Aggregates Manager January 2016

Yo u r

g u i d e

t o

p r o f i t a b l e

p r o d u c t i o n

January 2016 | www.AggMan.com

Keep on Rocking in the Real World

Check out the results of our exclusive industry forecast PAGE 17

21

Simple tips to streamline truck traffic in your operation

26

Baker Rock Resources slashes downtime with predictive maintenance

34

Understand the impact of water and other risks to your tires

Competitive financing available through Daimler Truck Financial. For the Freightliner Trucks dealer nearest you, call 1-800-FTL-HELP. FTL /MC-A-1368. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Copyright Š 2016 Daimler Trucks North America LLC. All rights reserved. Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, a Daimler company.

HELPING TEX-MIX KEEP THEIR PAYLOAD MOVING WHILE LOWERING THEIR REAL COST OF OWNERSHIP. Tex-Mix is only as profitable as their trucks are reliable. That’s why they choose Freightliner. We design trucks for easy upfit, productivity and low maintenance. Backed by a support team that’s there when you need us. And because Tex-Mix trucks are equipped with the powerful Detroit DD13 ® engine and Detroit Virtual Technician onboard diagnostic system, TM

TM

it’s not only a tough truck, but also a smart one. Built to increase profitability and lower their Real Cost of Ownership.

We’re proud to say that’s why Freightliner has become the industry leader in work trucks.

To learn more about how Freightliner Trucks are working hard for Tex-Mix, visit FreightlinerTrucks.com/Tex-Mix.

Aggregate Drones

Automatically calculate aggregate stockpile volumes...

www.kespry.com/aggregates

On Our Cover: Producers share positive forecast results for 2016.

Cover art by Sandy Turner.

By shifting its maintenance mindset, Baker Rock Resources was able to achieve a 58-percent decrease in production downtime and a 28-percent increase in hourly production rates.

PAGE 26

Haul roads should be the width of three trucks to allow for easy passing on the roadway.

PAGE 34

TABLE OF CONTENTS JANUARY 2016 |

VOLUME 21, NUMBER 1

FEATURE ARTICLES

14 Keep on Rocking in the Real World

Optimism reigns overall, but pockets of low demand persist as the industry rebound continues.

26 Changing the Maintenance Mindset

Baker Rock Resources experiences an evolution in its quarry culture, from reactive to preventive and predictive.

34

Keys to Extending Tire Life

Understand the impact of road surfaces, water, inflation, and more, as well as how they affect your bottom line.

38 Keep Conveyors on Track

New features improve material quality, lower production costs, and ease maintenance concerns.

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 5 Editorial Creative problem solving.

6 Data Mining The latest financial analysis of issues impacting in the industry and Aggregates Manager’s exclusive aggregates industry outlook.

8 State and Province News A roundup of the latest news in North America.

10 RollOuts Terex Finlay’s new C-1554 mobile cone crusher, and other new equipment for the aggregate market.

40 Rock Law More claims are being filed under § 105(c) of the Mine Act. What does it mean and, more importantly, what’s an employer to do?

42 Advertiser Index See who’s who and where to find their products.

OPERATIONS ILLUSTRATED Streamlining Loadout

21

With some pre-planning, a bit of technology, and the right equipment, trucks can move in and out of your operation like a well-choreographed dance.

43 Classified Ads Aggregate industry classifieds.

44 Carved in Stone A visit to the Škocjan Caves, cut into a 1,000-foot-thick layer of Cretaceous and Paleocene limestone by the Reka River, should be on your bucket list.

All stackers create material segregation.

WE DISAGREE.

SuperStacker速 Wizard Touch速 automation simplifies stockpiling.

Fully-desegregated stockpiles mean no re-blending of products.

Up to 30 percent more stockpile capacity than conventional stackers.

Cam-Arm linkage maintains constant radius for uninterrupted stockpiling.

TOUGHNESS REFINED. Aggregate

Recycle

Construction

Infrastructure

Mining

Loading/Unloading

Energy

www.kpijci.com

January 2016

EDITORIAL

Vol. 21, No. 1

by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com

aggman.com /AggregatesManager @AggMan_editor

Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Therese Dunphy Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Online Managing Editor: Bobby Atkinson editorial@aggman.com

Design & Production Art Director: Sandy Turner, Jr. Production Designer: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@aggman.com

Construction Media VP of Sales, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@randallreillyconstruction.com

3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com

Corporate Chairman: Mike Reilly President and CEO: Brent Reilly Chief Operations Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Financial Officer: Russell McEwen Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Vice President of Events: Stacy McCants Vice President, Audience Development: Prescott Shibles Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Vice President, Marketing: Julie Arsenault For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: aggregatesmanager@halldata.com.

Aggregates Manager TM magazine (ISSN 1552-3071) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly, LLC copyright 2016. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Subscription rates: $24 annually, Non-domestic $125 annually. Single copies: $7. We assume no responsibility for the validity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them.

Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions.

Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Aggregates Manager, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406.

Creative

Problem Solving

A

s part of our annual forecast survey (see page 14), we ask producers which issues pose the greatest challenge. Over the last two years, finding and retaining workers has re-emerged as a top concern; 63 percent of this year’s survey respondents said it was a challenge. This was a 13-percent increase over last year’s survey and represents a sign that, for many producers, business is on the upswing.

Having reviewed the results of our survey, I was quite pleased to see that one producer, Graniterock, is taking a creative approach to finding workers. In a company newsletter, Henry Ramirez, vice president of aggregate division operations, notes that finding the next generation of skilled workers is high on the list of priorities for him and his local peers.

“While it may seem counter-intuitive that an industry that laid off thousands of workers during the Great Recession now faces a talent shortage, the predicament is real,” Ramirez says. “Today, in our region, hundreds more construction craft workers are retiring each year than are entering the workforce.”

One of the reasons for the shortage is that many public vocational and technical education programs have been dismantled or underfunded, he says. Unions, local governments, and educational institutions have also failed to design an effective solution. So, Graniterock has launched The Construction Academy.

Ramirez says that Graniterock partnered with two California high schools, Watsonville High School and James Lick High School, to introduce a construction-focused education program to more than 50 students.

“The purpose of The Construction Academy program is to develop a set of local, young adults who can become a part of the Graniterock workforce (or the local construction workforce) after either their graduation from high school, community college, or a university,” he says. “In addition, we hope The Construction Academy more broadly introduces to a generation of young adults the potential career opportunities in the heavy civil construction and construction materials industries.”

To date, students have visited heavy civil construction job sites, have discussed education and career paths with construction professionals, and have been introduced to job opportunities available in the mining and materials research fields. In the future, they will tour ready-mix, asphalt, and recycling plants, learn how to estimate projects, and see concrete and asphalt work performed at their local schools, according to estimates and plans they’ve developed.

While Graniterock has long been an industry leader in partnering with local schools to improve educational opportunities, The Construction Academy takes its existing programs to a new level. I look forward to hearing about how effective it is in developing the company’s next generation of workers.

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

5

DATAMINING Stock Report Company

Ticker

Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. CRH plc Eagle Materials Inc. Granite Construction Inc. Heidelberg Cement AG LafargeHolcim Ltd. ADR Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Summit Materials United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. U.S. Concrete Vulcan Materials Co.

CX CRG EXP GVA HEI HCMLY MLM MDU SUM USLM USCR VMC

Current Value

$5.59 q $29.97 p $62.68 q $40.75 p $79.61 p $10.28 q $144.46 q $16.88 q $20.59 q $53.03 p $54.56 q $96.80 q

52-Week High

52-Week Low

$10.58 $31.06 $88.81 $42.17 $84.40 $15.49 $178.67 $24.58 $28.57 $76.13 $62.82 $106.84

$4.98 $19.99 $60.94 $28.45 $59.60 $10.09 $103.09 $16.15 $17.53 $45.56 $25.02 $61.45

Sources: Wall Street Journal Market Watch. Currency conversion calculated on date of close 12/9/15.

U.S. On-Highway Diesel Fuel Prices 12/7/15

One Week

United States

$2.379

-0.042 q

-1.156 q

East Coast

$2.413

-0.042 q

-1.047 q

New England

$2.515

-0.012 q

-1.010 q

Central Atlantic

$2.542

-0.025 q

-0.997 q

Lower Atlantic

$2.295

-0.060 q

-1.091 q

Midwest

$2.348

-0.063 q

-1.275 q

Gulf Coast

$2.232

-0.022 q

-1.202 q

Rocky Mountain

$2.410

-0.041 q

-1.245 q

West Coast

$2.603

-0.021 q

-0.990 q

West Coast less California

$2.477

-0.033 q

-1.042 q

California

$2.704

-0.013 q

-0.951 q

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (dollars per gallon, prices include all taxes).

6

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

One Year

Aggregates Industry Outlook 150 140

129.05

130.00

130.99

128.42

125.60

122.49

130 120 110 100

July

August

September

October

November

December

In December, the Aggregates Industry Outlook (AIO) dropped by more than 4 percent against November, to an overall score of 125.60. The decrease came despite the passage of the first long-term highway bill in recent history, and seems to be based on two key drivers: a weak economy in California and concerns about weather conditions across portions of the United States. On a positive note, low fuel costs continue to provide benefits to operators across the nation.

Comments: As most of our exposure is in the southeast and Texas, I can only comment on those areas. Weather and transportation infrastructure funding will tell the tale going forward.

— O.F. “Russ” Patterson, III, Chief Geologist, Patterson Exploration Services

We’re looking at an improving construction economy helped by lower fuel costs overall and continuing low interest rates. We also feel the need for infrastructure repair and construction, in every sector, will be on every government agenda. This will need the imperative collective support from our industry.

— Rick Gerroll, Sales Executive, County Materials Corp.

Deteriorating weather is responsible for declining demand, although sales have been respectable to this date. Weather will, of course, be the determining factor for sales through the off-season months, although the coming spring season appears to have a strong potential.

— Robert L. Stone, Manager Sales and Compliance, Hunter Sand & Gravel, LLC Here in California, the state is basically bankrupt, and, for the aggregate industry, that spells doom. There are no new roads planned to be constructed in northern California, and to get a new pit in place and opened is taking at least two years and at a cost of several million in fees and bonds, mostly for political reasons. The construction industry is basically dead in the high-rise arena.

— Dr. Abe Beagles, CEO, Mother Lode Mining, Inc. There has been an uptick in VDOT work for the coming year.

— Elisha D. Hall Jr., Drilling Superintendent, Boxley

The low cost of fuel is greatly assisting our industry!

— Karen Hubacz-Kiley, Chief Operating Officer, Bond Construction Corp.

Obviously, passage of the transportation bill is a huge positive for the overall industry.

— Lewis Graham, President, GeoCue Group

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

7

STATE & PROVINCE

NEWS

To keep up to date with news from the United States and Canada, visit www.AggMan.com for daily updates.

by Therese Dunphy | Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com

MAINE The U.S. Department of Labor filed a complaint seeking a court-ordered injunction prohibiting quarry owner Conrad J. Smith from interfering with or preventing Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspectors from inspecting his site and enforcing safety measures there. According to the Bangor Daily News, federal officials received an anonymous phone call regarding alleged safety violations at Brown’s Meadow Quarry, which Smith owns. The next day, an inspector arrived at the site and noted there were no guard rails around the rim of the quarry opening. He attempted to talk with Smith, who was allegedly uncooperative and told the inspector to leave. “Rather than engage, Mr. Smith stood in front of (the inspector), turned his backside to him, and bent over and exposed half of his naked posterior,” the complaint notes. A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against Smtih, barring him from interfering with inspections and enforcement actions at the site.

NEW JERSEY The state Department of Environmental Conservation issued a notice of violation against Tilcon New York for its Haverstraw Quarry. The Journal News reports that the violation notice says the state agency inspected the operation in August after receiving complaints regarding dust, noise, and mud discharge into the Hudson River. Its inspection identified seven violations of the Mine Land Reclamation Permit and the Environmental Conservation Law, including a discharge of mud and sand into the Hudson River and failure of dust control. A Tilcon spokesman said in a statement that the company has “addressed every one of the alleged violations outlined in the DEC document” and is working cooperatively with the DEC to address its concerns.

NEW JERSEY Gilbraltar Rock received unanimous approval of an 11-acre solar array to generate electricity for its quarrying operation near Hillsborough. According to CentralJersey.com, the planning board’s approval will allow about 10,000 fixed 3-foot by 6-foot solar panels to be built on top of the tailings pile on its site. Previously, the operator had sought permission to cut down 20 acres of trees to install the solar panels, but received opposition on that proposal. After further geotechnical studies showed that the tailings pile could support the solar array, the vast majority of opposition to the project was satisfied.

NORTH CAROLINA Hedrick Industries, owner of Grove Stone and Sand, was featured in Black Mountain News for its support of its neighbor, the Black Mountain Home for Children. The orphanage and aggregates operation have built a strong partnership during recent years. “We are a fourth-generation family-owned and operated company, so community is important to us,” Joe Lordi, Hedrick Industries division president and chief operation officer, told the news agency. “It is a big emphasis, and it always has been. By nature of what we do, we are in a position where we have to be good stewards of the land, and we also have to be good neighbors.” The quarry hosted a Rock The Quarry 5K that raised $30,000 for the orphanage in 2015.

8

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

OHIO A man was life-flighted to a local hospital following a chase that ended when his vehicle went over the highwall and crashed into a Thompson Township quarry, The News-Herald reports. A Geauga County Sheriff’s patrol attempted a traffic stop because the vehicle was wanted for unauthorized use. The driver, Matthew Stemple, allegedly tried to flee the scene.

His car went off the side of the road, hit a pole, and crashed into the quarry. The car fell about 200 feet, according to an Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) trooper. The crash remains under investigation, but an OSHP press release indicates that drugs and alcohol are believed to have been a factor.

PENNSYLVANIA Whitehall Township suffered a setback in its attempt to halt a quarry operator’s reclamation efforts. According to The Morning Call, the township’s Zoning Hearing Board voted 5-0 that it had no justification to nullify variances previously granted to Coplay Aggregates.

Township commissioners had filed an appeal seeking to overturn a pair of variances allowing the company to conduct quarry operations based on a notice of violation issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The board’s solicitor told the newspaper that the board only has jurisdiction to hear zoning cases set out by the Municipal Planning Code and by the township, but the township’s request did not meet that criteria.

PENNSYLVANIA

SOUTH CAROLINA

South Middleton Township supervisors are giving a group of residents until its next meeting to bring in expert witnesses or legal representation to prove there could be issues if Union Quarries moves its crusher to a new location on its property, PennLive.com reports. The quarry contends that the new location would be further away from residents, quieter, and would allow for increased production. Residents claim it could cause environmental problems, noise pollution, and a decrease in property values. The operator has already agreed to several neighbor requests, including restricting hours of operation. Supervisor Bryan Gembusia noted that the only factual evidence provided to the supervisors was from the operator including a recent blast report that showed it was within the limit for blasting.

Vulcan Materials Co. won approval, on a 7-1 vote, to move forward with changes in its plan for a quarry in Western Lexington County. The State reports that Vulcan agreed to expand the landscape buffer around the mine to reduce noise and dust and to create a new entry on U.S. 1 for trucks hauling aggregates. Both changes “are the best thing for our operation and for the community,” Vulcan Vice President Elliott Botzis told the newspaper.

TENNESSEE The Nashville Metro Council unanimously approved a pair of bills from Old Hickory-area councilman Larry Hagar that were filed in an attempt to block a limestone quarry from operating near the Old Hickory dam. According to The Tennessean, the bills create new buffer zones to prevent mineral extraction activity and cement or asphalt plants from locating immediately near residential homes in Nashville. Metro Department of Law Director Jon Cooper noted that the quarry company, Industrial Land Developers, had already received a building permit for an office building to be built at the quarry and said that it was his opinion that its rights in the property are vested. If a court takes the same view, the bill on mineral extraction would not apply to quarry development. Hagar said the company must still obtain a mining permit from the Tennessee Department of Environment.

TEXAS The Brady City Council voted to authorize two sales tax rebate incentives for a proposed U.S. Cement plant that would be built in McCulloch County. The San Angelo Standard-Times reports that the company hopes to build a plant and quarry on nearly 500 acres north of Brady. The city sales tax rebate economic development incentive would not exceed $297,000 over nine years, or up to $33,000 per year. The Brady Economic Development Corp. incentive would be a one-time payment of $250,000, plus $34,000 up to nine years, for a total package of $556,000 over a decade. Council authorized city staff members to pursue negotiations with the operator before it goes back to city council for final approval. Qualifications include that the operator generate a plant and quarry that improves the property value of its location by $175 million and provides 200 permanent and full-time jobs. There would also have to be a 100-foot buffer zone away from anything it doesn’t own, and the plant will have to purchase all of its natural gas from the city.

WITH YOU ALL THE WAY With Topcon by your side, staying connected just got a whole lot easier for your entire crew. Go the distance with a range of geopositioning solutions including fully robotic total station systems, proven integrated GNSS receivers and intelligent software.

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AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016 Untitled-3 1

10/19/15 9:17 AM

9

ROLLOUTS

Your complete guide to new and updated equipment and supplies in the aggregates industry.

by Bobby Atkinson | Online Managing Editor | BobbyAtkinson@randallreilly.com

Cone crusher gives high output

Terex Finlay launched a new cone crusher in its line of mobile cone crushers. The C-1554 features the Terex MVP450x cone crusher with an all-in feed, direct variable-speed clutch drive, and a hydraulic closed-side settling adjustment. The C-1554 has a fuel-efficient, direct drive transmission with wet clutch, a hydraulic tramp relief system to protect the chamber and minimize downtime, and a metal detection system to protect the cone from tramp metal.

Terex Finlay | www.terexfinlay.com

Smart upgrade to the Cat D6N

The Caterpillar D6N dozer has been given a new “smart” upgrade that features a new cab, increased fuel efficiency, and advanced grade technology that comes standard. The D6N has a new transmission with a lock-up clutch torque converter and an enhanced auto shift system that is said to increase fuel efficiency by up to 15 percent. The cab has been upgraded to give operators more legroom, a new instrument display, and an improved HVAC system. The standard Connect Grade technology — including Cat Grade Control Slope Assist, Cat Stable Blade, and Cat Slope Indicate — helps operators handle the machine’s blade in order to increase productivity. Cat says the Grade Control Slope Assist can help get the job done 39 percent faster, with 68 percent better surface quality and 82 percent less operator effort.

Caterpillar | www.cat.com

Horizontal screens with increased production

Terex Mineral Processing Systems unveils two new screens in its line of V Series horizontal screens. The 5-foot by 16-foot and 6-foot by 16-foot two- and three-deck screens are said to help increase production and handle applications traditional horizontal screens can’t. The screen’s high G-force El-Jay 3:1 oval stroke motion and the variable slope operation help it handle larger deck loads. The new V Series screens have more steel in the rock zone for better durability and a low maintenance vibration damper system. Each screen can be installed up to 10 degrees, in 2.5-degree increments.

Terex | www.terexmps.com

10

AGGREGATES MANAGER | January 2016

Pump offers higher quality and performance

McLanahan Corp. offers a new rubber lined slurry pump that was designed for improved quality. The M3H was designed with re-engineered plans from the Linapump lllr centrifugal slurry pump, with the same dimensions and similar hydraulic performance. The design means that all components are interchangeable with existing pumps in current operations. Gland options include hydrostatic, packed, mechanical, and dry. The pump uses high-quality, abrasion resistant wear parts.

McLanahan | www.mclanahan.com

Impact crusher increases safety and performance

Metso releases the new Nordberg NP13 impact crusher, which is designed to increase safety and performance for secondary and tertiary applications. The NP13 has the same design as the NP15, but on a smaller scale. The NP13 has a steeper feed angle and can accept feed materials up to 14 inches. The NP13 only needs seven different liners for more flexibility in the use of side liners. The product also has a two-part rear frame for safer and easier access. Each crusher also comes standard with a patented self-rotation rotor system for setting adjustment and blow bar changes; it improves safety during maintenance. The crusher also can be outfitted with a fully hydraulic setting adjustment, third breaker plate, drive equipment, sensors, and automatic greasing.

Metso | www.metso.com

A more efficient drill rig

Atlas Copco has updated its popular four-wheel-drive FlexiROC T15 R drill rig. The rig has been upgraded to have an extended feed of 12 feet, a robust foot attachment, a new 2.8-liter Cummins Tier 4 Final engine, and a 2.4 Hz Bluetooth radio remote control. The FlexiROC T15 R also has a 360-degree rollover feed system that lets the rig drill in just about any position. The rig’s control system simplifies operation by automatically adjusting impact and feed speeds in proportion to torque for high productivity.

Atlas Copco | www.atlascopco.com

New conveyor axle configurations

Masaba’s portable radial stackers and magnum telescoping conveyors have new axle configuration options available from the company.

The products are now available with Folding Axles (FA) and Hydra Shift chainless drive as options. The FA axles speed up the transition between travel and operation, with each axle capable of being operated simultaneously. The new axle configurations are available on Radial Stackers up to 125 feet and some 36-inch models of the Magnum Telescoping Conveyor up to 150 feet.

Masaba | www.masabainc.com

AGGREGATES MANAGER | January 2016

11

ROLLOUTS

Smaller scalper with big capacity

Sandvik listened to customer suggestions and came back with the new QE241 heavy-duty scalper. The compact scalper can scalp before or after a small crusher. The QE241 has a heavy-duty, variable-speed belt feeder and an aggressive double-deck screen box that’s said to be the largest in its class. The scalper also has a 47-inch wide conveyor that can take on oversized material, while two hydraulically folding side conveyors handle smaller materials. The chassis of the machine is designed for two-way or three-way split versions.

Sandvik Construction | www.sandvik.com

Updated jaw crusher simplifies maintenance, extends wear life

McLanahan’s line of Universal jaw crushers has been updated to make operations much safer, simpler, and smarter. The stationary jaw die on the crushers has been given an upgrade with a bevel that rests in a match groove on the lower clamp plate. The die is reversible in order to extend the product’s life. The crushers also have replaceable upper and lower stationary jaw die clamp plates in order to make installation easier. Maintenance has also been simplified with replaceable parts throughout the jaw crushers’ design.

McLanahan | www.mclanahan.com

Entirely mobile air classifying plant

Sturtevant has unveiled a new, 100-percent mobile air classifying plant with collapsible conveyors. The Whirlwind air classifier and conveyors can be set up hydraulically without the need for cranes, boom trucks, or special crew. The plant is on a rugged chassis with tri-axle suspension. The transportation size of the plant is just over 13 feet tall, 61 feet long, and 12 feet wide. The plant can handle a feed capacity of 30 to 90 tons per hour on the 50-horsepower variable frequency motor. The Whirlwind is said to save users up to 50 percent on transportation costs.

Sturtevant Inc. | www.sturtevantinc.com

12

AGGREGATES MANAGER | January 2016

MARCH 22-24, 2016 MUSIC CITY CENTER | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

MAKING GREAT MUSIC TOGETHER in Nashville

Registration Now Open!

This year, aggregate industry professionals will come together in Music City USA for the NSSGA Annual Convention and the AGG1 Academy & Expo.

Don’t Miss a Beat At the convention, you’ll be re-connecting with colleagues, building new relationships and developing the strategies necessary to rebuild America’s infrastructure to world-class standards. When you attend the convention, you can be

sure your voice will be heard as the plans for our organization and for the future of the industry are developed.

Tune Up for Better Performance AGG1 presents a unique opportunity for aggregates industry professionals to enhance their knowledge and expertise, learn about new innovations in equipment and technology and share ideas with their peers from around the country.

This is an event you don’t want to miss!

www.nssga.org

To make sure your operation hits a high note, register for the joint show at www.nssga.org.

For registration to AGG1 only, visit www.agg1.org.

FORECAST 2016

by Therese Dunphy | Editor-in-Chief | tdunphy@randallreilly.com

Keep on Rocking

in the Real

World

Optimism reigns overall, but pockets of low demand persist as the industry rebound continues.

Y

ear-over-year growth seems to be the overall sentiment of respondents to the Aggregates Manager 2015-2016 Forecast Survey. The survey assesses production trends for the current year and asks producers their expectations for the coming year.

For the first time since 2006, the percentage of producers reporting an excellent year during 2015 hit double digits, with 12 percent opting for the highest rating for business conditions.

At the other end of the spectrum, just 3.7 percent of producers categorized 2015 as a poor year. That number is the lowest reported for poor ratings during the forecast’s 12-year history.

Looking ahead, operators are also optimistic about business conditions for this year, with 42.5 percent anticipating an excellent or very good year, and an additional 41.7 percent expecting a good year.

Given the positive ratings reported in our monthly Aggregates Industry Outlook (AIO), the upbeat results are not a surprise. Since its debut in July, AIO ratings have averaged more than 128 on a scale where 100 is the neutral point. In addition, U.S. Geological Survey reports for the first half of 2015 indicate a 6-percent increase in crushed stone production, and a 4-percent increase in sand and gravel production.

2015 ratings by category Looking at the results based on size, material type, and region, smaller producers were the most likely to report more negative business ratings. Nearly 18 percent of producers of less than 500,000 tons per year described 2015 as fair, with an additional 7.7 percent calling it a poor year. The numbers were even higher for producers of 500,001 to 1 million tons per year.

Nearly 32 percent of these producers opted for the fair rating, and 5.3 percent more selected the poor rating.

Interestingly, sand and gravel producers were the most likely to report positive business results. Almost 42 percent

14

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

called 2015 an excellent year, while another third described it as very good. Producers of both crushed stone and sand and gravel were the next most positive group. Approximately 12 percent described 2015 as excellent and an additional nearly 24 percent described it as very good. None of the crushed stone only respondents described 2015 as excellent, but 25 percent did describe it as very good, while an additional 55 percent described it as good.

By region, producers in the South apparently had a good year during 2015. More than 46 percent of them described 2015 as either excellent or very good. They were followed the North Central region, where 29.6 percent of producers chose the top two rating categories. Just over 27 percent of producers in the Northeast and West noted excellent or very good business conditions. Producers in the North Central region were the most likely to report lower business conditions, with 22.2 percent describing them as fair and an additional 7.4 percent describing them as poor. They were followed by the West where 20.8 percent described business conditions as fair, and 3.4 percent said they were poor.

Expectations for 2016 When asked about business conditions this year, 11.1 percent (-0.9 percent) expect an excellent year, 31.4 percent (+8.2 percent) anticipate a very good year, 41.7 percent (-3.7 percent) predict a good year, 13.9 percent (-1.8 percent) forecast a fair year, and 1.9 percent (-1.8 percent) call for a poor year.

Large producers are the most optimistic about 2016. Half of those with annual production rates of 3,000,001 to 5 million tons expect either an excellent year (10 percent) or a very good year (40 percent). Producers with annual tonnages of more than 5 million tons were also upbeat; 17.6 percent anticipate an excellent year, while an additional 29.4 percent predict a very good year. Conversely, small producers were the least optimis-

2015 Business Rating Trends Excellent 10.4

2004

Very Good

Good

32.4

41.7

Fair

Poor

11.6

3.9

2005

12.4

29.7

36.6

17.4

3.9

2006

12.9

32.2

35.9

15.1

3.9

2007

6.6

18.6

35.7

28.5

10.5

2008

2.3

9.8

30.3

35.8

21.8

2009

2.9

7.2

23.9

38.8

27.3

2010

1.6

11.2

22.4

38.4

26.4

2011

5.7

13.2

24.5

34.9

21.7

2012

6.9

10.9

32.7

37.6

11.9

2013

3.8

21.9

37.1

30.5

6.7

2014

8.9

26.6

40.3

20.2

4.0

2015

12.0

23.2

45.4

15.7

3.7

2016 (forecast)

11.1

31.4

41.7

13.9

1.9

Reported business conditions in 2015 were very close to those og 2014. The number of producers reporting an excellent year is the highest since 2006, while the number of producers reporting a poor year was the lowest in the forecast’s 12-year history. Looking ahead, producers continue to expect good business conditions. It should be noted that this survey was completed before a House and Senate conference committee produced a unified highway bill.

Due to rounding, all numbers may not equal 100 percent of respondents.

Source: Aggregates Manager Forecast Studies

2015 Production Volumes vs. 2014 Production Volumes

2016 Production Expectations vs. 2015 Results

Decreased: 8.3 %

Decrease: 6.5 %

Stayed the same: 39.8%

Increased: 51.9%

Average increase: 22.2% Average decrease: 36.7% 2016 Production Expectations vs. 2015 Results

tic. More than a quarter of those producing less than 500,000 tons per year expect either a fair or poor year, while 15.8 percent of those producing 500,001 to 1 million tons per year call for a fair year. No operator with annual production rates over a million tons predicted a poor year in 2016.

As with 2015 results, sand and gravel producers paint the rosiest picture for 2016. Three quarters expect either an excellent year (25 percent) or a very good year (50 percent).

Stay the same: 46.3%

Increase: 47.2%

Average increase: 16.5% Average decrease: 30.8% Source: Aggregates Manager 2015-2016 Forecast Study

Southern producers expect 2016 to be another good year; 22 percent predict an excellent year, while an additional 31.7 percent anticipate a very good year. Producers in the West are also positive; a combined 44.8 percent expect either an excellent year (6.9 percent) or a very good year (37.9 percent).

Northeast producers were a little more cautious. None predicted an excellent year, but 36.4 percent expect a very good year.

Just over a quarter of producers in the North Central region

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

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FORECAST 2016 Regional Multi-Year Production Volumes: 100

100

90

90 Northeastern Region

100

100

90

90

80 100

100 80

80 100

100 80

70 90

90 70

70 90 Increase

90 70

60 80

80 60

60 80

80 60

50 70

70 50

Stay about 50 70 the same

70 50

40 60

60 40

40 60

60 40

30 50

50 30

30 50 Decrease

50 30

20 40

40 20

20 40

40 20

10 30

30 10

10 30

30 10

0 20

20 0

0 20

20 0

10

10

10

10

0

0

100

100

0

2010

0

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

North Central Region Increase

Stay about the same

Decrease

2010

Southern Region 100

100

90

90

80 100

90

100 80

80 100

100 80

70 90

90 70

Stay about 70 90 the same

90 70

60 80

80 60

60 80

80 60

50 70

70 50

50 70 Decrease

70 50

40 60

60 40

40 60

60 40

30 50

50 30

30 50

50 30

20 40

40 20

20 40

40 20

10 30

30 10

10 30

30 10

0 20

20 0

10

10

0

0

2010

10 *Forecast figures 0

20 0

2011

Increase

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

10 0

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Western Region 90

0 20

2011

Source: Aggregates Manager Forecast Studies

anticipate excellent or very good business conditions this year.

Conversely, the same percentage (25.9 percent) of producers in this region expect either fair or poor conditions.

Production reports In 2015, more than half of producers (51.9 percent) said production volumes for the year were higher than 2014. Nearly 40 percent (39.8 percent) said production held steady. Less than one in 10 (8.3 percent) said production volumes decreased.

Standout gains were made among producers of more than 5 million tons per year; 70.6 percent reported an increase in annual production, while none reported a decrease. Following lower reports of business conditions, it is no surprise that small producers (less than 500,000 tons per year) were the most likely to report a decrease in production, with 12.8 percent in this size

Increase

Stay about the same

Decrease

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

category saying they made less aggregates in 2015 than 2014.

By commodity, sand and gravel producers were the most likely to report production gains (75.0 percent), followed by crushed stone and sand and gravel producers (50.0 percent), and crushed stone producers (40.0 percent).

Interestingly, despite restrained reports of business conditions, producers in the West were most likely to report increased production with 62.1 percent saying they produced more aggregates in 2015 than the year prior. They were followed by the Northeast (54.5 percent), the North Central (48.2 percent), and the South (46.3 percent).

Production forecasts When asked about 2016, 47.2 percent of respondents indicate they believe production will increase compared to 2015. An ad-

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

17

FORECAST 2016

Decreased: 10.2 %

2015 Work Force Trends Increased: 40.7% Stayed the same: 49.21%

More than four in 10 respondents said the size of their workforce grew in 2015. The employment categories showing the biggest gains include hourly labor (+30.6 percent), service and maintenance personnel (+30.6 percent), equipment operators (+25.0 percent), and female personnel (+20.4 percent).

Major Challenges Facing Aggregates Managers (Six-Year Comparison) 2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

25.5

25.5

32.7

13.7

15.7

Aggregates Availability/ Permitting

8.9

18.9

22.8

17.7

20.4

Retaining Workers

6.6

6.6

5.9

17.7

16.7

Regulatory Compliance

22.6

22.6

20.8

15.3

15.7

Regulatory Fines

11.3

11.3

8.9

9.7

6.5

Water Availability

2.8

2.8

5.9

6.5

2.8

Community Relations

5.7

5.7

2.0

4.8

4.6

Safety

2.8

2.8

1.0

1.6

2.8

--

--

--

8.9

10.2

Competition for Sales

Environmental issues * *New category for 2014.

As market conditions improve, the need for expanded operations or greenfield sites has become a more acute concern for producers. With 20.4 percent reporting aggregates availability and permitting as a major concern, this is the industry’s top major issue for 2015. Worker retention and competition for sales continue to be significant concerns, with numerous additional respondents listing it as a major problem. With issues such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the United States rule, the percentage of operators facing major problems with environmental issues has also grown to more than one in 10.

ditional 46.3 percent anticipate steady production, while just 6.5 percent foresee a decrease in production.

Once again, sand and gravel producers were the most upbeat about 2016 production levels; 58.3 percent anticipate an increase in production. Next were crushed stone producers; 45 percent expect an increase. And, 42.9 percent of crushed stone and sand and gravel producers call for higher production levels this year.

By region, producers in the West were most likely to say production levels would rise, with 62.1 percent responding in that manner. Southern producers were not far behind, with 53.7 percent predicting increased production. One-third of North Central producers expect to make more aggregates in 2016, while 18.2 percent of Northeast producers said the same.

18

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

Producer challenges When asked what problems cause them the most concern, aggregates availability and permitting was listed as respondents’ most acute concern, with 20.4 percent saying this was a major challenge. An additional 25.4 percent said it was a minor problem. Permitting and land issues are particularly problematic in the North Central region, where 55.5 percent of respondents said it was a challenge. It was also an issue in the West, where 48.3 percent of respondents concurred.

A different picture arises, however, when looking at which issues offer either a major or minor challenge to producers. As has been the case for several years, one of the top problems is competition for sales. Nearly seven in 10 (69.4 percent) respondents

listed this area as either a major or minor challenge. Respondents in the West were most likely to cite this issue; with more than three out of four calling it a major or minor challenge.

Last year’s top challenge, retaining workers, continues to plague many operators; 63 percent named it as a major or minor challenge. The most likely regions to report worker retention issues were the West (69 percent) and the South (63.4 percent).

Also interesting is the movement between 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 responses. Concerns over water availability shifted the most, decreasing 33.1 percent in this survey. It was followed, somewhat surprisingly, by a decrease in concerns regarding safety (-12.4 percent), competition for sales (-11.2 percent), community relations (-1.7 percent), and regulatory compliance (-0.3 percent). Challenges facing a year-over-

year increase in responses include retaining workers (+13.0 percent), environmental issues (+9.1 percent), and aggregates availability and permitting (+4.3 percent).

What lies ahead?

Taken as a whole, the aggregates industry is in a far better position than it was just a few years ago. That said, pockets of weakness remain, particularly among small producers and those in the Northeastern region. While some of these producers have not yet felt the impact of the slow-moving recovery, overall reports are strong. More than half of respondents reported an increase in production during 2015, and nearly half expect to see an increase this year as well. Compared to three to five years ago, the aggregates industry is in much better shape, and the future looks bright. AM

Methodology, Objectives, and Sources The objective of the 2015-2016 Aggregates Manager Forecast Survey was to determine business, production volume, spending, and workforce trends. In October 2015, Aggregates Manager e-mailed questionnaires to a random selection of readers in the crushed stone and sand and gravel, crushed stone-only, and crushed gravel-only industries. Surveys were sent prior to the announcement of the five-year, $305 billion joint highway bill, Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act.

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PULL-OUT GUIDE

By Kerry Clines, Contributing Editor

January 2016

Streamlining Loadout

Cameras record transactions.

A ticketing kiosk at scale keeps vehicles moving.

The driver remains in vehicle.

Lights control traffic at scale.

Technology speeds loadout

OPERAT 1

New technology

Keep Trucks Moving

M

oving customer trucks in and out of aggregate plants can sometimes seem like herding cats, but with some pre-planning, a bit of technology, and the right equipment, the process can be streamlined into a smooth choreographed dance.

Pre-planning usually comes into play when the plant is designed.

“When we designed the new plant in 2007, we tried to design it with traffic ways and versatility,” says Tim Gowens, plant manager at Vulcan Materials Co.’s Kennesaw Quarry in Georgia. He explains that 90 percent of the time, a one-way zone is created on the travel ways in the plant, which requires trucks to come in one way and exit another. “That allows for more adequate loading and getting the trucks in and out on a steady basis.”

Technology has played a big part in making it possible for trucks to get in and out of a plant much faster and easier. Ticketing kiosks, computer systems, RFID tags, cameras, and remote printers all help save time by speeding up the loadout process.

According to Don Fiedler, product manager at Rice Lake Weighing Systems, a ticketing kiosk plays a big role. It keeps the truck driver from having to leave the truck to check in at a scale house or pick up a ticket. “The driver can take the ticket off the kiosk, so he’s not walking

AGGREGATES MANAGER

around the property,” Fiedler says, adding that the kiosk also allows the driver to communicate with scale house personnel. “Whether he’s going to be prompted through the ticketing process or needs directions, the kiosk provides an interface between quarry personnel and the driver.”

Gowens says improvements recently made at his scale house, which included the installation of a remote ticketing system, have greatly improved the speed of loadout.

“It’s a lot faster going through the scales now than what it used to be,” he says. “We haven’t had a real back up at the scales since we put it in.”

The right equipment is essential for the job. Loadout might be handled the old-fashioned way at some plants by a loader and loader operator, but there’s nothing old-fashioned about the loaders today and the bucket scales that many of them use.

Silos, or loadout bins, offer a great alternative to using loaders, says Robert Cote, product manager for Dolese Bros. He explains that the scales on loaders are calibrated, but accuracy can be affected by many things, such as weather. “The benefit of silos is that they load almost exactly,” he says. “They get an empty weight right there and then load to each truck’s maximum weight. That’s a real efficiency for us.”

Computer systems, RFID tags, cameras, remote printers, and traffic-control lights have all played a big part in making it possible for trucks to get in and out of a plant more quickly and easily. Computer systems and software read the RFID tags that most trucks are equipped with today so that personnel can identify the truck, the company, and what product is desired. Traffic lights at the scale allow scale house operators to control traffic at the scale, which is usually the most congested part of an operation.

4

Computers and scales on loaders

In this high-tech age, it might seem old school to use a loader to load material into trucks, but even loaders have become high-tech. Some operations have installed computers in their loaders, which allows the operator to access a truck’s number, know how long it has been in the plant, what its target weight is, and what product it is supposed to get. Many aggregate producers have bucket scales on their loaders to help take the guesswork out of loading the correct weight.

With the scales, a loader operator can load to within 200 pounds of the desired weight.

TIONS ILLUSTRATED Streamlining Loadout

2

Remote ticketing

The whole object of a ticketing kiosk is to allow drivers to pick up a ticket at the scale without having to go to the scale house. That, in and of itself, speeds up the entire loadout process because the drivers don’t have to get out of their trucks. In addition to providing a ticket, a kiosk provides a way for the driver and the scale clerk to communicate. If the driver needs help operating the kiosk or doesn’t know where to go in the plant to pick up his load, he can talk to someone without exiting the truck.

5

Self-loading silos

Silos, or loadout bins, offer a great alternative to frontend loaders when loading trucks of any size. When placed over a scale, the loadout bins can record the empty weight of the truck and then load each one to its maximum allowable weight. This way, truck drivers can load their trucks themselves without having to wait for a loader to arrive. Fully automated bins only require the push of a button to enter the truck’s desired weight, while the simpler bin set up may just require a driver to use a manual pull cord to open a gate.

3

EXPERTS

Cameras at the scale

Cameras at the scale allow personnel to see the driver in the cab of the truck, as well as the load in the truck, but there’s an additional benefit. Every time a driver pulls a truck onto the scales, the camera takes a picture of the front and side of the truck. The computer then superimposes the data on the digital image to produce a record of the transaction that includes date, time, ticket number, truck and company information, and product.

The driver doesn’t have to get out of his truck to sign a piece of paper.

5

OUR

Quick check-in

The check-in process at aggregates operations can be time consuming, but many trucks now use RFID tags, which can be read by the scale house computers.

Dolese Bros. took it a step farther by installing a quick check-in lane at its Davis Quarry that allows drivers who are repeating their last load to enter a special lane. A confirmation board then allows the drivers to verify that they are picking up the same load and haven’t changed trailers or added an additional trailer, and they are automatically checked back in, speeding up the process.

Don Fiedler, a product manager at Rice Lake Weighing Systems, has been with the company for 17 years. His product lines include kiosks, software, instrument specials, and I.S. products. With his education in electronic engineering technology and more than 21 years of experience in the weighing and control industry, Don has an extensive knowledge of electronic engineering and scales.

Robert Cote is a project manager with Dolese Bros. Co, based in Oklahoma City. He recently completed an APEX installation at 17 aggregate plants in Oklahoma and Louisiana. Cote is a certified project management professional with 29 years of project and program management experience, holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Oklahoma and has an MBA from Oklahoma City University.

Tim Gowens is plant manager at Vulcan Materials Co.’s Kennesaw Quarry in Georgia. He has been employed by Vulcan for 14 years and has two college diplomas: one for electrical conrols and one for industrial systems technology.

January 2016

Voices of Experience Don Fiedler

A

ccording to Don Fiedler, product manager at Rice Lake Weighing Systems, truck loadout can be streamlined through the use of ticketing kiosks. “The whole objective of a kiosk is to keep the driver of a vehicle in the vehicle,” he says. “That speeds up the whole process because the driver’s not exiting the truck to get a ticket.”

In addition to providing a ticket, a kiosk provides an interface between the driver and the scale clerk. The driver might need help navigating the ticketing process or may need directions to get where he needs to go in the plant to pick up his load.

“With a kiosk system, we can utilize traffic lights for traffic control on and off the scale,” Fiedler adds, explaining that traffic congestion at the scale can often be an issue. “Sometimes, we utilize loop detectors in the ground that sense the vehicle, which then triggers the whole scale system to allow the transaction to proceed.”

Fiedler says that, after an automated ticketing system is installed, a smaller operation that normally has 50 to 75 trucks in and out of its plant on a daily basis might see an increase in the number of trucks to 100 to 150 per day because of the increase in throughput across the scale. He explains that, “If you’re able to process more trucks per day, it will increase revenue.”

Robert Cote

D

olese Bros. Co. recently streamlined the loadout process at its aggregate operations, according to Project Manager Robert Cote.

Last year, the company completed a project at several of its aggregate facilities that Cote says has taken truck loadout to the next level.

“The focus of our project was to streamline the in-plant time,” he says, explaining that they installed a new ticketing system and computer system that generates tickets for the truck drivers. “We went with Command Alkon’s program called APEX, and were actually able to improve some of our plants by up to 39 percent.”

The new system includes cameras at the scales. Every time a driver pulls a truck onto the scales, the camera takes a picture of the front and side of the truck. Then, the computer superimposes the data on the digital image to produce a record of the transaction that includes the date, time, ticket number, truck and company information, and product.

“We don’t have to get that driver out of his truck or at a window to sign a piece of paper,” Cote explains. “We, basically, could go paperless at the plants. Sometimes drivers are still forced to have a ticket for ODOT or weigh bills to prove delivery, but we put in a remote t printer so the drivers can self-serve. Instead of a scale clerk handing them a ticket through a window or sending it through a pneumatic tube, a driver just reaches inside the printer box and grabs the ticket, shaving another 10, 15, 20 seconds off the transaction.”

Computers were installed in the cab of each loader, as well, which allows the loader operator to access every truck’s information. That way, the operator knows how long a truck has been in the plant, what its target weight is, and what product it wants. More time saved.

Another thing that has helped speed up the loadout process is the quick check-in lane that Dolese put in at its Davis Quarry. Drivers who are repeating their last load can enter a special lane that reads their RFID tag. A confirmation board allows the drivers to verify that they are picking up the same load and haven’t changed trailers, and they are automatically checked back in.

“It has been really transformative in creating a positive environment for the employees and drivers,” Cote says. “We’re shaving minutes off all these transactions. It’s really phenomenal for us.”

Tim Gowens

S

treamlining loadout begins with the material. “We optimize our stockpiles to make sure they’re in fashionable order,” says Tim Gowens, plant manager at Vulcan Materials Co.’s Kennesaw Quarry in Georgia. “We maintain clear traffic lanes and have loaders readily available to load the trucks.”

Gowens says loadout bins are a big advantage, giving truck drivers the ability to load themselves without waiting on the loaders. The quarry has a loadout bin for each size product it produces. Each one holds 400 tons of material and takes about an hour to fill.

Though there are some fully automated bins that only require the push of a button to enter the desired weight and fill a truck, Gowens says loadout at Kennesaw is much simpler. “We found it was more tailored to our customers for them just to use a manual pull cord,” he says. “That activates the pneumatic gates, allowing the drivers to fill their trucks, regardless of the tonnage or product. It is also very cost effective to maintain.”

Most of the trucks that load at the silos get the standard 18 1/2-ton load of material. Larger trucks are loaded by front-end loaders rather than under the bins. Every loader on the yard is equipped with bucket scales, which takes the guesswork out of loading the correct weight. With the bucket scales, the loader operator can load to within 200 pounds of the truck’s desired weight.

“We also just improved our scale house,” Gowens says. “We have remote ticketing now. We installed the system about six months ago. The ticket comes out at the box at the scales, so the drivers never have to get out of their trucks. Loadout time has improved greatly since then and allows us to have just one weigh master running two scales.”

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PLANT MANAGEMENT

by E. Victor Brown

Changing the

Maintenance

Mindset

Baker Rock Resources experiences a evolution in its quarry culture, from reactive to preventive and predictive.

By moving from reactive to proactive maintenance, Baker Rock Resources was able to achieve a 58-percent decrease in production downtime and a 28-percent increase in hourly production rates.

26

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

L

ike all quarries, the journey from being a reactive plant to one that operates within a preventive and predictive equipment culture can be a long one. The question to be asked despite the lengthy journey is: Can the gains be immediate, while also being sustained and expanded for the long haul? For Northern Oregon’s Baker Rock Resources, the answer appears to be a resounding ‘yes’ as the company built on its gains in efficiency, maximized productivity, and increased uptime with its stationary equipment in its Beaverton, Ore., quarry via implementation of Total Process Reliability (TPR) principles.

As an outgrowth of Total Productive Maintenance principles devised by Japanese Engineer Seiichi Nakajima, TPR is about increasing equipment reliability, decreasing downtime, and creating a unified asset management process.

This is embodied in permanent and engrained methodologies that shift processes and mindsets in ways that change the company’s culture from top to bottom. While the results have, thus far, been impressive, a closer look shows how changing and tracking maintenance and reliability processes with equipment is about changing the company culture and creating shared partnerships with its personnel and crews.

Founded in 1956, the family-owned company and its more than 100 employees supply aggregate and paving materials to Northwest Oregon via divisions in Beaverton, Dayton, and Malala. With ongoing relationships with major and minor road and construction projects throughout the state, Baker Rock’s main Beaverton quarry spans 250 acres and processes an average of 1.5 million tons of aggregate per year. Like many aggregates operations around the country that have been around for any length of time, AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

27

PLANT MANAGEMENT

“Our overall goal is maximized plant efficiency in terms of time and cost, so it’s key to have information management, as well as KPI creation, to delineate those goals and necessary benchmarks for both operations and service so everyone knows what you’re trying to accomplish,” says Cristina Acosta, maintenance planner/scheduler for stationary equipment.

“By tracking everything from hours and life on everything that you can possibly think of, you get a better understanding of what is going on. Without that historical information, it’s nearly impossible to make progress in maximizing productivity,” says Bryan Loerzel, stationary equipment service manager.

inefficient maintenance processes were suppressing true gains in maximized uptime, productivity, and future growth.

Assessment and goals After implementation of a customized TPR strategy for its rolling stock in partnership with Raleigh, N.C.-based consulting firm TBR Strategies, Baker Rock has turned to

28

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

the maintenance and reliability consultancy to address and correct the challenges in its stationary equipment, starting with its primary Beaverton quarry.

The success of the company’s rolling stock (mobile equipment) maintenance program yielded a 2015 reduction in emergency work to a low 4 percent, down dramatically from 2011’s 50 percent. The effect is a projected 30-percent reduction in maintenance cost compared to 2014. This success opened the need to expand to other areas in the company, such as the quarry.

The quarry’s maintenance department includes two highly skilled ground men for daytime operational repairs and an equally skilled maintenance crew of four for major scheduled downtime repairs. Unfortunately, they had become mired in an unstructured repair regimen that dealt with problems as they occurred.

Baker Rock’s equipment division director, Brian Young, was instrumental in developing the relationship with TBR Strategies and its customized TPR plan for the company’s rolling stock.

With ownership seeing the big gains in that aspect of the business, they were convinced that moving forward with stationary equipment at the quarry was the next logical step. “Despite numerous repeating failures, there was no methodology for going to the source of the problem via a structured root cause analysis,” Young explains.

The consultant-based TBR team, under the direction of its CEO Preston Ingalls, worked with Baker Rock’s Cristina Acosta, maintenance planner/ scheduler for stationary equipment, and Bryan Loerzel, stationary equipment service manager. As project directors, they were instrumental in partnering with TBR to perform an assessment of current methodologies, as well as development, implementation, and eventual rollout of the new processes.

“Previous management had utilized a verbal-only, unstructured communication process without documentation or computer records of schedules, reports,

and work,” Loerzel says. “Consequently, we were excited about making the change and implementing some much-needed structure.”

The customized TPR process developed for Baker Rock includes: • Reporting and tracking protocols for all maintenance and repairs with maintenance re-organization; • Revised and reorganized work order system with implementation of computerized planning, scheduling, and reporting; • Preventive maintenance and predictive maintenance protocols and forms that would revise and reorganize interdepartmental processes; • Establishment of key performance indicators (KPIs) to codify goals and how to meet them; and • Reimagining and redevelopment of inventory and stocking, as well as tracking protocols, to ensure ongoing critical need and secondary stocking, as well as restocking in order to decrease expenditures.

The goals of the new system would be to: • Gain control of work through the work order system; • Maximize the effectiveness of the crews via planning and scheduling; and • Begin eliminating downtime and recurring repairs by prioritizing inspections, work, and schedules while ensuring that the right parts, tools, and employees are available to do the work and conducting root cause analysis examinations.

Implementation, buy-in, and rollout Once the assessment was completed and the plan was laid out and approved, implementation began in March of 2015.

Acosta used a cross-sectional approach of departmental input to help shape the process so that all facets of the company were represented. “Our overall goal is maximized plant efficiency in terms of time and cost, so it’s key to have information management, as well as KPI creation, to delineate those goals and

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PLANT MANAGEMENT

Award Winning Reliability In October of 2015, Baker Rock was presented with Certified Laboratory’s Equipment Reliability Program Award. The annual award recognizes North American companies making the most progress toward developing new proactive maintenance routines in conjunction with its certified complete lubrication program.

This year, Baker Rock took first place.

“Baker Rock has 50+ years of history with a major oil company and had been running an oil analysis program since the ’70s, but reliability was suffering, and shop technicians were frustrated by existing processes,” said Certified Lab consultant Todd Edwards when he presented the award. “Specialists collaborated on a new action plan and went to work executing what amounted to a cultural shift at all management levels.”

Certified Labs measured marked improvements to proper lubrication and handling, labeling, using its proactive oil analysis and fuel quality assurance programs, failure mode analysis, value recognition reports, energy surveys, and lubrication training classes. “Baker Rock’s commitment to the development of its people and proactive maintenance processes are second to none, and it shows itself in increased uptime and greatly reduced parts replacement and labor costs,” Edwards said.

necessary benchmarks for both operations and service so everyone knows what you’re trying to accomplish,” Acosta says. “By working together to create and disseminate that plan, all teams can work together towards the prescribed goals.”

“We performed one Root Cause Analysis investigation on the rock breaker on the jaw,” Young says. “We also implemented a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) in June so it is very new, but it is complete and in use with an audit form to make adjustments if the FMEA solution doesn’t work.”

At this stage, Loerzel began laying out a daily work and maintenance schedule so that crews understood what was to be done every night. Daily inspections were implemented with an emphasis on story writing for the complaint, cause,

30

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

and correction. This enabled crews to move beyond just replacing parts to inspecting and documenting why it failed and how to best correct it as part of a comprehensive failure analysis process.

According to Young, performing thousands of cursory preoperational inspections without real direction and goals had desensitized crews to the process.

“Instead of walking through and maybe pencil whipping, we now had a pre-op inspection process where ground men and operators utilized vendor recommendations and comprehensive checklists and reporting,” he says. “Write-ups increased tenfold as they were now comprehensively looking for potential problems and finding things that they had never noticed before. This quickly eliminated repeat failures because we were addressing so many problems.”

The daily comprehensive inspections led to all stationary equipment running better with maximized uptime. The data tracking and throughput was crucial to this result. “By tracking everything from hours and life on everything that you can possibly think of, you get a better understanding of what is going on,” Loerzel says. “Without that historical information, it’s nearly impossible to make progress in maximizing productivity.”

Loerzel explains that, above all else, implementation was about communicating with the crew about the permanence of the process moving forward, and simultaneously providing them with a forum to ask questions, give feedback, and make suggestions. “It was imperative to let them know that their opinions mattered, so when they are given some paperwork on a maintenance project or schedule, they can provide us with their take on ways to make it more efficient,” Loerzel says. “They know that we’ll look at their suggestion and incorporate it when we can both see that it will improve the process and the outcomes.”

Tracking In order to totally revamp the reporting process, Acosta immediately instituted a form-based production report where crews reported each downtime or each issue that they had on a daily basis during production. Once they were approved by operations, they were put into practice where they were filled out daily by crew members and submitted electronically so that they could be accessed by computer.

This data was then compiled into comprehensive reports for each asset using their computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). This enabled quick access and review of downtime incidents for each piece of equipment, as well as the specifics of the problem.

These reports then became part of an ongoing review process by Acosta and Loerzel as heads of the service teams.

The compiled statistics and metrics that make up the reports are then presented by the service team directors to operations personnel in weekly meetings. Here, each

previous week’s KPI is reviewed against assessment of average ton per hour, downtime, and uptime metrics, as well as other data points in discussions.

The reports are then modified with included remarks and suggestions from service team directors and operations personnel before submittal to Young, who presents and discusses them with ownership in a separate weekly meeting. “In creating that process, we were able to really provide structure to a maintenance crew that I think had lacked it for some time,” Acosta explains “That structure was so very well received, and they are executing it at a very high level.”

Results The reporting and tracking protocols immediately began to yield results as issues with the grizzly bars at the discharge end of the feeder in the scalping screen were able to be seriously

addressed. In addition, a longstanding series of unresolved issues with the stacking conveyor became part of the process as well. With this particular challenge, report reviews followed by brainstorming and discussions had yielded no clear solution.

In the original TPR assessment and implementation phase, the TBR consultants had stressed knowing when a problem required outside support to bring it to resolution. Acosta was quick to praise Ingalls for this valuable insight. “Preston impressed upon us that it’s not just about our maintenance crew being able to solve problems, but also about being able to utilize the vendors that we have around us and taking advantage of their experience and knowledge,” Acosta says.

In short order, the speed change and motor efficiency issues with the conveyors were resolved, as well as the issues with the scalper. After reorganizing the graveyard maintenance shift, Loerzel

was able to provide the crews with a full eight-hour maintenance shift where it originally had been just four hours due to other duties.

Just as with the daytime crews, the new graveyard maintenance plan included clear directions, reporting mechanisms, and bundled tools, parts, and plans for the scheduled work. The implementation of the TPR process also ushered in the formation of structured operator care programs like equipment improvement teams and clean, lubricate, adjust, inspect, repair, and eliminate protocols.

At this point, the true gains of the new processes, reporting, and tracking began to emerge. Within just six months of the new culture being in place, the company saw downtime decrease by 58 percent and production increase to more than 100 tons an hour on stationary equipment, which amounts to a 28-percent increase per hour. This change also ushered in the elimination of one of the

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31

PLANT MANAGEMENT

two crushing shifts and elimination of the graveyard maintenance shift altogether.

With the major downtime and production improvements, graveyard shift workers were able to work during a daytime swing shift where they interact with other managers, workers, and employees at Baker Rock. Currently, the company is now tracking every single component life and implementing studies on new and different products to extend or increase expected lifecycles. This is all made possible by the data tracking measures and more effective use of its CMMS. According to Acosta, the tracking of KPI’s, work orders, and everything in the quarry were instrumental in being able to see a difference in how the maintenance was being executed. “While we knew that we were going to improve, I don’t think that anyone expected it to happen in just six short months, which was very exciting, but realizing that we had more room to grow and improve was the truly exciting part,” Acosta says.

Creating a vision for the future As Baker Rock builds on the gains made in the present, it is also planning for the future with implementation of a new inventory process. This will ensure proper tracking of inventory to keep essential and non-essential parts on the shelves via proper documentation protocols when something is taken from stock. After recent completion of a full and exhaustive inventory, the data is now being entered into the company’s CMMS so that the company can watch the parts and get data back on usage patterns.

On another front, the company is implementing the rollout of a full and complete secondary shop directly on the quarry floor to provide a clean and dry storage and repair environment for mechanics, welders, and fabricators.

This will not only be an in-depth parts room, but also a well-designed and fully permitted location where they can work and keep their tools/parts in a dry environment during the winter season.

“Our goal is to have this phase completed

32

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

by March of 2016 so that our new quarry shop will work in conjunction with our new inventory system to lower downtime even further and help us operate even more cost efficiently,” Acosta says.

At this stage, the company is working with several vendors on real-time monitoring of voltage draws, heat, rpms, and other aspects of stationary equipment. The goal is to incorporate tracking automation, as well as barcode predictive maintenance that includes a lot of oil analysis and thermography that will become part of the condition monitoring process.

ing increased production and efficiency, decreased downtime, and other gains from tracking, reporting, and maintenance protocols/tools via TPR, Baker Rock sees a future full of possible gains and expansion of the concept.

Even though all of its locations are involved in the TPR process, the current focus is on the main Beaverton quarry, which is massive in comparison to the others in Dayton and Molalla. This will create proof of concept so that specific processes that will benefit the other two division quarries can be rolled out over time.

“While we knew that we were going to improve, I don’t think anyone expected it to happen in just six short months,” said Cristina Acosta.

“Our future is all about automated tracking using computers to analyze and manage a lot of this,” Young says.

“We’ve already seen what it can do with the rolling stock as we’ve incorporated various monitoring and GPS systems, so we’re excited to see how this will help us make even bigger gains in our quarry with stationary equipment.”

Other aspects currently underway include completely rewriting preventive maintenance protocols according to manufacturer guidelines via the creation or compiling of vendor recommendations and vendor service and maintenance manuals for stationary equipment stock.

According to Young, these did not previously exist because a majority of their equipment is custom built.

“We are getting rid of the ‘lore’ where we think we know what we’re doing because we’ve done it a certain way for so long,” Young explains. “We’re specifically addressing equipment to manufacturer guidelines, which is integral to future improvements.”

With the clear gains from TPR affect-

Young explains that the gains brought about by new processes are rooted in twoway communication, valuing the immense role of crews and personnel, as well as imparting a sense of trust and partnership.

“We hire the best people and trust them to do the job by giving them ownership of it because our management philosophy is that as managers, we work for them rather than the other way around,” he says.

“Consequently, it’s supremely important to have open, two-way communication where they can provide their input and buy into the process when implementing such a big change like this because they are the key to making it work. Once they feel that partnership and see its effects in action, they work harder, more efficiently, and are happier because of it, which has created a very different culture than what has existed in the past.” AM E. Victor Brown is a freelance writer specializing in technology, data, and processes with an emphasis in healthcare, business, manufacturing, and industrial sectors.

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EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT

Keys to

Extending

Tire Life

Understand the impact of road surfaces, water, inflation, and more, as well as how they affect your bottom line.

W

e all know the importance of equipment management to minimize production interruptions related to maintenance downtime. How much attention does your operation pay to the management of its heavy equipment tires?

Not all tire management, however, directly involves the tires. Other factors in your operations can influence tire performance and wear life.

Mine design, employee training, equipment modifications, servicing dealers, and record keeping can also affect productivity and tire performance. Take a look at these factors when putting together or evaluating your tire management programs.

Consider an operation with 100-ton haul trucks equipped with 27.00R49 tires.

Each truck’s tires, when purchased new, cost between $38,000 and $44,000. This is definitely an asset you want to make last as long as possible. Many individuals within your organization contribute to extending or diminishing tire life.

34

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

Starting with quarry design engineers, considerations to take into account when designing the mine include grades, road crown, road surface, super elevations, and uphill and downhill loads. How do these design features affect the tires?

Grades • Steep grades can cause tire slippage resulting in increased tire wear and slower trucks.

• Steep grades increase the amount of load transfer to the tires and suspension components.

• Load transfer onto front tires in downhill hauls can cause overloading, resulting in increased tire temperatures, which is a primary factor in poor tire performance.

• Overly steep grades require operators to use multiple transmission shifts to make the climb. These shifts can cause additional shearing forces within tires causing or increasing separations.

• The recommended gradient is 6 percent.

Road crown Road crown is incorporated into haul road designs to disperse water off haul road surfaces, but care should be taken to ensure that all tires are evenly supported by the road surface. Surprisingly, people don’t realize how much of an enemy water is to tires. A wet tire cuts eight to 10 times easier than a dry tire.

Designers should also take into consideration the type of material used to build and maintain haul roads. Ideal materials compact more firmly and resist potholes. Some materials act like marbles, causing slippage of the tires that can slow trucks (production) and cause tread cutting, chipping, and premature wear.

A helpful reference for haul road design and maintenance is MSHA’s Haul Road Inspection Manual. And, BKT Tires, Inc. and other manufacturers provide offthe-road tire maintenance manuals with other useful information to extend tire life and minimize tire damage.

Tire manufacturers and their authorized dealers offer a number of services

to identify design issues that affect tire performance. Technical teams are capable of running real-time haul road analysis, targeting real-time critical forces affecting tires in order to correlate haul road conditions to tire life. Spotech (Satellite Performance Optimization Technology) is one tool available to measure speed, latitudinal, longitudinal, and vertical g-force accelerations by using internal accelerometers to generate data for analysis to ensure issues are addressed before they become irreparable problems.

A majority of quarry operations do not have a tire shop and dedicated maintenance staff to monitor tire performance.

In these situations, quarry operators rely upon OTR tire dealers to provide service and track tire performance. On average, a service call to remove and replace a haul truck tire averages around 4 to 5 hours. This means your truck loses this amount of time, if not longer, away from production. Some questions to ask when assessing OTR tire dealers include the following: • Where is the tire shop in relationship to the quarry?

• Does the tire dealer have service trucks capable of safely handling OTR tires?

• Are the service truck technicians and salespersons MSHA-certified?

• What kind of OTR training do the technicians have?

• Does the dealer have 24-hour service?

• What kind of tire tracking and recordkeeping does the dealer offer?

• Does the dealer offer tire pressure monitoring on a regular basis? Weekly is recommended.

• Does the dealer have certified OTR sales representatives that are able to assess site conditions and make appropriate tire recommendations suitable for your operations?

A servicing tire dealer with welltrained and equipped sales and service personnel is an important asset to optimize your production and profit.

Another key element of a great tire management program is employee training and the establishment of best practices, including the following:

Ideally, haul roads should be the width of three trucks, allowing for easy passing on the roadway.

Notice the very tight turn and steep elevation of this haul road.

• Training haul truck drivers to stay on the bench and avoid backing into debris will minimize rock cuts and sidewall damage.

• Loader operators working the face should be vigilant in keeping the bench

free of rock debris by cleaning between loads.

• Center loading of haul trucks is another important consideration as it minimizes overloading of any one or pair of tires.

• Haul truck operators should avoid AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

35

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EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT driving over rock spillage. A rock the size of a fist causes the most damage to equipment tires.

• Start-of-shift operator inspections should include inspection of the tires and weekly pressure checks.

Haul road maintenance is another critical aspect of an operation’s tire management program. Regular clearing of debris from haul roads is a must for tire protection. Haul roads should be designed the width of three haul trucks.

Narrow haul roads cause drivers to ride on or very close to the berm and can result in cuts and tire damage. A ‘drive on the left’ traffic pattern can minimize driving on the berm as the driver is better able to see the edge of the haul road. Consider also that mismanagement of the haul roads can result in decreased production as trucks will slow down to minimize fatigue when roads are in poor condition.

Rock slots are another best practice in maintaining haul roads. When a motor

grader is in the process of clearing rocks from the haul road, it frequently just pushes the rocks up against the berms.

This results in two situations; the berm gets larger and the haul road gets narrower and/or rocks are still in the driving path of the trucks.

The next aspect of great tire management programs is to consider the effect equipment modifications have on the tires. The air inside a tire is the single most important part of the tire. It is the air that carries the load of the vehicle and its payload. The tire itself is the vessel that holds the air. Tires are designed to carry the quoted payloads and gross vehicle weight of the machine. Haul truck modifications such as the addition of sideboards to increase the payload or the addition of fuel tanks so trucks can run longer without stopping are great for increasing production, but at what cost?

The addition of these items can increase the gross vehicle weight by thousands of pounds. Dealers make tire recommenda-

tions based upon published gross vehicle weights and payloads. Savvy dealers will ask questions of the operations or maintenance managers prior to making tire recommendations, but, ultimately, it is the responsibility of the operation to inform dealers of equipment modifications to avoid premature tire removal resulting from overloading.

To wrap up this discussion, consider that some damaged OTR tires can be repaired, so keep a scrap pile of slightly worn and repaired tires on hand. While these tires may not be suitable for your heaviest loads, you may be able to get a little more life by rotating them to the front of haul trucks or the rear of loaders.

Remember the best recommendation is to be proactive and prevent early or unexpected tire removal and keep production rolling! AM

Article courtesy of BKT Tires, Inc.

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Experience: Retired November 2011 following 41 years with the U.S. Geological Survey • USGS Aggregate Resource Geologist 1977-2011 • Past Chair and Distinguished Service Award recipient, Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Industrial Minerals and Aggregates Division • Author of ASBPE award-winning columns - Carved In Stone, Aggregates Manager, 1998-Present

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37

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January12/16/14 2016 1:21 PM

SUPPLYLINES

by Therese Dunphy | Editor-in-Chief | tdunphy@randallreilly.com

Keep Conveyors on Track New features improve material quality, lower production costs, and ease maintenance concerns.

Adjustable tail reduces drop height of material Irock Crushers says it builds high-capacity conveyors with heavy-duty components and channel frames for durability and longevity. The tracked T-8048 conveyor features a 48-inch-wide belt and stretches 80 feet in length. It can stockpile material up to 33 feet, 2 inches for more stacking before relocation. With the hydraulically adjustable tail section, operators can reduce the drop height of material onto the conveyor to lesson wear and minimize spillage. The unit comes standard with a Deutz TD Tier 3 engine. This thermostatically controlled unit comes standard with hydraulic oil cooler to further prevent overheating.

Irock Crushers | www.irockcrushers.com

Tow-behind conveyor eliminates double-handling KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens’ portable tow-behind conveyor is said to eliminate the costly double-handling of material and is built as a match for the FT line of continuous crushing and tracking impactors. The tow-behind conveyor is constructed with a hitch that can attach to a track plant and travel behind the plant as it moves. A bolt-on hopper side wall allows the conveyor to rotate 180 degrees to discharge material to either side or rotate 90 degrees to transport inline. The manufacturer says producers can achieve more than $1 per ton savings by eliminating haul trucks and replacing them with the tow-behind conveyor.

KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens | www.kpijci.com

38

AGGREGATES MANAGER | January 2016

Self-contained desegregating conveyors McCloskey International’s desegregating telescopic stacker is the first in the company’s new line of self-contained desegregating conveyors. The 36-inch x 130-foot SDX-130 stacker has a fully automated and flexible control system to keep control of the material quality. The SDX-130 also has an onboard diesel hydraulic unit to make it more portable and keeps the setup down to just 15 minutes, according to the manufacturer.

McCloskey International | www.mccloskeyinternational.com

Mobile conveyor provides high stockpile capacity The track-mounted Lokotrack CT3.2 and wheel-mounted Lokotrack CW3.2 mobile conveyors are well suited to applications that require high stockpile capacity and excellent material transfer capabilities, Metso says. Lokotrack CT3.2 is powered by the Cat C2.2, and, for the wheel-mounted CW3.2, a power pack is available as an option. The mobile conveyor adds flexibility to Lokotrack multistage crushing and screening applications. It enables easy and fast closed-circuit operation. When in open loop, a high discharge height increases the stockpile capacity, and, with an additional radial drive on the CW3.2, the discharge end can be moved radially.

Metso Minerals | www.metso.com

Auto-leveling on stacker Automation engineers completed design and in-field testing on the latest development for Superior’s telescopic radial stacking conveyors. Now standard on all FD Axle model TeleStacker Conveyors, an auto-leveling feature allows the stacker to maintain a balanced conveyor structure, which greatly improves effective belt tracking. Built into the conveyor’s PilePro Automation program, the auto level feature continuously controls the TeleStacker Conveyor’s radial travel tires, naturally adjusting them for uneven terrain.

Superior Industries | www.superior-ind.com

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AGGREGATES MANAGER | January 2016

39

ROCKLAW byJessica M. Jurasko

Discrimination

Claims on the Rise More claims are being filed under §105(c) of the Mine Act. What does it mean and, more importantly, what’s an employer to do?

D

Jessica M. Jurasko is an attorney in Jackson Kelly PLLC’s Pittsburgh, Pa., office, practicing in the Occupational Safety and Health Practice Group and the Coal and Oil and Gas Industry Groups. She can be reached at 412-434-8812 or jmjurasko@jacksonkelly.com.

40

iscrimination complaints under the Mine Act have become more commonplace in recent years, with the number of filed complaints increasing for the past several years. The expectation is that this trend will continue for quite some time. According to a 2015 news release from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the agency filed 49 discrimination complaints in 2014, more than in any previous year, and the second highest number of temporary reinstatement actions (45) were filed. This past year brought more of the same, but the final numbers for 2015 had not been tallied at the time this article was written.

But what does all of this mean for mine operators and employers?

Section 105(c) of the Mine Act states that a miner cannot be discharged, discriminated against, or interfered with in the exercise of his or her statutory rights because such miner engaged in protected activity, which includes reporting an alleged health or safety violation or refusing to work in unsafe conditions. Mine operators should note that this protection extends to contractors’ employees as well. To prevail, the miner must show that 1) the miner engaged in protected activity; 2) the miner suffered an adverse employment action; and 3) there was a “nexus” or causal connection between the protected activity and the adverse employment action.

AGGREGATES MANAGER | January 2016

In most circumstances, courts analyze more closely the third element, determining if the employer discriminated against the miner because of the protected activity or whether it had a legitimate business purpose for the action.

Many employers do not realize that the Mine Act affords miners a rare remedy not available in other retaliation actions (such as those involving race, gender, age, etc.) in the form of temporary reinstatement. MSHA will file for temporary reinstatement on behalf of the miner if the agency believes the miner has a valid § 105(c) claim pending a final order on the complaint itself. The bar for reinstatement is quite low: the scope of the hearing on an application for reinstatement is limited to the judge’s determination of whether the complainant’s claim for discrimination is “frivolously brought.” It does not require a prima facie showing of discrimination but, rather, asks if the claim “appears to have merit.”

The reinstatement can be awarded even if the employer shows that it had a legitimate business reason for taking any adverse action against the miner. At the conclusion of a temporary reinstatement proceeding, a mine operator is typically required to reinstate the miner to his or her former position or the parties may agree on economic reinstatement.

Reinstatement lasts through the conclusion of the discrimination hearing unless an agreement is reached between the parties. And,

keep in mind, the actual discrimination proceeding does not gation occur because a miner who may have reported a safety condition also engaged in conduct warranting disget scheduled immediately, leaving a mine operator to pay cipline or discharge. Adverse action is necessary in certain for temporary reinstatement until a settlement or a final circumstances, and, where the record is lacking, it may adjudication occurs. appear that an operator was simply punishing the miner Discrimination claims are likely to be challenging for an for addressing a safety concern. Without the appropriate operator and may involve not only the safety department, evidence to support its decision, a mine operator may apbut also human resources and any other organizational pear to be discriminating against that miner when that is functions responsible for employment and personnel matthe farthest from the truth. Again, with the appropriate ters. Alleged discriminatory acts include quite common betraining and policies in place, many of these situations can havior on an employer’s part such as discharge or termination, reduction in workforce decisions (layoffs), demotions or be avoided altogether or, at the very least, adequately detransfer of job duties, reduction in benefits (including health fended. It is important that everyone within the organization know what to expect when a safety complaint is made. care, bonuses, availability of overtime pay, vacation, etc.), Even with all these precautions in place, a claim for disand investigations of reports of unsafe conditions which crimination may still be filed. If you are faced with defendcan be construed incorrectly as interference with a miner’s ing a claim for discrimination under § 105(c), you should ability to make safety complaints or otherwise exercise his consult an attorney as quickly as possible. The earlier in or her rights under the Act. With current market conditions, the process that legal counsel becomes involved, the better many operators are faced with making some tough, but necessary, employment decisions based purely on economic the chance for a positive outcome. AM reasons. Yet, an employer runs the risk of defending an alleged discrimination proceeding under the Mine Act based on these extensive § 105(c) protections. So what can a mine operator do to avoid these claims?

The exposure to these liabilities cannot be completely eliminated, but being mindful of what is involved Beka-Max auto-lube is built to take the bumps and with § 105(c) claims will certainly grinds of a hard-working life on the road or off.

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AGGREGATES MANAGER | January 2016 12/9/15 8:37 AM

ADINDEX January 2016

Advertiser

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Beka-Max of America, Inc.

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Bill Langer - Research Geologist

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C.L. Dews & Sons Foundry

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Command Alkon

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Crisp Industries, Inc.

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Elrus Aggregate System

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Kespry, Inc.

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KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens

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Laser Technology, Inc.

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Minexpo 2016 International

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Motion Industries, Inc.

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www.progressivecommercial.com

19

Pugmill Systems, Inc.

www.pugmillsystems.com

43

Rock Systems, Inc.

www.rocksystems.com

43

Stedman Machine Co.

www.stedman-machine.com/impact

43

Sweet Manufacturing

www.sweetmfg.com

43

Terex Minerals Processing Systems

www.terexmps.com

29

Topcon Positioning Systems

www.topconpositioning.com

Trimble Loadrite

www.loadritescales.com

20

World of Asphalt 2016

www.worldofasphalt.com

36

This index is provided as a service. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.

42

Page

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

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43

CARVED IN STONE

Bill Langer is a consulting research geologist who spent 41 years with the U.S. Geological Survey before starting his own business. He can be reached at Bill_Langer@hotmail.com

Škocjan Caves

A visit to these channels and caverns, cut into a 1,000-foot-thick layer of Cretaceous and Paleocene limestone by the Reka River, should be on your bucket list.

D

uring my career as a geologist, I have been fortunate to see some fascinating geology. This year, I would like to share some of those geologic experiences with you: some truly magnificent, others simply a curiosity.

One outstanding experience was a trip to Portorož, Slovenia, where I was an invited instructor at a NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Sustainable Mineral Resource Management in Karst Areas. The term karst refers to areas characterized by sinkholes, caverns, caves, tunnels (also called conduits), and other underground drainage, formed by the dissolution of limestone or other soluble rocks.

I was at the workshop to describe how to identify and characterize potential impacts from aggregate mining in areas of karst, and how to avoid or mitigate those impacts.

What better place to hold a workshop on karst than in Slovenia, almost half of which is karst terrain. In fact, the term karst is derived from the name of the Slovenian region Kras. It is no coincidence that karst research has its origin in this very part of Slovenia, which is scientifically referred to as “Classical Karst.”

One of the highlights of the workshop was a visit to the Škocjan Caves, one of the natural treasures of planet Earth. Because of its exceptional significance, Škocjan Caves is on UNESCO’s list of natural and cultural world heritage sites.

People have been attracted to the magnificent caves from time immemorial. The channels and caverns of Škocjan Caves were cut into a 1,000-foot-thick layer of Cretaceous and Paleocene limestone by the Reka River. Before disappearing into the karst underground, the river passes through a vast, picturesque channel about 500 feet high and about 400 feet wide, often as dramatically roaring rapids and waterfalls. At Velika Dolina (Big Collapse Doline), the Reka River sinks under a rocky wall and disappears underground into Škocjan Caves.

From Velika Dolina, the water flows underground for 21 miles surfacing near Monfalcone where it discharges into the Timavo River, increasing the flow of the river by 50 percent. The Timavo River then flows to the Adriatic Sea. The Škocjan Caves consist of about 3.9 miles of explored caves. The vast underground halls and chambers of the cave system expose stunning variations of limestone bedrock and secondary cave formations. It is the exceptional volume of the underground caverns that distinguishes Škocjan Caves from other caves. The largest of these is Martel’s Chamber with a volume of 2.8 million cubic yards, about the size of an average domed football stadium. It is considered the largest discovered underground chamber in Europe and one of the largest in the world.

The massive underground cave system has beautiful stalactite, stalagmite, and other structures, as well as a bridge over the gorge that looks like something out of The Lord of the Rings.

Beyond its geologic and visual appeal, the Škocjan Caves are home to noteworthy species that thrive in the world of the underground environment. The caves support many endemic and endangered species, including invertebrates and crustaceans. Likewise, the peculiar environmental conditions of the collapsed dolines provide a habitat for rare and threatened flora and fauna.

Visiting the Škocjan Caves should be on your bucket list of geologic wonders. It is an experience you will never forget. If you can’t make it in person, go to www.park-skocjanske-jame.si/en/gallery/foto/skocjanske-jame_3 for a photo tour.

44

AGGREGATES MANAGER / January 2016

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