SCENERY, SAFETY MERGE FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN MIDWAY, UTAH

Deutz Corporation will be adding another Deutz Power Center, this time in Las Vegas. The new location will be called Deutz Power Center West.

“Since we launched the Deutz Power Center concept back in 2014, our OEM partners and end user customers have really embraced it and made it a big success,” said Dominick A. “Nick” Vermet, vice president, Power Center Operations of Deutz Corporation. “The addition of Deutz Power Center West in Las Vegas will help us not only serve the large number of rental companies in southern Nevada, but it will also help us provide much-needed Deutz service and parts to our customers in San Francisco, Los Angeles and all across California.”

Mark Guriel, the current manager of warehouse operations of Deutz Corporation in Norcross, Ga., will be relocating to Las Vegas to fulfill his new role as branch manager of Deutz Power Center West. Prior to solely managing warehouse operations, Guriel also managed the Deutz Corporation customer service department for seven years.

“Taking on this new position with Deutz Power Center West is a great way for me to apply what I’ve learned over the past eight years at our operation in Norcross,” Guriel said. “Since joining Deutz in 2013, I’ve learned about what it takes to hire and manage a solid team, as well as the importance of providing excellent aftermarket sales and support to our customers. As we prepare to open this new Power Center location, we’ll have all the people, processes and products in place to ensure that our customers throughout this region can keep their machines up and running.”

Like all Deutz Power Centers, the Las Vegas location will have a fully stocked parts counter and provide regularly scheduled and emergency service of Deutz engines, either at the Power Center location or at the customer’s site via a team of mobile service technicians.

In addition to the facility in Las Vegas, mobile technicians will be permanently located in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Bakersfield, Calif., allowing them to quickly and efficiently manage customer needs in those areas without requiring extensive travel time. Deutz Power Center West also will provide dedicated application engineering and technical sales resources for OEMs that utilize Deutz products in their equipment. Manufacturers can receive custom, value-added production and assembly services that result in the best possible Deutz solutions for their engine specification and configuration needs. Power Center customers also can purchase new Deutz engines, as well as Deutz Xchange remanufactured engines. For more information about Deutz Power Centers, visit www.Deutzsupport.com. For more information about Deutz Corporation , visit www.Deutzamericas.com.

About Deutz Corporation

For more than 150 years, Deutz engines have supplied customized, cost-effective power to a broad array of machine types and market segments. The nine millionth Deutz engine was produced in 2015. From its headquarters in Norcross, Ga., Deutz Corporation, a subsidiary of DEUTZ AG, supports a broad range of engines with capacities up to 620 kW that are used in construction equipment, agricultural machinery, material handling equipment, stationary equipment, commercial vehicles, rail vehicles and other applications. 

Liebherr Announces Friedrich as New Managing Director

Liebherr welcomed Kai Friedrich as managing director of Liebherr USA, Co. and divisional director of construction equipment.

In his role as managing director, he will provide leadership and guidance necessary to oversee and implement the corporate and strategic plans for the nine product segments under Liebherr USA, Co., the sales and service organization. The nine product segments include: mobile and crawler cranes; tower cranes; components; concrete technology; refrigeration and freezing; mining; deep foundation machines; maritime cranes; and construction equipment. As divisional director of construction equipment, he will be responsible for managing the team of Liebherr sales, service, training and product management staff for the construction equipment product range, which provides dedicated support, resources, and the latest products to the distribution network in the U.S market. He will lead the team in expanding and building strong relationships with dealers and affiliates in the United States to further increase sales and Liebherr’s market presence across the United States.

“Kai Friedrich has a proven track record of leadership and many accomplishments with Liebherr over the years. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from several Liebherr companies in various international markets and will no doubt be a tremendous asset to the growth of our product segments here in the U.S.,” said Torben Reher, managing director, Liebherr USA, Co.

Friedrich has 18 years of experience in the heavy equipment industry, with 17 of those years serving in a variety of roles within the Liebherr Group. Throughout his career with Liebherr he has held previous positions including earthmoving sales engineer at Saudi Liebherr Co. Ltd; general manager of earthmoving and mining for Africa and the Near East at Liebherr-Export AG; general manager of earthmoving at Liebherr-Africa (Pty) Ltd.; and most recently managing director of Liebherr-Export AG.

“I am looking forward to working with our experienced team and the well-established distribution network in supporting and engaging our customer base, here in the U.S. It is a pleasure and honor for me to join the Liebherr USA team. Considering the potential, diversity and importance of the U.S. market for Liebherr, I’m thrilled to lead the team into this new exciting period post COVID-19,” said Friedrich.

Friedrich will officially take over the managing director of Liebherr USA, Co. role from Peter Mayr on Aug. 1, joining Torben Reher, Liebherr USA, Co. managing director in Newport News, Va. ,overseeing U.S. operations.

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

“I am looking forward to working with our experienced team and the well-established distribution network in supporting and engaging Kai Friedrich our customer base, here in the U.S.”

SECTIONPaving Pages 23-37

For more information on paving, compaction and milling equipment, as well as comparison charts, visit CEG's Web site at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.

The new road was paved with 3 in. of asphalt. The asphalt mix was a standard Federal Highways composition, using limestone as the aggregate.

Scenery, Safety Merge for Road Construction in Midway, Utah

By Chuck MacDonald

CEG CORRESPONDENT

A bird’s-eye view of the Cascade Scenic Drive and Cascade Springs Road near Midway, Utah, revealed scenic grandeur that drew thousands to view the changing colors and majestic vistas.

For the drivers, however, the experience was less pleasant. Sections of the road were made up of dirt and so steep that drivers’ tires would spin before catching hold and inching up a 12 percent grade at 8,000-ft. elevation. Blind curves and steep drop-offs were common along the drive. In addition, snow in the winter and other weather loosened rock, which would tumble down the mountainside and end up in the roadway.

A joint venture of DSB Construction and Geneva Rock Products, based in American Fork, Utah, took on the $13.6 million project to match scenery with safety on Cascade Scenic Drive and Cascade Springs Road.

In addition to the challenging construction, the DSB-Geneva Rock joint venture had to navigate an intricate array of government entities who gave oversight to the project. Key project team members included U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highways Division, Central Federal Lands Highway, U.S. Forest Service and Wasatch County.

While not a project requirement, the contractor opted to create a CAD-based model, which was utilized in the excavation and grading equipment. On the Scenic Drive section, where no roadway design was provided, this model allowed the finished roadway to be reviewed before it was constructed. By using this process, the contractor identified several areas that could use slight adjustments to improve final roadway smoothness.

The scope of the project consisted of rehabilitating and paving 5.3 mi.

By Seth Ulmer

SPECIAL TO CEG

From new technology and safety enhancements to shortages in the workforce and supply chain, the construction industry is consistently evolving in response to developments and challenges in the marketplace.

Concrete paving is no different.

Just as contractors have been perfecting the art of placing and finishing concrete for years, their businesses are shaped by the market conditions around them.

Concrete equipment has evolved as well, and new developments provide great solutions for contractors looking to respond to industry challenges and trends. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest questions contractors facing in the concrete paving industry today.

What trends are impacting the concrete paving industry?

The concrete industry — like many others — is facing strong demand while also experiencing limited access to equipment and raw materials. Concrete contractors have more logistical limitations than they have had in the past, one being yardage limits on concrete from the plants that produce it. Contractors must often wait weeks to access concrete, while in the past they could schedule it within a few days.

This requires contractors to be on top of their game when it comes to scheduling and efficiency. It’s becoming even more important for concrete contractors to work with efficient standardized equipment that can expand the amount of yards poured they can complete within their limited time slot.

Additionally, equipment has increased in cost and availability has become a challenge. Concrete contractors are looking for manufacturers that can ship quickly and equipment that can expand their capabilities and reduce their costs with minimal maintenance and downtime. This is one of the reasons Curb Roller Manufacturing has introduced its new Lynx roller screed system.

With connectable pipe sections, the screed is versatile and can handle a variety of pour widths without needing to purchase specific pipe lengths. This can be a big cost saver with the rising cost of aluminum. It’s also easier and less expensive to transport because the pipe sections can disconnect to reduce the overall length, allowing a contractor to carry it in the back of a standard pickup truck or on a pipe rack.

How can contractors address workforce shortages?

Advancements in concrete equipment provide ideal solutions for contractors who are impacted by labor shortages. Simply using equipment that is intuitive and doesn’t require in-depth training can help contractors accomplish a high-quality product with less experienced crews.

Roller screeds, for example, reduce the expertise that’s often required with concrete labor. Because the roller screed rides on predefined rails or forms, it gives the supervisor or foreman on a crew the ability to ensure the job is being done correctly to achieve a flatter finish. As long as the screed is running on both of the screed rails or form points, a uniform flat surface is almost guaranteed.

Other methods, like vibrating or wet screeds, require higher supervision because they can be difficult to operate and tend to produce inconsistent results when operated by less experienced crew members.

With equipment that is adjustable, convenient and easy to operate, contractors also can take on more jobs than they may have previously. With the right equipment, contractors can react quickly to what they are seeing in the market and broaden their horizons through mechanization rather than needing to hire additional employees.

What safety advancements are being incorporated into concrete paving equipment?

One trend related to safety is that contractors are turning to smaller, manually operated concrete equipment. Many job sites aren’t released entirely when it’s time to do the concrete work — there are other contractors, subcontractors and tradespeople working on other aspects of the job at the same time. The ability to use smaller equipment produces a safer work environment in highly congested job sites.

An area of safety Curb Roller Manufacturing has focused on is reducing operator fatigue. Equipment is designed to work in the standing position, which is easier on an operator’s back, knees and arms. This also is another advantage of roller screeds, in addition to the curb roller. Most screeding platforms are drug across a surface and use sheer force to move the concrete. Curb Roller’s equipment cuts and moves the material with a spinning motion, which leaves the operator less fatigued.

Finally, manufacturers are incorporating safety enhancements related to the specific type of machine. For example, battery operated screeds can have increased safety during transport with a portable design that removes access to the power source when folded, as well as by reducing onsite cords and hydraulic hoses while in operation.

How are supply shortages impacting concrete paving equipment manufacturing?

Supply shortages are impacting contractors looking to purchase new equipment as well as those who need parts for repairs. Curb Roller Manufacturing has invested in the supply chain and still has the ability to match strong demand in the market. It has seen some contractors leveraging its equipment when their larger equipment breaks down and they aren’t able to have it repaired in a timely manner due to the inability to access parts and labor. By using smaller machines to supplement their equipment lineup, contractors can keep projects moving even when they experience equipment malfunctions.

With potential approval of the infrastructure bill on the horizon, what impact do you anticipate for the concrete paving industry?

Infrastructure work requires a high level of accuracy and consistency. It’s important for contractors to use equipment that is designed to help them ensure a high-quality product. Concrete contractors should look for shaping equipment that is designed to accurately meet concrete shape specifications while reducing the time and labor needed for projects.

This also is a great time for contractors to diversify their business. With the right equipment, contractors can make a relatively small investment to be able to self-perform on a broader scope of work. Contractors that are more heavily invested in other areas, such as asphalt, can expand into concrete work to meet infrastructure demand without needing to hire a subcontractor.

It’s also likely that more dollars will go toward handling solutions for water sources, including ditches and flumes that are made of concrete. Contractors can benefit from unique equipment solutions for these niche projects that handle water placement and movement. These pours are often handled manually or with a large machine, but companies like Curb Rollers provide solutions that can make this safer and much less labor intensive.

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

Curb Roller Manufacturing’s curb roller CM4000, a single-operator machine for shaping concrete, reduces the labor of shaping curb and gutter pours, allowing crews to complete work up to twice as fast as manual methods or face forming. The new Lynx modular roller screed system from Curb Roller Manufacturing removes the need for purchasing dedicated pipe lengths to offer easy adaptability for a multitude of pours. Curb Roller Manufacturing’s Batt Screed 6000 has an innovative design.