Midwest 16 2013

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Published 4 Nationally

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

Midwest Edition

www.constructionequipmentguide.com

August 3, 2013 • Vol. IXX • No. 16 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910

Inside

IAA Uses Wheel Loaders in Unique Way...8

AED Honors R oland for 50 Years...16

Road Bu ilde rs Host s Demo Day. .. 30

Table of Contents ............4 Parts Section ................48 Backhoes & Attachments Section ......................53-67 Paving Section ........69-81 Business Calendar ........82 Auction Section ......88-97 Advertisers Index ..........98

I-94 Overlay Opens in Time for 4th of July By Dick Rohland CEG CORRESPONDENT

Road crews for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), working under a tight deadline and rapid construction schedule, completed a 9 in. (23 cm) un-bonded concrete overlay to bring new life to a 7.5 mi. (12 km) section of I94, a busy commuter and weekend vacation route in central Minnesota. Located approximately 55 mi. (88 km) northwest of the Twin Cities, MnDOT and its prime contractor, Knife River Corporation, hit its goal to open this stretch of freeway between Clearwater and St. Cloud, Minn., to four lanes in time for the busy Fourth of July holiday and with two months to spare during the prime Minnesota vacation season. Tipping panels and a ride surface badly deteriorating sparked the overlay on this section of freeway that was constructed in the early 1970’s and now carries a much heavier traffic load and more trucks according to the MnDOT Web site for this project. For the motoring public, the benefits of the work include a smoother ride, improved drainage

Road crews pave the section of road shoulder on the eastbound lanes of I-94 near St. Cloud, Minn., in June and opened up all four lanes of the freeway to traffic in time for the July 4th holiday.

and improved safety with new guardrails and cable median barriers on this stretch of freeway. For MnDOT and the tax-paying public, the un-bonded overlay method of construction is not only cheaper than a full blown reconstruction; it extends the road surface life to 30 years and reduces short term maintenance costs. It is also An Ingersoll Rand roller works up and much faster to place; significantly reducing the down a section of the freeway where concrete was removed. duration of construction related traffic delays. Knife River Corporation, headquartered in Bismark, N.D., took the contract with a bid of $16.5 million.

ARAApplauds Job Gains, Losses Split Evenly Congressmen’s Repeal of HIT Equal numbers of states gained and lost construction jobs in June, highlighting the fragmentary nature of the industry’s recovery, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials added that, despite the fact most states added jobs yearover-year, construction employment levels are below

peak levels for nearly every state. “Job gains and losses were quite different last month from the patterns in the past several years as some lagging states — notably Nevada — added workers, while former highflyers such as Texas, had layoffs,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “On a year-over-year basis, construction employment has

see FREEWAY page 68

increased in more than twothirds of the states, but nearly all states lag their pre-recession peaks for construction jobs.” In June, 23 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs, while 24 states shed them. Nevada had the largest one-month percentage increase (5.0 percent, 2,500 jobs), followed by North Dakota (4.2 percent, 1,300) see JOBS page 94

The American Rental Association (ARA), applauded the action of a bipartisan group of members of Congress to highlight the six month countdown to repeal a tax that will have a damaging effect on small businesses in the equipment rental industry and beyond. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Rep. Charles Boustany (RLa.) and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) see ARA page 94


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