TRUCKING FIRM MAKES SWITCH TO SMITHCO SIDE DUMPS

While technology has been enhancing excavator performance for more than a decade, end-user demand for certain features has accelerated in the past few years.

AEM talked with leading manufacturers to get their take on those innovations that provide the typical construction company with the best bang for the buck — innovations that allow excavator operators to: ï Dig and grade faster ï Eliminate guesswork ï Reduce fuel consumption ï Enhance operator comfort ï Improve safety

Get to Grade in

Considerably Less Time

Ryan Neal, market professional and product application specialist for large excavators at Caterpillar, said 2D grade control has been a game-changer. The operator simply selects target depth and slope, and sensors and onboard processors provide real-time guidance on the distance to grade. That eliminates all of that in and out of the cab to set up stakes and lasers, oftentimes slicing an operator’s productivity in half.

Matthew McLean, product manager of GPE products at Volvo Construction Equipment, said interest in 2D indicate systems has exploded over the past two years. Demand was initially driven by the typical contractor’s desire to save time. More recently, it is all about the industry-wide challenge of finding skilled workers.

“A newer operator might not be as fast, but at least they’ll be on grade because the monitor screen in the cab will let them know both visibly and audibly,” McLean said.

“Volvo’s system, Dig Assist is also designed to be easy to use, which is why we’ve made it standard on our 22- to 55-ton excavators. On virtually all other models, Dig Assist is an option.”

Semi-Autonomous

Digging, Grading

Volvo calls its system Active Control and offers it as standard equipment on five excavator models: the EC220E, ECR235E, EC250E, EC300E, and ECR355E.

“We’ve gone electric-over-hydraulic in the controls because we now have joysticks talking directly to computers and the valve and pump,” McLean said.

“When Active Control is turned on, once you get within a window of 4 inches you can just pull back on the arm lever and the computer helps you dig.”

At the basic level, Active Control controls the boom to prevent operators from overdigging. But it also can be set up to control bucket angle and can even control a tiltrotator. Operators can allow the system to control back grading and also can specify if they need to achieve a finer or rougher (normal) grade. Finally, functionality such as swing control and swing fence help operators dig and load more efficiently while avoiding side obstacles.

On that note, Caterpillar has made its swing-control technology, 2D E-Fence, standard on its excavators. This safety system uses data from position sensors to automatically stop motion when the front linkage reaches the operator-defined boundaries.

Caterpillar photo Caterpillar has made its swing-control technology, 2D E-Fence, standard on its excavators. This safety system uses data from position sensors to automatically stop motion when the front linkage reaches the operator-defined boundaries.

Volvo photo Volvo’s system, Dig Assist, is standard on 22- to 55-ton excavators. On most other models, Dig Assist is an option.

Calculating Material Weight

Caterpillar’s Neal points to one other game-changing technology that has come to excavators in recent years. Cat Payload uses cylinder pressure data and machine sensors to continuously calculate material weight while the excavator works.

Neal recalled visiting a contractor in the Boston area recently. The contractor was using a Cat 395 excavator to dig a massive foundation.

“The contractor was using both the 2D grade control and the payload system — just as we’d intended for them to be used,” Neal said. “The contractor said they loaded 136 trucks and were within 2 percent accuracy on all of them. That almost brought a tear to my eye.”

Doosan photo Doosan’s all-around camera system (AVM) is an option on the Doosan -7 series crawler excavators.

Higher Production,

Lower Fuel Consumption

With the right equipment and technologies, improved productivity also can result in reduced fuel costs. Doosan excavators feature two innovations that can reduce machine fuel consumption.

The D-ECOPOWER system, an option on select models, features an electronically controlled pump, a closed-center main control valve and nine sensors that electronically detect and control the precise amount of hydraulic oil required to perform a task.

“The exact amount of oil required is metered instead of a fixed amount continuously being forced through the system,” said Aaron Kleingartner, product and dealer marketing manager of Doosan Infracore North America.

“The hydraulic system output requirements are optimized with engine horsepower. The resulting efficiency reduces fuel consumption and improves productivity substantially. Improved feedback through the controls also results in an outstanding level of operator comfort and much smoother machine management.”

A second innovation from Doosan is its Smart Power Control. Controlled by the ECU (engine control unit), this technology is implemented through two systems, variable speed control and pump torque control, that work together to improve efficiency while maintaining productivity.

“Smart Power Control can save as much as 5-7 percent in fuel consumption,” Kleingartner said.

Camera Systems

Cameras also are taking excavator productivity and safety to another level. For instance, Caterpillar excavators come standard with two cameras, one on the right side and one at the rear. A four-camera system also is an option for contractors who want to maintain a 360-degree view around the excavator.

Over the past five years, Doosan’s Kleingartner said technological innovation has accelerated with respect to cameras. Doosan offers a standard rearview camera and an optional side view camera. Operators can view one or both (side-by-side) on the LCD screen in the operator’s cab.

“At ConExpo-Con/AGG 2020, Doosan previewed its newest camera system, an allaround view monitoring system [AVM], that gives operators a 360-degree view of their surroundings,” Kleingartner said.

Five unique perspectives can be seen from the separate AVM monitor: top view, rear view, top-right view, rear-corner view and 3D view.

Volvo’s McLean also agreed camera systems have come a long way. The company began adding backup cameras more than a decade ago. Most recently, in 2020, Volvo Smart View was developed and has since been made standard on Volvo general purpose excavators (EC140 and larger).

Now the industry is beginning to work on a camera system that warns the operator when certain movement is detected, McLean pointed out. Additionally, the future of excavator tech is likely to include increased adoption of things like 3D grade control, remote control operation, and even certain levels of autonomous operation. But as of right now, more construction contractors are making better use of game-changing technologies that have been available and continually improved for years. 

INITIATIVE from page 1

“In addition to federal procurement, Buy Clean will cover federally-funded projects,” said the task force.

The group pointed out that last year’s infrastructure spending law included funds for GSA, Transportation and EPA to “designate and use construction materials and products that produce substantially lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions.”

It also noted that the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act provides funding for retrofitting industrial facilities and tax credits for clean technology manufacturing.

“The federal government is for the first time providing a market differentiation and incentives for lower-carbon materials,” said the task force. “Companies across the nation will be rewarded for cutting carbon pollution across their entire value chains while supporting good American manufacturing jobs.”

More than a dozen agencies that account for nine-tenths of federally-financed and purchased construction materials comprise the task force.

In the future, the group will continue to launch pilots, expand the scope of industrial pollutants and materials, engage industry and establish mechanisms for collection and public disclosure of the data.

From the Ground Up

In March, the General Services Administration (GSA) issued new standards for the concrete and asphalt used in nationwide GSA construction, modernization and paving projects.

These were the first standards in the United States to apply beyond a local jurisdiction.

So far, seven Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded paving projects have been completed using the new asphalt standards.

All of these projects were awarded to and completed by small or disadvantaged businesses, said GSA.

“The historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act provides a boost to these efforts with $3.375 billion that will allow GSA to invest in federal buildings with lower-carbon materials and sustainable technologies,” said the agency.

It also will allow for the leveraging of emerging clean technologies that help achieve greater carbon reductions and catalyze American innovation.

“These investments help boost the competitiveness of American manufacturers developing sustainable materials and technologies,” said GSA.

“Using domestic, lower-carbon construction materials is a triple win — creating good-paying American jobs, reducing energy costs and tackling climate change,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “At GSA, we’ve already started deploying standards that help reduce emissions and advance sustainable projects with little to no additional cost — while supporting small businesses along the way.”

Under GSA’s concrete and asphalt standards, construction contractors are required to provide a product-specific cradleto-gate Type III environmental product declaration (EPD).

An EPD is a third-party-verified summary of the primary environmental impacts associated with a product’s extraction, transportation and manufacture.

GSA’s asphalt standard requires at least two environmentally-preferable techniques or practices to be used during the material’s manufacture or installation.

These options include bio-based or alternative binders, recycled content and reduced mix temperatures. They are considered best practices that reduce fossil fuel use and environmental impacts.

Under GSA’s low embodied carbon concrete standard, according to FedWeek.com, contractors are asked to provide concrete that reflects a 20 percent reduction in the amount of “embodied carbon,” associated with its production.

GSA also will ask to hear directly from manufacturers, including small businesses, on the availability of construction material and products with lower embodied carbon.

Findings from that request for information will help the government understand industry trends and opportunities.

The investments are intended to reduce carbon emissions from the federal supply chain by millions of metric tons per year, save millions of dollars in energy costs and support GSA’s sustainability goals. Buy-Clean Commitments

The White House explained that the Buy Clean Initiative is a part of President Biden’s economic plan to usher in a manufacturing boom in America.

The economic plan includes the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act.

“The initiative ensures that federal financing and purchasing power are creating good-paying jobs, protecting public

President Biden’s Buy Clean Initiative gets under way with instructions for integrating construction materials that feature low emission levels. health, enhancing American competitiveness and strengthening national security,” said the White House. “Today’s Federal Buy Clean actions build on Buy Clean commitments made earlier this year.” Those commitments include standing up the Federal Buy Clean Task Force, and complements Biden’s comeback for American factories, which represents 668,000 added manufacturing jobs. “The federal government is the largest direct purchaser in the world and a major infrastructure funder,” said the White House. “By leveraging the U.S. government’s purchasing power, President Biden is ensuring that American manufacturing is positioned to compete and lead, while catalyzing markets and accelerating innovation across the country.” The Inflation Reduction Act boosts the Federal Buy Clean Initiative with $4.5 billion in funding for GSA, DOT and EPA to use construction materials and products that substantially lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides the DOE with billions to invest in retrofitting industrial facilities and tax credits for clean technology manufacturing. Through the Federal Buy Clean Initiative and Task Force, the federal government is for the first time providing a market differentiation and incentives for lower-carbon materials. “Companies across the nation will be rewarded for cutting carbon pollution across their entire value chains while supporting good American manufacturing jobs,” said the White House. see INITIATIVE page 100