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By Paul Hull For most contractors, “underground” has meant trenches down Main Street, tearing up multiple spaces in parking lots, spoiling the calm and neatness of residential streets to repair or update infrastructure, and then the costly replacing and reshaping of what was removed. I’m not going to talk about trenches in this article, even though they are still necessary ways for improving some projects. There are projects that do involve some digging (how else would you get underground?) but t...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Equipment, Excavating, Excavators
BSB Development is an Illinois land improvement and excavating contractor whose equipment operators take particular pride in the quality of their work. From its base of operations in Spring Grove at the far northwest suburban reaches of the Chicago area, BSB relies on its operators’ diverse skills to survive during a tough economy. “A couple of our guys finished pretty well up there in the recent Case Triple Threat Rodeo,” owner Terry Becker says of his BSB crew. “Every one of my operators is trained on...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Equipment, Fuel, Operations
Written by Penelope B. Grenoble Long before the job finally got under way in June 2012, the restoration of Malibu Lagoon, a 31-acre shallow water embayment formed where Malibu Creek empties into the Pacific Ocean, had accumulated a reputation as of one of California’s most ecologically sensitive and politically contentious construction projects. Ecologically sensitive, because the object was to restore ecological balance to one of the state’s last naturally functioning lagoons; contentious, because...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Equipment, Excavation, Excavators
Written by Lori Lovely Before the dedicated motor scraper, there was a smaller version: the towed scraper, one of the first bulk earthmoving machines invented. Nineteenth-century scrapers were drawn by horses, but were later adapted for use with tractors. In 1923 Robert LeTourneau designed and built the first modern practical towed scraper. Prior to the development of efficient hydraulic systems after WWII, they were designed to operate behind crawler tractors via a cable control unit. By the mid-1...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Equipment, Operations, Scrapers
Written by Peter Hildebrandt Whether or not the flap of a pair of butterfly wings inevitably caused recent weather events will never be known, but what is known is that countless human lives were changed forever in October 2012 by a late season hurricane named Sandy—and by the painful aftermath. As power is restored, shattered lives repaired, and destroyed infrastructure hauled off before new projects begin, the critical equipment needed will be there in the background, as always. End dumps find us...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Dump, Equipment, Trailers
Written by Ed Ritchie Today’s heavy equipment trailers are more than a match for the needs of grading and excavation contractors. In fact, with so many options and features, sometimes choosing the right equipment can seem a daunting task. But manufacturers and dealers are more than ready to play matchmaker, it’s just a matter of knowing what you need to get the job done. Rugged and quick-to-load were just a few of the features needed by Jeffrey L. Hammann, owner of JLH Bulldozing, Atwater, IL. “Obv...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Equipment, Operations, Trailers
Written by Daniel C. Brown Engineers for the major grader manufacturers have been hard at work lately. They have upgraded engines to Tier 4 Interim compliance. They have improved visibility and controls. Each company has optimized the weight, balance, and stability of the machine. John Deere, for example, has redesigned its G-Series graders to include an Interim-Tier-4-certified engine and the industry’s only choice between console-mounted or armrest-mounted industry standard fingertip controls. Th...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Equipment, Graders, Large Equipment
Written by Peter Hildebrandt Skid-steers, excavators, or any such machinery are nice power sources. With attachments operating hydraulically, life can be made easier for the operator, as the job is now done more quickly and more efficiently. Typically, too, operators don’t even have to leave the cab of the machine. If a contractor has mini-excavators, skid-steers, or tractors, even the best piece of equipment comes able to use the wide variety of attachment equipment now available. Skid-steers are ...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Attachments, Equipment, Tools
Written by Mike Crummy After a new street is paved, a new highway built or a new bridge is erected, the motorists who subsequently travel those routes may very much appreciate the upgrade, but often won’t have a real idea of what went into the actual construction. In some cases, in fact, even experienced construction professionals may not realize exactly how certain aspects of a job were accomplished. A great example took place during the kcICON project in Kansas City, a $245 million undertaking th...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Concrete, Equipment, Operations
Written by Daniel C. Brown Studies show that smoothness ranks at the top of what Americans want to see and experience when driving their highways. And several contractors are reporting that they produce smoother concrete pavements—and earn more smoothness bonuses—by using machine-control systems from Leica Geosystems. Automated machine control saves time and money because it eliminates all of the detailed survey labor normally spent for a runway, staking of hubs, setting blue-tops, and the labor to...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Equipment, Paving, Technology
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