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By Penelope B. Grenoble You’ve read in these columns that when it comes to machine control, manufacturers warn contractors about one-stop training—give the operator a quick run-through and let her rip. You’ve also heard manufacturers say it’s essential to have a champion, someone who understands the value of the technology, will do what it takes to learn it, and be a resource for the rest of the crew. Mike Wahlin, GPS grading systems engineer at Reynolds Brothers Inc. in Salt Lake City, is just that kin...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Communications, Grading, Technology
By Peter Hildebrandt Having smooth asphalt and road surfaces is not only safer for drivers and pedestrians but it also saves on wear and tear of road at the same time keeping those surfaces from having to be replaced and worked on as much as they were in the past. New technology can make sure the finished product is even better than it has ever been. Qualified and able equipment operators continue to remain vital as well. Logistics an Important Part of the Mix Finding skilled operators with the ability ...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Graders, Grading, Technology
By John Trotti Computers continue to make their presence felt in construction, but their impact for the most part mirrors what has been taking place elsewhere in the business world. The changes they have wrought—stunning as they seem—have been evolutionary in nature, allowing for a greater degree of control over the same sort of data that has been used in decision making for decades. But beneath the surface, seemingly unrelated forces have been at work—high-definition positioning systems, electro-hydrau...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Software, Technology, Telematics
By Jeff Winke When completed, the BrightSource Energy-designed Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) in California’s Mojave Desert will look striking. Its innovations will provide much needed power during the peak hours of the day to more than 140,000 homes in California. ISEGS is a 392-MW gross solar complex using more than 300,000 garage-door-size mirrors to focus the power of the sun on solar receivers atop power towers. The solar receivers are like traditional boilers, turned inside out. ...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Attachments, Operations, Technology
By Jack Lucic When tough times hit in America, we see our share of bad things happen, but we see plenty of what we refer to as good old-fashioned American ingenuity. That power of creative imagination has helped our country solve problems, meet challenges, and create new things out of next to nothing. Now more than ever, American ingenuity is flourishing. It is helping American businesses in the construction market that have been hard hit by what some refer to as the Great Recession. These companies are...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: GPS, Machine Control, Technology
Written by Debbie McClung Few facets of running a construction business are more fiscally insightful than real-time observation of your valuable mobile assets. If you have not incorporated a fleet management tool based on a global positioning system into your operation, you might be surprised to know the growing impact this technology can have on your bottom line. GPS-based fleet management systems have proved to be successful in the railway and trucking industries. Now they are bringing operationa...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Management, Software, Technology
Written by Jeff Winke When the February 22, 2011, Christchurch City earthquake erupted, this powerful natural event severely damaged New Zealand’s second-largest city and has been described as one of the nation’s worst peacetime disasters. To add context, the Canterbury region had been experiencing earthquakes since the September 2010 Darfield event, with over 10,000 recordable earthquakes to date. One significant road damaged in the quake required the Christchurch City Council’s (CCC’s) immediate ...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Excavating, Software, Technology
Written by Don Talend Combine fast-moving stormwater runoff with long-term population growth in the Phoenix area, and it’s no wonder that much of the stormwater infrastructure built decades ago needs upgrading. Such is the case with the Magma Flood Retarding Structure (FRS) located in Pinal County, AZ. The Magma FRS is part of a 336-mile long system of aqueducts, tunnels, pumping plants and pipelines comprising the Central Arizona Project, which was developed in 1968 and is designed to bring about ...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Graders, Technology
Written by Penelope B. Grenoble “If you don’t have confidence in your takeoff, it’s worthless,” says Coy Lowden, estimator/project manager at Lowden Excavating Inc. in Kyle, TX, “You might as well not have done it.” True enough, but how do you get there? Four years ago onscreen takeoffs all but made digitizers obsolete. The current standard, from Roctek to Trimble, is the ability to import and work with vector PDFs. Three-D is another feature, and depending on how far you want to go, both Topcon an...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Management, Software, Technology
Written by Paul Hull In the past, many contractors and local authorities thought the remedy for soft or wet soil conditions was to add more gravel. Unfortunately, the increasing number of vehicles (and, in many cases, heavier vehicles or machines) on the new base soon mixed the new gravel with the wet soil below, and the remedy did not work for long. It’s the long-lasting, durable aspect of roadbuilding that has been helped so much by the use of geosynthetics (or geotextiles, or geogrids). As the q...... continue reading
From: Grading and Excavation Contractor Topics: Management, Technology
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