Grading and Excavation Contractor January/February 2016

January/February 2016 www.gradingandexcavation.com

Digging in With Hydro and Vacuum Excavators Keeping an Eye on Laser/GPS Guidance

ROAD CONSTRUCTION: GETTING SMARTER

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Table of Contents

VOL. 18 / ISSUE 1 / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

FEATURES

EDITOR Arturo Santiago: asantiago@forester.net GROUP EDITOR John Trotti: jtrotti@forester.net PRODUCTION EDITOR Kelsey Gripenstraw MANAGING PRODUCTION EDITOR Brianna Duncan IT/ONLINE SUPPORT Steven Grimaud WEB EDITOR David Rachford WEBMASTER Nadia English: nenglish@forester.net DIRECTOR OF ONLINE MEDIA & IT John Richardson PUBLISHER Mark Gersten BRAND MANAGERS Shane Stevens, Glenys Archer, Suzy Shidlovsky, Campbell Baker SENIOR BRAND MANAGERS Geoff Solo, Eileen Duarte

17

SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR Carmody Cutter DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES Adam Schaffer: aschaffer@forester.net GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Deja Hsu, Tyler Adair PRODUCTION TECHNICIAN David Naj

8 CONNECTING WITH ATTACHMENTS

By Carol Brzozowski

17 THIS IS A JOB FOR SKID-STEERS/CTLS Comparisons of the popular and versatile compact machines and advice on how to decide which to use in specific conditions

By Lori Lovely 22 DIGGING DEEP WITH VACUUM EXCAVATORS

By Carol Brzozowski

8

COVER 30 SMART STORY DEVELOPMENTS IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION The road construction market is dynamic. It continues to evolve and change—due, in part, to technology.

By Jeff Winke 34 BEYOND THE LINE OF SIGHT Laser and GPS guidance systems allow for precise earthworks.

By Daniel P. Duffy

34

PRODUCTION MANAGER Doug Mlyn ART DIRECTOR Judith Geiger DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION Steven Wayner: swayner@forester.net MARKETING COORDINATOR, EDUCATION & TRAINING Phil Johnson: pjohnson@forester.net PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER, EDUCATION & TRAINING Hayley Hogan: hhogan@forester.net DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & TRAINING Beth Tompkins: btompkins@forester.net ACCOUNTANT / CHAIR, LOVE AND HAPPINESS COMMITTEE Courtney Keele AR/AP Keith Rodgers FINANCE & HR MANAGER John Pasini: jpasini@forester.net PRESIDENT Daniel Waldman: dw@forester.net

25th

FORESTER

DEPARTMENTS

ANNIVERSARY

6 EDITOR’S COMMENTS

46 SAFETY

40 PROJECT PROFILE: GROWING EXCAVATOR BUSINESS GOES ALL-IN-ONE WITH FUEL/ DEF/SERVICE TRAILER

48 TRAINING

43 PROJECT PROFILE: RCC CARRIES WEIGHT AT DISTRIBUTION WAREHOUSES

52 SPOTLIGHT 56 PRODUCTS & SERVICES

48

57 MARKETPLACE/ ADVERTISER’S INDEX 58 READER PROFILE

SIGN UP For Your Free Subscription Go online for new subscriptions, renewals, or change of address: www.cdsreportnow.com/renew/now?gxc or scan this code with your smartphone.

COVER PHOTO: ROADTEC GRADING & EXCAVATION CONTRACTOR (ISSN 1526-7563) is published seven times a year by Forester Media Inc., 2946 De la Vina Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, 805-682-1300, fax: 805-682-0200, e-mail: publisher@forester.net, website: www.foresternetwork.com. Periodicals postage paid at Santa Barbara, CA, and at additional mailing offices. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Entire contents ©2015 by Forester Media Inc. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Grading & Excavation Contractor, 440 Quadrangle Drive Ste E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Changes of address can be completed online at www.cdsreportnow.com/renew/now?gxc, or mailed to 440 Quadrangle Drive Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440; please provide your mailing label or old address in addition to new address.

Include zip code or postal code. Allow two months for change. Editorial Contributions are welcome. All material must be accompanied by stamped return envelopes and will be handled with reasonable care. However, publishers assume no responsibility for safety of artwork, photographs, or manuscripts. Every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy, but the publishers cannot accept responsibility for the correctness or accuracy of information supplied herein or for any opinion expressed. Subscription Rates: seven issues of Grading & Excavation Contractor are $76 per year in US ($95 in Canada, $160 elsewhere). Send the completed subscription card with a check to Grading & Excavation Contractor, 440 Quadrangle Drive Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Reprints: All editorial material in Grading & Excavation Contractor is available for reprints.

Call 805/679-7604 or e-mail reprints@forester.net for additional information. List Rentals: 1-800-529-9020 ext. 5003, dfoster@inforefinery.com. Back issues may be ordered (depending on available inventory) for $15 per copy in US ($20 in Canada, $35 elsewhere). Send written requests for back issues along with check or money order in US funds payable to Grading & Excavation Contractor, P.O. Box 3100, Santa Barbara, CA 93130, USA. Provide address for where the copies should be shipped. Allow six weeks for delivery.

4 www.GradingandExcavation.com / January/February 2016

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iStock/Predrag Vuckovic

EDITOR’S COMMENTS By Arturo Santiago

Dancing in the Rebuilt Streets

T

here was no dancing in the streets like there is when a sports team wins a championship. There was hardly a buzz on the internet and nothing that would match the fervor of a new movie trailer for the latest Star Wars or the Batman v Superman movie. Of course, it simply would not get the same amount of air time that the issues of gun control, terrorism, which presidential candidate said what, and holiday cups at Starbucks get. I waited to see if the reality of the situation would sink in and then we would eventually be jumping up and down and celebrating a national victory.

But the days passed, and it was mentioned—just not in the manner that I feel

is befitting of the history.

On Friday, December 4, 2015, President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The five-year, $305 billion spending plan is the first long-term transportation funding measure in 10 years. There should be dancing in the streets. There should be victory rallies. There should be municipal proclamations announcing December 4 as “Transportation Day.” This is historic because for the first time in years, more certainty has come to the construction industry. Think of the infrastructure that is going to be rebuilt. Think of the jobs that are going to be created. Think of the investment that will be going into equipment manu-

facturing. Think of the technology that will be developed. Think of the safety and security that we’ll feel driving on rebuilt highways and roads.

Brian McGuire, the president and CEO of Associated Equipment Distributors, released a statement that says in part, “After so many near misses and close calls, so many cans kicked down the road and so many cliffs narrowly averted, we finally have long-term, fully funded highway legislation.

“This is more than a philosophical victory. Equipment dealers, manufacturers and their customers can now once again plan for the future. Over the next five years, the hundreds of billions of dollars in federal highway and transit investment guaranteed in the bill will stimulate more than $13 billion in equipment sales, rental and maintenance activity and support more than 4,000 dealership jobs each year.”

President of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Dennis Slater, says, “The FAST Act will offer five years of stability to our nation’s surface transportation programs while steadily increasing infrastructure investment. This certainty extends to both the equipment manufacturing industry and the entire economy.

The FAST Act means faster and safer infrastructure, economic growth, and more prosperity.”

The new law calls for spending approximately $205 billion on highways and $48 billion on transit projects over the next five years. It will be paid for by reauthorizing the collection of the 18.4 cents per gallon gas tax revenue and a combination of $70 billion in offsets from other areas of the federal budget.

This nation undoubtedly has been lagging behind when it comes to our infrastructure. Ours used to be the envy of the world. The FAST Act is by no means perfect. It still needs to find a viable, long-term funding mechanism. But it is one giant step out of the seemingly endless cycle of short-term fixes to the Highway Trust Fund. And for me that’s cause for historic celebration.

6 www.GradingandExcavation.com / January/February 2016

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Connecting With Attachments

BY CAROL BRZOZOWSKI

I

ndustry experts agree: using a piece of compact equipment with multiple attachments turns that one machine into a multipurpose tool for road construction site preparation work that can help contractors complete their jobs more efficiently, bid on larger projects, create a more diversified portfolio, and work in all weather and ground conditions.

Having a variety of work tools on hand—and in some cases, a quick coupler to speed change-out—enables a contractor to get the most out of a single machine, notes Caterpillar spokesperson Mark Sprouls.

“The right work tools increase machine utilization and get the job done faster,” he adds.

That’s important when doing site preparation for clearing and preparing roads—a job that is often on a strict timeline and budget.

To that end, Caterpillar and other companies offer an array of attachments.

Caterpillar offers high productivity buckets for wheel loaders, quick couplers for excavators that enable excavators to change bucket widths quickly to perform different duties, and demolition and sorting grapples used in roadway projects.

Cat Performance Series Buckets balance the shape of the bucket with the wheel loader linkage design, operating weight, and lift/tilt capabilities.

“The net result is optimum machine performance in production-oriented applications, whether truck loading, stockpiling, or load-and-carry,” says Dick Mars, product marketing consultant.

The buckets, designed to be more efficient than conventional models, are available in a number of styles and applicationspecific configurations to ensure high production and long-term durability through the most severe applications, adds Mars.

Those design elements include: • A wider throat opening with more space between the cutting edge and the spill guard • A longer floor with more surface for entering material before encountering the radius at the back of the bucket • Curved side bars, adding surface area to the side of the bucket to contain more material • A modified strike plane, a geometric aspect of the bucket in its carry position that improves load retention • Increased bucket rack-back to further increase material retention • A redesigned spill guard to increase capacity and protect linkage components, hydraulic cylinders, and sensors • Enhanced sight lines to the loading area to allow operators to

more easily determine when the bucket is full, increasing time and fuel efficiencies The buckets have demonstrated 10% greater fill factors than conventional buckets, resulting in fewer passes per truck and more truck loads per day, says Mars. Tests show that Performance Series Buckets placed on the Cat 972H and 980H wheel loaders average 5–7% better fuel efficiency, a three- to five-second reduction in per-cycle loading time, and a 0.5–1.5-ton increase in per-pass payload.

The general purpose bucket—designed for standard breakout forces and moderately abrasive conditions—is used for stockpiling, material-handling, excavating, and bank-loading applications.

The base edge accepts either a bolt-on cutting edge or adapters that accommodate K-Series tips. Side wear plates are available.

Rock buckets are designed for use in moderately abrasive face loading applications such as limestone and unprocessed rock as well as in truck or hopper loading operations with a wide range of quarry materials. A specially-contoured spill guard is designed to enhance visibility to the bucket corners, and slots in the spill guard improve visibility to the material. An optional wear kit includes floor liner, radius liner, and upper/lower outer side plates. A selection of ground engaging systems is available.

Heavy-duty rock buckets are intended for use in extremely aggressive applications such as face loading tightly-compacted pit materials in which materials are moderately abrasive and high impact is frequently encountered. Protective features include those on rock buckets as well as rock-deflecting wings, base-edge end protectors, half-arrow segments between adapters, bottom skis, bottom and base-edge wear plates, and mechanically

8 www.GradingandExcavation.com / January/February 2016

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attached wear plates beneath the boom-pin areas.

Heavy-duty granite buckets are used in extremely aggressive applications such as face loading granite, and are intended for use in materials and applications involving high abrasion and high impact. The bucket interior is completely lined. Other features include shear blocks to restrict side-bar-protector movement, a full complement of bottom protection, and base-edge protection including top-mounted wear plates, half-arrow segments, and adapter covers.

Caterpillar’s demolition and sorting grapples are designed for the most rigorous applications and to be capable of handling large volumes of material while providing the ability to sort through recyclable debris to enhance recovery rates and reduce costs for labor, transportation, and landfill fees.

The lineup includes five models designed to fit a broad range of crawler and wheel-type Cat hydraulic excavators with operating weights from 22,000–99,200 pounds. They are constructed from high-grade, impact-resistant steel with reinforced jaws, and high-wear cutting edges made of AR500 steel.

The grapples feature 360-degree rotation to allow for precise positioning of the tool without moving the machine.

Synchronized jaws enhance control of the grapple, allowing repeatable action through each cycle, and high-clamping forces are designed to ensure material retention during each cycle to boost production efficiency.

The grapple design also features edgeto-edge contact along the tips of the jaws, enabling operators to pick out the smallest items for selective recycling. Overbite stops further enhance edge-to-edge contact, even when working in thin materials, says Lori Cansler, marketing consultant, work tools.

Jaw openings range from 71 to nearly 90 inches, expanding the grapples’ working flexibility and enabling visibility to the work area for more effective material screening. The zero clearance design of the jaws allows the grapples to work tightly against vertical walls and containers, and the smooth inner profile of the jaws allows material to easily enter and exit without catching, thus speeding production cycles, notes Cansler.

The high-torque rotation motor is protected from job-site hazards. Serviceability features include ample access to internal parts, ground-level access to grease points, and replaceable cutting edges, says Cansler.

Caterpillar offers the Cat Pin Grabber Coupler for excavators. The coupler meets or exceeds global safety standards and is used for all Cat D, E, and F Series excavators, models 311 through 390. It works with Cat buckets and most others, says Brian Stellbrink, product marketing consultant.

A trencher version is designed to fit within the width of the smallest trenching buckets.

The Cat Pin Grabber Coupler is designed for an optimum weight-to-strength ratio. It incorporates a short-profile design that reduces tip radius—the distance from the stick mounting pin to the bucket cutting edge—for added digging power, greater fill ratios, and fuel conservation, as well as enhanced

machine stability, says Stellbrink.

The coupler also incorporates a debris shield to help ensure proper coupler operation and reduce maintenance by eliminating the need for the operator to periodically stop the machine to clear obstructing material.

A lifting eye centered on the back of the coupler—matching the stick centerline—assists operators in keeping loads aligned and in maintaining more precise control when placing items such as trench boxes.

Additionally, the redesigned eye shape—similar to those used on buckets—accepts larger shackle sizes and enhances the shackle stability, says Stellbrink.

The pin grabber coupler also features a wedge-lock system for primary pin retention and a positive secondary latch. The system maintains constant hydraulic pressure on the wedge, and the coupler frame—rather than the activating cylinder—absorbs most of the force to help ensure long-term durability.

In compliance with new safety regulations, the coupler maintains tool position in the event of hydraulic pressure loss, and the operator can positively verify from the cab that the coupler is locked.

The coupler is routinely maintained with a central greasing block on its side, enabling service for all but two of the coupler grease points.

Most of Caterpillar’s work tools are available through the Cat Rental Store, operated by the local Cat dealer.

The combination of a loader and a land-clearing attachment such as a mulching head is ideal for site preparation and clearing applications, utility and rightof-way work, and brush clearing for fire breaks and fire prevention, says Gregg Warfel, district sales manager, Terex Construction Americas.

“Land-clearing attachments paired with a compact loader can offer contractors the ability to grapple, shear, hammer, break, crush, cut, compact, and scoop up debris on a variety of job sites,” says Warfel. “These attachments also play a large role in handling the debris during the clean-up process, loading the material into trucks for hauling away.”

Adding attachments to perform profitable tasks is always a good financial decision simply because attachments cost very little compared to the revenue stream contractors can see as a result of performing more tasks on the job site, he says.

“To get more done on every job site, performance-matched attachments—including augers, backhoes, mulchers, rotary brooms, buckets, dozer blades, pallet forks, power box rakes, stump grinders, trenchers, vibratory rollers, and landscaping rakes—are ideal tools for contractors to use with their compact loaders when working in land-clearing and site prep applications,” says Warfel.

Warfel points out that hydraulics flow requirements is the latest and most noticeable trend in the attachments industry.

“The need in today’s rental market is not for routine attachments such as buckets, Harley rakes, and dozer blades, but instead customers are looking to rent more sophisticated attachments, including mulching heads and rotary mowers for

“The net result is optimum machine performance in productionoriented applications.”

10 www.GradingandExcavation.com / January/February 2016

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right-of-way and fence line clearing, as well as auger, trencher, cold planer, grapple buckets, broom, and snow blower attachments,” he says.

Such attachments require higher flow to operate.

“High-flow attachments are built for high productivity in difficult applications,” points out Warfel. “Therefore, equipment manufacturers have had to engineer their machines to match the needed flow of these attachments.”

Terex’s mulcher attachment, tuned for use with the company’s compact track loaders, is ideal for right-of-way work and vegetation management applications, such as clearing brush, mowing grass and weeds, as well as cutting down and mulching trees up to eight inches in diameter, he says.

“This attachment is designed with performance-enhancing features like the powerful drum-style mulcher that utilizes 36 double twin carbide teeth, allowing operators to quickly and efficiently clear and mulch a 61-inch-wide path. The drum-style mulcher also gives operators the ability to plane stumps up to 12 inches [in] diameter to ground level,” says Warfel.

With compact track loaders and skid-steer loaders being used more as tool carriers, the attachment market is growing rapidly, explains Warfel.

“The capabilities of these types of machines, as well as wheel loaders, excavators and even backhoe loaders, are virtually endless when paired with different attachments,” he adds.

Because most attachments on the market are universal, their use enables contractors to increase their equipment utilization rates, adds Warfel.

“To illustrate this, an attachmentequipped loader is often a more practical and/or cost-effective solution over a dedicated machine when ground pressure is a concern,” says Warfel. “For example, some government projects demand very little disruption to the topsoil in order to best protect native plants when removing invasive species.

“Most dedicated mulching machines are heavy and have steel tracks, which can do a lot of damage to the topsoil,” he adds. “Typically, rubber-track machine loaders offer the lowest ground pressure and are the best choice for use in sensitive ground conditions.”

Another benefit that a compact loader with an attachment offers is job-site maneuverability, Warfel points out.

“They are smaller than dedicated mulchers and offer more flexibility because they can run a variety of attachments, so the machine can perform more than one task,” he says.

Fuel consumption is another benefit of using a compact loader versus a dedicated machine, notes Warfel, adding that the higher the machine’s horsepower, the more fuel it uses, which increases operating costs.

Because the dedicated mulching machines are typically higher horsepower machines, the acquisition and operating costs will be higher compared to an attachment-equipped loader, says Warfel.

A land-clearing machine needs to be adequate for 85–90% of a contractor’s job-site needs, he adds.

“On large projects, the cost of a dedicated machine may be lowered when compared to the price of a smaller machine that would be under-utilized,” he adds.

Operators play a significant role in affecting return on investment or a machine’s re-sale value, whether it’s a dedicated machine or an attachmentequipped loader, says Warfel.

“The operator needs to know and understand the machine’s capabilities and operate it appropriately,” he says.

“For example, if an operator owns a 110-horsepower Terex PT110F compact track loader, he cannot expect it to do the job of a 300-horsepower dedicated mulching machine.”

Land clearing and deforestation is one of the harshest applications in which to operate a machine, says Warfel, adding proper maintenance is a major factor in extending the life and longevity of any machine used in such environments.

Improper maintenance can lead to premature wear of vital components like the undercarriage to wood debris building up in the engine compartments, which could result in a fire. Following the machine manufacturer’s recommended guidelines for maintenance is the best way to get the most from the machine.

Because attachments have advanced in reliability, ease of use, and quality over the years, they have become more accepted in the marketplace, and therefore, demand has increased, says Warfel.

“Compact loaders used to go out on rental with a standard bucket attachment. Now because there are a variety of attachment options to match different applications, compact loaders are one of the most widely used pieces of machinery on any job site thanks to the versatility that changing out attachments gives operators,” he adds.

When choosing attachments for a compact loader, it is important to pay particular attention to the attachment’s flow requirements, says Warfel.

“Attachments that require continuous hydraulic flow such as augers, brooms, or mulchers do not work as efficiently if the compact loader’s hydraulic specifications do not meet the attachment’s needs,” he says.

“In this case, the demands of the rest of the compact loader’s systems can result in sluggish attachment operation or may cut hydraulic flow to the attachment altogether. This can be very frustrating to owners and operators who are trying to increase the usage of their equipment.”

Flow and pressure work together to increase a unit’s productivity and efficiency when carrying high-demand attachments.

“Unfortunately, the auxiliary hydraulic pressure psi is widely overlooked in the selection process,” says Warfel.

“Most contractors are only concerned with the flow capabilities of the unit and they seldom consider the pressure and how this affects the overall performance of the attachment.”

Contractors need to ensure the unit’s pressure matches the attachments’ specification.

“Too much flow can damage hydraulic drive motors and solenoids inside the attachment,” says Warfel. “If the attachment does not have enough pressure, it will not perform correctly.”

Once the amount of pressure needed is established, then contractors have to consider the flow and pressure as a combined force and how this will affect their productivity, he adds.

“By being able to calculate the unit’s hydraulic horsepower, contractors can then pick the best unit for maximum productivity,” says Warfel.

In calculating hydraulic horsepower, take the gallons per minute (GPM)— or flow of the unit—and multiply it by the psi—or pressure—and then divide that total by the constant, which is 1,714, says Warfel.

12 www.GradingandExcavation.com / January/February 2016

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For example: a unit with 45 GPM and a pressure of 3,800 psi would have a hydraulic horsepower of 99.7.

Other factors and conditions to consider when selecting a loader and attachments to use when clearing away brush and small trees on a job site are: How large is the project? How many acres need to be cleared? What type of material is being cleared?

For example, hard woods, soft woods, and invasive species such as Russian olive or kudzu all have different methods contractors can use to effectively remove them.

“Also, underfoot conditions can dictate what type of machine to be used,” says Warfel. “If the job is on hilly, rocky, muddy, or swampy ground conditions or if the contractor is operating in the winter when the ground is frozen factors into the machine decision,” he says. “If the machine is doing right-of-way work alongside a highway, in a forest preserve doing selective clearing or a total knockdown, or on steep slopes all dictate the best type of machine to use.”

For example, if the contactor is operating in an area with a lot of rocks,

shale, or other ground cover that would destroy a rubber track quickly, the best option would be a loader with steel tracks, says Warfel.

With new attachments coming to market all of the time, contractors would do well to look to local rental store owners for tools that make their jobs more efficient and more profitable, says Warfel.

“Because attachments make compact loaders very versatile machines when paired with a mulching head attachment, they can reduce the need for specialty equipment like a dedicated mulching machine in a rental fleet,” he adds.

Contractors can then take on projects with a variety of applications because they know they can pair their loader with the right attachment to get the job done, says Warfel.

Also, contractors can haul a smaller machine with attachments from job site to job site without the travel restrictions that renting a larger dedicated machine may have, he adds.

Paul Shevlin, a district manager for Geith, concurs that having the right attachment for the job reduces the time

needed to complete the job, and therefore increase cost savings.

Geith offers a number of options for site preparation: • Heavy-duty digging buckets, used for digging and loading dirt. Highcapacity, heavy-duty buckets are available for moving and loading large of amounts of dirt quickly. The bucket width and teeth used depends upon the soil conditions.

• Severe-duty digging buckets designed for heavy digging and loading of hard and abrasive materials, suitable for digging and loading loose rock.

• Ditching buckets used for a variety of applications, including material loading, ditch cleaning, grading, and landscaping. They also are used to form banks on roadsides and complete slope work on roadways.

• Tilt buckets that serve the same applications as ditching buckets, but enable contractors to rotate the bucket 45 degrees in each direction.

• The Geith ripper, which penetrates and scores tough, hard, and frozen ground.

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thumbs, used for land clearing applications. The Geith progressive linkage (pro-link) hydraulic thumb provides up to 180 degrees of rotation, allowing operators to pick up and place rocks, tree stumps, and pipes—among other odd-shaped objects—closer to the excavator. The thumb follows the bucket tip through an extended range, providing greater grabbing ability and placement.

“Geith quick couplers provide operators with a safe and simple design by which to change attachments on the job site, decreasing downtime and increasing overall productivity,” notes Shevlin.

The ease of attachment changes translates to fuel savings from a reduction in idle time while changing attachments, he says, adding that the Geith quick couplers also increase operators’ efficiency by allowing them to change attachments from the comfort and security of their cabs in 30 seconds.

The quick coupler can save up to 25% of total machine time compared to directmounted attachments, says Shevlin, adding that there isn’t a need for two or three people to hammer machine pins, thus increasing productivity and profitability.

“If you change attachments three times per day, you can gain up to three hours of additional productivity per day compared to direct mounted attachments,” he adds.

Geith recently introduced to the market a quick coupler control system for its hydraulic couplers. Designed with a simple and safe operating sequence, the IP65- and CE-compliant device satisfies present and developing ISO 13031 safety requirements, notes Shevlin.

“The ISO 13031 standard for quick couplers requires the coupler to have a back-up lock feature that prevents disengagement of the attachment in the event of loss or reduction of primary engagement forces,” he says, adding the standard is intended to guarantee a safe connection of the coupler and attachment.

In areas where confined space is a concern, such as against walls or under pipes, operators have the ability to reverse bucket orientation.

Geith offers several styles of teeth for site preparation.

The standard style provides a balance of strength and digging capability and is ideal for most general applications where breakage is not a problem, says Shevlin.

The flared style provides maximum

coverage, but less penetration and is suited for smooth digging operations and general purpose cleanup, he says.

Tiger teeth provide maximum penetration and are designed for densely-compacted material such as clay. Twin tiger teeth provide enhanced fracture capability, but less penetration and more wear than a regular tiger tip, making it ideal for breaking materials, says Shevlin.

The Bolt-On Cutting Edge is designed to be ideal for rough grading and general purpose cleanup.

Geith attachments are typically rented in conjunction with an excavator from a dealer or rental house.

For land clearing projects, Doosan offers two different types of thumbs: a main pin thumb and a pro-link hydraulic thumb designed to work with multiple bucket widths.

“If a contractor is in an area to take down trees, they can use the excavator to dig around the trees or knock them over and with the thumb already on the machine, use it to sort through the brush and the trees and move them out of the way,” notes Lee Smith, Doosan attachment product specialist. “If they’re digging around in a rocky application, they can dig up the rocks and if they’re a reasonable size, they can move them and sort them as needed.”

After the material is sorted, an operator can use one of two types of Doosan ditching buckets—the standard and heavyduty—to put grade on the area in which they are working. The operator also can use a plate compactor for compaction work, he adds.

It’s important to use a quick coupler on a machine to use those attachments, notes Smith.

“You can easily switch between attachments from the seat of the cab. You’re not taking the time to remove pins for various attachments,” he says. “You’re saving a lot of time and money just by adding that attachment on the end of your machine.”

Depending on the attachment needed and whether a contractor’s machine has a quick coupler, a contractor can rent the machine with the attachment already installed—such as a thumb—or rent the attachment on its own, such as a plate compactor.

Katie Althoff, Bobcat attachment product specialist, points out that attachments such as buckets and grapples—

when paired with compact excavators, skid-steer, or compact track loaders— can help site prep contractors grow their business, make them more versatile, and reduce the need for specialty equipment.

“Renting attachments for projects such as vegetation management allows them to work when ground conditions may not be suitable for excavating or moving dirt. Attachments such as flail mowers for excavators, or forestry cutters, rotary cutters, brush saws, and flail cutters for compact loaders are common for performing site preparation or vegetation management.”

For excavators, Bobcat offers trenching buckets, used to dig narrow, deep trenches while maintaining optimal breakout force and fast cycle times.

Another option: three-tine grapples and clamps, which help grip and handle bulky material such as brush, logs, and landscaping stones, “making it ideal for land clearing and site preparation applications,” she says.

Compact excavator attachments are available as pin-ons on the X-Change attachment mounting system.

“It’s a simpler way for operators to efficiently change attachments to best match the application at hand,” says Althoff. “A hydraulic X-Change mounting system makes it even easier and faster for operators to change excavator attachments and helps to ensure the operator is matching the right size of bucket to the excavating task.”

Loader attachments include combination buckets “which are ideal for site prep contractors who want a four-in-one bucket,” notes Althoff. “The combination bucket is used for loading, carrying, and dumping, as a grapple for handling odd-shaped objects, or for dozing, leveling, and spreading material with the clamshell open.”

Another option: low-profile buckets “which offer excellent cutting edge visibility and good bucket breakout force,” says Althoff. “These buckets work well in grading and leveling applications as well as carrying, loading, and other material handling because they have a longer bottom to handle materials better.”

Root grapples are designed to be used on loaders to clear rocks, roots, brush, overgrowth and debris with ease, says Althoff.

“The curved, skeletal tool design allows materials to be picked up without driving the teeth into the

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ground,” she says.

For graders, Bobcat offers rough or final grade with a six-way or eight-way hydraulically controlled moldboard. It can be paired with a laser system for precise grading of plus or minus .25 inches and is available in heavy-duty 96-inch and 108-inch versions.

Additionally, box blades are used for rough grading and land preparation tasks and can be paired with a laser system for precise grading of plus or minus .25 inches.

Bobcat has introduced another option for grade control systems for use with its skid-steer, compact track, and all-wheel steer loaders. A partnership between Trimble and the Bobcat Co. has allowed for the introduction of the first 3D Ready System on compact loaders, notes Althoff.

The Trimble CGS900 automatic grade control option is for use with Bobcat 96- and 108-inch heavy-duty grader attachments, expanding on the existing 2D laser-guided and sonic/slope systems offered by the Bobcat Co. The new grade control system— paired with a Bobcat loader and grader attachment—will make it easier for operators to complete a variety of projects such as highway and railway construction and other complex flat work projects, says Althoff.

“The ability to design and upload job sites to the control box and change the contour of the ground by working off elevation coordinates are a few benefits that the 3D-ready kit has compared to the current 2D system offered on Bobcat compact loaders,” she says.

The 2D system works off of a single plane—either flat, single, or dual slope— whereas the 3D system works off of elevation coordinates set up around the job site, giving operators the ability to grade valleys, ditches, and contours, points out Althoff.

“With improved accuracy and job-site mapping, contractors have less rework, staking and checking, lower operating costs, improve material usage, and improve their productivity, boosting their bottom line,” she says.

Additionally, the Bobcat depth check system for use with select compact excavators is a guidance system that informs excavator operators through the deluxe instrument panel the dig depth or distance to target depth.

“These features help keep operators from over-digging or under-digging, lessen the need to stop the machine to measure the trench depth, and prevent the need for workers to enter and exit the trench with a measuring device,” says Althoff.

Through their versatility, the attachments provide time and cost efficiencies, which help to increase the customer base, she says.

“Attachments often cost less than buying a new dedicated machine and can be quickly interchanged with machines that have multi-functioning capabilities such as skid-steer loaders,” points out Althoff. “Some contractors will purchase site prep attachments to replace the cost of a dedicated piece of equipment; however, others decide to rent attachments as needed.”

Renting the correct attachment depends on the job site and how frequently the attachment will be used, says Althoff, adding that if it is to be used multiple times during the week or month, there’s a better ROI in purchasing it.

Hyundai offers its HDB series of hydraulic breakers, with 14 models sized to work with excavators ranging from 0.5–100 metric tons.

Breakers are used in site preparation applications, especially to break up large rocks and concrete, notes Corey Rogers, marketing manager.

“A contractor using an excavator equipped with a breaker can tackle substantially larger projects faster than a contractor using a handheld jackhammer,” says Rogers. “With breakers, because they are impacting against very hard surfaces at rates anywhere from 200 to1,200 blows per minute, the key design challenge is avoiding excess wear and tear on the breaker and the excavator.”

For example, the larger chisel diameter on Hyundai breakers increases the strength and durability of both the chisel and the hammer, he says.

Anti-blank firing, standard on Hyundai breakers, is designed to help ensure long life for chisel pins, tie bolts, front heads, and other components.

The Helac PowerTilt Hydraulic Bucket Tilting Attachment is designed to provide backhoes and excavators with up to a 90-degree left and right bucket swing for a full 180-degree total side-toside swing capability.

“It does well when you’re finished

grading, doing slopes on a hill, or even in ditches,” notes Jessica Howisey, Helac marketing communications manager, of its versatility. “It eliminates extra machines. You can use one and move that bucket all different angles versus moving the excavator around.”

The attachment pin mounts to the dipper stick. PowerTilt is furnished with two different, built-in couplers: the standard, hook-style mechanical quick-coupler uses OEM pin-on buckets while the optional universal coupler uses quickhitch style buckets. The configurations are custom-designed for each machine brand, says Howisey.

PowerTilt can be combined with most hydraulic quick-couplers. Each PowerTilt is equipped with an internal cross-port relief valve that provides hydraulic overload protection. Seven PowerTilt models are available—sized by machine weight—for backhoes and excavators up to 75,000 pounds.

Helac Corp.’s hydraulic pin grab coupler option provides more choices in addition to the existing half hitch, Universal (Wain-Roy/CP), and brand specific couplers. The pin grab coupler still allows the PowerTilt to rotate up to 180 degrees side to side. The variable pin center design allows easy pick up and change of the widest range of OEM attachments, says Howisey.

The PowerTilt hydraulic pin grab coupler option is designed to make it easier for the operator to change attachments from the cab. The coupler provides both a front and rear safety locking mechanism to secure both attachment pins and is designed to work in all types of severe and dirty environments.

Curling the attachment guarantees it is in a safe position for engagement and release, says Howisey. In the event of improper attachment connection, the front locking clasp retains the attachment to prevent unexpected separation. In case of hydraulic cylinder or hose failure, the rear sliding hook maintains connection to the attachment rear pin to prevent unexpected separation.

By changing attachments from the cab, the hydraulic coupler is designed to save an operator considerable machine operating time, offering the ability to reverse buckets to shovel mode at any time to excavate against walls, under pipes, and other terrains.

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The hydraulic pin grab coupler option is available for 5- to 30-ton excavators and loader backhoes in 18 coupler combinations.

With its ability to turn a 90-degree angle and get under pipes and utilities, the PowerTilt reduces manual labor on jobs, points out Howisey.

Ron Peters, product manager for EDGE brand attachments, Manitou Americas, says his company offers a hopper broom attachment that is appropriate for site preparation work.

“It can be used for cleaning up roads after construction from trucks or equipment being driven from the construction site back out on the road and laying mud out on the road,” points out Peters. “They can come with a hopper broom, clean that up, and get that road back to the original condition it was in.”

Broom attachments are selected by the material to be removed and the surface on which the broom is used. The bi-directional collection broom allows an operator to sweep in forward and reverse, and is designed for optimal performance in milling, material pickup, road maintenance, and job-site cleanup.

Peters says the hopper broom has a bucket in the back and a broom in front and the broom sweeps the material up and deposits it in the bucket. Upon finishing the sweeping, the operator takes the skid-steer loader with the attachment on it and dumps it into a truck where it can be taken to where fill is needed or any other application.

The hopper broom comes in three widths: 60-inch, 72-inch, and 84-inch. It is sized to the skid-steer or track loader and can go on any machine with a universal mount.

An optional dust control kit helps reduce dust and flying debris. An optional gutter brush attachment helps remove debris from curbsides and hard-to-reach areas. A rubber skirt keeps the dirt and debris contained.

The brushes can be replaced, so as they wear, they can be adjusted down and when they get to a certain point, they can be replaced, says Peters. Also, a bolt-on cutting edge on the bottom of the hopper broom bucket can be replaced at it wears.

The attachment is time- and costefficient for its ability to clean the site to a “normal condition” without the need for manual labor of sweeping or

shoveling, says Peters.

“Quickly, you can sweep up material and dump it out,” he says.

As with all attachments, renting it or buying it depends on the frequency of use.

There are many cases in which renting attachments makes more of a financial case than buying them.

Renting equipment transcends merely exchanging money to rent equipment for a specified time, notes Troy Tagliarino, district manager for Sunbelt Rentals’ Colorado and Utah Mountain District.

Contractors also are getting the benefit of the rental company’s expertise and 24/7 availability in the case of an issue, he adds, pointing out that many contractors must do road work at night when there are minimal traffic concerns.

“Contractors are paying for our expertise, availability, service, maintenance, and being on site during the time,” he says. “There are many advantages of rental over outright purchase.”

As the road-building process is a multilayered one, beginning with excavation and moving through to base preparation, Sunbelt Rentals offers ground thaw heaters to keep crews moving on timeline targets for cost efficiencies, notes Tagliarino.

His region encounters a great deal of freezing problems, so ground thaw heaters are a favored piece of equipment on the job site, he adds.

Attachments allow contractors to tend to a variety of tasks using a single piece of machinery, he points out.

A contractor could rent a single skidsteer and then use a hammer to break concrete or rock and an auger to set a post or dig a hole.

“We’re starting to see more compaction attachments on excavators where there’s a hydraulic hammer that goes out of the end of the boom,” says Tagliarino.

“Contractors are able to use that machine not only to dig the trench but switch the bucket off.”

Attachments eliminate labor time and costs, says Tagliarino, pointing out the equipment is doing the work once done by people using shovels and

For related articles:

smaller implements.

Additionally, contractors are using more creative solutions on the job, such as milling up asphalt with a skid-steer.

“They can fill up a scarifier machine that can shoot the asphalt or groove it,” adds Tagliarino. “They’re coming up with trencher attachments to put on a skid-steer.

Now the contractor no longer needs two machines. For the cost of a skid-steer and a trencher, they can easily buy the skidsteer and a number of attachments which will allow them to do a number of things such as break concrete and drill holes.

“For a contractor, the investment then becomes his ability to do a number of things. For say, $50,000, he can have one guy do 20 different things, whereas the same $50,000 gets him a few machines where he can only do a few things.”

Sunbelt Rentals recently introduced a new industrial matting product that augments site preparation work for road construction.

Sunbelt MegaDeck Mats are largepanel, heavy-duty access matting designed and engineered to provide a secure, stable, and flat platform for personnel, vehicles, and equipment in a variety of environments, including construction.

The mats have a low-profile traction pattern to provide traction for vehicles— including tracked vehicles—and a slipresistant platform for personnel. The mats’ compressed load weight-bearing capacity is up to 600 psi.

MegaDeck is designed to be strong with a slight flex allowing the mat to conform to uneven terrain without cracking or breaking.

Each mat measures 14 feet by 7.5 feet with a 13-foot by 6.5-foot usable surface and is maneuvered by a standard forklift.

Sunbelt Rentals also offers DuraDeck access and ground protection mats to provide temporary roadways, offering access and traction over sand, mud, dirt, and grass areas. They are designed to eliminate rutting, soil compaction, and other damage to sensitive grass and turf.

Each standard mat, manufactured from HDPE, can support up to 80 tons static load and be used more than once.

As a result, the mats protect personnel, equipment, vehicles, and turf and keep vehicles from getting stuck.

www.gradingandexcavation.com

Carol Brzozowski specializes in topics related to technology and construction.

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John Deere

This Is a Job For Skid-Steers/CTLs Comparisons of the popular and versatile compact machines and advice on how to decide which to use in specific conditions BY LORI LOVELY

T

he skid-steer and the compact track loader (CTL): two powerful little workhorses designed to perform the same basic functions—so what’s the difference? Hint: the difference is based on the working conditions each is best suited for.

“It all comes down to wheels versus tracks,” sums up Ashby Graham, product manager for JCB. “Skid-steers are tired machines, whereas CTLs sit on a tracked undercarriage similar to a dozer,” elaborates Warren Anderson, brand marketing manager for CASE Construction Equipment.

Skid-steers give the operator greater traction and maneuverability on paved surfaces, continues Anderson. They also have faster top travel speeds. “CTLs provide an incredibly stable platform. The primary advantage is lower ground pressure and stable operation over uneven or sensitive surfaces [because] the tracks provide more contact with the ground than four independent tires.”

That’s the main difference, agrees Gregg Warfel, district sales manager for Terex Construction Americas, who says it’s important to assess the site conditions where the loader will be working. “The type of surface the machine will be work-

ing on significantly impacts the productivity and cycle times of the loader. When working in soft underfoot conditions, a loader with tracks will be more effective.

When working on harder surfaces, a wheeled loader is better suited.”

A key distinction between an skidsteer loader (SSL) and a CTL is the difference in ground pressure that machine delivers, notes Brent Coffey, product manager of loaders for Wacker Neuson.

“Although CTLs are typically heavier than SSLs, they have less ground pressure, making [them] ideal for soft or muddy ground. On the other hand, an SSL has a higher travel speed and because of Grading & Excavation Contractor 17

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the tires, is best suited [for] operating on harder surfaces.”

Besides the obvious difference of tires on skid-steer loaders and tracks on compact track loaders, the drive system and components differentiate the two machines. “Most SSL machines are driven with a hydraulic motor that is positioned near the center of the machine. They utilize a chain-drive system to turn the wheels,” explains Jorge De Hoyos, Kubota senior product manager, SSLs and skidsteer verticals. “Most track loaders have a hydraulic-drive motor with a sprocket on it to drive the track. There are additional rollers and idlers that make up the undercarriage system of a CTL machine.”

Other differences include size and operator location. Andrew Schuermann, product manager of trenchers and compact utility equipment for Ditch Witch, describes SSLs as 35 horsepower and up “ride-in loader” machines on tires, and CTLs as 20–37 horsepower “stand-on” units on tracks. “They handle the same way, use the same attachments on the front, and perform a lot of the same functions,” he explains, “but the choice boils down to the job.”

Application: the Deciding Factor The basics of the machines are the same. “Both machines operate similarly,” observes Schuermann. “Maneuverability is similar.” So how do you decide?

“Buy based on what 90% of your jobs are,” advises JCB’s Graham.

It is important for the owner to properly match the type of loader to his or her most common applications in order to get the best performance and productivity out of it, says Christopher Girodat, marketing manager for Bobcat Co. “Each type of loader has benefits.”

Because skid-steer and compact track loaders use the same attachments (buckets, dozer blades, mulchers, augers, trenchers, levelers, box rakes, snow blowers) and perform in the same applications (construction, landscaping, rental, forestry, agricultural), Warfel says the type of surface an operator will be working on significantly impacts productivity and cycle times.

“Normally, a CTL is used on softsurface job sites with varied terrain that require more traction than the SSL can deliver,” explains De Hoyos. The SSL is a faster and more nimble machine on hard

surfaces, but it tears up the ground. A CTL offers more control on soft, steep surfaces.

However, he adds, “if an operator is going to be working on a hard surface such as concrete or asphalt frequently, then a track loader machine may not be the best choice. Frequent turns on a rough surface such as asphalt or concrete will increase track wear and lead to replacement of tracks more quickly than when operating on softer surfaces such as dirt.”

Skid-Steers It is generally acknowledged that SSLs perform best on firm ground conditions, such as rock, asphalt, and concrete, notes Warfel.

In addition to working on jobs where hard surfaces predominate, Neuson’s Coffey says SSLs are also ideal for jobs that require longer travel distances, such as road construction and snow removal, probably because they are more stable and provide smoother operation with less bouncing.

“Many customers use their CTLs and skid-steers on the same job site because of their variety of attachments and ability to fit into tight places,” says De Hoyos.

However, he adds, because of their tires, SSLs are great for hard surface projects like road building and jobs in urban environments. CTLs are best suited for outdoor projects with slopes and slippery terrain like those in rural and undeveloped areas. Kubota’s skid-steers, the SSV65 and SSV75, are the company’s first entry into the market. Features include an overhead front door, new multi-function handles for high-flow machines, a side light feature, and optional high-flow hydraulics.

Skid-steers are popular in heavy-duty and industrial environments such as demolition, road and bridge projects, and commercial construction, due to their durable tires, adds Anderson. “Any project that involves excessive work on rock, asphalt, and concrete is ideal for a skidsteer loader.”

Skid-steers are more suitable for hard surfaces because tires are more durable than tracks, adds Michael Knoblett, program manager for Yanmar Co. Ltd. Simply put, because a wheeled machine imposes more ground pressure, use it in solid conditions where you’re not tearing up the ground: applications such as demolition, asphalt, concrete, or hard ground that permanently wear out track.

On hard ground conditions, a SSL

can complete a job at reduced cost when compared with a CTL, says Terex’s Warfel. Putting a CTL on a demolition project, such as breaking up concrete to access underground utilities under a sidewalk or driveway, could cost a customer up to 25% more per hour of usage over a skid-steer loader because of excessive track wear in this type of environment.

Skid-steers have increased mobility and wear advantages on paved surfaces such as streets, sidewalks, trails, parking lots, or driveways, adds Bobcat’s Girodat. “[They] work well in a variety of construction applications, especially concrete and asphalt-related tasks, because they can easily turn and maneuver in close quarters and they can complement work done by larger machines.”

SSLs can turn within their own length, he continues, which allows them to easily turn and maneuver in close quarters where other earthmoving machines generally can’t. “Skid-steers excel on construction sites because they can effectively maneuver around the job site and maintain optimal productivity. Applications such as excavating, grading, and site preparation are common for skid-steer loaders.”

As Gregg Zupancic, product marketing manager for skid-steers and CTLs at John Deere, points out, they are more maneuverable because they have less rubber on the ground. They have higher ground pressure—averaging 30–40 pounds of pressure per square inch—than the CTL. “They’re lighter, faster at top speed, narrower, and shorter. They’re nimble and have a tighter turning radius. The CTL is heavier and wider. With its undercarriage, there’s a lot of rubber touching the ground; it’s better for grip, not speed.”

According to Anderson, because they are nimble, SSLs are better suited to applications “where tight turning is going to be taking place.”

Compact Track Loaders Although the CTL can also “spin on a dime,” as Schuermann puts it, its real advantage is the ability to “float” on ground with low traction conditions.

CTLs are built to handle wet, soft, snowy, sensitive, and muddy ground conditions, such as those found in more undeveloped areas and on slopes, says Warfel. “These loaders distribute the machine’s weight evenly over the length and width of the tracks, allowing them

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to ‘float’ over uneven terrain. This flotation results in lower ground pressure, more traction, and better performance on sloppy surfaces.”

CTLs distribute their weight evenly over the length and width of the tracks, so they’re able to handle uneven terrain more efficiently, expounds Anderson. “The advantage of the CASE dozer-style undercarriage is that it holds very well on side slopes. For example, they’re perfect for maintenance around riverbanks or lakes.”

A CTL also provides a certain advantage over a skid-steer loader in grading applications because it can maintain the position of its bucket or blade over varying terrain. CTLs are also well-suited to lifting with forks because there is no front tire compression, creating a better platform for lifting. This gives the operator greater confidence.

Because weight is evenly distributed, a track machine has low ground pressure (4–5 psi) and more traction in wet conditions, where wheels have no traction. “CTLs are more efficient in muddy, soft conditions and are ideal for working on grass, dirt, or loose gravel due to the

decreased amount of wear to the tracks,” says Anderson.

Thanks to lower ground pressure, the wide-track and rubber track CTLs can operate in almost any conditions, any season, 365 days a year—a revenueproducing asset. They also preserve profit by reducing the amount of ground repair needed at the end of a job because their increased ground clearance, low ground pressure, and rubber track undercarriage minimize damage to lawns and landscapes.

Less lawn disturbance makes them ideal for residential and landscape applications, but Schuermann points out that they are also preferred in confined spaces when moving a small pile of dirt.

“They maneuver in tight spaces and provide superior visibility of the job site, the machine, and the space behind you.

That’s a huge advantage.”

Compact track loaders excel when working in dirt, from land clearing and site preparation to utility construction, as well as pavement and concrete construction and restoration, indicates Girodat. “The undercarriage and length of the track on the ground allows the machine to move

heavier loads or palletized materials on softer ground with ease. The loaders feature an impressive rated operating capacity, low ground pressure, increased ground clearance, and optimum traction, which are ideal for construction tasks.”

CTLs are also efficient for trenching applications because they produce minimal rutting, smooth movement and low ground pressure. Furthermore, dedicated rubber tracks, available in a variety of widths and tread types, provide increased digging traction and pushing performance. “When other equipment slows or shuts down due to weather, compact track loaders keep working,” explains Girodat. “This can add weeks to a customer’s work schedule in spring and fall, and keep crews working when they would otherwise be shut down.”

Another money-saving asset is Bobcat’s internal steel cables that minimize track tensioning because they don’t stretch, allowing operators to stay on the job longer.

Cost Comparison The CTL may extend working hours, but

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sandy, soft soil, and skid-steers enjoying more popularity in the Midwest and dry areas, he realizes that what drives the trend is return on investment.

Ditch Witch dealers claim the CTL holds its value extremely well, says Schuermann. “They’re so reliable— customers rarely trade them in. If they are traded in, they’re usually sold before they hit the dealer lot.”

On average, Deere customers keep their machines three years or 3,000 hours, thanks to good financing and extended warranties, says Zupancic.

“A customer buys it new and gets a half-life out of it; then another customer buys it used and gets another half-life.”

Some JCB customers trade in their loaders, but Graham says many “run them until they fall apart.” She says SSLs and CTLs generally have the same resale value if taken care of properly.

“There’s not much difference in resale value,” concurs Deere’s Zupancic, who says the value is directly related to each machine’s condition and is typically application-specific. “How was it worked? Was it used in a corrosive or rocky environment?”

Compact track loaders may hold their value better than skid-steers due to their undercarriage being built more robustly, but it may also be due to the fact that the market for CTLs is increasing, so there’s more of a demand, believes Anderson.

Determining whether a machine has held value depends on the type of application, ground conditions, and maintenance, adds Girodat. “Grading and excavation contractors will get more value out of their loader when its power and lifting capacity is matched to the application.

The same goes for the ground conditions. If a contractor needs to work on paved surfaces, such as streets, sidewalks, parking lots, driveways, or hard-surfaced yards, a skid-steer loader will hold more value. Knowing what work will be performed, having a good understanding of the ground and weather conditions each type of loader will succeed in, and calculating the overall machine costs are all factors when determining which machine will have the greatest value to grading and excavation contractors.”

Kubota

Bobcat introduced an optional fullyit costs more to own and operate. Zupanenclosed Roller Suspension system for cic estimates that a CTL costs $10,000– CTLs that reduces track maintenance, $15,000 more than a skid-steer, and that mentions Girodat. It features forged steel track is twice the cost of tires.

“Initial investment for a CTL machine is rollers that do not chunk out like rubber can. They are permanently sealed and generally higher than a comparably-sized lubricated with synthetic oil, requiring no SSL machine, and repair costs can be higher as well,” reiterates De Hoyos. “How- routine maintenance.

With the exception of the track and ever, the total cost of ownership should be carefully considered by the buyer, as CTLs do extend the work season since they can work in wet ground conditions where skid-steers cannot.”

Estimates range from Anderson’s 15–20% to Coffey’s 30% more for a CTL than a skid-steer, with both acknowledging that compact track loaders have higher maintenance costs. “However, the CTL allows operators to perform jobs that the SSL otherwise would not be capable of doing,” assesses Coffey.

The added cost of ownership is due in part to the fact that the CTL burns two times A Kubota SVL90 moving dirt more fuel per hour, because it’s heavier and pushes more. undercarriage, the two machines contain That creates fatigue, which leads to more the same basic components, such as maintenance, such as greasing bushings, similar engines, hydraulic systems, and ensuring proper tension of the track, and grease points. Therefore, Schuermann maintenance of the undercarriage. says preventive maintenance costs are A track-drive system can be more “very comparable,” although he observes costly to purchase and maintain, due to that because access to maintenance points additional components for the undercarmay be different, labor costs could vary. riage and cost of the tracks themselves.

The engine of a CTL resides in the front, Tires are less expensive to fix than track. with a large hood for easy access, he “The undercarriage for track loaders is points out. more complicated and requires more Nevertheless, repair costs for the CTL parts than a skid-steer,” emphasizes Knocan run high because there are more blett. “Tracks and rollers are more expenwear parts (rollers, idlers, drive sprocket, sive to produce than tires and wheels.” etc.) on the undercarriage, explains De The undercarriage is the most costly Hoyos. However, as Girodat points out, part of any tracked machine, adds Warfel. rubber tracks typically last longer than “It can make up almost 20% of the tires, which helps equalize maintenance machine’s purchase price and nearly 50% costs. Additionally, Warfel believes that a of its maintenance cost.” That’s why it’s so typical CTL can pay for itself in approxiimportant to keep the undercarriage clean.

Keep it clean and free of rocks, recom- mately 18 months, covering its maintenance costs. mends Graham. At least once at the end of the day operators should clean mud and debris such as rock and gravel out Value for Dollar the machine’s undercarriage to minimize Purchase price and cost of operation unnecessary track wear. Look at the are part of the overall cost of ownership components regularly and replace them picture, but resale value can also be a facroughly every third track replacement— tor. While Zupancic sees a trend of CTLs based on wear, not hours. being popular in coastal areas and with 20 www.GradingandExcavation.com / January/February 2016

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Although some manufacturers claim rubber tracks dramatically lose life when used on concrete or gravel terrains, Warfel says Terex CTLs have a much longer track life than SSLs in most all conditions. “Calculating residual value entails many factors, including hours on [the] machine, condition, financing.”

Skill Condition often relates directly to the operator. Although both machines function similarly and require comparable skill sets and an understanding of machine controls, there are a few differences that training can overcome. Operators of both machines should read their owner’s manual, be aware of these slight differences, and take it easy at first.

Many operators run their compact track loaders as if they are skid-steers by doing a lot of counter-rotating and spinning the tires to get the bucket filled to maximum capacity. But CTLs have enough traction that the tracks do not need to spin to fill the bucket.

If the tracks are spinning while the machine is still, the loader’s track life will be greatly reduced, warns Warfel. “When an operator counter-rotates with a CTL, especially in loose underfoot conditions, a lot of material is ingested into the undercarriage. Threepoint turns, rather than spinning or counterrotating, will save on undercarriage wear.”

This reduces the track wear as well as the chances of de-tracking. It also minimizes ground disturbance.

Anderson encourages wider, more gradual turns in order to save the life of the costly tracks. He also recommends working up and down on slopes to minimize wear on idlers and rollers. When working on an incline, avoid sudden changes in direction, move slowly, and carry loads low to maximize machine stability.

“Operators should also alternate turning direction so that one side does not wear out faster than the other, and avoid track spinning and excessive travel in reverse when possible, as these activities can increase wear,” says Anderson.

CTLs tend to have hand controls, while SSL machines can come with hand and foot controls, points out De Hoyos.

“The balance of a CTL is typically around 60/40 [rear/front], and on most SSL machines it is around 70/30. Kubota’s new skid-steers, however, have 66/34 ratio, which promotes slightly better stability than most other brands.”

It’s not so much skill as it is an understanding of what is best for the machine, points out Coffey. For example, operators should be mindful of sharp edges that could damage the tracks. They should also make sure that both tracks are fully supported by the ground and work piles from the sides-to-the-middle to reduce the amount of material that can get into the tracks.

Sometimes it’s a matter of what’s best for the operator instead. As Knoblett explains, “Skid-steer loaders have a tendency to be rougher on the operator and may bounce around the job site more, if not operated smoothly.”

On the Job “Everyone in grading uses track,” states Graham. At least 70% of grading customers buy a CTL, estimates Zupancic, because they cut a deeper grade, push more, get the job done in fewer passes, and work in wet and muddy conditions.

Their popularity reaches back about 15 years, recalls Girodat. “They offer the same level of reliability, durability, ease of maintenance, and maneuverability as skid-steer loaders.”

They continue to be popular, at rental stores, the manufacturers’ showroom, and beyond. “They are the equipment borrowed the most often by Ditch Witch employees on the weekends,” confesses Schuermann. “They’re very useful and easy to transport. They provide good visibility.”

Weekend warriors rent both machines frequently, says Graham, although she notices that typically there are more wheeled machines than track in rental.

“They’re a popular rental machine because they’re small, easy to transport without a CDL [commercial driver’s license], and can get into tight/small spaces.”

The narrow profile of the machines allows operators to gain access to tight, space-restricted job sites like fenced-in backyards, declares Warfel. “These loaders are also extremely stable on steep or uneven ground and have excellent traction in many types of ground conditions.

Both types of loaders are hard to beat for grading work.”

Because they’re built to handle extreme temperatures, both types of loaders can remain productive year-round, he adds. “These loaders offer increased maneuverability when working in confined, snow-packed areas compared to

pickup trucks equipped with a snow blade or larger loaders.”

Not only are they replacing pickups in certain applications, but they are also taking on jobs once reserved for backhoes.

“The market is trending to larger chassis with more capacity,” says Graham.

“Skid-steers used to be smaller machines, but they’re adaptable. They can do it all.” And because they can, they are replacing some of the bigger, dedicated machines. “Forestry wants a CTL. They don’t want a dedicated machine that sits most of the time. CTLs are smaller, more versatile, and easier to transport.” Both skid-steers and CTLs can fit into urban spaces where it’s harder to get big machines.

“What size machine do you need?” is one of the first questions Schuermann poses to customers in order to determine the best machine to match their needs. His second is: Do you want to stand or sit?

“Stand-on sales are growing,” he pronounces. For jobs during which an operator needs to step on and off quickly, perhaps to make adjustments or shift a load, a stand-on model is more efficient than a ride-in model.

Efficiency is a factor in the decision.

So is safety. “Ditch Witch has one of the highest and largest platforms for stable footing and a better vantage point,” says Schuermann. “Visibility is key.”

Whatever a contractor’s specific needs are, Graham anticipates they’ll need new machines as business and the economy grow. In addition to determining costs, applications, and other considerations to be weighed in the decision-making process, she points out that JCB machines are Tier IV Final without aftertreatment. “There’s no SCR system, no DEF, no recycle time.

Nothing is required by the operator. That makes them more productive.” In the end, productivity is what these two compact machines are all about.

Winner of several Society of Professional Journalists awards, writer Lori Lovely writes about technical topics and construction.

For related articles: www.gradingandexcavation.com

Grading & Excavation Contractor 21

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Digging Deep With Vacuum Excavators

BY CAROL BRZOZOWSKI

T

here are three ways to dig a hole, points out Brian Metcalf, CEO of Ring-O-Matic.

“You can dig it by hand, you can dig it with a mechanical method, or you can utilize vacuum excavation,” he says. “Vacuum excavation obviously is significantly safer and is a completely different approach to digging a hole as opposed to using an excavator to do so.”

Vacuum excavation uses either water or air. When water is used, it’s called hydro excavation.

Vacuum excavators, especially hydro excavators, may be the most versatile piece of equipment in a contractor’s fleet, notes Ben Schmitt, Vactor Mfg.’s

product manager.

Hydro or air vacuum excavation offers a number of advantages to contractors, not the least of which is a safety value proposition when locating and digging around underground utilities, says Schmitt.

This safety aspect gives contractors a competitive edge, lowers insurance costs, and reduces job-site downtime.

The precision of hydro and vacuum excavation also lowers the cost to return the site to its original condition because the overall size of the excavation can be minimized, points out Schmitt.

Contractors appreciate the versatility of the equipment, he adds.

“Over the past five years, we’ve seen a significant gain in acceptance

of vacuum excavation throughout the United States,” says Schmitt. “Contractors are targeting larger, more productive truck-mounted vacuum excavation units for increased productivity and flexibility.

Hydro excavation also appears to be the lion’s share of the market for its versatility and productivity.”

Some utility companies, transportation departments, or power plants specify air vacuum excavation for a given job for a number of reasons, says Schmitt. “Air vacuum excavation is desired in applications where the soil tends to be loose, water is not readily available—in small-scale excavation projects—or where immediate backfill of the hole is required. When working around buried electrical lines or

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brittle utilities, air vacuum excavation is often preferred due to the lower operating pressures.”

While the utility segment appears to be somewhere around 20% of the total vacuum excavation market, there has been a substantial shift to the oil and gas production sector, where demand continues to increase, notes Schmitt.

In the oil field market sector, contractors have used the Vactor HXX, a hydro excavator, not only to daylight utilities, but also to clean the inside of mud or storage tanks, clean up oil spills at job sites, and perform various cleanup applications after the drilling process is completed, says Schmitt.

Other applications for utilities, construction, and municipalities include installing light poles, repairing water main breaks, long trenches for burying cable, fiber optic repair, cathodic protection for gas and water lines, pressure testing, hauling fresh water to a job site, towing a trailer, and even window well installation, he adds.

“Hydro excavators, like the Vactor HXX, are designed for safer, nondestructive location of buried utilities,” he notes. “This application is often called daylighting or potholing.”

The equipment can do much more, adds Schmitt.

“A hydro excavator consists of a powerful vacuum system and an onboard water blaster and water tank, so anything that can be sprayed, washed down, or vacuumed can be completed with this equipment,” he points out.

When exploring vacuum excavation system choices, the decision between an air or hydro unit is an important one, points out Schmitt, adding that both mediums have “very distinct advantages.

“Air vacuum excavators use compressed air to loosen the soil and positive displacement blowers to vacuum the spoils into a tank. Hydro excavation uses high-pressure water to loosen soils, and the residual slurry spoils are easily extracted into the debris tank via positive displacement blower or centrifugal compressors,” says Schmitt. “Air excavation is slower, but allows for dry material to be immediately backfilled into the hole and eliminates the need to find disposal locations, while hydro excavation is much faster and versatile, but requires clean fill to be brought in.”

The key to efficient hydro excavation is to only use enough water to cut the soil effectively, says Schmitt.

“All too often, operators use more water than is required and spend more time offloading material,” he adds. “Using the proper amount of water for the job will maximize the operator’s efficiency and maximize productivity.”

Jeff Wage, vice president of McLaughlin, says the biggest use of hydro excavation that he sees among grading and excavation contractors is “getting out in front of their open cut operations to spot utilities or dig around high risk or anything that may divert their productivity of the project.”

The technology replaces the need for an individual to get down in a hole with a shovel looking to expose a 12-inch water main as he or she gets direction to take one more scoop with the bucket, says Wage.

Instead, the hydro excavator enables contractors to locate the water main and expose it as the excavation project either crosses or intersects it or parallels the line, he adds.

“They’ve safely dug around it and exposed it, so when they get into an excavation operation, they can do what they’re good at, which is stay productive, move dirt, and lay pipe,” says Wage.

Hydro excavation is indicated for digging around not only water mains, but sensitive utilities such as fiber optics, electrical boxes, and gas lines “where you’re not quite sure where the utility is and you don’t want to use mechanical excavation,” notes Wage, echoing that safety is a primary benefit.

“As you’re excavating, the ability to dig around a line and not damage it is safety for the people on the job site as well as property owners and third-party utilities,” he notes. “You wouldn’t want to mechanically damage that, have an explosion, harm the operator, and damage equipment on the job site.”

Another safety consideration comes into play when avoiding damaging a utility and creating a leak, says Wage.

“There are long-term risks in safety implications of back feeding a sewer system with some natural gas and creating a large explosion,” he says. “There are a lot of risks in damaging or creating a small leak on gas and having that seep into another utility, mainly a sewer system.”

Whether to use water or air excavation “is the great debate and the question everyone asks,” notes Wage. “Hydro excavation really helps you when you’re digging in any of the colder climates because you can dig and cut in frost and do that excavation in cold weather. Hydro excavation typically is 75% more productive than air in most soils because it will cut and erode the soil more rapidly.

“People who want to use air want the ability to pick up and reuse material on the same job site without having to haul it off and bring in other material.”

Air-based excavation is useful in working around granular soils and sand, such as is found in coastal areas, says Wage.

Bruce Kane uses three Ring-O-Matic excavators on a daily basis for the work his company Kane Konnections in Goodlettesville, TN, does in fiber optic construction. Another company he owns, National Trenchless Inc., serves as a subcontracting company that does all of the excavation for the fiber optic business as well as for gas, water, and sewer lines.

Kane’s company uses the vacuum excavators to expose existing utilities and to do trenching in high-risk areas of other utilities such as gas and other fiber optic lines.

“In this town, we have a lot of rock, so there is no feel with an excavator,” says Kane. “We use vacuum excavation to expose those lines or sometimes dig trenches across those lines with very low risk to the existing utilities we’re digging around.”

Kane prefers using hydro excavation.

“Air works in loose soils and the water works where air will not work most of the time,” he says. “I don’t use a whole lot of air. The air does work good if you want to put spoils back in the hole that you make, but a lot of times we’ll just haul spoils offsite.

“Air isn’t very useful for us in the soil conditions in this town because we have a lot of hard-packed clays and where we don’t have hard-packed clays, we either have chunky rock or solid rock, and in those conditions the air isn’t very useful.”

Kane’s company has three vacuum excavators: one is an 800-gallon heavyduty excavator from McLaughlin and two are 500-gallon excavators from McLaughlin and Ditch Witch.

The 800-gallon McLaughlin hydro excavator has a higher horsepower engine and has a 4-inch suction hose

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Vactor

that works well for potholing to expose existing utilities, says Kane, adding it also works well for open trenching. “It’s got higher water pressure and more suction power,” he adds.

“The two 500-gallon units work for potholing, but we use them a lot for sucking up our drill mud to keep it from getting into the streets,” says Kane. His company uses the Ditch Witch to suction out sand contents on rock drilling jobs.

Meanwhile, in Levelland, TX, Dave Campbell, owner/president of Air Vac Systems, prefers to use air-based vacuum excavation for the work his company performs.

Campbell was the first contractor in the United States to purchase a System 6000 from Vacmasters, which manufactures a line of air vacuum excavators, including the System 6000, the largest available on the market.

Campbell’s acquisition of the vacuum excavator added to his company’s fleet of four Vacmasters.

“Here in west Texas, we pothole and trench in all kinds of soil, including caliche and rocky dirt. It takes one mean machine to dig in that stuff,” notes Campbell.

“Vacmaster’s System 6000 is the most powerful airvacuum excavation system in the world and it gets the job done fast.”

Many of Air Vac Systems’ jobs entail potholing with air for the oil and gas companies. Campbell says he likes that the System 6000 enables him to dig trenches with air.

“We use the air power of the System 6000 to open up trenches for the power plants’ electrical lines and to visually locate the ones that are already buried,” says Campbell. “If you’re using highpressure water and hit those utilities, it can rupture fiberglass conduits or blow the coating off the lines.”

Air Vac Systems uses the System 6000 to vacuum up soil as it digs, and crews then backfill with the same dry spoils right away.

“The remote-operated boom arm

you’re getting around electrical conduits, water and electricity don’t mix,” he adds.

“When air hits a utility such as an underground fiber optic cable or gas line, the air will flow around it. Water has been known to damage those underground utilities where air does not.”

Vacmasters manufactures five different systems to meet targeted needs.

The System 1000 is a trailer-mounted unit used by many companies just starting to get into air excavation, says Bell.

The System 3000 is offered on a nonCDL chassis such as a Ford 550 or a Dodge 5500 and A Vactor HXX2 hydro has four-wheel-drive capabiliexcavator works on ties. It has a smaller footprint an urban project. than the higher-numbered systems, says Bell.

The System 4000 has a higher power rating and can dig faster than the other systems, points out Bell. It is the most-used model in the company’s lineup because of its power rating and because it is offered on a non-CDL chassis, he adds.

Companies that don’t employ CDL-licensed drivers can use the System 4000 on a non-CDL chassis and still have enough storage in their spoils tank for excavated dirt and the power to dig multiple holes in any given work session, says Bell, adding that it offers 50% more power than the 3000 unit.

The System 5000, which is on a CDL chassis, features a full-opening rear door and a stronger vacuum blower that runs off of a single 173-horsepower ally, in most cases, air can dig faster in (hp) turbo diesel engine. most soils and is safer.”

The System 6000 has the power to Bell notes that contractors lean toward do large air excavation jobs, enabling the the use of air instead of water “because contractor to dig a trench and vacuum all there is no muddy slurry associated with of that dirt with the same machine. It feait, so it’s cleaner and there is an added tures a single 250-hp turbo diesel engine cost on the disposing of that mud that’s and a wireless remote-operated hydraulic associated with using water.” vacuum hose boom.

The ability to reintroduce excavated The systems have a John Deere engine soil back onto the job site saves disposal that operates the vacuum blower, water costs for contractors and the cost of new pump, and compressor. base material to fill the excavated holes, The excavators are designed to be points out Bell.

Air-based excavation also offers added user-friendly, says Bell, adding that companies receive two days of training on safety benefits, says Bell. equipment operation and maintenance “If you’re using water to dig and makes things easy for a two-man crew, and our guys really like the hydraulic, full-opening rear door for easy dumping and cleaning,” says Campbell.

The vacuum systems are typically used on jobs being executed by oil and gas, pipeline, underground utility locating, and telecommunication companies, as well as municipalities, says Bell.

“Where a lot of companies will use water to dig and break apart the soil and vacuum it up, we use air,” notes Charles Bell, Vacmaster’s sales manager. “Gener-

26 www.GradingandExcavation.com / January/February 2016

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McLaughlin

when purchasing the systems.

Ring-O-Matic’s line of vacuum excavation equipment is primarily used for utility construction projects, says Metcalf.

The company offers both air and hydro vacuum excavators. Its hydro excavators use the cutting power of high-pressure water along with a powerful vacuum for such uses as potholing for utility location, sewer jetting, pit cleaning sumps and catch basins, and environmental cleanup, such as oil spills and the aftermath of a hurricane.

The equipment can go on trailers, vacuum trucks, and skid mount systems.

The company’s air vacuum excavation machines are heavy-duty industrial vacuum systems used in applications such as drilling fluid cleanup, pit cleaning, environmental cleanup, and construction site cleanup.

There are several factors to keep in mind when choosing between the use of air or water, says Jim Zylstra, Ring-OMatic’s sales and marketing manager. In addition to job conditions that may favor the use of one over the other, budget is another deciding factor, he points out.

“The smaller contracting company might not have the budget for a fullfledged vacuum excavator but still needs to do some of the cleanup and mud management, so the vacuum only machine might be a better option,” he says, adding that if a company has the budget for it, the vacuum excavator is the best option.

Metcalf adds that the hydro vacuum excavator “fully replaces a loader backhoe on a job site with regards to utility locates for new utility construction or rehab. It’s far easier to use a vacuum excavator to locate and dig down and pothole as opposed to using a loader backhoe or excavator operationally.”

The machines are user-friendly and have built-in fail-safes and safety features, says Zylstra.

Another option is the Viper pothole tool, a “gun”-like device designed specifically for potholing. “It takes a two-person job to a one-man job,” says Zylstra. “It’s the safest, fastest, and cleanest way to get down to the utility locating.”

McLaughlin manufactures vacuum excavators for Vermeer. One segment is trailer vacuums from 100–1,200 gallons that include gas- and diesel-powered vacs.

They come in two performance categories driven by hose diameter.

Most of the trailer-mounted vacuum

McLaughlin Strong Arm

excavators are three- or four-inch systems for small- and medium-sized jobs of potholing and utility spotting.

Three-inch systems run a 575-cubic feet per minute (cfm) vacuum blower with horsepower levels of 31 or less and are typically used for fluid management, such as sucking up mud, dirt, and debris.

The 1,025-cfm vacuum excavators— generally used for potholing—utilize a 4-inch hose so it will ingest larger material and be more productive when potholing, says Wage. They typically run on 49–100 hp.

Some contractors opt for truckmounted vacuums that cost thousands of dollars and are typically 6-inch systems of 3,200–7,000 cfm and sometimes even larger at up to 8 inches. These systems also have greater suction capabilities.

“Contractors select equipment based on the application, how much work they’re going to do in a day and the desire to stay on the job. They also look at capital investment versus utilization,” says Wage.

The trailer-mounted vacuum market suits a lot of directional drilling contractors, small utility contractors, or somebody who’s just spotting utilities in front of an open-cut operation, says Wage.

“When you get into the big trucks, that would be called bulk excavation for somebody who’s digging large holes— maybe working on a power plant where there is a lot of big excavation to be done. There’s a lot more capital invested in those big machines, but also much more productivity.”

To help contractors learn how to use

the machines, McLaughlin will do “train the trainer” sessions. The focus is on safety and maintenance.

“Within one to two hours, you can get somebody up to speed on basic vacuum excavation, cover a good safety course on things to do and not to do and also the maintenance of the machine,” says Wage.

“There are not a lot of buttons or high-tech features. You’re basically running water or air and using a big suction hose. It comes down more to about how you dump it, making sure that you know your load, you’ve got the right tow vehicle, and you’ve inspected all major pins, joints, and connections because you’re dealing with high-pressure water or air and suction.”

There is also an emphasis on that which can be taken for granted, such as not putting one’s hand in front of a 3,000-psi water hose to see what the pressure is, says Wage.

Air- and water-based excavators are common in the rental industry, which helps contractors get their first exposure to the machines and learn of the many useful purposes they serve, says Wage.

Hydro- and air-based excavation technology is constantly changing, says Wage, noting that there are a few trends now taking place.

One is core sawing and vacuum combinations, offering the ability to carry dry spoil on the vacuum machine.

Some jobs call for the contractor to cut a hole in the middle of the intersection and the specifications allow them to core saw a hole, vacuum it, then put the core back into the ground the same day

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and keep traffic disruption to a minimum, says Wage.

Although a trend, core sawing is a “spotty market” that has become standard in some areas such as Colorado and practically unheard of in other regions of the country, says Wage.

Another feature contractors are favoring is the company’s standard three-stage cyclonic filtration system, allowing a vacuum to be used for both wet and dry vacuum excavating where cyclones reduce airborne particulates from reaching the final filter and vacuum blower, helping to prolong filter life and reduce maintenance costs.

Drying spoils is another trend Wage sees developing. Contractors want the ability to dry wet material after it’s excavated.

“With hydro excavation, 30 to 50% of the material in that debris tank is water and the rest is earth,” points out Wage.

“So now you’re going to dump it. The question is how you can separate out the solids and the water?”

He cites technology that is akin to a large shaker deck that’s shaking and vibrating, letting the water drop through fine settings and enabling the material to dry as it’s shaking, vibrating, and bouncing in the air.

It comes off the end of the shaker deck and can be used as a dry material or earth to be able to go back into the ground, says Wage.

For safer operation around utilities, Vactor recently released its DigRight Technology, enabling the operator to select the maximum desired working water pressure for the application based on vacuum excavation best practices.

“This selection will limit the water pump from exceeding site, industry, or customer maximum pressures to ensure a safe and non-destructive method of excavation,” says Schmitt. “DigRight Technology also reduces wear and tear on the water system, which extends the life of the product.”

Vac-Con’s hydro excavation equipment is capable of liquefying the ground using vacuum technology to convey it into a tank, which is particularly useful in sensitive areas where there are natural gas pipelines and high electrical lines in remote locations, notes Mike Selby, national service manager.

“You can vacuum excavate a long way away from where you’re actually excavat-

ing,” Selby says of the equipment. “You don’t have to transport a piece of equipment over land in order to get to that location.”

Vac-Con offers a “double excavator” that features two vacuum generators or positive displacement blowers on the truck, enabling an operator to vacuum upwards of 1,000 feet away from the truck and convey material into the tank.

The equipment is beneficial on job sites such as hydro power generation plants requiring that work be performed a safe distance away from high-voltage lines, says Selby.

“They can literally park the truck outside of the facility and run hosing and the tools they use to excavate within the facility to keep all of the danger away from the equipment contacting any of the electrical line.”

Vac-Con also offers air-vacuum excavation through an on-demand air compressor to break the ground up using pneumatic means.

The company is making strides in technology that will enable contractors to use the equipment in cold weather, says Selby.

“We’ve developed an arctic package for ultra-cold weather where you start getting 20 to 40 degrees below zero,” he adds.

Ditch Witch offers a range of vacuum excavator models, including both truckand trailer-mounted excavators, such as the Ditch Witch FX20 trailer mount with a 25-hp engine to the FXT60 truck mount with a 74-hp engine.

The excavators are designed for efficient potholing while offering a versatile solution for a range of cleanup and excavation tasks, notes Jason Proctor, product manager for Ditch Witch vacuum excavators.

The FX20 is intended for small projects including valve box and storm drain clean-out, commercial and residential debris cleanup and landscaping, underground utility location, posthole digging, and construction site stormwater control, says Proctor.

“The FX20 excavator combines the suction power of a 540-cfm package with a 150-gallon spoils tank while still offering a smaller footprint,” he says, adding the belt-driven blower is designed for reliability and easy maintenance. It can fit in the back of a standard pickup truck or flatbed trailer.

The Ditch Witch FX30 vacuum excavator is suited for projects that require a cost-efficient and maneuverable excavator option, says Proctor. It offers the “necessary water pressure and suction power along with a curbside operator’s station allowing single-operator control,” he adds.

Contractors can choose between a 500or 800-gallon vacuum tank and 80-, 200-, or 300-gallon water tanks.

“Contractors have successfully used the machine in jobs such as exposing buried utility lines, cleaning out storm drains, cleaning up at directional drilling sites, repairing water leaks, and cleaning out valve boxes,” says Proctor.

For heavy spoil municipal, construction, and oil and gas projects, the Ditch Witch FX50 is used for potholing and posthole digging, sewer cleanup, supporting horizontal directional drills, and removing road construction debris, he adds.

The Ditch Witch FX60 is designed for directional drilling and municipal project sites that need power for large cleanup tasks, says Proctor.

“In addition to potholing and other soft excavation tasks, the machine is tailored for cleanup jobs such as the removal of non-hazardous wastewater, industrial machine cleaning, and a multitude of post-emergency restoration jobs,” he says, adding the equipment can also vacuum unwanted fluids and spills in and around manholes, catch basins, meter boxes, and directional drilling sites.

The FX50 and FX60 can be configured with choices of tank sizes, trailer configurations, and options such as hydraulic booms, water heaters, and hydraulic valve exercisers to meet job-site needs, says Proctor.

The FXT30, FXT50, and FXT60 models are available on 26,000-pound trucks, 33,000-pound single axle trucks, and 52,000-pound tandem axle trucks. Air system models are available for dry excavation or operating pneumatic tools.

Carol Brzozowski specializes in topics related to technology and construction.

For related articles: www.gradingandexcavation.com

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Smart Developments in Road Construction: The Newest Advances in Telematics

Roadtec

The road construction market is dynamic. It continues to evolve and change—due, in part, to technology. BY JEFF WINKE

T

echnology has become interwoven into the means of production and how road construction businesses are run. What technology has done is provide valuable information— real-time information, which allows for better decisions to be made. Access to information benefits the road construction contractor in all areas from the heavyequipment operator to the site superintendent to the business owner. Large amounts of data can be filtered and selectively used by individuals in their jobs to help them be more effective, productive, and accountable.

The concept of telematics has become a catchall term for much of the information-based developments and systems in the marketplace.

In simple terms, telematics is any integrated use of telecommunications with information and communications technology. It is seen as the sending, receiving, and storing of information via telecommunication devices. Typically, this is in conjunction with machine or device control. Telematics includes GPS. Even though the mere transmission of data can be impressive, it is the application of the information that is truly impressive. The application is where the advances from telematics in construction are occurring—the software. The software uses the information collected to control production; monitor progress; alert to any problems; and help manage the machine, the project, and the business.

Innovative software has usurped engineered hardware as the definer of the edge in cutting edge. Behind all new remarkable products and machines is the software that operates them. Software development is where systems and solutions are that help make the construction contractor more productive, more accurate, and more profitable.

30 www.GradingandExcavation.com / January/February 2016

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Telematics currently offers contractors the ability to monitor where their fleet of equipment is currently located, which machines are running, and the level of productivity being achieved. With GPS and three-dimensional digital site models, machines can grade, compact, mill, and pave with astounding accuracies. Machines can “tell” owners when it’s time for scheduled maintenance and diagnose the cause of mechanical and hydraulic issues.

It’s in this area of diagnostic software where cutting edge developments are occurring. Remote diagnostics can provide real-time data, which can address a contractor’s worse nightmare: a stalled machine.

“We have developed a custom remote diagnostic system for our machines that can address a problem and correct it to maintain the contractor’s productivity,” states Max Peters, Guardian account manager with Roadtec. “Our Roadtec Guardian Telematics System consists of software, on-machine viewing screens, and wireless signal boosters to send and receive data from the machine.”

Numerous functions such as engine data and fuel consumption can be viewed at the machine or on a computer screen from a remote location.

With telematics, construction contractors have access to engine information—a lot of data that can make certain the machine’s engine keeps operating efficiently. The data can tell company personnel if an engine is faltering, how much fuel is being burned, if the engine is idle, how long it’s been idling, and where the engine, i.e., the machine, is located.

With the emergence of telematics, contractors are experiencing the benefits of technology. Fleet management can help track assets and save time when a need emerges for a piece of heavy equipment that may be sitting idle on the other side of a job site or at another location.

Engine diagnostics can prevent costly workflow slow downs or stoppages. A machine that’s dead on the site not only affects the workflow, but can mess up a contractor’s timetable. Missing a deadline can incur penalties and affect the contrac-

For related articles: www.gradingandexcavation.com

tor’s ability to move on quickly to other jobs and opportunities.

The engine diagnostics feature of telematics has certainly helped contractors meet the demands of today’s expectations for shorter completion deadlines and slimmer margins. There is little room for errors.

There is a flaw in the most current evolution of the telematics engine diagnostics picture: the tremendous amount of data and benefits are there, if the engine is running. What happens when the engine has stopped?

“We’ve taken the next logical step with telematics and can diagnose why a machine’s engine has stopped,” says Peters. “Telematics can tell the contractor that the engine has stopped, where our system tells why.”

This technology innovation promises to address the following: • Show why the engine won’t start, such as a failed neutral switch on a propel joystick or possibly an E-Stop that isn’t activated because a wire is loose—or perhaps a circuit breaker didn’t “pop,” but failed internally. Additionally, the contractor will be able to see what the battery voltage is when trying to crank the engine.

• Provide a visual guide—so the machine operator, technician, or machine owner can see where the voltage path stops in the circuit under test.

• Create customized fault codes for the machine, not just the engine. With this advance, a contractor can be notified when a steering or grade sensor fails, as well as receive warnings when hydraulic pressures or temperatures are out of spec.

• Educate a new technician who is not familiar with the circuit/system by guiding them directly to the problem.

• Provide access to engine operating data in real time with fault code reporting.

The fault codes are decoded and provide the fault description in text, not just an SPN number.

Clearly, the ability to troubleshoot and know why an engine has stopped can help technicians be better prepared to repair and restore a machine back to productivity. In this way, telematics is geared toward increasing job-site productivity and uptime for business owners, and clearly reflects a continued evolution of the benefits of technology in

construction today.

Telematics systems consist of software, on-machine viewing screens, and wireless signal boosters to send and receive data at the machine. Numerous functions such as engine data and fuel consumption can be viewed at the machine, on the owner’s computer screen from a remote location, and by a system providers’ support personnel.

“Let me give you an example of the benefits of having a contractor’s machine connected to our support,” states Peters.

“Our support center received a notice from a milling machine working in Florida reporting that the signal from the left front pulse pickup was lost. A pulse pickup monitors the speed of the hydraulic motors that drive the tracks. On this particular machine, the left front track pulse pickup value showed zero and all other track pulse pickup values were normal.”

Peters continues, “An engineer at our place logged into that machine in Florida and confirmed the condition. The engineer called the owner of the milling machine and told them, and the customer quickly found a broken wire. The problem was corrected within 30 minutes of the time we received the notice.”

With telematics, it is possible to monitor and troubleshoot everything from the machine’s fuel consumption to engine codes; starting circuits to cutter circuits; and the machine’s propel functions, load controls, hydraulics, steering circuits, and grade and slope settings. Everything can be seen instantly, even the exact location of the machine via GPS. Help from technical service is only a phone call away. With Roadtec’s Guardian, for instance, technicians are available 24/7. The support staff technicians can see the same machine circuits and systems as live schematics that the contractor sees and can guide them through a fix or do it for them remotely.

Telematics appears to be helping milling and paving customers stay ahead of the technology evolution occurring in road construction today. Telematics innovations appear to offer options that can help contractors control production; monitor progress; be alerted to any problems; and help manage the machine, the project, and their business.

Writer Jeff Winke is a frequent contributor to Forester Media publications.

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Photos: Trimble

Beyond the Line of Sight Laser and GPS guidance systems allow for precise earthwork. BY DANIEL P. DUFFY

W Introduction

GPS Systems: How They Work

hen it was first invented back in 1960, the laser was described as a “solution looking for a problem.” Laser is an acronym that stands for “light amplified by the stimulated emission of radiation.” It releases a beam of monochromatic light (of one specific wavelength) that is coherent (with all of the light waves acting in unison) and highly concentrated (with a tight directional beam). Industrial laser applications have been more mundane and practical than more fanciful applications in science fiction and James Bond movies, in the form of ray guns. From survey levels to spectroscopy to laser ranging to photochemistry to bar code scanners, lasers are essential to everyday technology. One obviously unexpected application of the laser was in the construction industry.

A more recent development than the laser is, GPS developed by the United States military in the 1980s. This tracking system consists of 24 satellites (one for each hour of the day covering 15 degrees of longitude from pole to pole) in synchronous orbit. Circling the earth twice daily, each broadcasts a unique time signal to the surface where it can be collected by ground antennae. Even traveling at the speed of light there is a measurable time lag between sending and receiving of the time signature.

This difference allows a measurement of the distance from the ground point

The automated positioning reporting system (APRS) for earthmoving equipment is a direct application of the general GPS to the construction industry. Using the triangulation technique described, information from several of these high-speed satellite signals can be used to precisely locate the receiver attached to a piece of earthmoving equipment to an accuracy of 30 centimeters (1 foot). Further accuracy, up to a distance of 1 centimeter (0.4 inches), can be achieved using an associated ground system with the APRS. With this system a fleet operator can integrate the movement and operations of multiple types of earthmoving equipment (excavators, backhoes, front end loaders, graders, dump truck, bull dozers, etc.). These operations are tied to threedimensional (3D) contour maps (referred to as digital terrain models, or DTMs) of the construction site. The software operates through hardware including sensors attached to the working edge of the equipment (dozer blade, bucket teeth, etc.) and automated computer controls utilizing a machine interface and an operator interface. All of the above are integrated with the software map and hardware controls by means of sensors and other input devices.

An APRS integrates GPS with the machine controls. Traditionally these have been hydraulic cylinders that move and position the blade or shovel. But with an APRS, these have been replaced with electronically controlled servo-type valves. These utilize an induced elec-

Clockwise, from top left: Trimble PCS400 control box, PCS900 Total Station, and SPS930 Universal Total Station

to the satellite. By triangulating the calculated distances from the ground point to multiple satellites, a precise location of the ground point can be determined.

GPS was originally intended to provide precise positions of military elements and assets (tanks, planes, ships, etc.) to battlefield command and control.

However, by the end of the 1980s, the United States government made both GPS and associated operating frequencies available for civilian use. And so a system designed to move tanks and plane across a battlefield has developed into a system that allows for precise movement of heavy equipment across a construction site.

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trical signal to create a magnetic field that rotates a suspended armature. The armature in turn is connected to a fixed flapper arm that provides the linkage to the rotary spools that generate pressure changes in a closed-loop hydraulic system. This system in turn controls the amount, pressure, and direction of the hydraulic fluid flow.

The control center of the system is the operator interface, which is connected to the hydraulic system via a software control box, which in turn is connected to servo valves via a system of electrical cables. Utilizing the incoming satellite data, these systems reference the site plan’s digital design files (existing and proposed 3D contouring plans) that are stored in a compact-flash memory card, memory stick, or accessed externally from data broadcast by the site’s controlled area network (CAN). These combined information sets, CAN, and GPS, work together to provide the machine’s position and the position of its blade or bucket.

Operating in real time, the combined system can accurately place the dozer blade or excavator shovel in the precise location and depth needed to remove dirt and achieve the proposed design grades.

The blades and shovel simultaneously move up and down with the forward and backward movement of their machines to ensure the edge is located at the required northing, easting, and elevation (X, Y, and Z coordinates).

Machine equipment and the CAN system interface with the GPS by means of built-in sensors. Each GPS sensor consists of an antenna and receiver. Coordinating all of the mobile GPS sensors on each piece of equipment is a stationary GPS sensor combining an antenna with a receiver called the base station. The base station is permanently located over a pre-surveyed reference point such as a third order bench mark (manhole rims, street curbs, and building corners, etc.), or some relative location whose elevation is not exactly known but can be treated as a local datum for the project area. All three elements, mobile sensors, base sensors, and the equipment operator are in continuous communication with each other. The result is a high degree of accuracy at the tip of the bucket and the edge of the blade.

Laser Grading Systems As accurate as it is, GPS has not com-

beam that is rapidly spun about an axis on top of the tripod that makes up the structural component of the laser base station. The laser itself does not rotate.

Instead, a fixed laser shines it light at a rapidly spinning mirror that reflects the light in all directions. These mirrors are either self leveling or manually leveled by traditional bubble level markers.

The broadcast laser light is detected by either a sensor mounted on a pole attached to the equipment, or a handheld surveyor’s pole. The height of the

pletely replaced the need for local grading precision, including old fashioned site surveying done with stakes, transits, and target rods. But it is lasers that make for a sophisticated auxiliary system to GPS since they allow for polished shaping or terrain within minimal grade changes.

Like GPS, a laser positioning system utilizes a base station. However, this base does not receive information from outside sources; it radiates guiding laser light for the equipment to follow. Specifically, it generates a one-dimensional light

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sensor’s “eye” can be raised and lowered until it interacts with the plane of laser light created by the spinning mirror. Upon detection, it will send either a visual signal to the equipment operator in the form of a flashing light or make an audio beep, indicating that the equipment blade is at the proper elevation. These systems allow for simultaneous raising and lowering of the dozer blade as the equipment moves across the site, in effect tracing the elevation or sloped plane created by the laser light. Whenever the blade is off, the deign grade warning information is sent to the operator’s display monitor allowing for accuracy of up to 1 millimeter.

Advantages of Using Laser and/or GPS Equipment Guidance

GPS Insight

The advantages of using laser and/or GPS equipment guidance systems are many. With an advanced system, contractors can increase productivity up to 50% compared to traditional methods. This is accomplished by removing expensive reworking of the site and the need for most operational surveying. In doing so, material use is optimized, and the number of actual productive hours during the working day increases.

Increases in overall efficiency allows contractors to deal with any labor shortages by maximizing the use of available personnel. It eliminates the need for physical ground stakes, string lines, and grade checkers. As a results, costs are reduced and contractors can finish projects quicker.

Throughout the projects, operators are empowered to check grades and elevations from their cabs, reducing their downtime.

This empowerment is just one aspect of an overall increase in employee satisfaction that comes with laser and/or GPS guidance system usage. Employees are given more responsibility, and can see real-time results of their efforts along with real-time feedback on their progress. These systems eliminate guess work which reduces worker stress. The additional training an operator receives on these systems is a wise investment. And overall job-site safety is enhanced with safety interlocks for park brake, system health, and idle time.

Utilizing laser and/or GPS guidance systems results in significant mechanical upgrades to the equipment itself. Equipment is operated more efficiently, and this increases reliability by reducing wear and tear and while minimizing maintenance requirements. Equipment control configurations are modified to allow for optimized on-board electronics, easy to use joystick controls, and hydraulic systems. Systems with plug and play connections allow fast conversion from laser grade control systems to GPS and then back to manual control.

Each type of equipment guidance system has it strengths and weaknesses: • Laser: Works with either open sky or blockage (e.g., over hanging trees) of the open sky. It builds flat, level, or sloping surfaces, but not complex surfaces. It has an effective operating range of about 1,500 feet, and can build surfaces without a 3D model.

• GPS: Works only with an open sky without overhead blockage. It builds flat, sloping, and complex surfaces.

GPS Insight has a focus on customer service, making its vehicle tracking systems easily accessible and user-friendly via a dashboard interface and data integration.

It has an effective range measured in miles, but requires a job-site plan loaded onto the machine.

• Sonics: Works in both open sky and blocked sky. It builds roads with string lines (which limit its effective range).

Major Suppliers With machine control only as good as the model controlling it, Carlson Software has designed two products—Carlson Takeoff and Carlson Construction—specifically to convert paper or digital plans into accurate, efficient models for use with GPS for machine control. While Carlson Takeoff can also be used for precise estimates when bidding for jobs, both 3D surface modeling software solutions are made for site and road construction. Both provide the ability to create 3D surface models and output to all major machine control providers. Jobs are accurately prepared for stakeout or machine control in the field with commands such as draw locate points, create points for entities, divide along entity, and triangulation file utilities. When working with roads, Carlson’s features include the ability to import/ create/draw centerlines, vertical profiles, design templates, and cross sections.

Carlson’s 3D viewing tools enable users to elevate 2D designs to the 3D model files they need to effectively utilize GPS and machine control.

Caterpillar Inc. is not just a leader in the heavy equipment industry; it is also an innovator in guidance and grading systems. Their AccuGrade Grade Control System increases productivity by up to 40% while reducing site costs. This system is factory integrated, sensor independent, and features a suite of products, which includes cross slope, sonic, laser, GPS, and ATS technology.

The AccuGrade Laser Grade Control System is an earthmoving tool that allows dozer operators to grade and fill with increased accuracy, without the use of traditional stakes or grade checkers.

It utilizes machine-mounted components and an off-board laser transmitter to provide precise elevation information on an in-cab display and guide blade positioning. The system allows for a 50% increase in productivity and requires only minimum operator training.

Designed for a wide range of construction earthwork applications requiring tight tolerances and high production

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rates, these systems are often required in project specifications or by general contractors in the construction industry.

Caterpillar’s Accugrade GPS reduces labor requirements and helps operators work on the design plan by accurately cutting, filling, and reducing material costs. It utilizes GPS technology to compare the blade position to a 3D computerized site plan and signals the operator or hydraulic system to raise or lower the blade to achieve the design requirements.

It is designed for a wide range of construction earthwork applications, from bulk clearing with high production rates to finish grading with tight tolerances such as complex 3D design for golf course and roads with super elevations. These designs can be directly loaded into the system with a compact flash card.

GPS Insight’s vehicle tracking systems comes with dashboard interface, alerts/ reports, landmarks, fuel card tracking, and data integration. Use of this application allows an equipment operator to reduce fuel and labor costs, increase dispatch efficiency for vehicles and other assets, proactively extend the life of vehicles and assets, recover stolen assets faster, and improve billing accuracy based on time onsite and number of visits. It provides real-time maps that visually display and identify construction fleets as well as the current location of individual vehicles or pieces of equipment. Employing a continuous improvement process, GPS Insight takes customer feedback and requests to create new features or iterations of existing features, so that the software does what the customer wants, when they want it, and the way the need to see it.

West Coast Sand and Gravel is an example of a company that has successfully used GPS Insight to achieve these goals, including a reduction in fuel costs by $72,000 per year just by reducing idle time. West Coast Sand and Gravel expressed the need for a more efficient way to relay information from the field back to the office. By using GPS Insight, it improved customer service by providing accurate ETAs to customers and custom forms which are assigned to a Garmin navigation device so that drivers could fill them out at the point of service and send them back to the office in real time. This allowed West Coast to expedite invoices straight to the billing department, identify crew members on

the job site for payroll, verify deliveries, and track inventory.

Another satisfied customer is NuBilt Construction & Restoration which uses GPS tracking to ensure quick response time. NuBilt uses the GPS Insight Fleet Tracking Solution to monitor driver behavior and recognize areas for improvement, in order to reduce their fuel expense and improve safety. GPS Insight provides detailed landmark information for NuBilt management to see when employees have arrived and

left jobs. “We enter each job into the Landmarks Editor, which will then allow us from this point on to identify this job when an employee either enters or exits or needs to return.”

GPS North America’s Smart Antenna is an equipment tracking system, which automatically tracks engine hours, maintenance requirements, theft and abuse, and real-time usage to measure utilization efficiency. With this equipment, an operator can simultaneously track the movements of his entire fleet. Earthmoving

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equipment is subject to abuse during the course of normal operations. By recording how long the engine was running each day, and how long it was idling, maintenance needs can be accurately anticipated. This well planned preventative maintenance can be a major cost saver— avoiding costly breakdowns and repair efforts—for any equipment operator.

GPS Trackit offers a full package of affordable, money-saving GPS tracking hardware and software solutions for construction fleet vehicles, heavy equip-

ment, portable assets (water tanks, mobile generators, etc.), and office trailers. It allows for real-time tracking and location on demand as well as theft protection via their GeoFence breach alerts and stolen asset tracking. It provides reports and alerts for ignition and power take off, fuel consumption, billing records, work site compliance, and scheduled maintenance.

Two-way communication between foremen and crew via the dedicated website optimized for display on mobile tablets.

Their Satellite GPS Solution allows for

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tracking in urban, rural, and remote locations. Crew management is enhanced by scheduling, equipment allocation, compliance, parking landmarks, emergency alerts, and time sheet logging capabilities.

Hemisphere global navigation satellite system (GNSS) offers a variety of antennas (positioning, heading, and differential) as well as receivers and OEM boards.

All are designed for durability in harsh environments (commercial and residential construction, open pit mines, landfill operations, etc.). These satellite positioning systems can be tailored to a particular task or work environment.

InSite Sitework’s Field General software combined with InSite SiteWork allows point data to be prepared for layout with traditional data collectors and positioning equipment (traditional two person total station, robotic total station, or GPS). It allows a programmer to fine tune machine control models and export them to any brand of machine control system. It also allows for easy formulation of staking files including offset staking of curbs, building footprints, road centerlines, and right of ways. Verification of work done allows for real-time measurement of work in progress. The Field General Office module can export surface models to products like Caterpillar Accugrade, Leica PowerGrade 3D, Topcon’s 3DMC2, and Trimble’s Grade Control machine control systems. This is done by loading its triangulated surface file into an on-board machine. Once installed, the GPS unit supplies the X and Y (northing and easting) coordinates, and the triangulated surface provides the target elevation data.

INTEQ/Geoshack provides machine control technology, service, and support.

Their machine control technology allows for the implementation of onboard control systems for a wide variety of earthmoving equipment. On the software end, their GIS provides data displays to the equipment operator and the home office.

For general construction, they supply lasers, total stations, optical instruments, and sonic based ground controls.

Leica Geosystems Inc. provides GNSS/GIS/GPS surveying systems, data collectors, and reference networks.

For surveying there is the new Leica GPS900, which uses Leica Geosystems’ GPS technology. The system consists of a Leica RX900c Color Controller and

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a Leica ATX900 GG GNSS Antenna mounted on the all-on-the-pole GPS900 RTK rover, which allows for one-person stakeout and topographic tasks. It is lightweight and easy to use with icon-based, graphical onboard software which can be easily using the ¼ VGA touch screen.

AutoCAD integration is provided by its “Direct.dxf” functionality, so data can be read directly from the instrument in dxfformat and read into AutoCAD. MOBA Mobile Automation AG provides machine controls that are both sophisticated and ruggedly built for harsh conditions. This is accomplished by protecting against vibrations, dust, heat, and moisture with a special sealing technology. Ease of use is provided by displays with well designed, but simply laid out, menu navigation. Their bulldozer systems include the two dimension leveling system, the GS-506, and a 3D system, the Moba 3D-Matic. Each comes with a high level of flexibility in terms of choice of sensors and fields of application. The provide two 2D systems for excavators, the simple and inexpensive Xsite EASY and the more comprehensive Xsite PRO. The Xsite PRO comes with a high resolution 8.4 inch touch screen display and can be upgraded to 3D. For direct 3D use, there is Xsite PRO ADVANCED for complex projects.

In addition to multiple software applications, Teletrac provides GPS tracking hardware. It integrates their Fleet Director software to report real-time locations and activity via actionable GPS data.

The Prism TM470 allows fleet owners to stay connected to their fleet’s every move in real time including information such as their precise locations and engine statuses. If a vehicle is currently out of range, a complete history—including vehicle speed, direction, and ignition on/off status—is stored and automatically sent to the Fleet Director software package once the vehicle returns to a coverage area. The Prism TM470 features a built-in J-Bus 1708 and 1939 CAN decoder for insight into vehicle performance, such as fault codes or hard

braking events. It also supports Teletrac’s OBD-II interface, allowing the reporting of valuable data, such as fuel use and miles driven. The more rugged Prism TM470R is for a wide range of heavy equipment and machinery assets, including earthmovers, graders, backhoes, forklifts, compressors, large generators, and HVAC systems.

Terrain Modeling Services provides a data preparation service for 3D machine control, layout, and quantity takeoffs.

These services include the preparation of digital 3D surfaces from AutoCAD files and/or construction plans for machine control and grade checking. They also supply line work (e.g., curbs, utilities lines, etc.) and point files for job-site stake out while computing earthwork quantities for bidding and billing purposes.

Topcon Positioning Systems provides a wide range of surveying and equipment guidance systems. For site grading, their 3DMC² utilizes inertial technology and GPS + GLONASS coverage. Operational smoothness and accuracy are ensured by a 100-Hz blade position update rate and matching 100-Hz hydraulic update rate.

For mass excavation, their 3D excavator systems utilize their Sitelink 3D software system for data exchange and support, which is designed to allow for swappable components for excavators, wheel loaders, scrapers, dozers, and motor graders, even changing buckets on the fly.

Trimble Navigation Geomatics & Engineering is a major player in the GNSS industry, providing GNSS survey solutions tailored to particular situations.

Their Trimble R10 GNSS System is capable of surveying hard-to-reach points with built-in firmware that automatically compensates for to 15 degrees of pole tilt providing RTK level precision. The R10 comes with Trimble’s advanced technologies such as Trimble HD-GNSS, Trimble SurePoint, Trimble CenterPoint RTX, and Trimble xFill, integrated into the system. Their Trimble R6 GNSS system combines GNSS technology with the scalability that allows the system to grow and expand its capabilities as business and project needs change.

Daniel P. Duffy, P.E., writes frequently for Forester Media publications.

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PROJECT PROFILE By Cole Walker

Growing Excavation Business Goes All-in-One With Fuel/DEF/Service Trailer Ryan McKinney, owner/operator of McKinney Excavating in central Iowa, talks about the benefits he’s seen since incorporating a Thunder Creek FST Trailer into his daily field maintenance operations.

M

cKinney Excavating, based in Urbandale, IA, handles grading and underground utility work across central Iowa. As an owner-operator, Ryan McKinney finds himself out in the field from sunup to sundown, face-to-face with the challenges associated with managing a diverse equipment fleet across multiple job sites.

This includes coordinating fueling and service, and addressing the new challenges created by heavy equipment that requires diesel exhaust fluid (DEF).

McKinney had been performing this work with a nurse tank and his pickup truck.

“We typically always filled the equipment with a 110-gallon nurse tank,” says McKinney. “They worked okay, but when we got to our bigger crews, my scraper tractor will burn 300 gallons a day some days. Then you add 100 gallons with a dozer.

The other crews are burning 150 to 200 gallons a day as well— it gets pretty challenging to try and keep a 110-gallon nurse tank full all the time. You’ve got to try to figure out how you’re going to get enough fuel there to keep moving. You stop production, you’re losing money.”

McKinney needed an adaptable solution that provided fuel and DEF handling, as well as storage for other fluids and tools needed to perform field service across multiple job sites. That’s when he began investigating fuel and DEF service trailers, and discussing Thunder Creek Equipment’s newest offering: the FST Series Trailers.

“We looked at trade magazines and publications, and read a lot of stuff about them, and just word of mouth—reputation. It was one of those things for me—I’m not going to cut a corner. I wasn’t going to try to go with the less expensive one just to save a couple of dollars. I was going to get the best quality product I could have, and this is what we’ve decided to go with.”

The Need for Mobile Bulk Fuel and DEF Solutions The addition of a bulk fuel and fluid trailer has significantly simplified McKinney’s daily service activities. The company chose the FST 990—which features 990 gallons of diesel storage—and customized it to include separate storage compartments for DEF, hydraulic oil, and engine oil.

“I can haul 990 gallons of fuel with this, as well as 100 gallons of DEF fluid, and hydraulic and engine oil at the same time. I can go through and fuel everybody up in one day. Typically, I can get three days out of it without having to go back

to the bulk plant or having my bulk truck come out and fill me back up, so it saves me a lot of time, effort, and energy with the ability to get fuel where I need it, whether I leave it onsite, or whether I’m traveling from crew to crew.”

One of the advantages McKinney appreciates is the speed of trailer’s fuel pump and how quickly he can fill up each machine.

“The fuel pump is amazing. Throttle the motor up, and you’re able to fill up large tanks in a short amount of time. It’ll beat a 110-gallon nurse tank pump—it’s four to five times faster, easily.”

Closed DEF System Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems are susceptible to DEF contamination, which can lead to costly downtime. DEF providers agree that closed systems are the best way to maintain the purity of DEF. This is especially true in off-road environments where the proper sterilization of open containers isn’t done and isn’t practical.

Proper DEF handling is a challenge that many owner-operators are currently faced with out on the job site as new Tier 4 Final equipment hits the market. Thunder Creek’s closed DEF delivery systems, made in compliance with the ISO 22241 Standard, are among the most convenient ways to maintain the purity of DEF and protect your equipment. “A lot of times, on the bulk trucks now, you can’t get DEF fluid, so you’re always either carrying 2.5-gallon jugs, or trying to figure out another system to get DEF flowing to the equipment.”

“You can carry more with you [with this trailer]. You’re not carrying a case of DEF fluid with you everywhere, trying to put two and a half gallons into a machine at a time, running the risk of more contamination the more times you climb off that track.

It’s so much easier. You’ve got it all right here, self-contained.

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PROJECT PROFILE You pull up, you fill up, you’re done, put your lid back on and go.”

A Smooth Ride In addition to comprehensive fluid-handling solutions, the FST Series Trailers are engineered for the road. “It rides amazing. The weight distribution is about perfect with everything; not too much in the tongue, not too much on the axles. You get a smooth ride on the truck. You’ve got enough weight there; you’re not bouncing around. It handles great going up and down the road completely full, with the diesel. It doesn’t slosh around, it doesn’t move, no sway in the tires, no sway in the wind. It’s a perfect setup.”

Customization and Adaptability The Thunder Creek FST Series Trailers are customizable to suit the unique needs of every contractor. In addition to the scalable tank sizes—500 gallon, 750 gallon, or 990 gallon—Thunder Creek Equipment also provides an array of options includ-

ing a utility box, light tower, solar battery chargers, welder/generator/air compressor combo, hose reels, and fuel meters.

When it was time for McKinney to customize his trailer, he went with options that he knew would be essential for his operation: Light Tower: “The light tower is handy.

The days keep getting shorter, but just because the guys are done working doesn’t mean that you can’t get the equipment fueled up for the next day. You’re going to want to pull the light tower up to fuel up.”

Welder/Generator/Air Compressor: “The welder/generator/air compressor— you never know when you’re going to have a need. The welder, you might need it for welding the rock box, a trench box, a track, a shoe, anything.

“The air compressor is a no-brainer.

You’ve got to have an air compressor on there to clean filters out. You’re able to have an impact wrench on there to zip something off and put something back together real quick.”

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Storage: “The ability to have extra nuts, bolts, and tools is essential. We play in the dirt—we play in the mud. A zerk’s going to get plugged up, a zerk’s going to go bad from being in moisture, so you’re going to want some tools to be able to take all this stuff off, and you’ve got your toolbox, but where do you keep it? If I leave it on the job site, it’s just one more thing for someone to walk away with or to disappear somewhere, so we decided to go with the toolbox option so we can lock everything in there, keep extra rags, fuel, oil spill stuff, that kind of stuff for the minor things, and zerks, nuts, and bolts for quick repairs.”

A Complete Field Service Solution Having all of your fluids and field service materials all in one place can save countless hours going back and forth from job site to job site, which can translate to a healthier bottom line for companies of all sizes. McKinney has seen the benefits of having a comprehensive solution ready in the field, and continues to see the positive impact it has had on his growing business.

“We had everything in different places.

The air compressor was in one job trailer that the other crew didn’t have, or they didn’t have an air compressor in their job trailer. Zerks were in certain pickups with the fuel, grease guns were here, there, everywhere; you never knew where you were going to find them. Whether they’d be in the toolbox or the machine, in the job trailer, or in the pickup, so you were constantly just trying to track something down.”

“You’d pull up to the job site to fuel, and the crew might be done for the day and you just needed to fuel up and grease real quick, and everything you need would be scattered all over the place, so it’s nice to have everything convenient, in one spot. You can throw the fuel nozzle in, start going, and be checking other stuff, rocking and rolling, and keep moving.”

Cole Walker is the sales manager of Thunder Creek Equipment.

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PROJECT PROFILE By Volvo Road Institute

Volvo Road Institute

RCC Carries Weight at Distribution Warehouses

I

nterstate 81 stretches for 855 miles along the Appalachian Mountains from the Canada/US border to Tennessee. The route is known as the trucker’s highway, a less congested North/ South alternative to I-95 that carries more than 12% of the nation’s gross domestic product.

Hundreds of distribution warehouses and several major rail intermodals have sprouted along this heavily-trafficked corridor as Americans shift to online buying and demand shorter delivery times.

Don Smith, president of Hanover, PAbased contractor Conewago Enterprises Inc., eyed this commerce and construction trend more than a decade ago and introduced to the regional market an attractive paving option, roller compacted concrete (RCC), which would support the millions of pounds of freight hauled daily in and out of these logistical centers.

With a single backhoe loader, Smith’s father, Donald B. Smith, founded Cone-

wago in 1956 as a general contracting service. Today, the second generation of the Smith family oversees a multi-faceted corporation with services spanning site and steel work to concrete and asphalt paving.

RCC is a mix of Portland cement, aggregate, and water that is classified as zero slump due to very low water content.

RCC is applied with a conventional or high-density paver and the mix is tamped with vibratory steel or rubber-tire rollers after it is placed.

“About 15 years ago, we started experimenting with roller compacted concrete as an alternative to asphalt paving,” explains Smith. “At the time, oil prices were rising so we were searching for other material options and found RCC to be a very acceptable substitute product for the types of projects we were completing. The three main advantages of RCC are its cost-effectiveness, durability, and capability to span over the poor soil conditions we often

encounter in the mid-Atlantic region.”

RCC is placed with less manual labor than conventional concrete. Because the application is similar to asphalt paving, it does not require forms as with standard poured concrete.

Depending on current asphalt and concrete indexes, the raw materials can be less expensive than asphalt. Coupled with material costs are the extended wear and minimal maintenance characteristics of RCC. RCC produces a rigid pavement versus asphalt, which is flexible, so RCC has the capacity to span over weaker soils to add strength. RCC typically outlasts asphalt with lifespans of more than 20 years.

Still, familiarity with RCC remains pocketed by industry. This was an early challenge Conewago met through a value engineering program to convert customers to the product.

“We use RCC with two types of clients,” says Smith. “The rail industry has recognized the benefits of RCC for many years

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PROJECT PROFILE and has come in as an educated client.

The manufacturing and distribution industries are new to RCC so part of our process is to show the hard cost analysis and durability benefits.” Conewago has dedicated field liaisons who partner with potential customers to provide total cost of ownership statistics for RCC and prove its long-term value.

One such customer is Liberty Property Trust. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, Liberty is an $8.2 billion real estate investment trust that owns more than 105 million square feet of industrial and office space throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2014, Conewago was tapped by Liberty for a new 1.7 million square foot, $93 million distribution center along I-81 in Shippensburg, PA, that included placing RCC on a 40-acre parking area. The building now stands as one of the largest commercial warehouses in the United States and one of the largest tilt-up concrete structures in the world. Over a four-month period, Conewago placed more than 45,000

cubic yards of RCC on the site.

Conewago is currently working on a second Liberty Trust distribution center site 30 miles down the road in Hagerstown, MD, where 9,000 cubic yards of RCC were recently placed.

“When we started placing RCC we used a standard asphalt paver with standard asphalt compactors. We quickly figured out that the European-style highdensity pavers (such as the Volvo ABG models) with dual tamper bar compaction are the only way to put down RCC,” says Smith. These pavers also offer thicker lifts, up to 12 inches with the Volvo ABG. Conewago currently uses a highdensity Volvo ABG7820C paver with a variable width screed that extends up to 30 feet. The wider screed coupled with the vibratory double tamping bar means Conewago can place material faster while achieving compaction normally completed by large compactors. The added paving width also eliminates the number of joints, which in turn reduces long-term maintenance needs.

RCC quality comes down to density, explains Bill Heape, vice president of site development for Conewago. “The industry standard is 98% and what we are seeing with the Volvo paver is the ability to hit 90–95% right out of the paver so we are getting a higher strength and that reduces the amount of rolling needed to reach that 98% target. The double tamper bar on the screed strikes off the RCC material and gives it a smooth surface, but it also allows for that additional compaction effort.”

The variable speed tamper bar also allows the operator to adjust the compaction rate accordingly to avoid over- or under-beating the material.

The ABG paver is mated with a Topcon Millimeter GPS grading control system which together optimizes smoothness to counter one of the common drawbacks of RCC—its reputation for a rougher ride at higher speeds over 40 mph.

“When we were looking for a larger paver, we compared Volvo and its competition. Our crew had familiarity with ABG

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44 www.GradingandExcavation.com / January/February 2016

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as a subbase for road paving.

“We are one of the very few contractors who offers porous RCC pavement. It’s relatively new and we have found much better performance from the product when using a compacting paver. We have placed it on areas with light truck and car traffic and had good success,” says Smith.

While asphalt indexes are dropping in tandem with oil prices, Smith foresees that RCC has the stay factor. “We expect the demand for RCC to grow exponen-

tially as more distribution customers see the total value of RCC and as oil costs start to rise again.”

Conewago Enterprises is an active member of the Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association (PACA) and the National RCC Council.

The Volvo Road Institute is a training school providing practical instruction for contractors and dealers in the asphalt paving industry.

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and they loved the smooth operation and high-quality finish they produce. And, it has the durability of a Volvo,” says Smith.

Conewago was supported in this decision by their local Volvo Construction Equipment dealer, Highway Equipment & Supply Co., located in nearby Harrisburg. Says Smith, “As far back as I can remember we dealt with Highway Equipment. They were a big part of my father’s success and they are always there when we need them. It was great to have them involved with this paver purchase as well.” Conewago demoed the ABG7820C paver before opting to buy the paver.

Conewago has the advantage of owning two portable plants for greater quality control of the mix. RCC is a cold mix application so moisture, rather than heat, is the critical factor. Conewago runs a field test lab literally behind the paver to instantly check the material as it is being placed. Operators can radio back to the plant to adjust the water balance to ensure the highest quality mix.

“Every location is going to have a different type of aggregate. We have found that rounded stone seems to provide a better RCC mix because it acts like roller bearings as you pave,” says Bill.

Temperature is still an issue. RCC industry standards follow similar rules for asphalt, preferably 40°F and rising. Like conventional concrete, the surface must be kept moist for seven days, or until a curing compound is applied. In colder temperatures, heating blankets or plastic sheeting is used to help cure.

RCC’s resilience and cost benefits have gained interest from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).

Conewago is participating in a PennDOT pilot program to test RCC and traditional asphalt for a section of residential roadway in Adams County. In this case, Conewago used RCC as a road subbase with asphalt overlay. This was the first municipal RCC project with funding provided through PennDOT’s liquid fuels fund. PennDOT will monitor the road over the next three years to gauge how it withstands traffic and weather, while many Midwestern states already use RCC

Grading & Excavation Contractor 45

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SAFETY By Daniel C. Brown

O

SHA requires employers to train employees in a language they understand.

In the Hazard Communication Standard, OSHA inserted the requirement that people be trained in a language they understand. The new Confined Space Standard for Construction requires that employees be trained in a language they understand.

Construction requires that employees be trained in a language they understand.

“Common sense should prevail—you can’t be training people in a language they don’t understand,” says Dan Ramir, director of the Latino Worker Resource Center.

From its headquarters in the Chicago suburb of Hillside—located in the same building as the Construction Safety Council—the Latino Worker Resource Center trains workers using the Spanish language.

“A Latino worker’s signature on a sign-in sheet does not mean that they understood the training.” says Ramir.

“And when asked, it is not unusual for Latino workers to say they understood the English safety training when they actually didn’t; many are afraid of causing waves and possibly losing their job.”

It’s up to contractors to make sure their workers are trained and that they understood the training, and then to document all trainings in their company records, says Ramir. “A contractor is also responsible to verify that a new employee who claims to have been trained elsewhere shows knowledge on the topic. This could be done by asking questions relative to the training. Also, if

the contractor observes a worker doing something unsafe, it is the contractor’s responsibility to correct the workers’ actions and if needed, retrain them.

“Safety training is an ongoing process that develops quality workers,” says Ramir. “Language barriers make training difficult for most companies and contractors must be sure that the workers understand the training. If a worker must be told what to do in Spanish, it is a good sign that they should be trained in Spanish.”

OSHA regulations state that a competent person can do the safety training.

Ideally, the contractor has developed a competent person who can speak both English and Spanish, says Ramir. “A contractor could possibly train one or two of their workers who are bilingual and have these workers train the other limited English speaking workers.”

Or you can send workers to a school like the Latino Worker Resource Center also known as El Obrero Latino. “A lot of people don’t know we’re here,” says Ramir. Our training center was created and developed under OSHA’s Susan Harwood Grants. Because of these grants and with the help of the Construction Safety Council, we have been able to create quality safety compliance classes in Spanish and have trained thousands of workers.

We are currently conducting Free Spanish Fall Protection Training under a Susan Harwood Grant. Workers can come here without fear of discrimination or embarrassment and receive high-quality safety training in a language they understand.

We want contractors to know that we are

here and that we’re available to do the training in Spanish. Or at the very least that they can use us as a Spanish language resource center.”

Ramir says that since January 2015 through mid-year, the Latino Worker Resource Center has trained more than 800 workers in Spanish— most of them for fall protection. Ramir says he is constantly developing new class curriculums. “As far as I know there is not another dedicated Spanish OSHA safety compliance school anywhere else in OSHA’s Region 5,” says Ramir. “Our safety trainings include OSHA 10-Hour Construction, OSHA 30-Hour Construction, Hazard Communication, Fall Protection, Work Zone and Flagger Safety, Excavations and Trenching, Confined Space, Electrical Hazard Awareness, Scaffolding, Focus 4, Focus 5, First Aid CPR/AED, Aerial Work Platform Training AWPT, IPAF Certification, and Crane Signaling and Rigging.”

Ramir adds, “We are seeing more contractors, workers, and supervision taking advantage of our Free Spanish Safety Training and other classes. It’s good to see that contractors are realizing the need to teach workers in a language they understand.”

OSHA Delays Enforcement of Confined Space Standard OSHA announced in July that it would delay the full enforcement of its new

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iStock/AlexBelomlinsky

Breaking Through the Language Barrier

• Requires the designated “competent person” for confined spaces to perform a job-site evaluation on all sites that could have confined space hazards.

• Imposes specific requirements for the exchange of information with affected workers before they enter into confined spaces.

• Compels contractors to perform continuous air contaminant and dust monitoring in confined spaces.

• Imposes a requirement that affected

employers coordinate emergency response services before workers enter into confined spaces.

• Changes the definition of “isolation” to “isolate or isolation” and includes an employer’s use of physical barriers to prevent contact between workers and physical hazards inside confined spaces.

Daniel C. Brown writes on safety and technology in the construction industry.

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Confined Spaces in Construction standard by 60 days, which became effective August 3, 2015. Full enforcement of the new standard was expected to take effect on October 2, 2015, in response to requests for additional time to train and acquire the equipment necessary to comply with the new standard.

During the 60-day temporary enforcement period, OSHA says it would not issue citations to employers who make good faith efforts to comply with the new standard. Employers must be in compliance with either the training requirements of the new standard or the previous standard. Employers who fail to train their employees consistent with either of these two standards will be cited.

Factors that indicate employers are making good faith efforts to comply include scheduling training for employees as required by the new standard, ordering the equipment necessary to comply with the new standard, and taking alternative measures to educate and protect employees from confined space hazards.

OSHA issued the Confined Spaces in Construction final rule on May 4, 2015. The rule provides construction workers with protections similar to those that manufacturing and general industry workers have, with some differences tailored to the construction industry.

These include requirements to ensure that multiple employers share vital safety information and to continuously monitor hazards—a safety option made possible by technical advances after the manufacturing and general industry standards were created.

OSHA estimates the confined spaces rule could protect nearly 800 construction workers a year from serious injuries and reduce life-threatening hazards.

Construction employers have voluntarily complied with OSHA’s general industry standard on Permit-Required Confined Spaces since the 1990s. While OSHA’s general industry standard on Permit-Required Confined Spaces and the agency’s new standard on Confined Spaces in Construction are very similar, there are five key differences between the two. The construction standard:

Grading & Excavation Contractor 47

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TRAINING By Penelope B. Grenoble

The Odd Couple—Training and Customer Service

T

phototechno

he press release was meant to call attention to one of Terex Corp.’s special training programs: its Annual Service School for mechanics and service technicians. I’m always interested when manufacturers talk about providing training through their own “schools” so I bit. But when I called for more information, I was surprised to find myself talking to the company’s customer service manager. “Terex is committed to having world class customer service,” says Ken Vlasman, without missing a beat.

Huh? What does customer service have to do with a threeday training event positioned to offer technicians and service mechanics the latest “tips, tricks and techniques” from “experienced Terex instructors?” Sounds like training to me.

Truth be known, I had missed the first clue, blown right by the line in the press release that described the training as being targeted at mechanics and service technicians, not for operators, as I expected from a heavy equipment manufacturer. And more specifically, that it was for those mechanics and technicians who service “aerials,” which, for the less well informed among us, means cranes and their like.

“You’ve got a man 50 to 125 feet in the air, and you want to be sure he’s up there in a safe position,” says Vlasman. The you in this case being multiple—the company that owns the equipment, the dealer who sold the equipment, and the manufacturer who designed and assembled it. Looked at this way, maybe it wasn’t so much of a stretch to think of training as servant to customer service, or more accurately, customer support.

After a few more questions and answers lobbed back and forth between myself and my informant, it became obvious that we were talking about a matter of perspective. It was a way of looking at things that, if sufficiently actualized, could boost the status of manufacturer training programs at both ends of the spectrum: among both the people who make the equipment, who want the equipment to function as efficiently and safely as they designed it; and among the people who buy the product, who also want it to work the way it’s supposed to, and with minimum hassle.

According to Vlasman, average tenure in Terex’s customer support department is 25 years, and it’s from this group that

the instructors in the Annual Service Schools are drawn. When I asked if these people volunteered their services or were specially selected—thinking to pass on some tips about selection criteria for the adventurous out there who might be interested in duplicating this approach—he unleashed another arrow in his training-as-customer-service quiver and explained that their stint as instructors was just one aspect of their larger tech support job. “They may spend x amount of time in the office on the phone taking customer calls (putting out fires was the way he described it), and the next week they may be flying off somewhere to put on a service school for a customer, and the week after that working as an instructor in one of our own schools.

“We have some instructors who actually started out on the shop floor and went all the way through building the equipment.

One has built fiberglass cylinders; another went through the whole process of assembling large aerials. So when these people do training, they know what they’re talking about. And if we have a piece of equipment in the field that has a problem, they’ll also go there and help the customer out.”

The more Vlasman and I talked, the more it became obvious that the Terex people were on to something. “We stood back and looked at where we were getting the most customer support calls, what parts of the equipment were involved—the rotation systems, the electrical systems, the leveling systems, what functions can and can’t be programmed.

The purpose of our schools is to help mechanics and technicians understand how the equipment goes together so they can fix it themselves—and we don’t get quite so many calls.” I could almost see the sheepish grin on his face.

Once you get by the cost/benefit ratio—more training, less calls—and that the guys who do the instruction are also the guys who take those calls, the program has elements worth duplicating.

It all began conventionally some 20 years ago with classroom instruction and gradually eased out into more active participant involvement. “Providing a hands-on approach creates an atmosphere where people feel comfortable asking questions and sharing their experiences,” says Vlasman. “We add to this with the opportunity for in-depth experiences with various company units, components, and systems.”

The three-and-a-half-day school typically runs just under

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$1,000 per person and includes dinner and evening networking events. Each session tops out at 60 enrollees who are divided into 12 groups of five each and rotated through what Vlasman described as “stations.”

“We have components at each station they can tear apart or do procedures on, and they can get in as deep as they want to go.” Included among the hands-on stations are various factory tours such as the fiberglass and assembly plants. “They see how the equipment is built from the ground up, and it gives them a little more appreciation on how it goes together and how to work on it. They see how we build a fiberglass boom, right down to the finished product as it goes out the door. Seeing how it’s put together, from the first part to the finished product, gives them a whole new appreciation for what they do and their part in its safe operation.”

There are no more than 10 participants at individual stations at a given time. They wear headsets for the plant tours—the better to hear the instructor—but can ask questions any time.

“There’s a certain amount you want to get through at each station,” says Vlasman, “but at the same time it’s open enough that this actually helps drive the conversation and enhances the training.” Participants are asked to come dressed as they would for work with safety glasses and other protective equipment.

“We’ve got one guy who’s been with us 44 years, so he’s written the book and rewritten it. All of our instructors come from a basis of real life experience because they’ve built the

equipment or been out in the field helping customers. They’re ‘been there, done that’ type guys who know the industry and understand the problems that can develop.” (They can also quickly spot issues likely to generate customer calls and pump them in the curriculum.)

I asked Vlasman how many participants pick up on the station format and get involved. He estimated about half. “It’s like any other training, some people go because they have to. But others are there to learn, and they want to absorb everything they can.” What I didn’t ask was whether Terex had seen a decrease in customer support calls and by how much—50%, say.

Later, when I thought about it, I decided that given human nature, customer support calls are a way of life, and that Terex’s Annual Service Schools are probably as good a hedge as any for taking advantage of human initiative and people who want to learn. Also that the company’s model of melding training with customer support does a service to training in general, which can get short shifted in a company’s hierarchy, and the tech support representatives, who are often overloaded. All while enhancing the company’s image, which, after all, is what customer service departments are all about.

For information on Terex’s other training programs, including its online training university, go to http://bit.ly/1NPtypW. Journalist Penelope B. Grenoble is a frequent contributor to Forester Media Inc. publications.

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Reader Profile: Nate Frazee

By Carol Brzozowski

N

FRAZEE COMES from a long line of excavators, going back to his great-grandfather. Unlike many situations in which a family business is formed and passed on from generation to generation, it was the skills—not the actual business—that Frazee inherited from his elders.

Each generation has had an independent business. His 80-year-old grandfather Gene—for whom Frazee expresses a great deal of respect—still works an excavator on agricultural sites. Frazee struck out on his own in 2003 when he started Start2Finish Excavating, in Dayton, OH. The company is small—his wife Julie Frazee runs the business while Frazee and another employee do the field work. Frazee hires help for bigger jobs. The company provides excavating services in a one-hour radius to the commercial, residential, and agricultural sectors. The company’s fleet includes two track hoes, two dump trucks, a scraper/pan, a skid loader, a dozer, and a few trailers. Anything else needed is rented through Ohio Caterpillar.

ATE

What He Does Day to Day Because his business is small and he possesses a multitude of skills, Frazee is essentially a jack-ofall-trades. He spends each day estimating, running machinery, doing labor, and being “pretty much the go-to guy,” he says.

What Led Him Into This Line of Work Frazee, who grew up on a farm, learned excavating skills from his grandfather. He notes that while excavating is in his blood, but what really got his blood pumping toward doing it was after he tried drifting away from it. “I came back to it because it was the only trade I knew that I could make any money at,” he says. “From my grandfather, I learned a lot on how to be productive, how to cut costs but not corners, how to be efficient, and make money.” Time is money, he points out. “You don’t want to go to a job site and play around all day,” he says. “You get out there and make it happen.”

What He Likes Best About His Work Frazee likes that every job is challenging and a bit different from the others. “You have to evaluate it and think about what would be the best approach,” he says. “You get in, do the work, be efficient, and go on to the next one.” He ensures utmost safety through scheduling. “You don’t want to extend yourself by telling everybody you’re going to be there as far as taking on 10 jobs, and you’re only equipped to handle two or three big jobs.” Another successful strategy is maintaining good relationships with suppliers. Frazee says he keeps them “in check to keep the prices competitive.” Frazee says he’s grateful to have gotten through the recession while other companies shut down operations. He attributes that to a strong work ethic, which generates positive word-of-mouth referrals— and more business. “You have to get relationships with people and keep on bidding work until something comes along,” he says. “A lot of people say we do good work. We might be small on manpower, but being efficient in running the equipment makes up for having five or six guys standing around and not doing anything.”

His Biggest Challenge Continuing his company’s path of slow, steady growth is his biggest challenge, notes Frazee. “You look at the multi-generational construction companies that went generation to generation and we started out from scratch,” he says. “Although I did learn from my grandfather, we went out and did it on our own and have grown the business at a steady pace. The challenge I have is thinking I have to be like the big boys, but it takes time.” His small company does big jobs, such as a recent half-million dollar job for the Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District. “We were told our twoman crew does more work than six guys put together,” says Frazee. That means making every move count. “You don’t want to put dirt in one spot and you’ve got to move it again,” he says. “You’ve got to coordinate everything with the job superintendent and please him and by the same token, make sure you’re being efficient.”

Carol Brzozowski specializes in topics related to technology and construction.

58 www.GradingandExcavation.com / January/February 2016

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