California 18, August 30, 2020

August 30 2020 Vol. I • No. 18

“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”

Your California Connection – 1-800-523-2200 – www.cegltd.com

El Centro’s Imperial Improvement Two Volvo EC480E excavators, a Cat 345B excavator and a Link-Belt 470X excavator – with 1,100 FTP breakers – perform demo work on the $44 million Interstate 8/Imperial Avenue Interchange project.

By Irwin Rapoport CEG CORRESPONDENT

Granite Construction Inc. is continuing to make progress on the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) $44 million, multi-year project to reconstruct the inter-

change at Imperial Avenue and Interstate 8 (I8) in the city of El Centro.

The initiative will remove the existing bridge and eastbound on- and off-ramps, then reconstruct the structure and the on- and offramps in both directions, construct a new entrance loop ramp from southbound

Imperial Avenue to eastbound I-8 and create access to the city’s upcoming extension of southbound Imperial Avenue to city areas south of I-8.

The state’s Regional Improvement Program is providing $42 million of the cost, with $2 million from the Federal Highway

SACRAMENTO ONLINE EQUIPMENT AUCTION

Priority Projects Program.

The project was designed internally by the Caltrans Division of Design in coordination with Project Engineer Dimitar Peev, Design Manager Kazim Mamdani and Edward Mercado (structures division). see IMPERIAL page 6

WOODBURN ONLINE EQUIPMENT AUCTION

Friday, October 23rd, 2020 @ 8:30am Saturday, October 10th, 2020 @ 8:30am 4751 Power Inn Rd., Sacramento, CA 95826 17129 Pacific Highway, Woodburn, OR 97071

www.barnoneauction.com | (866) www.BARNONEAUCTION.com 866 372 - 372- -1700 1700

Page 2 • August 30, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • California State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Construction Equipment Guide • California State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • August 30, 2020 • Page 3

0% % FOR 60 M MONTHS WITH W ZERO DOWN* Apply 0% on Cat® Attaachments too!

Becausse Beca s your o r business b siness never ne er stops, ops, we want owning new Cat® compact equipment to be simple and hassle-free. ee ee.

Right now, you can take advantage ge of zero down and zero interest nterest with unmatched support upport from your local Cat dealer.

Plus, th his finance rate can be appplied to attachment purchases, ases, helping you get more done for less.

Just a few f of the new ways we saay, “Hello and welcome to the California Cat dealerss.”

www.hawthorrnecat.com San Diego 858-239-1120

www.holtca.com w Ceentral Northern California 8000-452-5888

www.petersoncat.com m Bay Area & Northern California, Oregon, and Southwesst Washington a 844-349-4353

www.quinncompany.com Central & Southern California 888-842-2155 2155

*Financing offers valid fro om July 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021. 0.0% interest for 600 months financing with zero down payment available only on the following new Cat machines manufactured by Caterpillar pillar Inc.: Skid Steer Loaders, Mini Excavators, Compact Track ack Loaders, Compact Wheel Loaders, Backhoe Loaders, Small Dozers, Small Wheel Loaders, and Telehand dlers. Financing, zero down, and published rate terms are on nly available through Cat Financial for customers meeting cred redit approval and subject to Cat Financial offered terms and nd conditions. Not all buyers will qualify. Higherr rates may apply for buyers with lower credit rating or lesse er qualifications. Offer available only at participating Cat dealers. Flexible payment terms available to those who qualifyy. Offer is available to customers in the USA and Canada only ly. Offer subject to machine availability. Offer may cha ange without prior notice and additional terms and condition ns may apply. Contact your Cat dealer for details. © 2020 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, T, CAT TERPILLAR, LET’S DO THE WORK, the eir respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow”, the “Power Edge” and Cat “Modern Hex” trade dress as well as corporate and nd product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar ar and may not be used without permission. www w.cat.com / www.caterpillar.com

Page 4 • August 30, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • California State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Century-Old Business Still Thrives Berchtold Equipment Co. new headquarters location at 3000 Pegasus Dr., Bakersfield, Calif.

First-of-Its-Kind Paving Project in Oroville Uses All Recycled Materials From the founding of Berchtold Produce in 1910 to a modern day mainstay in the equipment business, the Berchtold story is one of longevity and growth.

The company’s founding father, Joseph Berchtold, started by merchandising hardware and produce, but that venture quickly expanded to a newer market, selling farm implements and tractors.

Nearly 10 years after establishing his business, Berchtold needed a much larger facility Aerial shot of 3000 Pegasus Dr., Bakersfield, Calif. so he arranged the construction of a new office, one block away from its original locaBerchtold Equipment Co. tion, at 330 E. 19th St., Bakersfield, Calif., in location at 330 East. 19th 1919. This became the company headquarters St., Bakersfield, Calif. for the next 100 years, where the company is now known as Berchtold Equipment Co. But like all good things, sometimes change is necessary. Needing to update and modernize its facility, the Bakersfield office was relocated to its newest location at 3000 Pegasus Dr. (Bakersfield) on Dec. 16, 2019. This new location sits on more than 10.5 acres and houses a 29,000+ sq. ft. facility. The larger space allows the inclusion of several new service bays and technicians. Almost immediately, they experienced an increase in demand and growth in business.

Today, Berchtold has three locations: Bakersfield, Delano and Santa Maria, and serves Kern County and the surrounding areas. Starting as a single-line dealer more than a century ago, they have now become a multi-line Ag and construction dealer for New Holland, Kubota, Bobcat and Doosan and more. original site for Berchtold Produce Co. in Berchtold Equipment Co. is currently owned and The 1910. operated by third-generation Mark Berchtold and wife Beth. They have grown the business to three large retail ny on its social media accounts to stay up to date on locations and service 7 counties. announcements and deals: The company is planning a 110-year celebration to Facebook: @BerchtoldEquipmentCompany mark the company’s success (date to be announced).

Instagram: @berchtold_equipment_co In the meantime, follow more news about the compaTwitter: @BerchtoldCo 

Lamon Construction Company Inc. of Yuba City recently partnered with Caltrans for a unique paving project in The Golden State.

A section of Highway 162 in Oroville, Calif. was repaved using recycled asphalt pavement and liquid plastic made with single-use, plastic bottles — the first time the department has paved a road using 100 percent recycled materials. The pilot project features work on three lanes of a 1,000-foot highway segment. The department is testing the material for later use throughout the state. A one-mile segment of pavement using this treatment will recycle 150,000 plastic bottles.

The $3.2 million paving project covers a stretch of Highway 162 between the Feather River and Christian Avenue in Oroville, Calif.

The “plastic” roadway has been found in previous tests to be more durable and last two to three times longer than traditional hot-mixed asphalt pavement. This pilot will be the first test on a state highway.

“California has set ambitious goals for recycling and other environmental priorities, and meeting them requires innovative and costeffective solutions,” said Sen. Ben Hueso, who has advocated for Caltrans to test this material. “Using waste plastic that was otherwise destined for a landfill will not only reduce the cost of road repair and construction, but also increase the strength and durability of our roads.

As a leader on environmental justice issues, California is uniquely positioned to transform the transportation industry once again by using this new technology that could revolutionize the way we look at recycled plastic.”

Caltrans currently has a cold in-place asphalt recycling program that uses large machines to remove 3-to-6 in. of roadway surface and grind up the asphalt while mixing it with a foamed binding agent made of bitumen, a leftover sludge from oil refining. However, the recycled material used in this process is only durable enough to serve as the roadway base. Trucks need to deliver hot-mix asphalt from a production plant miles away and place a final layer over the base.

Using this new technology developed by TechniSoil Industrial of Redding, a recycling train of equipment grinds up the top 3 in. of pavement and then mixes the grindings with a liquid plastic polymer binder, which comes from a high amount of recycled, single-use bottles. The new asphalt material is then placed on the top surface of the roadway, eliminating the need for trucks to bring in outside material for a paving operation. By eliminating the need to haul asphalt from the outside, this process can significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions.

“We're excited about introducing a new sustainable technology and helping pave the way for utilization of recycled plastics throughout the state,” said Caltrans District 3 Director Amarjeet S. Benipal. “This process is better for the environment because it keeps plastic bottles out of landfills and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.” 

Construction Equipment Guide • California State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • August 30, 2020 • Page 5

2012 CASE 570M XT, S/N SL-19-2879, 3200 Hrs, 4in1 Bkt, 4WD ............................$38,500

2013 FREIGHTLINER 4000 GAL WATER TRUCK, S/N T-19-2927, 6 Spray Hose, Set Up For Hose Reel, Detroit 500HP Dsl$66,500

2013 CAT 236B3, S/N SS-17-2683, 793 Hrs, OROPS, Aux Hyd, Joystick Controls..$29,500

2013 SANY SRC865, S/N CR-19-2918, 575 Hrs, Cummins QSB6.7, 250HP, 113' Four Section main boom, 30.2'-52.5' extension ....$164,500

2013 Freightliner Cascadia DD13, S/N T-19-2874, Super 10, 245k Mi, New Demo Box w/Hyd Gate, New Tarp Sys, Carb Compliant................................................................................$92,500

2006 CAT 143H, S/N G-19-2910, 9600 Hrs, Power Steering, AM/FM, AWD ..........$89,500

2009 Nissan BF03A35V, S/N F-20-2950, 4738 Hrs, 13975LB Forklift, 6cyl, Dual Fuel, Forks, SS, 217in. 3 Stage Mast, Canopy ........$19,500

2011 Case 580N, S/N B-17-2674, CASE ENG, 60-90HP, 4WD, EXTENDAHOE$48,000

1995 CAT 924F, S/N W-20-2954, 10,388 Hrs, CAT 3114 Diesel, Auto W/ Enclosed Cab ...... ............................................................$37,500

Page 6 • August 30, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • California State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Granite Construction Building I-8 Project in Two Phases IMPERIAL from page 1

Project Progress On July 6, the eastbound I-8 on and offramps at Imperial Avenue were closed for eight-to-10 months for Stage 1 construction as crews worked on the southern portion of the intersection. The traffic plan is based on lane closures (day and night) and detours.

Stage 2 work on the northern portion is anticipated to take four-to-six months to complete and could begin as early as December. During this stage, all I-8/Imperial Avenue on- and off-ramps will be fully closed.

The project will be executed in two phases. The first phase will demolish the existing bridge and construct the new Imperial Avenue Bridge. This phase will include all the work involved on the south side of I-8 and a portion of the north side. This phase began in May and is scheduled to be completed by October of 2021.

The second phase will remove the westbound on/off ramps and is scheduled to begin in January 2021. The entire construction project is scheduled to be completed in October 2021.

During the course of the project, the I-8 freeway will be subjected to full freeway closures. The bridge removal closure has already occurred, but the second full freeway closure is scheduled for January 2021 to install false work for the new bridge. The last closure is set to take place June 2021 to remove falsework.

Crews will install approximately 5,400 linear ft. of a new storm drain system. The first phase will be installed in November 2020 and phase two will be installed in April 2021.

“We anticipate one or two nights for each closure totaling up to five full freeway closures,” said Fausto Gonzalez, Granite’s project manager. “Additionally, single lane closures will be needed to perform other miscellaneous work such as k-rail installation, freeway striping and bridge column/abutment removals. This work will be scheduled for night operations.”

Construction of the new bridge and ramps will begin soon, with a completion goal of October 2021.

Aerial view looking west at the SW quadrant of the project during construction of the EB I-8 off and on ramps at Imperial Ave. Belly dump trucks delivering imported borrow material while a water pull waters the material and a Cat 824G tractor spreads and compacts.

Looking southbound as the crew begin to demolish the existing bridge structure.

“This project was planned in a way that will minimize public inconvenience and still provide us the ability to complete the project on time,” said Gonzalez. “The first phase required the closure of the on/off ramps east bound. That allowed us to build the majority of the project, except for the westbound on/off ramps. Starting in January 2021, phase two will overlap with phase one. At this point, all ramps on Imperial Avenue will

be closed for the construction of the bridge, including all connectors.

“In order to expedite the project, Granite will be working on different operations simultaneously,” said Gonzalez. “This will help us complete the project on time. Our personnel are specialized in this type of work with the support of other subs who are specialized in their respective construction disciplines.”

Partnering to Get the Job Done “We are fortunate to have a team with a strong mindset on partnering,” said Gonzalez. “This has allowed the team to come together and work towards a shared goal. I’m confident that together we will overcome any issues and great results will be achieved.”

Peak days will have more than 20 Granite and subcontractor employees, with the major subcontractors from ACL Construction for concrete barrier; Alcorn Fence Company for metal beam guardrail; Harbor Companies for bridge removal; Integrity Rebar for rebar; Jilk Heavy Construction for pile driving; Maneri Traffic Control for construction area signs; Mendoza Business Enterprise for electrical; Pacific Restoration of erosion control; Payco Specialties for striping; Statewide Traffic Safety for signage; and Universal Construction Engineering for landscaping.

The demolition and excavation operations should generate approximately 600 cu. yds. see IMPERIAL page 10

Cat 637E scrapers excavate soil from the existing EB on ramp and spread the material on the new EB I-8 on and off ramps, while an 824G tractor spreads and compacts.

A water pull and water truck spreads water and a Cat 143M spreads material.

Construction Equipment Guide • California State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • August 30, 2020 • Page 7

NEXT ISSUE CLOSES: September 17, 2020

Page 8 • August 30, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • California State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Volumetric Tech. Saves Up to 50 Percent in Material Costs Bauman Landscape and Construction Inc. has Curbing Driver helped build some of San Francisco’s most comShortages plex and iconic cityscapes. From the Palace of Across the country, companies of all types, sizes Fine Arts to Dolores Park to the city’s and geographic location are struggling to hire and Embarcadero, Bauman Landscape and retain professional drivers, much less good ones.

Construction has been pouring concrete in the Bay It’s a trend not expected to subside, and many anaCity for more than four decades. lysts believe the shortage could as much as triple The company’s success in the Bay Area has by 2026. been built on a foundation of quality, efficiency With Bauman’s original equipment, which was and a willingness to trust new innovations and tricky to operate and resulted in more downtime technology. One of the most significant innovathan the company could swallow, highly skilled tions Bauman has embraced is volumetric conoperators became even harder to come by. Now, crete mixing technology. When Bauman started Mike Bauman said, the Cemen Tech machines using volumetric mixing technology, the trend was have made that hurdle much easier to clear. still in its infancy, but the city of San Francisco “It is incredible because now we can take a UPS quickly realized the company was able to deliver concrete faster and reasonably than their competidriver and put them in a C60 and they could run tors who were still using traditional barrel mixers. it,” he said. “It’s a real benefit for us. It is tough to In addition to being high-quality, quick and on- With the Cemen Tech C Series mixers, Bauman’s team was able to batch, find good quality people, so we have to pay over budget, Bauman boasted another feature that set it measure, mix, pour, record and analyze each job with just the onboard scale, but we are able to lure away good quality apart: being green. San Francisco, a well-known as equipment of the machine itself. drivers from other companies to work for us now.” a hub for sustainability, appreciated Bauman’s Part of what makes the vehicles so easy to operability to take any unused concrete back to its yard, crush it ate are their electronic control panel that gives the user total and re-use it as concrete aggregate. control over how much is poured and which mixture is being “That was huge in the city,” said Mike Bauman, chief used. The Cemen Tech C60 units also come equipped with executive officer of Bauman Landscape and Construction.

Auto-Washout and Auto-Stow features for easy transporta“They require everything to be recycled and we are pretty tion and clean up as well as the ACCU-POUR options. green as far as recycling and reusing the concrete.

ACCU-POUR is a suite of cloud-based, wireless produc“We are the first company [in San Francisco] to use 100tivity solutions that allows Bauman to blend the everyday percent recycled aggregate in our mix. The barrel mix guys use about 50 percent.” details from dispatch to completed jobs to a holistic view of But the company’s success didn’t set-in overnight. The their business operations. city, which hires Bauman’s company to pour streetscapes, When Bauman started using volumetric mixing techCemen Tech also provides on-site training for both curbs, gutters, as well as structural walls and building slabs, nology, the trend was still in its infancy, but the city of mechanical and maintenance training, as well as driver trainrequired the company to do test pours before each load out San Francisco quickly realized the company was able ing. Now, the drivers who went through the initial round of of the mixer, Bauman said. After some test runs and some to deliver concrete faster than anyone else. training are able to train any new drivers who join the solid test results, the city gave Bauman the full green light.

Bauman team.

“They were so used to barrel mixers,” Bauman said.

Unrivaled Quality “Since we were the first ones out here with the volumetric You don’t hold a reputation for excellent, reliable work for A Smooth Partnership mixers, now we have a great reputation with [the city]. They more than 40 years without taking quality control seriously.

The relationship between Cemen Tech and Bauman has like our mixers and they like the mix better than the barrel That’s where Angela Bauman comes in, the company’s lead been mutually-beneficial. As one pours foundational elemixers.” project manager who has a passion for process improvements to one of America’s most iconic cities, the other conment, quality control and efficiency.

Time for an Upgrade In addition to Angela, the company also has a full-time tinues to press-forward with innovative technology and cusIn 2017, Bauman identified a few soft spots in his equiptomer support that keeps their customers running on all ment and was ready to make some serious upgrades. His pre- quality control person on staff who is responsible for running cylinders. vious volumetric mixers required skilled concrete operators, in-house testing before mixes go out for pouring. With the Volumetric concrete mixing technology has given who were becoming harder and harder to come by, and expe- Cemen Tech mixers, once the mixes are tested and approved, Bauman Landscape and Construction a distinct advantage Bauman’s team is able to make a single run and knock-out a rienced recurring issues with bent, broken or faulty chutes, on its home turf. It’s an advantage it doesn’t expect to be multi-mix job. which caused downtime.

“One huge benefit for us is in the city there is the relinquished soon.

So, Bauman turned to Cemen Tech to deliver four initial “Even though it was hard to get the city to open their eyes C60 mobile concrete mixers to help streamline the operation, streetscapes. We do a lot of streetscapes and the curb, gutter increase efficiencies on-site and in their driver hiring, while and sidewalks are all different mixes,” Angela Bauman said. to volumetric mixers…we took a leap of faith and they did,” also minimizing downtime. With the Cemen Tech C Series “We used to have to get three short loads just to pour a curb Angela Bauman said. “The city, ever since then, is conmixers, Bauman’s team was able to batch, measure, mix, ramp, so now with the Cemen Tech mixers we can just vinced.” pour, record and analyze each job with just the onboard change the mix three different times in one truck and pour During every step of the way, both organizations have equipment of the machine itself. Additionally, the ability to the entire thing. worked together to guarantee success. load a variety of different mix composites made toggling The speed with which Bauman is able to complete jobs “The immediate customer service, you need that support, back-and-forth between jobs or within the same job a breeze, nearly rivals the quality of its work. On a recent job on especially when you are new to a product,” Angela said.

Bauman said.

Chestnut Street in the northern tip of the city, Bauman “The C60s we have equipped with the liquid color, which Landscape and Construction was responsible for completing “You want to be able to call someone and have them make is great because everything we do out here is color, even the the entire baseline of the project. When it quoted the city you feel good about what you are purchasing and make sure they are going to be on board if something were to happen, simple sidewalks have color in them,” Bauman said. “We with its proposed timeline, the city was skeptical. probably have 25 mix designs pre-loaded because of all the “They said, ‘We don’t think you can do it that quick,’” or if you need the additional support or training.

“Cemen Tech has done that, and have followed-through in different type of work that we do out here.

Angela said. “We were beating the schedule by almost a “They pretty much run themselves,” Bauman added. more ways that we could have ever thought.”  year. And, sure enough, we did, and it was awesome.”

Semi - Custom Rebuilt Vocational Trucks

Construction Equipment Guide • California State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • August 30, 2020 • Page 9

SALES

AND

RENTALS

We Sell and Rent Opportunity In response to these challenging times we will be offering 15% off all rentals rates through the end of the year.

2008 International DURASTAR 4300…$24,000 W001691, 2,500 Gallon Tank DT 466, 6 Speed

2012 International DuraStar 4300 …$46,000 W002771, 2,500 Gallon Tank, Automatic

Sunward Excavators available for rent or sale

Sunward Skid Steer Loaders available for rent or sale

RENTAL RATES $250 a Day $800 a Week $2,250 a Month

RENTAL RATES $300 a Day $1,200 a Week $3,250 a Month

2008 International DURASTAR 4300…$24,000 W001696, 2,500 Gallon Tank DT 466, 6 Speed

2012 FREIGHTLINER M2…$60,000 W002890, New 12’ Dump Bed, Automatic

Two locations in California to Serve You!

14635 Valley Blvd.

Fontana, CA 92335

909.822.2200

10918 Shoemaker Ave. Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

www.scottequip.com

C A L L U S T O D AY !

562.777.0775

Hawthorne Cat’s Newest Facility in Kauai, Hawaii Officially Opens Hawthorne Cat, the exclusive Cat equipment dealer in San Diego, the Hawaiian Islands and the Pacific Region, is proud to announce the opening of their newest location on Kauai, Hawaii.

Construction on the Hawthorne Kauai branch was completed earlier this month and is now open for business.

“With our new facility, we’ll have overhead crane capability. We’ll also have a hydraulic bench to perform hydraulic cylinder work on-island,” says Bobby Whitworth, Hawaii General Manager. “Previously, hydraulic cylinders were sent to Oahu to be repaired or resealed.

Kauai builders will enjoy a lot quicker uptime due to the new facility.”

As Kauai construction continues to expand, local customers can count on Hawthorne for all of their job needs. Their unparalleled technical support and service team takes great pride in delivering the best

The new Hawthorne Kauai Branch at 1520 Haleukana Street, Lihue, HI 96766.

Help Wanted (Lake Elsinore, CA): Fully Trained Diesel Mechanic, 10 years experience

hablamos español • Call Mike (909) 821-5448

Laser Screed and Curb Machine Rentals

Help Wanted (Las Vegas, NV): Laser Screed Operator w/5 yrs experience, prior 3D experience required

Madrid Laser Screed

customer experience in the industry.

With the opening of the new branch, Hawthorne Cat now has five convenient locations on the Hawaiian Islands.

Visit the new Hawthorne Kauai Branch at 1520 Haleukana Street, Lihue, HI 96766.

Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information about our new location in Hawaii, please contact Hawthorne Cat at 808.245.4058. 

Madrid Laser Screed

Gomaco GT-3600

Curb Machine trimming the grade before concrete is poured producing a much better product

Madrid Laser Screed Inc. Servicing California and Nevada

800-793-5603 • 202 W. Minthorn St. • Lake Elsinore, CA 702-778-5667 • 3439 Shamrock Avenue • Las Vegas, NV

Page 10 • August 30, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • California State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Local Dealerships Serve as ‘Crucial Component’ for Job IMPERIAL from page 6

of concrete, 80,000 cu. yds. of native fill material that will be incorporated into the project.

“Granite has always been very environmentally oriented and this project will not be the exception,” said Gonzalez. “We will recycle and incorporate into the project all allowable materials generated from the demolitions and roadway excavation.”

New materials are expected to include approximately 238,000 cu. yds. of imported borrow, 4,600 cu. yds. of concrete, 27,000 cu. yds. of aggregate base, 14,000 tons of asphalt and 65,000 lbs. of rebar.

“Due to the nature of the project, this project will be equipment intense,” said Gonzalez. “Consequently, our ability to complete this project on time will highly depend on our equipment and its ability to run every day. For this reason, we inspect and maintain all equipment prior to the start of shifts to ensure that it’s in its best working condition.”

Granite is utilizing a Cat 637 scraper to transport loads to the fill area, as well as Cat 824G tractors and Cat 143M road graders equipped with GPS to complete the job.

Granite rents equipment from dealerships such as Elms Equipment Rental and ACME Safety Supply in El Centro, Imperial Valley Aggregate in Ocotillo, Gibson and Schaefer in Heber, and Contera Construction Corporation.

“The local dealerships have been a crucial component for the development of the project,” said Gonzalez. “Their commitment and ability to adapt to our needs has been very positive. As a result, we have been able to stay on schedule.”

The demolition and excavation operations should generate approximately 600 cu. yds. of concrete and 80,000 cu. yds. of native fill material that will be incorporated into the project.

right-of-way.”

Minimizing public inconvenience is a given for Granite, be it large or small projects.

“We constantly plan operations to reduce the number of freeway and lane closures,” said Gonzalez. “The majority of the operations will be performed during daytime working hours, except for operations that will require traffic lane closures. Planned nighttime work includes the bridge removal, along with setting up and removing falsework required for bridge construction . As of today, we have not encountered issues that could delay or impede the ability to construct the project. Fortunately, our relationship with Caltrans has been very good and I’m confident that together we will overcome any future issues.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping our employees safe and healthy has been a constant challenge,” he added. “Granite has always been proactive in protecting our people. For this reason, we have implemented additional protective measurements such as social distancing, face mask requirements, using radios to communicate and minimize proximity with other co-workers, and disinfecting equipment/tools that could potentially spread the virus.”

Earth work operations began in May and they should be finished in January 2021.

Bridge demolition took place overnight on July 22 during a 12.5- hour full closure of the interchange and main lanes on I-8.

Highway Impact “Traffic within the project limits is approximately 16,000 to 27,000 vehicles per-day, primarily associated with the growth in international trade and travel between the Engineering United States and Mexico, as well as travel Challenges New materials are expected to include approximately 238,000 cu. yds. of imported onto and from Imperial Avenue from north of “Some of the design and engineering chal- borrow, 4,600 cu. yds. of concrete, 27,000 cu. yds. of aggregate base, 14,000 tons of Interstate 8,” said Cathryne Bruce-Johnson, lenges was the staging of the project in order asphalt and 65,000 lbs. of rebar.

Caltrans public information officer. “In the to minimize the traffic impact of the area,” next five years, traffic is expected to double. said Daniel Hernandez-Duarte, Caltrans resident engineer. few occasions.

This project will aid in keeping vehicles moving from the “We work very hard with our contractor to reduce that “In order to reduce the construction time and associated trafinternational border along State Route 111 to destinations [noise and dust] to a minimum,” said Dallarda. fic congestion, Design proposed to El Centro to close the “The safety of our employees and the public has always across the states.” whole interchange. District 11 Design, El Centro, the county The interchange is expected to open to traffic in late 2022, of El Centro and Imperial Irrigation District worked together been Granite’s number one priority,” said Gonzalez. “For with final delivery in mid-2023. to reach an agreement to reduce impacts to the public. The this reason, Granite, in conjunction with Caltrans, developed “Every day, 31,000 motorists and commercial trucks travlife expectancy of the project is governed from the structures. a new construction exit on a less traveled road for our trucks For bridges and retaining walls, that life is 75 years, however and construction equipment, thus providing a safer construc- el through the Imperial Avenue Interchange and this project in many cases with proper maintenance, we see a much tion zone. To put it into perspective, this project requires is key to maintaining the Imperial Valley’s economic vitaliapproximately 228,000 cubic yards of imported borrow, ty,” said David S. Kim, secretary of California State longer time.”

Caltrans District Director Gustavo Dallarda emphasized which equates to approximately 15,000 truckloads in a lapse Transportation Agency.

“It supports economic growth,” said Caltrans Director the need for motorists to watch out for and slowing down for of 55 days.

“This means that on average, a truck will merge onto live Toks Omishakin. “That means more local jobs. Once it’s finconstruction workers, and to avoid the work zone when postraffic on the I-8 approximately every two minutes,” he ished, it will eliminate the need for local motorists and comsible. added. “From a safety stand point, we saw the need to mercial trucks to travel out of their way onto city streets and “Their safety is paramount,” he said.

Noisy construction work is being scheduled during the change the original plan and come up with a solution that county roads.”

Caltrans is providing real-time traffic information via day as much as possible, with three months of pile driving could improve safety. To achieve this goal, we had to get the expected. Nighttime bridge demolition also will be noisy, but support from the city, Imperial County and other private http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/, @SDCaltrans on Twitter, and at it is only expected to occur one or two nights at a time on a property owners since the new route required the use of their www.facebook.com/CaltransDistrict11.  CEG

Construction Equipment Guide • California State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • August 30, 2020 • Page 11

San Francisco, CA

650-532-9200

Page 12 • August 30, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • California State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

457 | WHEEL LOADER

Central California Power JCB 19487 Broken Ct, Shafter, CA 93263 (661) 589-2870 www.ccp-jcb.com

SoCal JCB 14675 Valley Blvd., Fontana, Ca. 92335 866-522-7225 www.socaljcb.com

QMC QMC JCB 3820 S. K Street, Tulare, CA 93274 (559) 686-1579 961 E. 3rd Street.

Hanford, CA 93230 (559) 582-9393 www.quality-mc.com

N&S Tractor 1960 Highway 20 Colusa, CA 95932 (530) 458-2166 2173 Blossom Street Dos Palos, CA 93620-2313 (209) 392-2161

JCB wheel w loaders are fully ly loaded with innovate innovvate features.

JCB whee wheel el loaders deliver the power, powerr,, torque, orque, and payload capacity youu need for real-world d applications. With an engine that requires no DPF F,, and easy service accessibility single money, with a sing gle piece hood, the JCB wheell loader range saves you time and nd money y,, making it a must must-have must-ha haave on any job-site.

600 S. State Highway 59 Merced, CA 95341-6928 (209) 383-5888

Learn mo ore about JCB wheel loaders at www .jcb.com or contact yourr local dealer today. todayy.. more www.jcb.com

1340 W. Charter Way Stockton, CA 95206 (209) 944-5500 1215 West Glenwood Ave Turlock, CA 95380-5703 (209) 634-1777

YOUR FAMILY OF LOCAL L JCB DEALERS

827 North Tehama St Willows, CA 95988 (530) 934-3382 3056 Colusa Highway Yuba City, CA 95993 (530) 923-7675 www.nstractor.com

/JCBNA

@JCBNA

JCBNA JCBN 4740