”

There were a few modifications, including the passenger side sun visor and the installation of high-visibility seatbelt covers for the shoulder strap.

The latter was necessary to ensure drivers weren’t getting penalized for not wearing seat belts due to it blending in with the color of their clothes.

Because Lytx is compatible with third-party camera systems, Pe Ben has been able to install left- and right-side cameras that synchronize with Lytx’s system. This provides a 360˚ view around the vehicle. “The majority of our accidents with these steerable trailers is what we call tailswing accidents,” says Martin.

“Putting these cameras on the mirrors, we can see what happens behind the truck.”

Once installed and set up, the system has proven easy to manage. There is a single point person within Pe Ben that monitors the flagged events. “We have one guy who’s dedicated, though he has other responsibilities, as well,” says Martin. It is this person’s job to review the videos to determine why an event occurred and if there is an event where a driver needs coaching.

“Lytx makes that easy for us,” says Martin.

The company plans to utilize the information gathered to gain

Pe Ben

The company owns 100% of its fleet, which includes approximately 25, 40-ton excavators, 40 vacuum lifts and 90 vacuum shoes, 216 tractors and 225 pole trailers.

Pe Ben

s

TRU CKS & TRANS PORTATION

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25 7/31/20 11:19 AM

T R U CKS & T R A N S P O R TAT I O N By Curt Bennink

2021 Ford F-150 Sets New Standard for CONNECTIVITY New model includes a host of technology “firsts” for full-size pickups.

T

The F-150 features more exportable power than any lightduty full-size pickup, providing the ability to use your truck as a mobile generator. It is available with three levels of electrical output depending on engine choice.

he 2021 Ford F-150 is North America’s first full-size pickup with standard over-the-air updates technology to constantly keep software on the leading edge.

This technology enables potential enhancements from system upgrades to new feature offerings throughout the life of the truck.

The updates can support preventive maintenance, reduce repair trips, provide improved performance and ultimately result in more vehicle uptime.

The majority of updates will be completed in under two minutes and can be performed at times customers choose.

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HYBRID TECHNOLOGY BOOSTS PERFORMANCE When designing the F-150, the design team set out to target the most towing, payload, torque and horsepower in the light-duty full-size pickup segment. To achieve this goal, Ford introduces a new power option — a 3.5-liter PowerBoost hybrid powertrain with Pro Power Onboard, an integrated power generator.

The 3.5-liter PowerBoost full hybrid V6 powertrain is available on every trim level from F-150 XL to Limited.

The PowerBoost system adds instant electric torque to Ford’s

3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. This powertrain option is targeting an EPA-estimated range of approximately 700 miles on a single tank of gas and will deliver at least 12,000 lbs. of available maximum towing.

PowerBoost combines the EcoBoost engine and 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission with a 35-kW (47 hp) electric motor integrated into the transmission. The powertrain’s software is calibrated specifically for truck use, with drive modes like tow/haul mode to help customers better manage towing heavy trailers.

The electric motor applies

regenerative braking energy capture to help recharge the 1.5-kW-hr lithium ion battery.

The battery resides underneath the truck, leaving the cab and cargo box capacity unchanged.

The system is capable of sustained battery usage at extreme outside temperatures or under heavy loads.

BUILT-IN JOBSITE POWER The F-150 pickups bring generator levels of exportable power to work sites. Pro Power Onboard offers a 2.0-kW output on optional gas engines, while the PowerBoost-equipped F-150 comes standard with 2.4 kW of

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TRU CKS & TRANS PORTATION

All images courtesy of Ford Motor Company

The available 12-in. center screen utilizes high-resolution cameras to provide multiple views including a 360˚ overhead view to make maneuvering in tight spaces easy. output or an optional 7.2 kW of output.

Power is accessible through in-cabin outlets and up to four cargo bed-mounted 120V 20A outlets, with a 240V 30A outlet on the 7.2-kW version. The system even provides power on the move to charge tool batteries in between jobs.

REDESIGNED INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR The 2021 F-150 is Ford’s most aerodynamic model. Active grille shutters, an automatically deploying active air dam and cab and tailgate geometry all work

together to reduce drag and improve fuel economy.

The interior is completely redesigned, featuring enhanced materials, new color choices and more storage. A new 12-in. center screen (standard on XLT high series and above) allows customers to split the screen and control multiple functions simultaneously, including navigation, music or truck features. An 8-in. touchscreen is standard on XL and XLT standard and mid-series trucks, providing touchscreen functionality for all pickups and better rear view camera vision.

Both screens feature access to the new digital owner’s manual,

including how-to videos for additional explanation.

An available 12-in. digital gauge cluster features an information-on-demand area, along with truck-specific graphics and animations that respond to the F-150’s selectable drive modes. It can also display off-roading data and turn-by-turn navigation.

EXPANDED DRIVER ASSIST TECHNOLOGIES The F-150 continues to provide Trailer Reverse Guidance and Pro Trailer Backup Assist.

Trailer Reverse Guidance, made popular on the Super Duty, uses the truck’s high-resolution cameras to provide multiple views along with helpful graphics that tell drivers which way to turn the steering wheel while backing up.

Pro Trailer

The available 7.2-kW Pro Power Onboard has four 120V 20A outlets and one NEMA L14-30R 240V 30A outlet.

Backup Assist makes backing up a trailer as easy as turning a dial.

The F-150 also offers the latest driver-assist features as part of Ford Co-Pilot360 2.0. More features are now standard on the XL, including Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Detection to help avoid a possible collision with another vehicle or a pedestrian.

A rear view camera with dynamic hitch assist, auto high-beam headlamps and auto on/off headlamps are also standard.

The 2021 model adds 10 new driver-assist features and is the only pickup to offer Active Drive Assist, which allows for hands-free driving on more than 100,000 miles of divided highways in all 50 states and Canada. Its driver-facing camera tracks head position and driver eye gaze to enable vehicle owners on certain sections of pre-mapped, divided highways to drive with their hands off the steering wheel.

The Active Drive Assist prep kit contains the hardware required for this feature. The software to enable functionality, expected in the third quarter of 2021, will be delivered by overthe-air update or dealer visit.

Another new feature is Intersection Assist, which detects oncoming traffic while the driver is attempting a left turn. If there is risk of a collision with an oncoming vehicle, the pickup will apply the brakes to mitigate or avoid it. The F-150 is also currently the only light-duty fullsize pickup with available Active Park Assist 2.0, which handles all steering, shifting, braking and accelerator controls during a parallel or perpendicular parking maneuver while the driver holds down a button.

The 2021 F-150 will be available this fall and will be assembled at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant in Dearborn, MI, and Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, MO. ET

Shown is the 2021 F-150 Lariat in Rapid Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat.

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The cabin is redesigned with more comfort, technology and functionality, along with more premium materials, color choices and storage. Shown is the interior of the F-150 Limited.

August 2020 | EQ U I P MEN T TO D AY

27 8/3/20 12:08 PM

T R U CKS & T R A N S P O R TAT I O N By Troy Geisler

5 Common Questions for HEAVY Equipment Hauls Answers to these questions can enable safe transport of heavy loads.

H

auling heavy equipment is a complicated process. You must consider the specifications of the intended load, road conditions in the operating area and a variety of other factors up to and including which trailer will provide optimum safety and productivity. To maximize efficiency and minimize costs, you can turn to manufacturers and dealers to help identify the right trailer to fit your unique hauling needs, such as one with the capacity and features to legally

and safely transport the intended load.

To help get the wheels turning, here are some thoughts from industry leaders on five common heavy-haul questions.

1. HOW DOES CAPACITY FACTOR IN? In a perfect world, a 55-ton trailer would be capable of hauling any 55-ton load. However, any veteran operator will tell you that’s just not the case. There’s a long list of factors that determine the capacity of a specific trailer.

To select the safest and most effective trailer for the project, dealers and manufacturers will ask a lot of questions. Some might even have a detailed checklist that covers specific equipment measurements and optional features, all the way down to the desired spacing and quantity of D-rings. Knowing the answers to some of the broader questions ahead of time speeds up the sizing process and will result in a trailer that safely meets the requirements of every intended job.

Unless it is meant to be a dedicated trailer, it’s important to consider any and all loads the trailer might haul. A 55-ton trailer can be used for a 35-ton haul, but the light load might mean it has a higher deck height than when it is fully loaded.

Having the weight and dimensions of the largest intended load is vital, but it is also important to consider the specs of any mixed loads, backhauls or other pieces of equipment that the trailer might haul.

Dealers and manufacturers

BELOW: An overload reduces the manufacturer’s safety factors and puts unnecessary stress on trailer components. That’s why it’s important to find the right trailer for the load.

LEFT: Industry-leading manufacturers use high-quality materials like steel with 100,000psi minimum yield, which allows the most capacity with the smallest impact on trailer weight.

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will also want to know if there are any unique requirements, such as equipment that requires special reinforcements or has a low clearance that might interfere with loading.

There are five key components calculated in a trailer’s capacity rating: size and weight of construction materials overall weight the trailer can carry the area of deck that weight can safely be carried in optimal travel speed the safety factor Be aware of how each manufacturer determines their capacity rating because there is no industry set standard or government-mandated system in place.

Load concentration is a key area of difference between trailer suppliers. It’s not enough to know a 55-ton lowbed can carry 55 tons. You must also know how much of the deck can handle that weight based on the manufacturer’s capacity rating.

While some trailers will need the entire deck length to haul 55 tons safely, others might only need half the deck length for the same weight.

Having a trailer rated in halfdeck capacity gives you a more realistic indication of what the trailer will be able to handle safely and without structural failure. The manufacturers usually design with a two-point rigid load base that accounts for the tire spacing, or hot spots of large equipment and heavy machinery. This makes trailers with a half-deck rating more versatile and efficient for these loads.

Load concentration is the most evident differentiation, but speed and overall safety ratings also put some manufacturers in a class above. Trailers from these manufacturers might be rated at 65 mph rather than 55 mph.

They might also offer a 2.5:1 safety factor, well above the minimum 1.8:1 ratio that leaves no cushion for adverse road conditions.

There is no one size fits all.

For safety and dependability, partnering with a trusted dealer and top-tier manufacturer ensures you are outfitted with the trailer that meets your individual requirements. In some

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TRU CKS & TRANS PORTATION

The components calculated in a trailer’s capacity rating include size and weight of the load, the overall weight the trailer can carry, the area of the deck that weight can safely be carried in, optimal travel speed and the safety factor.

cases, that might mean a custom design. Some companies will design and build a customized trailer that maximizes safety, durability and resale value.

2. WHAT SPECIALTY FEATURES ARE IMPORTANT? When looking at the price tags, it’s common for operators to ask what added value makes some trailers worth the cost over other models. Depending on the intended use, certain specialty features like a hydraulic beavertail or in-deck winch may be unnecessary. Others are vital for safety, durability and productivity.

When evaluating these features, start with the basic materials. Does the trailer use high-quality materials such as steel with 100,000-psi minimum yield, which allows the most capacity with the smallest impact on trailer weight? Do they also use apitong decking to provide tough, long-lasting decks? These features come with a higher price tag, but can quickly pay for themselves in increased efficiency and durability.

Other design features might be less obvious but make a clear difference with the first load.

Perhaps the most misunderstood of these is camber. Camber is the term used to describe the arc that forms in the center of a trailer that helps prevent excessive deflection in the main beams. When properly loaded to capacity, the arc will flatten, resulting in the trailer’s loaded deck height.

The camber can be adjusted in custom designs to meet your specific needs. But in general, a trailer that presents a slight upward arc in the center has

positive camber which will flatten with a full load.

A catalog of optional addons may be offered to maximize trailer capacity and potential.

For example, deck extensions made from the same quality materials can offer a perfect fit.

Nitrogen-dampened axle extensions with a self-tracking pivot design that allows for consistent load transfer even over uneven terrain might be another desirable option.

3. WHEN IS A PERMIT REQUIRED? Permits are another area of heavy-haul that can cause frustration. Dealers and manufacturers are constantly bombarded with questions like, “What permits do I need to haul X through states Y and Z?” Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. In the U.S., generally, a legal load is no more than 8 ft. 6 in. wide, 13 ft. 6 in. tall, 48 ft. long and no more than 80,000-lb. gross weight (including truck, trailer and payload).

If a load exceeds in one of these areas, it may require a permit.

But this doesn’t take into account axle weight or other regulations that may vary from state to state. As with capacity rating, there is no nationwide standard for permits. Anything above 80,000 lbs. comes under the state jurisdiction, and each state has its own set of rules based on infrastructure, legislation and other regional factors.

Kingpin laws are another good example of regulations that change from state to state.

Most states along the East Coast have laws that limit the length to 41 ft. from the kingpin to the center of the tandem axle or 43 ft. to the center of the rear axle on a trailer exceeding 48 ft.

There is no specified length for states in the center of the country. California has the strictest kingpin law; it requires a permit for anything over 40 ft.

So, if an operator were to travel from Texas to New York or from Oregon to California, they would need to make sure they had permits for every state in which the trailer would be considered oversized.

That’s why the intended area of operation is almost as important as capacity when selecting a trailer. Dealers, manufacturers and industry associations such as the Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association (www. scranet.org) have a wealth of information on this subject that they are willing to share.

However, you are encouraged to submit a configuration to states you plan to operate in to ensure proper permitting.

In addition to offering their expertise, manufacturers are doing their best to work with end users to design trailers that limit the need for extra permits, all the while adapting to everchanging equipment. Telescopic trailers, trailers with dual kingpin settings that can be operated empty without a permit in states with a 43-ft. kingpin law, as well as flip-up and removable axle attachments are just a few examples of the versatile designs available.

But even these options can still require permits. Work closely with the DOT in every state you operate in to ensure each load is properly permitted.

4. WHAT IS OVERLOADED? Manufacturers highly discourage overloads. While a single overload might not cause the trailer to fail, it reduces the

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Because permitting requirements vary, the intended area of operation is almost as important as capacity when selecting a trailer.

manufacturer’s safety factors and puts unnecessary stress on components, putting the trailer at risk of future failure.

It is also inadvisable to add aftermarket elements to a trailer to try to increase capacity.

Trailers are designed for certain setups and reinforced where they need to be. Adding more axles, a spreader bar, jeep or other element to a trailer that it was not designed for increases the span but does not add capacity. In some cases, it will affect its load rating.

Aftermarket pieces not designed for the trailer can create stress and lead to failure.

While simply adding axles and extenders can’t increase capacity, that type of versatility can sometimes be designed in. Certain manufacturers are capable of designing trailers that have a rating such as 55 tons in a spread axle setting that can increase to 60 tons with a closecoupled one.

To help you navigate variable axle weight regulations without making aftermarket modifications, manufacturers have developed trailers that are East Coast or West Coast specific. These trailers are designed to use variable axle and booster configurations that make it easier for end users to haul safely and legally in different regions.

Another safety concern is the misuse of outriggers (also called swinging side brackets or extension brackets). Outriggers can extend the useful width of a deck by up to a foot on each side. This makes the load oversize and it will require a permit.

It also requires proper loading to ensure safety. At least half of a machine’s tire, track or grouser should be on the main body

of the trailer. Any less and the outriggers are considered overloaded, putting the whole load in jeopardy.

5. WHO CAN HELP ANSWER MY QUESTIONS? In the world of heavy-haul there are easy questions such as “is it safe to travel with the flip-axle down?” Yes, but there’s a good chance it will put the load over length and require a permit. Or “what is the difference between spread axle and close coupled?” This has to do with how an additional axle is attached. The additional axle is attached to the rear only on a close-coupled model. Spread axle configurations allow for more versatility. With a nitro booster, you can add as many axles as the trailer is designed for. The presence of pin tubes is another indication as pin tubes are required and reinforced for split axle configurations only.

Then there are those difficult questions that require more thought such as “how much can a 55-ton trailer haul?” A reliable dealer or manufacturer might reply, “Let’s start with what needs to be hauled and where it’s going and build up from there.”

In an industry where so much is riding on what you choose to run between the road and the load, taking the time to work through both the easy and the difficult questions with experienced dealers and manufacturers ensures everyone’s safety and the trailer’s dependability and longevity as drivers hit the highway. ET Troy Geisler is vice president of sales and marketing for Talbert Manufacturing.

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TRUCKS & TRANSPORTATION Products

B2W Schedule Trucking Management Capabilities The B2W Schedule application includes features to assist contractors in managing trucking orders and assignments with online visibility and real-time agility.

• Assign, view and modify requirements and deliveries being fulfilled by your fleet and by outside third-party contractors • Includes Move Planner and Mass Haul Planner modules • Notifications about trucking assignments can be communicated automatically to drivers via text message or email • Assists in resolving scheduling conflicts

www.forconstructionpros.com/21130790

Ford Telematics Platform and Mobile App Ford Telematics is a web-based software platform and subscription service designed to grant fleet managers easy access to important connected vehicle data.

• Monitor fleets with GPS tracking and geofencing • Obtain live vehicle health alerts and set reminders for vehicle service • Analyze driver behavior and help manage fuel usage • Mobile companion app for drivers helps associate drivers with vehicles and enables drivers to report vehicle condition

www.forconstructionpros.com/21136521

XL Specialized Trailers XL 120 HDG 3+2 Trailer

WABCO OnGuardACTIVE is now available as an option for the Kenworth T880 and W990.

• Advanced driver assistance system helps mitigate or avoid rear-end collisions and provides adaptive cruise control (ACC) • 77-GHz radar-only, advanced emergency braking and ACC system detects moving, stopped and stationary objects and provides visual, audible and haptic warnings • Will apply brakes if needed to avoid or mitigate a forward collision

www.forconstructionpros.com/21138100

Doosan DA30-5 and DA45-5 ADTs The 375-hp DA30-5 and 500-hp DA455 articulated dump trucks have payload ratings of 61,729 and 90,390 lbs. and heaped capacities of 22 and 31.9 cu. yds.

• Maximum speed of 34 mph • Hydro-gas, self-leveling front suspension • Standard active payload measuring system with load weight visible on the in-cab LCD screen • Transmission retarder adjustment lever or available keypad button enable choice of four levels of retarder force • Include limited-slip differentials, a frontmounted turning ring, free-swinging rear tandem bogie and sloping rear frame

www.forconstructionpros.com/21121472

Mack Granite with Bendix Wingman Fusion

The 53-ft.-long XL 120 hydraulic detachable gooseneck (HDG) 2+3 trailer has a concentrated capacity rating of 120,000 lbs. in 10 ft.

• 26-ft.-long main deck with a loaded deck height of 18 in. and ground clearance of 6 in.

• Features several different configuration options to haul equipment including setting up with a 3+2 or 4+1 • Power booster can be removed to run three, four or five axles in a row • 13-ft. low-profile hydraulic gooseneck with a 107-in. swing clearance and 36-in. flip neck extension with five-position ride height

www.forconstructionpros.com/21126230

Kenworth T880 and W990 with WABCO OnGuardACTIVE

The Granite model is now available with the next generation of Bendix Wingman Fusion, offering Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) upgrades as well as enhanced lane departure warnings.

• Features improved following distance alerts with up to 3.5 seconds of warning before impact • Includes three levels of driver notification before the technology automatically applies the brakes using AEB • Detection feature upgrades enable Wingman Fusion to reduce vehicle speed by up to 50 mph to help mitigate collisions • Windshield-mounted cameras warn driver should a truck begin drifting outside the lane or off the road

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Talbert Tag-A-Long AC Series W I N C H E S W I N C H E S

USTRY TION IND ONSTRUC C E H T R HES FO TY WINC SPECIAL

The 10- to 25-ton Tag-A-Long Austin Carry-All Series (AC Series) trailers feature durable construction and a 7° load angle to transport small- to mid-size equipment.

• Dual-axle AC-10 offers a 10-ton, 20,000-lb. capacity, 24-ft. deck length, 5-ft. 5-in. self-cleaning, spring-assisted rear ramps and 32.25-in. loaded deck height • AC-20 provides a 20-ton, 40,000-lb. capacity within the same deck dimension and loaded deck height • AC3-25 has a 29-ft. deck and a 25-ton, 50,000- lb. capacity with a 32.75-in. loaded deck height • AC-20ART and AC3-25ART include an air ramp and/or air tilt for loading of low-clearance equipment

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Ram “Built to Serve” Trucks

BLOOM MANUFACTURING, INC. Custom Engineered Solutions Since 1910 Independence, IA 50644, USA | bloommfg.com P: 319-827-1139 | 800-394-1139 | F: 319-827-1140

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The Ram 1500 half-ton pickup truck line is available in “Built to Serve” editions celebrating America’s five land-, sea- and air-based armed forces branches.

• Each version includes two specially selected exterior paint colors that evoke the spirit, mission and history of that service • Include a U.S. flag and Built to Serve decal on each of the rear quarter panels • 20-in. aluminum wheels with a Technical Gray finish plus body color wheel flares • All-black grille and surround, black bumpers and black-bezel premium lighting

www.forconstructionpros.com/21136193

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7/31/20 11:21 AM

New

www.gomaco.com x info@gomaco.com Dedicated to Concrete – Dedicated to You. GOMACO offers the full range of concrete slipform pavers, curb and gutter machines, placer/spreaders, texture/cure machines and bridge/canal finishing equipment. GOMACO equipment features our exclusive and proprietary G+® control system, created in-house by our software engineers from the wants and needs of contractors paving in the field. We’ll show you the new Navigator controller with a 10-inch touchscreen that allows ground personnel to simply control and view all attachments from one location. We are also introducing our new high-production system for the C-450 cylinder finisher for bridge decks and flat slabs. At the heart of GOMACO equipment is our passion for concrete and our commitment to our customers.

We look forward to visiting with you about your upcoming paving projects and your concrete paving equipment needs.

CONCRETE STREETS AND HIGHWAYS x AIRPORT RUNWAYS x CURB AND GUTTER x SIDEWALKS RECREATIONAL TRAILS x SAFETY BARRIER x BRIDGE PARAPET x BRIDGE DECKS x IRRIGATION CANALS GOMACO CORPORATION IN IDA GROVE, IOWA, USA x 712-364-3347

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7/31/20 11:21 AM

S P E CI AL RE P O R T By Becky Schultz

Contractor Survival Stories from COVID-19

HOT SPOTS

Two construction company execs at the original epicenter of the pandemic share their experiences and how they plan to move forward.

C

Considered the original epicenter of the pandemic, New York City has eased restrictions, allowing contractors such as AA Jedson to get back to work on more of its projects. But challenges persist.

Photo by Todd Quackenbush on Unsplash

OVID-19 has impacted construction companies throughout the U.S., but those in the initial pandemic “hot spots” were perhaps hardest hit. Contractors in the Northeastern states survived more extreme shutdowns compared to most other parts of the country.

“For us, it was a very sudden pivot,” says Stephanie Schmidt, president, Poole Anderson Construction, a regional general contractor, construction manager and design-build firm based in central Pennsylvania.

“We found out on a Thursday at about 5:20 p.m. that the governor of Pennsylvania was shutting down the state and considering construction as a non-essential activity with the exception of healthcare projects.

That was different than what had been happening in other states where construction was considered essential.”

Initially, the shutdown was

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set to go into effect the following Saturday morning. (It was later extended by a few days.)

Contractors in the state were forced to immediately leap into action.

“We had to start putting measures in place to secure our jobs — to understand exactly what that meant,” says Schmidt.

“There were some, I would call them ‘ambiguous,’ regulations that came out where we weren’t sure exactly what we could or couldn’t do in regard to maintaining stormwater management on a site, things like that, so there were some nebulous things we also had to deal with. But basically, we had to shut down.”

ONLY THE ESSENTIALS Things weren’t much different for contractors in neighboring New York State.

“It was such an abrupt halt for every industry practically,” says Michael Bordes, president, AA Jedson Company, LLC. AA Jedson works primarily in and around New York City, with projects typically made up of 90% commercial retail, fitness and commissaries and 10% residential construction. You might call it one of the “lucky ones” since it was able to keep roughly half of its projects going during the construction shutdown.

“We did work on some

essential projects from the start of the coronavirus,” says Bordes.

“We were working the entire time on 50% or 60% of our projects; the other 40% were on hold.” Even jobs nearing completion were forced to come to a halt. “They allowed us to go into a new construction project that was left incomplete to make the site safe.”

AA Jedson saw some challenges early on, including finding PPE for essential projects; the inability to enter jobsites because most property managers shut buildings down; and the shortage and overpricing of materials due to the pandemic. But at least many of its projects continued to progress.

Poole Anderson wasn’t so lucky. With only one healthcare project deemed essential during Pennsylvania’s shutdown, it was forced to make some tough choices. “We had no idea how long it was going

to be, so we kept full staff for a while. Fortunately, we had some projects in pre-construction that still

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S PECIAL REPORT

required actual work being done,” says Schmidt.

“Eventually, we ended up laying off about 40% to 50% of our workforce.

“We were fortunate enough to secure one of the PPP (Payroll Protection Program) loans, which then enabled us to bring them all back within three to four weeks,” she continues. “The timing worked well... That was about a week before the governor released construction again in the state.”

AA Jedson did lay off a portion of its staff, but secured a PPP loan, as well, enabling it to get some of its office and field people back to work. “We wanted to get the office back up and running, which was really important,” says Bordes.

LEARNING TO ADAPT TO THE “NEW NORMAL” Despite the hardships it was facing, Schmidt says having just one essential project to focus on gave Poole Anderson time to evaluate procedures for its jobsites and adapt to a “new normal.”

The Valley

at Pennsylvania’s State College is one of the projects Poole Anderson Construction completed. Due to the pandemic, such projects are now in short supply.

Poole Anderson Construction

“By having one active project going on, we were able to really get our processes and our procedures in place, particularly the jobsite procedures to meet all of the CDC and state requirements for COVID-19 preventive measures,” she explains. “That was nice in that we weren’t doing it over, say, 30 projects all at once. We had a little time for some trial and error to see what worked and what didn’t.

“We were doing site work and coming out of the ground, so it wasn’t that we had an enclosed building where we had to worry about the one person per 500 sq. ft. yet at the time,” she adds. “But we were thinking about it because other projects that were going to come online were in that state.

So, it was just a constant education and make your processes and your policies better.”

AA Jedson had to adapt largely on the fly. “The city had put into effect some new regulations and codes for everybody to comply by,” says Bordes. “Basically, those new regulations mean better hand sanitizing stations, eye wash stations, having gloves and masks on the job, having spacing between the employees while they’re working together…

“Normally, we have everybody working over each other. Now, with these new rules and regulations, [we have to try] to keep every trade separate,” he continues.

“Instead of having carpenters and others working in the same area, we have some working in one area and others working in another area.

Basically, it’s just a matter of getting used to a new style of things and wearing a mask while you’re working.”

Other steps put in place included no tool sharing. “All of our [workers] have a full array of tools,” says Bordes. For any equipment that must be shared, such

as table saws, sanitizing wipes are on the benches and tables.

“Similar to when you go to the gym, you wipe down the equipment before you use it and you wipe it down after you use it.”

There were administrative and scheduling hurdles to overcome, as well. For Poole Anderson, this included how to ensure trade contractors and others coming onto jobsites go through the proper screening. “We have thermometers at all jobsites, but we also have the questionnaire that has to be filled out,” says Schmidt. “How we manage that process once we got back full force over multiple jobsites was really cumbersome if you think of the number of people that arrive on a site every morning.”

So, Poole Anderson began using signs with a QR code that allows those entering the site to quickly access and complete the questionnaire online, with the form automatically filed to the specific job in the company’s project management software. “It really became a very easy to manage electronic process for us,” Schmidt states.

Notifications are set up to alert to any answers on the form that are cause for concern, or if someone didn’t complete the form that day. “Thankfully, that piece of it — which could have been a huge administrative nightmare — we found a way to make it rather seamless,” says Schmidt.

Less seamless for AA Jedson was how to accommodate changing schedule requirements for mixed-use commercial retail projects. Many of the mixed-use buildings have retail space on the ground level and residential space on the remaining upper levels. With many residents working remotely, resuming construction has proven problematic.

“What’s happening is that property managers are now stopping work in some of the buildings because the owners of those apartments don’t want to hear the noise,” says Bordes.

Others have placed tighter

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restrictions on the hours during which construction crews can work. This means crews have to adapt to altered or abbreviated work schedules while keeping project timelines on track.

Even things like managing daily OSHA safety meetings have become more complex.

“When you’re having these OSHA lessons, everybody needs to sign in, everybody needs to listen, everyone needs to be present,” Bordes comments. “It becomes real challenging when you have to have everybody together sharing in the same conversation.”

Space constraints and the tendency for workers and trade contractors to come in and out can make this a logistical headache. “The only thing we can do is just keep reminding people to social distance,” says Bordes.

“For the most part, everybody is paying attention to it on their own. Nobody wants to get sick…. Everybody who’s in a meeting or in close proximity, they kind of know on their own to separate from other people.”

With higher education projects — such as The Valley at Pennsylvania’s State College — in question, Poole Anderson is looking at other opportunities to keep the company productive and profitable.

(Shown: The Valley Clubhouse) Poole Anderson Construction

LOOKING BEYOND THEIR BASE Looking to the future, AA Jedson has plans to explore additional housing and commissary work and focus on other construction segments that Bordes

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Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash

S P E CI AL RE P O R T

Challenges for AA Jedson in the early days of New York’s shutdown included finding PPE for essential projects; the inability to enter sites as property managers shut buildings down; and the shortage and overpricing of materials.

Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash

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that I like to look at is the Architectural Billing Index, which has been way down for the last two months,” says Schmidt.

“If projects aren’t being designed, they’re not going to be there to build six

by T etia na S months from HYSH KINA on Un splash now.”

Consequently, Poole Anderson is working with its existing clients to identify opportunities, as well as looking at other areas that weren’t previously considered. “Some of the markets that we work in, for example, hospitality, I have to Pho

Construction companies such as Poole Anderson and AA Jedson had to learn important lessons on how to manage people and projects in the “new normal.”

considers more “pandemic proof.”

“We have been building restaurants and fitness studios for the better part of 10 years, and they’re substantial,” says Bordes. “I’m talking 50% of our business revolved around fitness, 25% of our business revolves around restaurants and another 25% revolves around basically other general construction projects.

“I don’t see a bright future in restaurants and fitness going forward,” he continues. “So, I’ve already implemented some serious changes as to… the types of jobs we’re going to be building as we move forward.”

This includes exploring more low-income housing development projects, which are becoming increasingly critical in the region, as well as additional commissary work. “We kind of got away from [commissary work] in the past because of the traveling. You’re not building a

commissary on every corner,” says Bordes. He notes that these facilities typically require a large building space and are often positioned near highways or interstates. “Most of those areas logistically aren’t right in your backyard in New York City.”

This means traveling further from home. “But that’s just part of doing business at this point,” says Bordes. “We’re trying to stay as flexible as possible.”

Poole Anderson is seeing a similar transformation in its business. “For our organization in regard to revenue, we were on track to have our biggest year ever when this hit, and I’m not the only person that I’ve heard say that,” Schmidt comments.

“We’re projecting we’re… going to be a little behind our revenue projections now, but it’s not at the level of being tragic.

“My concern is next year...

We’re working off the backlog right now. We get our projects and then we work off that backlog for sometimes as long as a year, year and a half,” she states.

But as she points out, the latest Associated Builders and Contractors Backlog Indicator (for May at that time) showed industry backlogs down almost a full month compared to the previous year. “The other indicator

clients telling me that they’ve got everything on hold for the foreseeable future….

Higher ed is another questionable one because we don’t really know 100% what’s going to happen in the fall,” says Schmidt.

“We are diverse enough that we work through a lot of different market sectors, so that’s helpful,” she continues.

“But I think you also need to be a bit nimble and be able to look at other things that you can be doing that can help your customers and your company.” ET

LEARN MORE ONLINE Pennsylvania Contractor Poole Anderson Construction Shares Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic www.ForConstructionPros.com/21137993 NYC Contractor AA Jedson Co. Sees Working Around Coronavirus Easier On-site than in the Office www.ForConstructionPros.com/21136293

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pplies

S P E CI AL RE P O R T By Patrick Ryan

How to Adapt to POST-COVID CONSTRUCTION The industry must enact processes to respond to the changing construction landscape.

T

hroughout the pandemic, state governments across the U.S. have had to adopt strict health and safety guidelines to minimize the impact of COVID-19 to ongoing work. Public health guidelines on construction sites vary by state, but they tend to follow protocols of physical distancing, increased hygiene measures and the use of personal protective gear.

The increased attention on health and safety on the jobsite has also given way to a renewed focus on collaboration and information sharing on best practices.

During the onset of the pandemic in North America, educational materials on safety from the Associated General Contractors of America and the Associated Builders and Contractors provided necessary protocols during uncertain times.

More recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Association released specific guidance for construction jobsites (www.ForConstructionPros. com/21135140), outlining safety requirements to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. With this official release, OSHA is also demonstrating increased enforcement activity and dependence on the General Duty Clause, which allows the agency to cite employers who are not taking the appropriate measures to protect employees from the virus.

STEPS TO TAKE NOW Now more than ever, the industry must come together to enact better processes in response to the changing landscape of construction. Collaborating with stakeholders, team members,

Peacefully7 | iStock / Getty Images Plus

andresr | E+

contractors and supply chains is key to preparing a revised project program.

When preparing the program, assume that there will be public health limits in place around resources and workforce capabilities. Plans must consider how to mitigate delays caused by limiting the number of on-site workers, including planning for shift and weekend work.

An action plan for site kickoff that takes into consideration the budget, supply chain disruptions and workers’ health and safety is also necessary. Even with government go-ahead on

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projects, many employees may still be concerned about contracting the virus. Make sure that sites have the proper protective equipment and hygiene resources, such as sanitizer and hand washing stations, to mitigate concerns.

Ensure that workers and management are also taking health and safety seriously. This will help get projects off the ground faster and will determine which companies come out ahead after the pandemic.

CONSTRUCTION POST-PANDEMIC Although no one can say for

certain what construction activity will look like once the rate of coronavirus infections has fallen, it is certain that the way the industry worked before is no longer sufficient to meet postCOVID challenges. For example, with schedules delayed, the costs of existing projects will likely increase.

Construction funding due to the economic recession will also create issues with future costs.

This will likely intensify demand for both cost and project managers. With projects already having undergone extensive delays, having experienced managers will

help ensure there are no further delays or cost impacts as sites reopen.

The U.S. construction industry must also rethink its dependence on international supplies and workers. From steel to plumbing fixtures, nearly 30% of all U.S. building products are imported from China, with some U.S. construction firms relying on China for up to 80% of their materials, according to a report released earlier this year by Consigli, one of the Northeast’s largest general contractors. This fact has become a serious issue for domestic supply chains,

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S PECIAL REPORT

and will continue to impact the industry as borders remain reluctant to reopen.

In a similar sense, the inability for international workers to re-enter the U.S. will severely

all industries as construction moves out of this first wave of the virus.

FILLING LABOR GAPS

When it comes to skilled trade roles in the U.S., the construction industry RIGHT: The ability for greater oversight is still facing difficulties and speed is one reason the modular in bridging labor gaps. building approach will see more Prior to the pandemtraction as the industry moves beyond ic, 80% of contractors

the first wave of the pandemic.

C. Laney & Sons

BELOW: An action plan for site kickoffs must take into consideration the budget, supply chain disruptions and workers’ health and safety.

of infection, competing responsibilities at home and reliance on unemployment benefits from the CARES Act. The long-lasting impact of project delays due to pandemic shutdowns, as well as new safety regulations that limit the number of on-site personnel, will further reduce the pool of available workers. Educating personnel on how to protect themselves on site as a means of assuring and encouraging workers while on the job will become a priority for maintaining long-term productivity. Scheduling challenges will also require a more focused approach to project planning and greater collaboration across the board C. Laney & Sons in achieving realistic timelines.

USHERING IN THE ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGY

affect job productivity within the country. If the U.S. hopes to advance construction projects, sourcing supplies and hiring must occur locally. Recruiting and buying domestically are also crucial for stimulating the economy, and will be a challenge for

With labor shortages one of the top challenges post-COVID, there will be an increased reliance on new technology.

This is especially true in the implementaABOVE: Educate personnel on how to tion of artificial protect themselves on site as a means intelligence (AI), which of assuring and encouraging workers has the abilwhile on the job . ity to automate LEFT: The U.S. construction industry must labor-intensive rethink its dependence on international tasks. AI allows skilled workers supplies and workers in light of supply to focus more chain disruptions during the pandemic. efficiently on complex duties reported they were unable to fill that require their specialized knowledge and experience. positions, resulting in 44% of those contractors increasing their Technology is already for sale that allows AI to operate prices. COVID-19 has exacmachinery autonomously. erbated this trend, with some Beyond automation, new workers not returning to projects technology is improving because of concerns over the risk

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workflow efficiency even further. According to McKinsey & Company, 4D and 5D simulations are now being used to help schedule workers and shipments, while virtual tours are being conducted to provide stakeholders the enhanced ability to monitor project progress remotely (https://mck. co/3222YM8). Similarly, video conferencing tools connect teams seamlessly to enable better collaboration, and on-site cameras with 360° views provide data to digital platforms to create “digital twins” of construction sites. All of these enhanced tools offer real-time information so that issues can be communicated and resolved quickly and remotely.

The other benefit to technology is that it can help owners, contractors, site managers and workers adhere to stricter health and safety guidelines. AI sensors and wearable devices ensure physical distancing measures are being observed and that the limits to the number of on-site staff are not exceeded. In an industry that has been slow to adopt technology, the renewed focus on protecting public health will inspire the wider implementation of AI models, new software and innovative systems to increase project efficiency.

EMBRACING MODULAR TECHNIQUES Enabling greater oversight and speed is also why the modular building approach will see more traction as the industry moves beyond the first wave of the pandemic. This trend has already been on the rise, with the market share of permanent modular construction in North American real estate having increased by 50% from 2015 to 2018 (McKinsey & Company).

The benefits to developers are clear. When components are assembled off site in a factory, there are more

opportunities to control and ensure the safety of the environment and to enforce physical distancing measures. Modular construction techniques also allow for components to be built concurrently off site while cores and shells of buildings can progress on site. This promotes speed in completing projects and will play a more important role given pandemic-related delays.

REDEFINING CONSTRUCTION THROUGH COVID-19 As with many other industries, there is no doubt that the coronavirus has pushed construction into uncharted territory. Though labor challenges will continue to impact productivity, they will also inspire more widespread use of technology and the adoption of improved planning and building techniques.

The path forward isn’t through a retrospective of setbacks caused

by COVID-19. Instead, it is a renewed perspective on and attention to speed and efficiency through collaboration and innovation that will really allow the industry to emerge successfully from the pandemic.

Patrick Ryan is the executive vice president, US East, at Linesight, a multinational construction consultancy firm.

FIND MORE ONLINE Post-Pandemic Tips for Recruiting the Construction Workforce www.ForConstructionPros.com/21135523 Construction Post-Coronavirus: 4 Tools to Adapt to the New Normal www.ForConstructionPros.com/21134506 How Construction is Adapting to Supply Chain Disruptions www.ForConstructionPros.com/21132147 R emote and Autonomous Construction Equipment Technologies Increase Safety and Productivity www.ForConstructionPros.com/21134012 H ow Prefabrication Delivers Safety and Production Vertical Construction Needs for Coronavirus Survival www.ForConstructionPros.com/21134560

August 2020 | EQ U I P MEN T TO D AY 37

8/4/20 8:23 AM

J OB S I T E S E C U R I T Y By Curt Bennink

Camera Technology Elevates SECURITY, SAFETY and JOBSITE PERFORMANCE

Advances make jobsite camera technology much more than a theft deterrent. is a wide range of solutions, so understanding what’s most important for your site, your team and your owners will go a long way when you are ready to make a decision.”

EarthCam

REAL-TIME SECURITY

Camera solutions should be customizable to your needs. For example, artificial intelligence in EarthCam solutions can automatically track up to 19 different equipment categories.

A log is created so you know exactly where equipment is located.

C

onstruction sites are often the target of theft and vandalism. This is why camera technology initially found its way onto the jobsite.

Modern camera-based technology can help you secure even the most remote site, providing realtime intelligence.

“Motion-detected event notification alerts can be pushed to your email or mobile device (via SMS/text),” says Wendi Burke, vice president of marketing, Sensera Systems. “These notifications can include a video clip or images for rapid review and response. In addition, capturing visual documentation of daily site activity, incidents and near misses enables managers

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to assess compliance with safety requirements and monitor where workers, equipment and materials are in transit to identify potential safety issues. You can receive alerts for entry of restricted access zones and track the entry and exit of people on the jobsite.”

Every contractor is going to have its own set of requirements.

“Before you begin comparing solutions, it’s important to first evaluate and understand your needs,” says Roger Yarrow, COO, TrueLook. “There are many products and services that can help secure a site. Decide what is important for you. Do you need your site to be monitored by a live person or can

you save resources and rely on cameras with 24/7 recording and motion alerts? It’s been our experience that customers get the most bang for their buck with a combination of both traditional security measures — like fencing, good lighting, single monitored entry points, etc. — and technology like a camera solution.”

Construction cameras often cost less than other methods of securing a project. “Construction cameras can serve as an affordable resource to add security to a jobsite,” says Yarrow. “They are a great visual deterrent and usually less expensive than the fencing that most companies use on their sites. As technology goes, there

Current camera technology provides actionable information in real time.

“In addition to meeting your traditional security requirements, intelligent monitoring and motion detection alerts make EarthCam cameras like a 24-hour on-site security guard,” says Bill Sharp, senior vice president, product development and strategy, EarthCam. “Motion detection can be set in a given area to detect loitering, or send an alert when specific objects cross a perimeter. Radar detection with auto-tracking can also complement your camera surveillance systems by adding another layer of accuracy and reliability.”

Camera technologies can serve as multipurpose solutions, as well. “Early jobsite camera solutions were designed for a specific use, like security or marketing,” says Burke.

“Sensera Systems took a different approach in designing its cameras and SiteCloud software by providing a highly integrated, multi-application system.

“It’s important to know what you are trying to achieve on a given project for camera placement and configuring the system. But having a universal solution means that you can address all your needs across different projects over time,” she continues. “What is often neglected is the importance

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o S s c o

a s t a a l i v r c a t s e

t r c s a ‘ S m C S p

a m v “ e o — t t w c i v d

“

J OBS ITE S ECU RIT Y When selecting a jobsite camera solution, choose a cloud-based system that is easy to use, includes multi-site dashboards and is feature rich. Not only will this ensure a higher level of user adoption, additional cameras can be added at any time and any software updates and new features are pushed to the system automatically.

Sensera

of camera placement. Sensera Systems’ compact solar/wireless solutions mean you can place cameras anywhere — no power or internet connection required.”

Seek out a solution that meets all of your needs. “Effective security teams use a combination of intelligent monitoring and recording,” says Sharp. “We advise teams to protect critical locations with the latest analytics, motion detection and night vision. These systems make remote, 24/7 protection of critical infrastructure much easier, allowing continuous observation and providing real-time status updates for an entire project site.”

The system should be customizable for your unique requirements. “EarthCam creates camera solutions which allow security teams to define visual motion detection areas, with ‘include/exclude’ options,” says Sharp. “Motion alerts can automatically be sent to your 24/7 Central Station Monitoring Service to dispatch emergency personnel as required.

“In addition, EarthCam’s artificial intelligence (AI) automatically tracks 19 different vehicle categories,” he notes.

“A log is created so you know exactly where your vehicle is — or whether it has been taken — with photo verification. All this data is automatically sent to project management software, such as Procore. AI also can enhance site safety by monitoring occupancy numbers, visualizing density and social distancing.”

TrueLook cameras are “smart” in that they use onboard

analytics to analyze what they are capturing. “Basically, the camera is watching the video stream for you, tracking for persons or vehicles moving across its field of view. These events are then reported back to our systems to be logged for later review or to trigger an immediate alert,” says Yarrow.

A camera that utilizes motion alerts should be customizable, as well. “Users should be able to go in and dictate the who, how, what and when of the alert,” says Yarrow. “For instance, with the TrueLook cameras, a user can go in and say ‘alert me by text and email when there is motion on the site between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m.’

If movement is detected on the jobsite within those parameters, that user will receive immediate notifications with a screen shot of what the camera saw. They can dismiss it or take the appropriate action, such as calling the police or security. It’s also important that if an incident does occur on the jobsite, that it is recorded and that the recording is easy to access and share.”

Cloud-based systems offer many benefits. “When selecting a jobsite [camera] solution, choose a cloud-based system that is easy to use, includes multi-site dashboards and is feature rich,” advises Burke. “This will ensure a higher level of user adoption, additional cameras can be added at any time and any software updates and new features are pushed to your system automatically.”

For reliability, Sensera recommends a solar-powered solution and cellular

connectivity, with battery backup and the ability to plug into AC power for indoor use.

A good solution doesn’t have to be expensive. “There are several good solutions available today, the best of which will provide all of these features and capabilities without requiring a la carte fees or expenses — simply the features you want, when you want them, as you scale,” notes Burke.

BEYOND SECURITY Camera technology has progressed past a simple theft deterrent. There are now multitasking solutions that can help with virtually all aspects of the construction process.

“Our mission is to provide our customers with total jobsite visibility,” says Yarrow. “This doesn’t just mean logging in and seeing your jobsite — which is an incredibly valuable feature, particularly right now, when many people are still working remotely and/or on limited travel schedules.”

Construction camera solutions give project managers the ability to help manage, plan and document their jobsites. “It serves as an immediate way to quickly check in on things and track deliveries,” says Yarrow.

“You can check any time to make sure safety procedures are being followed and, maybe most valuably, you can catch costly mistakes before they happen.

As far as tracking progress goes, time lapse photography is an amazing way to document and share project progress.”

“The most innovative construction teams pick a true

multi-tasking camera solution that can simultaneously handle jobsite monitoring, live streaming visualization and continuous security recording,” says Sharp.

“Cameras such as EarthCam’s ConstructionCam XIR have a pan-tilt-zoom base, which is ideal for long-term tall/wide area projects and provides functionality beyond traditional security tasks — for example, capturing time lapse videos.

“Most security solutions focus on one function: recording motion-triggered events.

Trying to work from these autogenerated snippets of video can be frustrating,” he comments.

“EarthCam users can quickly access the entire recorded video timeline and download concise clips of the footage they actually need, which is essential when responding to urgent on-site incidents.”

Current technology makes it easy to reduce the cost and complexity of self-managed solutions, empowering teams with highquality imagery, on-site data and collaboration tools, all in one easy to use solution.

“As technology continues to evolve, it’s important to understand the full value of adoption,” says Burke. “Contractors can maximize their ROI by leveraging their jobsite monitoring solution for productivity, collaboration, security, risk and safety, and marketing.”

SECURE REMOTE JOBSITES AND EQUIPMENT YARDS One common challenge contractors face is securing

TrueLook offers a 20-megapixel camera system to construction companies across the U.S. and Canada. It is a DSLR camera that comes standard with live streaming video and security recording.

TrueLook

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J OB S I T E S E C U R I T Y

EarthCam

EarthCam offers integrated night vision that makes surveillance possible even in complete darkness. The system automatically switches to night mode and provides long-range IR illumination, revealing activity even in large, open, unlit areas.

Sensera

Cellular technology proves useful on remote sites when there is questionable WiFi connectivity.

Sensera Systems’ solar-powered, cellular solutions are designed to provide reliable connectivity throughout the life of a project.

equipment in areas that lack power or internet.

EarthCam offers wireless solutions for project sites that do not have an internet connection at the camera location, staying connected with 4G LTE while keeping costs low. “Our wireless specialists create solutions with up-to-the minute technology which reduces costly IT expenses,” says Sharp.

EarthCam’s solar network camera system is an option for locations where power is not available on the jobsite. “This system has a fully integrated power supply to eliminate the expense of running power lines to each location,” says Sharp.

For short-term or unpowered jobsites where there is wireless capability, EarthCam offers Solstice Cam, a solar-powered camera designed for construction security. “It sets up in seconds, making it incredibly easy to use,” says Sharp. “A long-lasting battery and solar panel is included. Smart motion detection alerts help users react fast to potential threats and, with the Edge Video Recorder (EVR), Soltice Cam provides high-definition continuous recording.

With up to 120 days of retention, the system is always capturing critical evidence.

Encrypted storage ensures video footage is secured and recorded clips can easily be shared with others.”

Consider the core technology underlying a vendor’s solutions. “Some solutions are repackaged security cameras

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and are not designed specifically for the demands of construction,” says Burke. She notes that Sensera Systems solutions are designed from the ground up to be solar/battery powered, simple to deploy, easy to move and multifunctional for risk management and site security. They can be remotely managed, allowing 24/7 worry-free operation.

When choosing a solar camera solution, make sure it is designed specifically for that use.

“When you add a solar ‘option’ to a security camera, you often end up with 100 lbs. of batteries and giant solar panels, making installation and relocation challenging,” says Burke. “Models that support both WiFi and 4G/ LTE allow contractors to meet a variety of situations across their projects.”

All of the TrueLook solutions operate off 4G cellular for a completely turnkey experience.

“This means they will work on a green site right when you are ready to break ground, rather than waiting for IT and other infrastructure to be set up,” says Yarrow. “Our cameras are pre-configured and ready to go for your job when they ship. When the end-user receives it, they simply mount the camera and connect it to a power source (whether that’s 110V or solar), and it’s online and ready to use.”

Cellular technology proves useful when there is questionable WiFi connectivity. “Sensera Systems solar-powered, cellular solutions are perfect for remote jobsites and reliable connectivity throughout the life of the project,” says Burke. “WiFionly solutions are almost always problematic due to normal jobsite challenges such as consistent signal strength, bandwidth, continuous power and the movement of trailers and equipment.”

solutions, but few can offer the end-to-end installation, consultancy and robust support for the needs of large and small construction firms alike,” says Sharp.

Some companies have a long history of serving construction customers. “Based on this deep understanding of the clients’ needs, EarthCam provides concise recommendations for systems to fit within specific project budgets, meet future requirements and fully integrate with project management software,” says Sharp.

DON’T SKIMP ON QUALITY Not all camera systems are built to withstand the demands

CONTRACTORS CAN

night vision that makes surveillance possible even in complete darkness. “Systems automatically switch to night mode and provide long-range IR illumination, revealing night-time activity up to 600 ft. away, even in large open areas without lighting,” Sharp explains. “For uninterrupted security monitoring in all weather conditions, many EarthCam cameras feature thermostatically controlled, IP66/ IP67-rated, environmentally sealed enclosures with stainless steel hardware and maintenancefree wipers.”

The available features and options differentiate the professional-grade cameras from the rest. “To get the best return on investment for jobsite security and surveillance, choose an advanced, easy to deploy security system engineered for continuous observation and recording,” says Sharp.

“Make sure the manufacturer has a longestablished track record of serving the specific requirements of the construction industry,” says Sharp. “They should also have personnel who will come to the jobsite to do a site survey, pick the best camera locations for optimal site coverage and provide ongoing maintenance and advice. Services should provide essentials like live streaming and continuous recording, but should also offer options such as time-lapse videos at the end of the project to help you promote and document your work.”

Finally, make sure the system will meet tomorrow’s needs.

Look for cameras that are easily scalable. “In the instance of TrueLook, the software and features are always the same — you can always add an additional camera,” says Yarrow.

He adds, “If you’re going with a camera solution, to maximize ROI, make sure to use the camera to its full potential. Lots of people want a camera for one purpose, whether that be security or to get the time-lapse videos. If you go with a camera solution that can be beneficial to multiple departments within your organization, share access with them.” ET

MAXIMIZE THEIR ROI BY LEVERAGING THEIR JOBSITE MONITORING SOLUTION FOR PRODUCTIVITY, COLLABORATION, SECURITY, RISK AND SAFETY, AND MARKETING.”

LOOK FOR CONSTRUCTION EXPERIENCE Make sure the people who supply the technology understand the demands of the construction industry.

“Many new technology companies are coming to market with software and hardware

of a construction jobsite.

Any professional jobsite camera should be robust enough to withstand severe weather. Avoid the cheap “big box” home use multi-camera packs found at chains like Costco, Big Lots, etc., Burke advises. “Most jobsite cameras today perform extremely well even in the lowlight conditions produced by inclement weather,” she adds.

For any use case, cameras that include low light capabilities can be useful for monitoring a jobsite 24/7, but many sites have no light. “To allow for monitoring 24/7, thermal imaging provides the ability to detect intruders in complete darkness,” says Burke. “For example, Sensera Systems’ Sitewatch PRO2 smart security cameras combine thermal, low-light and color cameras with video analytics and 4G LTE communications in one integrated system.”

EarthCam offers integrated

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TECHNOLOGY TRENDS Products

Trimble Roadworks 2D Paving Control Platform Sensera PTZ500 Panoramic Solar Jobsite Camera The PTZ500 solar-powered panoramic jobsite camera provides flexible site monitoring, building inspection and project marketing for large-scale jobsites that require a wider coverage area.

• Provides time-lapse video and ultra-highresolution panoramas • Optical zoom capability captures fine details over large project areas • Complete/integrated/compact solar camera requires no power • Powered by SiteCloud platform for viewing, monitoring and sharing realtime data and detecting actionable insights

www.forconstructionpros.com/21110802

EarthCam GigapixelCam X2 Jobsite Camera The GigapixelCam X2 robotic jobsite camera provides a rugged solution for jobsite monitoring, live streaming visualization and continuous security recording.

• Delivers fast, responsive control over 4G wireless networks • Creates highly-detailed 360° five gigapixel multilayered panoramas or quick-shot 10-megapixel photos • Captures ultra-sharp 4K live video with a wide angle Canon Zoom lens • Mounted on an ultra-precise pan/tilt/ zoom base

www.forconstructionpros.com/21139176

TennaMINI Plug-In GPS Tracker The TennaMINI Plug-In GPS tracker is suited for tracking precise GPS location for heavy and midsized equipment and machines.

• Wires directly into a construction asset to read engine hours and drive utilization and performance data in addition to location information • Small, flexible, durable, easy to install and long lasting • Designed to work in harsh external environments • Rechargeable and reads more advanced telematics data than provided by the existing solar and battery models

www.forconstructionpros.com/21139217

Trimble Roadworks 2D Paving Control Platform is an automatic screed control system featuring intuitive, easy to learn software built on the Android operating system.

• Can use various 2D references to pave with a fixed thickness • Utilizes same interface as the Earthworks Grade Control Platform and many of the same sensors as the PCS400 2D Paving Control System while running on a 7-in.

TD510 touchscreen display • Two external keypads allow sensor values and input data to be easily changed in the field • Can be mounted on a variety of new and existing asphalt paving machines, regardless of manufacturer

www.forconstructionpros.com/21132376

Trackunit Manager and Iris Technology Solution Enhancements The Trackunit Manager platform and Iris technology solutions feature enhancements that enable data feeds from multiple OEMs to be accessed and analyzed from a single advanced, vendorneutral platform.

• Machine Insights enables single machine remote diagnostics supporting a mixed fleet with a range of telematics hardware • Machine 360 connects to external databases to get detailed machine specifications for each machine • Iris secure, open, cloud-based productivity platform enables highquality, compliant data feeds to be easily connected for fleet-wide analytics and remote diagnostics

www.forconstructionpros.com/21139218

Leica MC1 for Stringless Paving The MC1 asphalt paving solution enables operators to precisely place cementtreated base course or start paving directly without waiting for manual stakeouts.

• Operator can change height offset directly on the run screen • Fully compatible with iCON site and ConX for seamless data sharing, file transfer, as-built documentation, track, view and sync functions • Uncluttered and user-friendly interface with the latest updates included • Terrain models for milling and asphalt pavers • Smartspare TPS feature for the handling of spare TPS tracking and lock to target

www.forconstructionpros.com/21120984

TrueLook Mobile Solar-powered Camera Trailers The easy to use wireless, solar-powered camera trailer is suited for challenging or remote jobsites where mobility and flexibility are essential priorities.

• Comes equipped with the HD 1080p PTZ camera with 360° rotation, 30x optical zoom and built-in infrared • Lightweight and highly mobile for maneuvering around large jobsites or sites with limited visibility • Solar power enables continuous monitoring even under difficult conditions • Features an 18-ft. telescoping mast, battery backup for continuous power and built-in 4G LTE cellular modem

TruckIT Web and Mobile App TruckIT launched a comprehensive upgrade to its cloud-based technology suite for construction dispatching and electronic ticketing solutions.

• Includes simplified dispatch workflows, a unified mobile app and redesign offering the full capabilities of the web portal, centralized project reporting and analytics and enhanced load material monitoring • DOT-compliant E-Ticketing solution operates as a fully automated and paperless electronic ticketing system • AirTicket add-on component easily integrates directly with any existing scalehouse system

www.forconstructionpros.com/21130585

The Thermal Mapper for asphalt paving is designed to monitor temperature segregation and easily provide accurate compliance reporting, all with real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning accuracy.

• Provides a visualization to operators in real time of whether the mix falls within a pre-defined temperature range • Quickly tells operators if mix is stable or if moderate or severe temperature variation is occurring • Creates data reporting files to download for applications such as DOT compliance via an interactive Pavelink module

www.forconstructionpros.com/21121074

www.forconstructionpros.com/21138422

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Topcon Thermal Mapping System for Asphalt Paving HAMM WITOS HCQ Software The HCQ Navigator uses a panel PC in the roller cabin to provide a live indication to operators of the points that were already sufficiently compacted or where further compaction is necessary.

• Makes it possible to monitor compaction progress in real time • Saves all data recorded during the compaction process • Supervisors can stay informed remotely about detailed construction progress at all times

www.forconstructionpros.com/21122245

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41 8/3/20 12:23 PM

P R OFI T MAT T E R S By Mike Merrill

TIME-TRACKING APP Lifts Labor Productivity Contractors pay an average of 4.5 extra hours of pay per employee per week due to inaccurate information.

T

Photo by Kentaro Toma on Unsplash Icon credit: justinroque | iStock / Getty Images Plus bortonia | DigitalVision Vectors

he construction industry is facing a pressing set of issues spurred by the cost and supply of skilled workers. In 2019, 70% of contractors struggled to meet deadlines and 40% rejected new work because they were unable to hire the nec-

essary workers to take on the additional contracts.

But challenges getting jobs done aren’t always caused by labor shortages. The problem often resides in broken, or nonexistent, time tracking processes.

The good news is that advancements in technology can help eliminate these errors and free up time. Technologies such as facial recognition give contractors and project managers the opportunity to use software to help

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alleviate the pain caused by labor shortages, while simultaneously helping to streamline costs.

THREE COSTLY PROBLEM AREAS Facial recognition can help eliminate time tracking errors while increasing revenue and improv-

ing project outcomes. In the construction industry, a time tracking app with face recognition eliminates three costly activities on any jobsite: inaccurate data, supervisor oversight and poor project projections.

Each of these issues affects a project’s bottom line.

Problem #1: Inaccurate data — Inaccurate data offers an incorrect picture of workforce capability. Contractors pay an average of 4.5 extra hours of pay

per employee per week due to inaccurate information through time theft, according to a Robert Half Time Theft Survey. Imagine the impact if a project was given an extra 4.5 hours of productivity per employee without increasing payroll costs.

On top of unintentional inaccuracy is buddy punching. Buddy punching occurs when a coworker clocks in another employee when they are not working and it’s one type of time theft contributing to the extra 4.5 hours of pay to employees without any productive output. Clocking in for someone that isn’t actually there is a form of fraud and adds to the overall misinformation inaccurate data provides.

Problem #2: Supervisor time is wasted — Supervisors are paid a higher wage than those they are managing for two major reasons. First, they are highly skilled, often more experienced and capable of keeping an entire team on track. Second, they have proven they can be trusted.

Supervisors’ to-do lists often seem endless, so when they have to perform unnecessary and time-consuming tasks like making sure each employee is actually where their time card says they are throughout the day, they are taken away from more pressing matters. It also limits their ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects at different locations.

Problem #3: Project management projections are less effective — Project success is directly connected to the ability to adhere to the plan, and a plan is only as good as the information used to form it. Without a time tracking app driven by facial recognition, coworkers

have a higher likelihood of selecting the wrong task for their buddy when they clock them in, throwing off all projections. This can lead to improper predictions for future projects and skepticism of the data collected for upcoming analysis and planning.

FIVE BENEFITS OF FACIAL RECOGNITION SOLUTIONS Here are five ways a time tracking app with facial recognition capability puts an ineffective operation back on track.

1. It provides real-time capture. A time tracking app with face recognition removes the guesswork from clocking in and out. An employee simply clocks in, selects the task they will be completing and the app automatically takes their picture when they confirm their selection.

The app logs the time and compares the picture taken against the profile photo in the system. The system automatically adds the photo and the time to the supervisor’s visibility for crew members. If the photo is below the system’s threshold for accuracy, or the wrong person’s photo is taken, the record is flagged and prompted for the supervisor to review. This process does not interrupt the worker from getting to work or clocking in. Each error is handled individually by the supervisor.

When you have a time tracking app with face recognition, you know you have the right person clocking in and out and you have accurate labor costs in real time to keep your project on budget.

2. Internet connection is not required. Many companies assume facial recognition is

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PROFIT MAT TERS

A time tracking app with face recognition removes the guesswork from employees clocking in and out. not for them because they spend so much time in the field or at jobsites without access to an internet or cellular connection.

A lack of connection only delays the reporting of the clock in and out process; the time tracking app still collects the data as it’s entered and stores it on a mobile device and uploads it the next time a synchronization occurs and the internet or cell service is reestablished. This means all data is kept clean and accurate, whether there’s an internet connection or not.

Even without a connection or cellular service, you’ll still use face recognition to make sure the right person is entering the time and tasks. This feature alone typically gives a supervisor the ability to manage multiple sites at the same time with greater accuracy and more visibility.

3. Time is marked with GPS data. Supervisors are able to manage multiple sites at the same time with GPS and geofence tracking and management. When they are using a time tracking app with face recognition, they know they have the right employee clocking in and out.

In order to be able to manage projects at different locations, a supervisor also needs to know that employees are clocking in and out while they are at the jobsite. By using GPS tracking and geofencing in combination with face recognition, if an employee clocks in and out without being on site of the project in reference, the program will flag the action for review. The project’s productivity will increase because there aren’t any hours allocated when the employee is not performing work on the project.

4. The technology is simple to use. Using a smartphone, an employee just needs to be able to log into the time tracking app with a pin or password and the app automatically takes a selfie of them, or the system can be set to allow the device owner to take the photo upon clocking in.

A time tracking app is actually easier to use and handle than any paper or spreadsheet version of the same process. Employees no longer have to remember project numbers or cost codes to make sure they assign their labor hours to the right job costs.

Best in class time tracking apps integrate with ERP, accounting and payroll systems and show only relevant project-specific cost codes based on the crew’s assigned skills.

5. There is increased access to quality data. Today, the construction industry is going through a productivity overhaul driven by increasing the quantity of quality information. With the rise of accurate data, contractors

can expect an increase in the ability to complete projects on or under budget, expanded productivity and greater profitability, according to the Dodge Smart Market Report. There is a clear connection between an increase of quality information, a more effective workforce and a healthy bottom line.

Excessive labor costs and skilled labor shortages are a real burden in the construction

Mike Merrill is the co-founder and COO of WorkMax, a supplier of mobile time tracking solutions.

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industry. Fortunately, these burdens can be minimized or eliminated with proper tracking and management. Explore how apps that track time with facial recognition can increase the effective use of the resources already available on the jobsite. ET

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August 2020 | EQ U I P MEN T TO D AY

43 7/31/20 11:37 AM

S AFE T Y & C O M P LI A N C E By John Meola

Top 10 Construction SAFETY TIPS Revisited In the new normal of COVID-19 recovery, here is a Top 10 safety list that reflects today’s safety best practices.

I

n the new normal of COVID-19 recovery, we are revisiting the Top 10 Construction Safety Tips (www.ForconstructionPros.com/ 10302747) to reflect 2020 safety best practices. We all thought the rollover of the new decade in January was going to be a bit brighter. Little did we know!

The Top 10 tips this time around are more cerebral and

A world-class safety program should reflect leadership, employee engagement and continuous improvement.

Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash

oriented to long-term strategy.

They should be helpful just in case you plan to be in business five or 10 years from now.

1. EVERYTHING IN THE SAFETY BUSINESS HAS CHANGED Like it or not, the traditional model of “do what the rules say” is history. A world-class safety program should reflect these three key elements: Leadership, employee engagement and

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continuous improvement.

Deconstructing these elements translates as follows: Managers manage “things.”

Leaders lead people. Leadership is a critical trait in any organization, including your safety program. Some pieces can be delegated, but the guy at the top of the food chain needs to show “skin in the game.”

Employee engagement.

People want to be involved in their workplace and regarded as more than simply functional “tools.” Employee engagement is the mechanism to achieve this. It used to be called a Safety Committee; now, it’s a Focus Group or Craft Voices, or whatever you choose to call it. Think inclusive, diverse and empowering.

The last of the three elements is complimentary: “We are really good at what we do.”

Likewise for the competition.

Incremental improvement.

Incremental improvement over time is the Gold Standard. Safety, hardware, tooling, processes, materials, QA, metrics, digital apps, etc., are all in play. Take a page from the QA/QC playbook and adopt continuous improvement into your safety systems.

One example of this can be seen in the job hazard analysis (JHA) process. At the conclusion of the job, ask yourself: “What

Prepare for micro-climate engineering on the jobsite, where everything from employee dress and PPE to diet, fatigue, wellness and health factors increasingly come into play. MarianVejcik | iStock / Getty Images Plus did we learn from this? How can we do it better/safer next time?”

There’s a place to record this on the JHA form.

2. AVOID A COMPLIANCE MENTALITY Being able to say “we comply” is no longer good enough.

In fact, it’s a sign of an early fail!

If you are content with achieving regulatory compliance, you’re missing the safety boat.

The fact is most large contractors are asking their subs for a site safety plan that exceeds OSHA specs. This is an example of “new normal.”

Regulatory compliance is considered the absolute minimum acceptable level of safety assurance — and it is a woefully thin level. Even an intermediategrade safety program will exceed OSHA standards.

3. PREPARE TO SWEAT Admit it or not, climate change will translate into increasingly bizarre weather, including dangerously extended heat waves. Staying hydrated is an overly simplistic answer.

Prepare for micro-climate engineering on the jobsite.

Employee dress and PPE, diet, fatigue, wellness and health factors, hardware, cooling accessories, etc., will increasingly come into play. This is not particularly complex, but employers need to adopt heat stress management as an element of their safety program.

OSHA and a number of state plans are looking at adopting a heat stress standard as soon as they get past the COVID-19 debacle.

4. EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAMS Employee wellness programs are becoming the norm on a lot of projects. Enlightened employers will offer information and counseling on a wide range of topics:

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S AFET Y & COMPL IANCE

˜ Dietary guidance ˜ Health screening by an on-

site nurse ˜ Smoking cessation assistance ˜ Obesity management guidance ˜ Hypertension screening ˜ Alcohol abuse programs ˜ Suicide prevention information, local hotline ˜ Opioid and substance abuse counseling, etc.

Get the junk food and soda pop out of the vending machines and off of the food trucks.

Incentivize the food trucks and vendors to offer a healthy meal choice. (Or at least smaller portions of fries!)

5. CLOSE CALL AND NEAR-MISS REPORTING Basically, these are leading indicators and reporting should be ramped up. The military calls it “lessons learned.”

Encourage all people in your organization to be on the lookout and report near misses.

Record and analyze the reports and push the learnings back out for general crew awareness.

This is important on jobs with high repetition, because the same mistake can happen again — with worse consequences — unless you interrupt the chain of occurrence.

6. WRITE YOUR JHA ON STEROIDS Start a library of JHAs for your most common jobs. Update and revise the JHA document as needed.

Learn from the JHA, not just pencil-whip it. Correctly completed, a JHA has an AfterAction Review section. This is the essence of continuous improvement — focus on it!

Best Practice Tip: Engage as many people in the process as possible, including your safety committee.

˜ Meeting records and digital

signatures ˜ Document library featuring procedures, manuals, instructions, etc.

By the time you read this, there will probably be a COVID-19 app. There’s a new construction app being announced about once a week.

workplace design to maintain personal and industrial hygiene.

This is actually a fairly simple process for space planners and interior design folks. a. Set up hand washing stations vs. sanitizer bottles. b. Minimize touch surfaces throughout the job as much as possible.

e. Distribute face coverings freely and encourage proper use when people are indoors or in proximity to one another. f. Plan for separation of trades when possible using a 6-ft. distance as a guide. g. Educate your population on sneeze and cough etiquette. h. Encourage employees to

c. Educate and equip custodial staff in best practices. For example, a pressurized pump sprayer is preferred to a squeeze bottle dispenser. Squeezing a handle all day to dispense soap is going to cause issues.

In other words, look beyond the immediate issue of “keep it clean” to the “how we are going to do it.” d. Include best sanitary practices in your safety meetings. For example, explain the protocol for quarantine if someone is sick — do not come to work because it can affect others.

take safety and health home with them. Family first!

8. PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS RESPONSE AND MANAGEMENT PLAN We all learned a crash course in industrial hygiene as a result of the pandemic. In my opinion, if we had sheltered in place and wore face coverings a month earlier, there could have been a fraction of the losses.

The big safety vetting agencies like ISN and Avetta were asking the question 10 years ago: “Does your organization have a Pandemic Preparedness Plan.”

We all thought this was a paper exercise — until it wasn’t.

Structure a written preparedness plan that makes sense for your organization.

9. MORE ON THE PANDEMIC COVID-19 is going to be around for a while. Your written Pandemic Response Plan needs to cover a lot of acreage: ˜ how you will communicate health information to employees because group meetings are going to be socially distant ˜ postings and electronic handouts ˜ quarantine intervals from visiting questionable or known hot spots ˜ temperature stations, etc.

If your project has an on-site nurse/first-aid provider, they’re also part of the picture.

The plan should describe the details of the jobsite and

7. THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT The new digital era is upon us, including on the work site.

Construction industry digital apps are available for practically anything.

A smartphone is now for more than just talking. It can be used for: ˜ Camera and video recording ˜ Highly accurate noise meter ˜ Dimensional measurement instrument ˜ Inspection and audit forms

Photo: Przemyslaw Marczynski via Unsplash.com

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10. PPE AND GEAR

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught the importance of having a written Pandemic Preparedness Response and Management Plan.

Photo CDC via Pexels.com

Take advantage of the new safety hardware and gear flooding the market: ˜ composite materials ˜ engineered fabrics for cooler garments ˜ new hard hat designs ˜ ANSI performance-rated gloves, tool tethers ˜ high-visibility apparel and accessories ˜ ergonomic tools and hardware ˜ improved illumination, etc.

This category dovetails with your continuous improvement strategy and employee involvement. It’s an important element because the trades typically love new “stuff.” Take advantage of the new gear coming into the safety marketplace.

Bonus Tip: Get your Safety Focus Committee involved in doing trials and evaluations of new PPE, tooling, hardware and products.

Build relationships with local vendors; avoid catalog sales. Bring in guest speakers to your safety meetings to broaden the horizon.

SAFETY IN SUMMARY We are increasingly a highly connected society, including your field crews. Social media has pretty much guaranteed transparency among your workers and a lot of other folks, including regulatory agencies.

Design your safety and health program to be open, inclusive, honest and forthcoming. The Top 10 is just a start for best practices. Keep the program moving and engage! Safety and health are no longer just a matter of following the rules. ET John J. Meola, CSP, ARM, is the safety manager for Timmons Group in Richmond, VA.

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7/31/20 9:24 AM

S AFE T Y & C O M P LI A N C E By Karen Scally

Mask icon credit: Peacefully7 | iStock / Getty Images Plus

7 Ways to Improve a

SAFETY CULTURE

Schlouch crews practice social distancing during safety huddles.

Huddles act as a reset button each day to review potential jobsite hazards and COVID-19 prevention information.

Schlouch asks employees to follow nearly 30 specific COVID19 infection control protocols, including wearing appropriate PPE and sanitizing all equipment touch points.

During a Pandemic

Schlouch Incorporated shares its approach to a COVID-free workplace.

B

arry Schlouch, president and cofounder of Schlouch Incorporated, has created a safety culture at his civil/heavy highway construction firm that is designed to achieve what many employers have not been able to achieve during the pandemic: keep COVID-19 out of the workplace.

“We want zero COVID-19,” Schlouch says.

“Some people will say that’s a little extreme.

Well, I don’t think so.” It’s a challenge the company treats much like other hazard prevention. “We’re not planning our company around how many injuries per day or per week or per month we can tolerate. We want zero.”

Schlouch Incorporated, based in Blandon, PA, specializes in full-service site development, bringing in $80 million in annual revenue from work primarily in the Central and Eastern Pennsylvania regions.

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The company has 285 employees and about 300 pieces of equipment in its fleet. Recent projects include the site work for a $150 million expansion of Hersheypark and an emergency room expansion and new hospital campus for the Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Because of the high priority given to developing and implementing its construction safety plans, Schlouch Incorporated celebrated zero lost-time injuries last year. Barry Schlouch believes it can do the same with COVID-19.

Creating such a positive safety culture requires a strong commitment from the outset — but it’s an investment that pays off, not only for the construction firm’s crews but also for its clients.

Schlouch says safety goes handin-hand with future success.

“What I found is that safety takes mindfulness, thoughtfulness, planning, preparation, process, execution and accountability,” he states. “When you really get that down, you can do the rest. The mind set of safety paves the way for quality and production.”

COMBATING CONSTRUCTION’S “FATAL FIVE” It was the beginning of March 2020 when everything

changed. Schlouch was getting ready to head to Las Vegas for the Association of Equipment Management Professionals Connect Conference and CONEXPO-CON/AGG when he got word that an employee’s wife had been at a hospital where a doctor was confirmed positive with COVID-19.

Though there was not any evidence that the woman had come in contact with the infected doctor, Schlouch decided to take the proactive measure of quarantining the employee for two weeks. “That got us thinking,” he says.

At Schlouch Incorporated, there are 13 professionals who have obtained their Safety Trained Supervisor Construction (STSC) certification. The STSCs oversee the work sites and the company’s plans to prevent the Fatal Four incidents in construction, which include falls, getting struck by an object, electrocution and getting caught in or between an object. According to OSHA, eliminating the Fatal Four incidents would save nearly 600 workers’ lives in the U.S. every year.

“What our STSCs said is, ‘Barry, we need to design a plan for ‘Fatal Five,’” Schlouch says.

“What’s ‘Fatal Five?’ Well, the

fifth is COVID-19. We designed safety protocols of how you mitigate and prevent COVID-19 just like you do with a fall, just like you do with the electrical, just like you do with trenching.”

The decision to treat COVID-19 like other major construction safety incidents is instrumental to its prevention, Schlouch says. “In the hierarchy of controls, the first line of defense is always to eliminate the hazard,” he points out. “What you want to do with COVID-19 is you want to keep it off the job or out of the office.”

Here are the seven steps the construction company is taking.

1. START WITH ONLINE TRAINING Schlouch Incorporated compiled its COVID-19 prevention plan into a narrated, 12-minute online training program based off CDC and OSHA guidance. All employees must adhere to the company’s safety plan, which includes nearly 30 specific COVID-19 infection control protocols, such as traveling to and from work alone, using electronic communication whenever possible and changing out of work clothes upon returning home.

Schlouch says the program — which is now part of the company’s new hire orientation

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S AFET Y & COMPL IANCE

and is available for reference on the company’s online portal — is updated continually in accordance with changes to the CDC and OSHA guidelines.

The company has also taken its online training a step further to help families of employees navigate the risks of the pandemic. Schlouch says an eye-opening trip to a store in March made him realize the company’s safety culture was going to need to extend beyond working hours.

“I went to the grocery store with my wife, and it was like the wild west,” Schlouch says. So, the company provided a webinar training program with workers’ families about how to safely go to the grocery store and return home.

2. MONITOR EMPLOYEE HEALTH DAILY When they come to work each day, Schlouch says all employees, without exception, must complete a health assessment checklist performed by the designated pandemic safety officer assigned to each jobsite and the office. The pandemic safety officer then logs the information into the B2W Inform mobile app, and potential risks are communicated immediately to the executive team.

“We caught a few cases that way early on,” Schlouch says.

“We had one employee who said, ‘Hey, my dad has symptoms.’

His dad ended up being positive.

We quarantined that guy for two weeks and he was fine. But if you didn’t do that early on, it could creep its way in.”

If an employee is found to be at risk through any of the provided information, the company pays the person to be off during the two weeks of quarantine.

This benefit gives employees added incentive to be forthright without fear of negative consequences.

“There’s no reason to be dishonest,” Schlouch says.

“That’s important too in the whole equation to remove the constraints.”

3. INCLUDE COVID-19 PREVENTION IN SAFETY HUDDLES After the health assessment, crews participate in a daily safety huddle.

“We cover all the hazards for the day in the safety huddle, because they change every day,”

Schlouch says. “Whatever we’re doing, we review the plans and the hazards to just bring everybody’s awareness back. It’s a reset button every single morning.”

Because that framework was already in place, it was simple to add COVID-19 prevention information into the safety huddles.

Crews are also required to wear appropriate PPE and practice social distancing whenever possible. But Schlouch says the key is to not rely on those as primary protective measures. “PPE is a second line of defense,” he says.

“You want to remove the hazard instead of relying on PPE.”

Photocreditgoeshere

4. RAMP UP SANITATION In early March, Schlouch Incorporated added hand washing stations on all its jobsites, since the CDC recommends doing that over using alcohol-based hand sanitizers. In addition, crews are provided with sanitizing wipes to clean equipment touch points, including controls, handles and screens.

“They wipe down the equipment in the morning... we wipe it down at the end of the day, and if a mechanic works on the machine, they wipe it down,” Schlouch says.

5. PROVIDE TELEMEDICINE CARE In the case that an employee needs to be quarantined, Schlouch Incorporated has provided its team with access to a healthcare app that offers telemedicine services.

“If they’ve got symptoms, they should have medical attention instead of just being quarantined, because there are things that doctors can help with,” Schlouch states.

He believes it’s important for employees to know they are valued and cared for in a quarantine situation. “We have a whole process of what they do in those two weeks rather than just go home and feel they’re not wanted at work,” Schlouch says.

6. RE-EVALUATE AND ADJUST WORK PRACTICES While there have been many challenging aspects of working with the pandemic, Schlouch says they have also gleaned valuable takeaways that can enhance the company’s ability to succeed in the market.

Schlouch is a full-service civil/heavy highway contractor with $80 million in annual revenue. Recent projects include site work for the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Pennsylvania.

“We need to look at what we are going to pivot with here,” he says. “We don’t want to lose these opportunities.”

Like many employers during this time, Schlouch Incorporated saw much of its office staff shift to working at home.

“We learned that in some cases it may make sense and be more convenient for employees to be working from home,” Schlouch says. “It could be a recruiting tool that we can start employing people that live further away. We see that we can access more talent at a greater geographic location.

Construction field trades are still going to have to go to the job, but secondary support, project managers, accounting people, estimators... I think some of the professional associates can spread our range out geographically and achieve a similar result.”

Online training is another benefit that Schlouch plans to continue beyond the pandemic.

“There’s a lot of opportunity in online training, and we want to pivot and keep that going forward,” he says.

7. PROMOTE SUCCESS ON SOCIAL MEDIA Once a company has put in the work to create a positive safety culture, it’s time to spread the word. One of the best ways to do that is through an active

www.ForConstructionPros.com

ET0820_46-47_Safety_Culture_BC.indd 47

social media presence, such as on LinkedIn. “We have a huge presence with our families and our employees on social media,” Schlouch says.

Promotion of the company’s safety culture and value of their employees on social media is not only a retention tool, it also helps attract other family members to join the team.

“I get a lot of children of employees who come work with us,” says Schlouch, whose own daughter, Stayce Rowlands, works with him as the concrete coordinator. “They’re in high school or college, and who are they following [on social media]?

They’re following Schlouch. They come out of high school or college, and we get a lot of them.”

SUCCESSFUL SAFETY CULTURE BUILDS TRUST While creating a positive safety culture requires a significant investment, Schlouch Incorporated has seen the payoff during the pandemic. For example, as restrictions ease and construction projects ramp back up, Schlouch says he’s heard from peers that have had a hard time getting crews back to work.

“We’ve had none of that because of the depth of what we’ve done to prepare and work safe,” he says. “[Workers] were back when we needed them, and they are just working safely,

productively and with smiles on their faces.”

The trust in the company speaks volumes. Now that it is back in a position to hire, it’s attracting the attention of others in the construction industry.

“We have people that say to me, ‘How do I get on your team? I want to be a part of this. This is the kind of company I’ve been looking for all my life,’” Schlouch asserts.

Clients are taking notice of this difference in safety culture, as well. “Our clients want what we have on their jobs,” Schlouch says. “They don’t want to be shut down because of positive COVID-19 on their jobsites.

And a lot of times that’s what happens. We paved the way for our clients to be safer, and we built more trust with our clients, as well. So we have a competitive advantage from that standpoint.”

These are benefits that will last long after the pandemic has ended. “I think the companies that can build the trust are the ones that are going to be around,” Schlouch says. “Because people want to go to a place where they feel safe and even more so today than before.” ET Written by Karen Scally on behalf of GearFlow.com. Learn more about Schlouch Incorporated and its efforts in the article at www.ForConstructionPros. com/21139256.

August 2020 | EQ U I P MEN T TO D AY

47 7/31/20 11:26 AM

EQUIPMENT GALLERY Products

Here is a collection of products designed to enhance jobsite efficiency, productivity and/ or safety. For more information, use the URLs shown or visit the New Equipment Directory at www.ForConstructionPros.com.

Thompson 6RW Rotary Wellpoint Pump The 6-in. rotary wellpoint pump (Model 6RW-DIS-4LE2T-X) features unassisted priming and automatic re-priming, high air handling and large water volume capabilities up to 1,400 gpm.

• Provides heads up to 80 ft.

• Operating speeds up to 2,000 rpm • Isuzu Tier 4 Final engine with diesel oxidation catalyst • Includes abrasion- and corrosion-resistant parts, polyurethane rotors and stainless steel wear plates

www.forconstructionpros.com/21135382

Sinoboom GTJZ1414E Scissor Lift The GTJZ1414E features a new design style with a wider operating platform and standard folding guardrails.

• 51.8-ft. working height • Platform-based template design • Provides a quiet, efficient and flexible access solution • Features a compact, ergonomic design, tight turning circle and a range of safety features for operator protection

www.forconstructionpros.com/21126180

BOSS MechanX 150 Compressor/Generator/Welder The 400-lb. MechanX 150 portable compressor/generator/welder comes standard with a 14-hp Kohler four-cycle, OHV gasoline engine with electric-start capabilities and automatic engine idle.

• Heavy-duty, single-stage, cast iron, twincylinder compressor delivers up to 13.1 cfm (17.9 cfm displaced) at 100 psi • 10-, 22- and 28-gal. remote air tank options • Welder generates 150 amps at 100%, 180 amps at 65% and 210 amps at 10% • Generator provides 4.0-kW AC continuous output

www.forconstructionpros.com/21124183

Pyramex Cooling Gear Line The 2020 Pyramex Cooling Gear line includes cooling bandanas, mesh neck shades, cooling vests and sun sleeves.

• RRH10 lightweight ranger-style hat, HPESHADE neck shade and MPB Series multi-purpose headwear bands rated at UPF50 • Cooling Beaded Bandana Series includes polymer crystal beads inside and can be soaked in cool water to activate • CS1 Series sun sleeves made of UPF50rated lightweight nylon and spandex • CV100 Series and CV200 Series cooling vests feature inner evaporative PVA panels and are submerged in cool water to activate

www.forconstructionpros.com/21125851

Komplet K-JC 503 Jaw Crusher The 7,496-lb. K-JC 503 track-mounted compact mobile jaw crusher is suited for those who want to recycle construction and demolition waste on site.

• 19’ x 10’ jaw crusher • Output of up to 34 tph • Hydraulically adjustable material sizing from 3/4 to 3 1/4 in.

• 28.5-hp Tier 4 Final/Stage V diesel engine • Radio remote control for all movements • Optional overband magnet

www.forconstructionpros.com/21111478

Loftness L Series Battle Ax Mulching Heads The L Series Battle Ax horizontal drum mulcher is designed for standard-flow skid steers with 16- to 30-gpm hydraulic flow ratings.

• Available with 51- and 61-in. cutting widths • Rotor design with built-in depth gauges prevents attachment from engaging too much material at one time • Two-stage cutting chamber allows material to be cut twice by the rotor and helps produce smaller particle sizes • Primary shear bar adjustable for customizing particle size • Reversible Quadco blades mounted in a staggered/spiral tooth pattern

www.forconstructionpros.com/21136271

48 EQUIPM ENT T ODAY | August 2020 ET0820_48-49_EquipGallery_BC.indd 48

GTech Clean Disinfectant Spray GTech Clean is an EPA-approved longlasting disinfecting spray that quickly and safely sterilizes all types of rooms, equipment and vehicles.

• Kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses including human coronavirus, influenza, mildew, mold and more • Leaves a microscopic protective barrier on hard and soft surfaces that continues to kill bacteria and viruses for up to five days • Non-toxic and non-flammable formula is safe to use in most environments and is skin-friendly • Available in 1-gal. container, four-pack of 1-gal. containers, 5-gal. container or a case of 20 16-oz. spray bottles

www.forconstructionpros.com/21139223

Milwaukee Tool Hard Hat Light The USB Rechargeable BEACON Hard Hat Light combines hands-free task lighting with a BEACON personal safety light that wraps around the backside of hard hats.

• Steady and blinking light options make users visible up to 1/4 mile in all directions when used with front hard hat light • Front hard hat light delivers 600 lumens of TRUEVIEW High Definition Output with spot and flood beam modes • Elastic strap, silicon grip and universal hard hat clips adjust to any hard hat • Hybrid Spot/Flood, Flood High, Flood Medium, Flood Low and Spot High light output modes

Atlas Copco XAS 188 Air Compressor

www.forconstructionpros.com/21134079

www.forconstructionpros.com/21135179

The XAS 188 single-stage oil-injected rotary screw-type air compressor delivers 189 cfm at 2.37 gph.

• Kubota Tier 4 Final, liquid-cooled, threecylinder diesel engine generates 49.6 hp and 2,700 rpm • HardHat heavy double polyethylene shell opens at 60° and is noise dampening and dent and UV resistant • Xc1004 controller regulates entire machine and includes a 3.5-in. display • Heavy-duty single axle with 15-in. tires • 27-gal. fuel tank • 110% spillage-free containment frame

www.ForConstructionPros.com

7/31/20 11:23 AM

ADVERTISER INDEX General Equipment AF501 AIR-SCRUB-R

Ergodyne 6260 Phase Change Cooling Vest The 6260 Lightweight Phase Change Cooling Vest maintains a temperature of 59° F for up to two hours.

• Two removable, biodegradable phasechange cooling packs can be charged in a freezer or cooler • Weighs 4 lbs. when filled and can be worn under or over clothing • Includes adjustable hook and loop closures on the waist, a heavy-duty front zipper and two front zippered pockets for personal storage • Comes in S/M (32 to 40 in.) and L/XL (40 to 52 in.)

• Machine washable polyester-cotton fabric vest and hand-wash cooling packs

www.forconstructionpros.com/21066495

The 31-lb. AF501 portable HEPA air filter delivers air scrubbing/negative pressure air movement capabilities as well as air filtration for applications in non-hazardous locations.

• Two-stage design includes a 30% pre-filter and a 99.97% efficient HEPA secondary filter capable of capturing allergens and other particles as small as 0.3 microns • Variable-speed motor allows for adjustable air flow rates up to 500 cfm • 9.5-in.-diameter inlet enables maximum air flow and allows easy attachment of standard ventilation ducts • Standard 1/4-hp, 115-VAC electric motor, aluminum hub/blades and UV-resistant, high-density polyethylene housing

www.forconstructionpros.com/21138235

Brokk Atomized Water Mist System The Atomized Water Mist System is designed to combat silica dust and other airborne particles created by the demolition process.

• 10-micron mist droplets create a fog of atomized water that captures dust particles in the air and spreads along the ground for optimal dust suppression • Mist dissipates rather than forming puddles for a safer, cleaner jobsite • Available for the company’s remote-controlled demolition robots • Incorporated into tool mounting to enable use with company attachments • Requires 6.76 oz. of water per minute

ADVERTISER ............................... PAGE BKT USA Inc. ..................................... 23 Bloom Mfg. Inc. .................................. 30 Eager Beaver Trailers ............................ 51 Ford ....................................................... 5 Gomaco ............................................... 31 IGNITE Construction Summit ........... 35 JLG ........................................................ 2 John Deere ........................................... 52 SANY ..................................................... 4 Schweiss Doors .................................... 49 Uline .................................................... 43 Volvo Construction Equipment ........... 17 This index is provided as a service. The publisher does not assume liability for errors or omissions.

www.forconstructionpros.com/21136233

TireSocks FaceSocks

Kenzen Real-time Body Heat Monitoring System The Smart PPE patch is a Cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) system that includes a wearable device worn by workers on their arm, which alerts both the worker and their supervisor when core body temperature is too high.

• Monitors multiple physiological and environmental metrics, including heart rate, activity, skin and ambient temperatures • Multi-level alerts sent to workers via device vibration and iOS or Android app notification and sent to supervisors via web dashboard alert and accompanied by actionable recommendations • Second “back to work” alert indicates when the worker’s core body temperature has returned to a safe level

www.forconstructionpros.com/21132231

In response to the COVID19 pandemic, TireSocks repurposed a portion of its manufacturing facility to produce FaceSocks, a non-medical face protection suited for the construction industry and everyday activities.

• Constructed out of twoply athletic fabric for maximum protection with a comfortable soft fit • One-size fits all and utilizes Velcro at the base of the back of the head • Reusable and can be machine washed

www.forconstructionpros.com/21139639

Bobcat MT100 Mini Track Loader The 3,390-lb. MT100 is powered by a 24.8-hp Tier 4 diesel engine and has a rated operating capacity of 1,000 lbs.

• Standard removable counterweights • More durable undercarriage includes permanently sealed rollers in an oil bath and optimized roller spacing for improved ride quality • Standard narrow tracks offer a ground pressure of 5.25 psi or optional wide tracks rated at 3.97 psi • Integrated ride-on platform with ergonomic ISO joystick controls • Bob-Tach attachment mounting system

www.forconstructionpros.com/21138125

www.ForConstructionPros.com

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August 2020 | EQ U I P MEN T TO D AY

49 7/31/20 11:23 AM

R U N N I N G T H E BUS I N E S S By Garry Bartecki

® Published by AC Business Media

iSidhe | iStock / Getty Images Plus bortonia | DigitalVision Vectors Dave Haglund

Garry Bartecki is the managing member of GB Financial Services LLP and a consultant to the Associated Equipment Distributors. He can be reached at (708) 347-9109 or gbartecki@comcast.net.

Should You Expand Your Business Horizons?

To keep work flowing, you may have to expand your territory, but take into account the risks first.

W

ith the construction industry still well below where it should be, I’m sure a lot of you are currently experiencing a lack of work, material shortages and insufficient manpower to professionally complete a job that meets your standards.

If you’re itching to get back to a meaningful workflow and “local” opportunities are not there to be found, you may have to consider expanding your territory, taking into account the risks attached to that type of endeavor.

Of course, any talk of performing work outside your normal area of influence depends on: ˜ what you do, ˜ the types of equipment you would consider moving to a jobsite and back, ˜ the ability to procure materials and manpower as needed, ˜ and the availability of capital to take on these jobs and at least break-even from a cash flow standpoint.

ENSURE YOU HAVE THE FUNDS Let’s discuss the financing first. I would speculate that many of you took advantage of the PPP loan funds and have not yet completed the process to find out if your loan will be 100% forgiven. If the PPP funding means you still have an above-average cash balance at hand, then I would say you have some cushion to work with to support an expansion or your territorial limits in case things go south. In other words, it would be the PPP money you are investing and not your own.

Under these circumstances, I can see increasing your risk from what you would normally find acceptable to something higher. You don’t want to throw the money away. But if you have a reasonable job opportunity you can bid on with an expectation of at least breaking even, having those PPP funds lets you fund that risk without losing much sleep about it. And I suppose in some cases, taking on the job will help meet the PPP forgiveness requirements because you brought people back to work.

But keep in mind that PPP forgiveness is taxable. As you get closer to your year end, make sure you understand your tax position. If it were me, I would hold back at least 30% of my PPP payments (if they were still in my account) for tax purposes unless I was sure the PPP forgiveness has not created an unexpected tax liability.

FILL EQUIPMENT NEEDS So, let us assume you pass the “available capital” test and you can afford to take the job. If that is correct, I would next look at equipment requirements from start to finish: ˜ Can you afford to have equipment on site for the entire work period? ˜ Do you have other jobs going that will need that equipment?

50 EQU IPM ENT T ODAY | August 2020 ET0820_50-52_RuntheBiz_BC.indd 50

˜ Do you know what it will cost to transport and maintain the

equipment on the jobsite? ˜ Will you have the tech talent and parts to make repairs as necessary?

Find a reliable rental company or two that can provide equipment to meet your timelines and can provide service to deal with required repairs in a timely fashion. This will free up most of your equipment issues and probably save you money in the process.

You should, of course, check out the potential vendors and match your rental transactions to the type of equipment you actually need, and not something “close,” to avoid signing a second rental contract.

MANAGE LOGISTICS Next, we get to logistic issues. This involves securing materials and ensuring they get to your jobsites when they should.

Hopefully, you can do business with the same vendors you use locally and know you can count on to meet your schedule. If not, maybe they can recommend a vendor at your destination they believe to be reliable.

Keep in mind you are not a regular customer to these vendors, which could put you to the bottom of the list from a service standpoint. Again, depending on the type of work you do, you may be more comfortable transporting what you need or having it delivered using your current vendors.

What about personnel? If you are not 100% assured that you will have the “horsepower” to meet budget, you should think twice about accepting the job.

That is also another logistics issue, but instead of materials, we’re talking workers. Do you transport them or use local talent if you can find it? In both cases, there are risks. Again, it depends on what you do. If highly skilled folks are required, it may be best to bear the transportation, room and board costs. It beats risking re-work liabilities, which could get expensive in these circumstances.

GET IT NAILED DOWN All things considered, there are two areas that need to be 100% nailed down before taking on work outside your normal territory: ˜ A bid supported by a budget and costs that account for the risk ˜ A tight cash flow estimate that can be followed and updated as the job progresses If you come back from the job with the same bank account balance as when you left, give yourself and your team a pat on the back.

Then put that PPP money to work on your next job. ET

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Publication Staff Publisher SEAN DUNPHY, sdunphy@ACBusinessMedia.com Editor BECKY SCHULTZ, bschultz@ACBusinessMedia.com Senior Field Editor CURT BENNINK, cbennink@ACBusinessMedia.com Contributing Writers GARRY BARTECKI, JESSICA LOMBARDO, JOHN MEOLA Art Director DAVE HAGLUND Senior Production Manager CINDY RUSCH Audience Development Manager ANGELA FRANKS

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Published and copyrighted 2020 by AC Business Media Equipment Today makes every effort to report manufacturers’ product news accurately, but is not responsible for validity of news claims.

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Vol. 56 No. 7 August 2020

To access previous Running the Business columns, as well as additional business management information, visit www.ForConstructionPros.com.

www.ForConstructionPros.com

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