BLACK DIAMOND USES EVERY ONSITE RESOURCE IN THE ROUGH

Founded in 2017 by father-and-son team Robert Timberman and Robert Timberman Jr., Black Diamond General Contractors is a full-service earth work and site work company based in the Charleston Peninsula of South Carolina. They do a bit of everything — from groundwork, infrastructure work, water, sewer city work, city repairs — they even have a vertical construction division.

“We do a lot of public utilities, site development, and we do some vertical construction, mostly in residential. We do commercial as well,” said Timberman Jr. “Essentially, what we are is a one-stop shop. We’ll get a site that’s completely wooded. We’ll clear it, develop it, install the stormwater, water mains, sewer mains, and the public utilities and hand over a finished product ready for vertical construction.”

The Timbermans explained that one of the keys to success when developing a site from the ground up, is the ability to use as many onsite resources as possible.

“The thing we’re probably most known for is the ability to go onto a site and use every resource of the site,” Timberman Sr. said. “From the topsoil screening, the roots of the trees, recycling for mulch and those type of things that are created along the way…”

Black Diamond currently is working on a 26-acre site that will be the location of more than 300 multi-family housing units. The lot, once their crews began initial clearing efforts, turned out to have an interesting history.

“When we moved on to it, it was wooded. It dated all the way back to the Civil War. And it was used, at that point in time as a sand mine, and also a lumber mill for railroad ties,” Timberman Sr. explained. “That continued all the way through the 1950s. And that’s why you see the settling ponds and some of the other areas in the background which we are filling.”

“When we got the site, we found a couple pieces of railroad iron from the early 1900s,” Timberman Jr. said. “This site was heavily timbered, and we had a lot of low areas that were holding water, not necessarily wetlands but just holding a lot of water with a clay bottom. So, a lot of our tracked equipment was having trouble getting through that. But the low ground pressure machines from Case really did the job in getting through there and getting us to where we can get to hard ground.

Black Diamond is currently working on a 26-acre site that will be the location of more than 300 multi-family housing units. Black Diamond owns 17 Case machines, and many of them are currently working on this 26-acre site.

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After the rough grade, Black Diamond runs two Case 1150M dozers in tandem — one of which is equipped with a Leica machine control solution.

Growing Fleet

The Timbermans started Black Diamond with a single compact track loader — a Case TR340. Now, Black Diamond owns 17 Case machines, and many of them are currently working on this 26-acre site.

“We’ve got a 650M dozer, two 1150M dozers, one that has a Leica [machine control] system installed,” Timberman Jr. said. “We’ve got an SV212D roller. We’ve got a 921F wheel loader, a CX145D excavator, a CX300D excavator, CX350D excavator, a CX210D excavator, a TR340 CTL and its multitude of attachments, all running currently at this time.”

Timberman Sr. explained how the skid steer is one of the most critical machines on the site from the first day

DIAMOND from page 80 until it’s handed over.

“The very first job is done by the skid steer, small clearings,” he said. “And in the middle is usually the sweeper attachment, keeping the roadways clear. And then as we get to the end, the final dresses around the edges of the pads, sidewalks, curbs and all that, the skid steer is invaluable because of its lightweight and ability.”

“Actually, it’s critical,” he continued. “Because of the implements that go on the TR340, it’s limitless, from the start of the silt fence that you see on the perimeter of the project. Without that auger and the trencher, there’s no way we could get everything put in place.”

“It’s an extremely versatile machine, and it’s also one of our first machines we ever bought from Hills Machinery,” Timberman Jr. added. “And here we are, seven years later, and I can’t even tell you how many hours it’s got on it, but we’ve abused that machine quite a bit and it’s held up. So, I’m very happy with it.”

Black Diamond also is running a Case SV212D single drum vibratory roller. This machine plays an important role in keeping job sites operable during Charleston’s rainy season.

“The SV212D is probably one of the most important pieces on this job site, especially during the rainy season in South Carolina,” Timberman Jr. explained. “What that machine allows us to do is to seal the top coat. So once the bulldozers go through and they cut open the ground, well now it’s soft. So, if it gets water on it you get soil infiltration. So, the roller, having it on site, it allows us to seal the top of the ground so that when the rain hits, the water just kind of sheds and doesn’t take any material with it. And it also allows us to stabilize that soil so that we can run other equipment in here without making it a muddy mess.”

“Everyone always thinks of a roller in the terms of compacting the dirt,” Timberman Sr. added. “But the compactor also serves a secondary purpose, and that is it brings the water to the top. So, if we’ve had a week of rain or just like today it was a little bit of a rainy morning. To run that compactor, it will press that water to the top, compact the dirt underneath it and the wind and air will dry it out, which puts the job site back in action faster.”

Excavators Handle All Phases of Site Development

Some of the busiest machines on the site are four Case excavators — a CX145D minimum swing, CX210D, CX300D and CX350D. The Timbermans appreciate the powerful, versatile and feature-rich machines.

“There are 16 retention ponds total on the project,” Timberman Sr. said. “That back dig has 81,000 cubic yards being removed from it. The CX350D is just invaluable when it comes to moving that amount of material.”

With the amount of grading necessary on an undeveloped site, at least one of the excavators is feeding a portable plant all day — separating roots, old bricks and other materials in order to produce usable topsoil that can be used onsite or sold locally. They also put the larger excavators to work when clearing timber. Timberman Sr. stands near a mountain of 60+ foot pine logs, having just finished a conversation with a local timber broker.

“On this project, there were some very, very large trees, so that’s why all our excavators always get a thumb. When we’re trying to take down some of these larger trees, [the CX350D] is about the only machine that’s going to handle those stumps.”

Case D Series excavators come standard with a wealth of standard features — Timberman Sr. goes on to explain why these features are so important to him.

“When we get our equipment, all of our equipment right down to Bluetooth, stereo systems, the cabs, the AC, everything. If your operator is comfortable, they’re going to complete their job much easier than if they’re stressed — like any other profession,” he said. “If you were sitting at a desk, you would have the most ergonomic chair that’s possible. Well, if you’re sitting in a piece of equipment, contrary to what people may believe, it is pure work. And you want to make them as comfortable as possible.”

Black Diamond uses the Case 1150M with the Leica system are its finished grade dozer.

Dozers Shape the Site from Site Prep to Final Grade

At this point in the project, the dozers on site have graded down 5 ft., with an additional 2 ft. to go. “We’ll start with the 650M — it’s equipped with a root rake,” Timberman Jr. said. “So, in the initial ground clearing stage, that root rake is instrumental for clearing a lot of the organics out of the top of the soils and stuff like that and helping us clear the sites. It’s absolutely a workhorse and has plenty of power. It’s also a rough grade [dozer]. Once we remove the root rake, we’ll use it to cut a lot of the overburden and top soil out of our way to get down to the strata that we want.”

After the rough grade, Black Diamond runs two Case 1150M dozers in tandem — one of which is equipped with a Leica machine control solution.

“I cannot speak enough to the power,” Timberman Jr. said. “They sound like jet engines when they get going. And running them in tandem is just a really great way to push a lot of dirt in a very short amount of time. Two of our experienced operators will actually run the blades touching, and then run down the line and push. Like I said, they cut five feet off of this particular area in a day — that’s an extreme amount of dirt to move. Then the 1150M with the Leica system is definitely our finished grade dozer. And the automatic mode, we have it set within fivetenths of where we want to be, and then it’ll absorb or engage the automatic mode. Once you’ve prepped and then you engage the

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Abele Tractor & Equipment Co., Inc. www.abeletractor.com Albany, NY 12205 518/438-4444

Ahearn Equipment Inc. www.ahearnequipment.com Spencer, MA 01562 877/624-3276

Cherry Valley Tractor www.cherryvalleytractor.com Marlton, NJ 08053 856/983-0111

Erb & Henry Equip., Inc.

www.erbhenry.com New Berlinville, PA 19545 610/367-2169

ADMAR Construction Equipment & Supplies

www.admarsupply.com Vestal, NY 13850 607/798-0333 Tonawanda, NY 14217 716/873-8000 Canandaigua, NY 14424 585/396-0031 Rochester, NY 14623 585/272-9390 Cicero, NY 13039 315/433-5000

Eagle Power & Equipment Company

www.eaglepowerandequipment.com West Chester, PA 19380 610/458-7054 Doylestown, PA 18901 215/348-9041

F&W Equipment

www.fwequip.com Orange, CT 06477 203/795-0591

Reading Tractor and Equipment

www.readingtractor.com 5538 Pottsville Pike Leesport, PA 19533 610/926-2441

Marshall Machinery, Inc. www.marshall-machinery.com Honesdale, PA 18431 570/729-7117 Johnson City, NY 13790 607/729-6161 Middletown, NY 10940 845/343-6683 South Abington Township, PA 18411 570/489-3642 Tannersville, PA 18372 570/895-4884

Westchester Tractor Inc. www.wtractor.com Brewster, NY 10509 845/278-7766

Chappell Tractor www.chappelltractor.com 454 Route 13 South Milford, NH 03055 603/673-2640 ABLE Equipment Rental www.ableequipment.com Deer Park, NY 11729 866/468-2666 631/841-3333

Highway Equipment Company www.highway-equipment.com Millstone Township, NJ 08535 732/446-7600

Allison Transmission, a designer and manufacturer of conventional, electric hybrid and fully electric vehicle propulsion solutions, unveiled the Allison Transmission Innovation Center, a new 96,000-sq.-ft. facility featuring enhanced product and technology development and validation capabilities to support its customers, industry partners and suppliers.

At the facility located on the campus of Allison’s headquarters and primary manufacturing base in Indianapolis, Allison engineers will be focused on advancing technology in the commercial vehicle industry to support its mission of improving the way the world works.

The Innovation Center is now the home to approximately 300 Allison employees, consolidating engineering teams from multiple locations into one facility. Consolidation of the engineering teams will enhance internal and external collaboration allowing Allison to bring new products and technology to market faster and more efficiently, the company said.

“The Innovation Center, along with the recently expanded Vehicle Electrification and Environmental Test Center also located on our Indianapolis campus, will be centers of excellence for the development of enhanced conventional and fully electric vehicle technology to meet the constantly evolving needs of the end markets Allison

serves,” said Dave Graziosi, chairman and CEO, Allison Transmission. “These facilities showcase our commitment to maintaining a leading role in powering the advancements of sustainability and environmental initiatives in the commercial vehicle industry.” The company hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of the Innovation Center. Special guests and community leaders joined Allison to celebrate the occasion including Mayor Joe Hogsett; EVP of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at IEDC Dave Roberts; members of the Speedway Town Council; local leaders in education from IUPUI, Marian University and Purdue University; along with partners that helped Allison realize its vision for the facility. The company hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of the Over the past 100 years, Allison has Innovation Center. Special guests and community leaders joined Allison to celebrate the occa- established a reputation for providing sion including Mayor Joe Hogsett; EVP of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at IEDC Dave reliable, durable and valued propulsion Roberts; members of the Speedway Town Council; local leaders in education from IUPUI, solutions in the world. Investments like Marian University and Purdue University; along with partners that helped Allison realize its the Innovation Center will help ensure vision for the facility. that the company remains an industry leader with its next generation of propulsion systems, the company said. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com. 

Contractor Credits Dealer, Manufacturer for Business Success

DIAMOND from page 82

automatic mode, it will do different pitches if you have crowns in your road, inverted crowns. It really is an all-around, versatile machine.”

“The machine control options are invaluable,” Timberman Sr. added. “The Leica system, we’re just starting out with it. While everything’s speaking to one another. If my man is placed in a box for storm and using the Leica, the dozer knows exactly where it’s at, we’re using the exact same coordinates, the exact same system.

“I absolutely love our Case equipment,” Timberman Jr. said. “I’ve had a lot of different pieces of equipment over the years. My dad’s been building for 37 years and I’ve been building under him most of my life.

“The overall ease of use, ease of maintenance, ease of repair — it is by far one of the easiest pieces I’ve been able to work on.”

Protected By Case ProCare

Black Diamond buys all of its Case equipment through Hills Machinery. All Case D Series excavators and M Series dozers come standard with Case ProCare — a three-year Case SiteWatch telematics subscription, a three-year/3,000-hour full-machine factory warranty, and a three-year/2,000-hour planned maintenance contract.

“It’s invaluable,” Timberman Sr. explained. “We’re equipment operators. We know how to do job sites. We know how to run that. Equipment has evolved to the point to where all of the new systems that are incorporated in it, which are a huge benefit, also create a huge challenge. So, to have somebody trained, that’s available at any given time, and Hills Machinery will answer the phone, whether it’s Sunday, it does not matter, there is always someone available to me in order to take care of that system and get it up and running or adjusted if need be. I can call them on the phone, they can walk me through the codes, if I want to adjust the pressure on the thumb, he’ll tell me exactly how to walk through the screen and do that.”

“They help keep track of your maintenance,” Timberman Jr. added. “They keep you accountable for it which, honestly, when you’re out here doing this kind of work, it slips your mind. You don’t really think about doing your maintenance until you hear something squeaking or breaking. You hate to say it that way, but that’s the reality of our industry. We do a really good job of staying on top of it, but the ProCare package is absolutely instrumental. And I think the argument was always, ‘is it worth the money?’ And the answer is yes, especially with a company like Hills, because they definitely hold up their end of the bargain on that kind of thing.”

Your Case Dealer as Strategic Partner

“If it wasn’t for Hills Machinery and Case we would not have a business, point blank,” Timberman Sr. said. “We started in 2017 with this particular venture. We started with the TV340 skid steer and then eventually got an excavator and then grew into a 650M dozer. After that, as the larger jobs formed, I sat with Mr. Hills and also our salesman Donnie Buhrmaster, and we formulated that growth and we were very strategic in what pieces to buy, when to buy them and how that would fit into my overall plan. So, Hills was beyond instrumental in helping us in this growth, otherwise it would not have been possible.

“Knowing the right piece of equipment at the right time is probably our weakest component for myself and my son. To jump into this level of grading and work that we do and the amount of it at this point in time, that advice, that guidance was invaluable.”

With a lifetime of experience, and the help of a good partner in Hills Machinery, the Timbermans were able to take an idea and turn it into a large, profitable venture in a short period of time.

“The equipment is going to cost you to sit there,” Timberman Sr. said. “Whether it’s being run or whether it’s not, your payment is coming due. So, any advice I would give to everyone is run your equipment as much as you can. Your hours are always going to be your hours. Your overtime pay versus your equipment costs and your production levels… The more production you get out of your equipment monthly, you are far better off than trying to conserve on the pay. The men, I leave it as an option, they can work 40 hours a week, or they can work all the overtime that they wish.

“It’s worked for us,” he concluded. “We’ve managed to pull off projects that would normally be 12 months, and we’re entering our sixth month, and getting ready to pave and leave the job. We have trimmed six months off of that schedule by adopting the overtime, running the equipment, which allowed us to grow and get more equipment because that project was done, and it gave us the ability to go on to the next opportunity.”

For more information, visit www.casece.com. 

AEC Pros Focus On Driving Biz With 360-Degree Cameras

Technology is playing an important role in multiple workflows across the architecture, engineering and construction industries, with most frequent usage for project management and oversight, building design and building construction.

The pandemic has driven the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries to adopt new technologies in order to keep projects on track and a step ahead in an increasingly digital world. One technology being quickly adopted by this professional set are 360-degree cameras — which according to a new survey conducted by RICOH THETA are owned or used by almost half of all respondents, with 79 percent of them utilizing the cameras for work.

The survey, fielded by Dynata to industry professionals, explored the usage of tech devices such as cameras, smartphones and other platforms/software commonly used by AEC professionals.

Technology is playing an important role in multiple workflows across these professions with most frequent usage for project management and oversight (72 percent), building design (54 percent) and building construction (51 percent). However, despite an increasing reliance on general photography and video technology, these devices often fall short on delivering the professional’s desired results. Some key issues identified in the survey when it comes to more traditional imaging include: • Lack of high image quality (30 percent) • Cumbersome image sharing processes (28 percent) • Insufficient image capture range for properly capturing an entire space (26 percent)

Addressing some of these challenges, 360-degree cameras are compact, beginnerfriendly devices with simple interfaces that can capture entire spaces with a single button press. Image quality is often quite high among quality 360-degree cameras, with some models containing sensors that capture high-resolution imagery even in dim or poorly lit environments.

Another common feature among recent 360 cameras is pairing with smartphones via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth that enables easier image viewing and sharing. Given these features, the survey identified that more than ¾ of respondents believe that 360-degree cameras would work better for them, particularly for: • Documenting jobsite progress (57 percent) • Recording site environment (55 percent) • Sharing details/progress with colleagues (52 percent) • Sharing details/progress with clients (50 percent)

“At RICOH THETA, we are continually working to innovate products that meet the needs of our core customers,” said Shinobu Fujiki, general manager of RICOH Company’s THETA Business division.

“We recognize that the AEC market is ripe for 360-degree technology adoption, so we conducted this research to better understand workflows, and in turn, find solutions that help design professionals do their jobs more effectively.”

For more information, visit theta360.com.

A Montano Co., Inc. www.amontanoco.com 571 Route 212 • Saugerties, NY 12477 845.247.0206

All Island Equipment www.allislandequipment.com 39 Jersey St. • West Babylon, NY 11704 631.643.2605

Butler Equipment www.butlerequip.com 631 New Park Avenue • West Hartford, CT 06110 860.233.5439

Chappell Tractor www.chappelltractor.com 454 Route 13 South • Milford, NH 03055 603.673.2640 251 Route 125 • Brentwood, NH 03833 800.616.5666 391 Loudon Road • Concord, NH 03301 800.358.6007

George & Swede Sales & Service www.georgeandswede.com 7155 Big Tree Rd. Pavilion (Buffalo/Rochester), NY 14525 585.584.3425

Highway Equipment Company www.highway-equipment.com 22035 Perry Highway • Zelienople (Pittsburgh), PA 724.452.7800 Dubois, PA 15801 814.371.3600

Lorusso Heavy Equipment, LLC

www.lhequip.com 160 Elm St. • Walpole, MA 02801

508.660.7600 Modern Group Ltd.

www.moderngroup.com 2501 Durham Rd. • Bristol, PA 19007

800.866.3376

Allentown, PA 18106

610.398.1101

York, PA 17406

800.866.3376

Edison, NJ 08837

800.866.3376

Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604

201.288.1441

Quality Fleet Service, Inc. www.qualityfleetservice.com 548 New Ludlow Road • South Hadley, MA 01075 413.213.0632

Seaview Equipment LLC www.seaviewequipment.com 640 Crescent Ave. • Bridgeport, CT 06608 203.330.0130

TB Equipment & Rental www.tbequipment.net 892 Odlin Rd. • Bangor, ME 04401 207.262.0014

Tracey Road Equipment, Inc. www.traceyroad.com 6803 Manlius Center Rd. • East Syracuse, NY 13057 315.437.1471 • 800.872.2390 Adams Center, NY 315.788.0200 • 888.335.0200 Albany, NY 518.438.1100 • 866.740.8853 Kirkwood, NY 607.775.5010 • 800.370.9488 Queensbury, NY 518.793.9688 • 800.872.2390 Utica, NY 315.765.8746 • 800.872.2390