Modern Quarrying Q4 2022

Traditional self-propelled machines see the majority of their maintenance downtime and costs from engine, transmission and associated parts repairs.

ON THE COVER

HAUL ROAD MAINTENANCE

*All images courtesy of Road Widener LLC.

RECONSTRUCTING ROADBUILDING

Roads are perhaps the most crucial piece of infrastructure around the world and one of the greatest technological achievements of mankind. Ironically, the glistening asphalt of an open road cues daydreams of escaping technology: windows down, tires humming, freedom. But trying to keep up with the billions of people using one of the world’s oldest industrial advancements to escape their modern technology tethers has left road crews in a scramble.

T he rising demand placed on roads is steadily exceeding road crews’ capacity to maintain, let alone improve, roadways. Between 2008 and 2017, US highways in poor condition rose 25% which has significantly grown the demand to complete road repair projects year after year. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, vehicles travelled more than 3,2 trillion miles on U.S. roadways in 2019. Road repair projects are on the rise, but limited budgets require a reevaluation of methods and efficiency to ensure the available

of road construction that have traditionally left road crews in the dust. Here’s how. A new method Road construction tasks like backfilling and aggregate place ment have typically been viewed as a four-step process. Roadway materials are piled on the road, scraped into place, compacted and then crews sweep and clean what remains off the road. Although larger machines and added crew members can help complete projects, another perspective to increase efficiency and safety is to minimise the number of steps in the process with the use of mate

funds can stretch far enough. With crews facing a growing backlog of jobs, contractors are looking for ways to improve efficiency and get more done with the same amount of time and workers. However, some entities worry that learning new technology may result in lost time. That’s where equipment attachments come into play. Attachments provide a realistic, effective solution by utilising equipment that contractors are already familiar with. By changing workflow, minimising maintenance, lowering equipment cost, allowing for smarter labour and increasing ROI. These new attachments are changing the foundational methods

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MODERN QUARRYING QUARTER 4 | 2022