Aggregates & Roadbuilding Magazine

Canada’s “Rock to Road” Magazine

May/June 2005 Issue

Canada's Top 20 Quarries (2004)
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2005 - A big winner in Las Vegas
Dufferin Construction named Ontario Paver of the Year

For a copy of the issue that contains these articles with colour photos, click here.

Canada's Top 20 Quarries

By Robert L. Consedine, Editor & Andy Bateman, Engineering Editor

   Our ninth annual ranking of Canada’s twenty largest crushed stone quarries sees some significant changes. For the first time ever, the top two positions are taken by water-based crushed stone operations. Lafarge Canada’s Manitoulin Quarry, located on the western tip of the world’s largest freshwater island at Meldrum Bay, ships extensively through the Great Lakes and became the country’s largest operation with 2004 reported production of 5.39 million tonnes, 1.1 million tonnes more than recorded in 2003 when it placed second. Plant manager Perry Newman told Aggregates & Roadbuilding that one of the major highlights of 2004 was the transfer by barge of a Caterpillar 992 wheel loader and three Caterpillar 777D rock trucks from Lafarge’s Presque Isle Quarry in Michigan to Manitoulin Island. This equipment was replaced at the massive Presque Isle operation with new Cat 785 trucks and a 992G High-Lift loader.
“I started loading my ‘new’ equipment at 9 a.m. on April 14th and was completed before noon. By the time I flew to Sault Ste. Marie to clear customs and then drove on to Gore Bay (Manitoulin Island), the barge was coming up the Mississagi Straits at 4:30 p.m. We proceeded to tie up the barge and began unloading the equipment which was then immediately put into production. The existing quarry fleet — consisting of two Cat 992Cs and two Cat 775Ds — were then loaded onto the barge for delivery to our new Kelley’s Island Quarry in Lake Erie. The barge arrived at its destination at 7 p.m. the same day.”
     Chuck Smith, vice president of Lakes Operations for Lafarge’s Great Lakes Division, observed while on site during the transfer: “This probably the first time ever that a 992G and three 777s have been operational in two different quarries in two different countries the same day.”
    The swap of equipment enhanced the Manitoulin Quarry primary mobile fleet to two 992Gs and five 777Ds. Stated Newman, “Our primary plant throughput increased by almost 200 tonnes/h that first night shift, allowing us to operate the primary crusher more efficiently. Within two weeks of putting up over 226 750 tonnes of secondary feed in the primary surge pile, we were able to reduce the secondary plant operation from a 7-day schedule to a 5-day schedule because of improved efficiencies from the secondary crusher that was previously starved of feed. By June, we were able to achieve over 1 million tonnes of feed through the primary, a first for the Manitoulin Quarry.”
     Another company significantly boosting output in 2004 was Texada Quarrying, a limestone operation on Texada Island in British Columbia’s Strait of Georgia reported 5.0 million tonnes compared to 3.6 million tonnes in 2003. The increase moved Texada up to the number two slot from last year’s fourth position. Texada’s operations manager Harold Diggon reports that capital improvements in 2004 included the marine work to support for new ship loader – piling for new 4000 tonnes/h capacity quadrant loader which Diggon expects in service by fall 2005. Still at the loading site, capacity to screen chemical grade stone product as it is being loaded has been tripled by the replacement of a 7x16 double screen with two new 8x24 triple-deck Simplicity screens.
    Dundas Quarry near Hamilton, Ont., another dolomitic limestone operation owned by Lafarge Canada, held its third place position with 4.76 million tonnes in 2004 compared to the previous year’s 4.25 million tonnes.
     Dundas quarry manager Ron Graham reports that the new stacker feeding the operation’s primary surge pile was installed earlier this year to provide increased primary crusher throughput. Manufactured by Welland based Ward Ironworks Ltd, the new radial stacker is 55 m long and carries a 1371 mm wide conveyor belt. Graham explains that primary production rates from the Metso 54-74 gyratory primary at Dundas can surge up to 2400 tonnes/h and, with these surges, the 1219 mm belt on the predecessor unit was overloaded even when running at 183 m/min. By comparison, the new belt has a capacity of 2500 tonnes/h running at a comfortable 122 m/min. Still on the subject on conveyors, Graham adds that the global tight supply of rubber-based products has impacted the Dundas operation, with manufacturers requiring long order times for items such as conveyor belting and off-the-road (OTR) tires, particularly for larger sizes and quantities. Like many other producers, Dundas is also feeling the effects of tight mobile equipment supply. Two new Caterpillar 980G shipping loaders are in service as planned, but a Caterpillar 777E haul truck ordered for March 1st is now slated to arrive in November and a Caterpillar 14H grader, also ordered for March 1st, is not expected until August.
     The Milton Quarry of Dufferin Aggregates, Canada’s biggest quarry for nearly two decades, slipped to fourth place last year with reported production of 4.04 million tonnes compared to 4.71 million tonnes in 2003. Dufferin’s Doug Wilson states that major upgrades were made in 2004 to both of Milton’s existing wash plants, adding that further planned changes aim to feed to both plants by conveyor and reduce truck stockpiling to the extent possible. Plant 1 produces concrete aggregates while Plant 2 produces high stability sand (HSS) and high performance bedding (HPB). With the installation of two 8x20 Simplicity triple-deck screens, the screening capacity on the Plan 2 will jump by 250 per cent, while the installation of another pair of 8x20 Simplicity triple-deck screens on Plant 1 will boost screening capacity here by 20 per cent. Further changes at Plant 2 include the installation of a pair of 6x12 LPT dewatering screens to replace the plant’s dewatering screws.
     Perhaps the most notable change at Milton is the installation of two 58 m long Superior TeleStacker telescopic radial stackers. One of these units is going in on Plant 1 and the second unit, on an offshoot of Plant 2, will stockpile screenings during the winter months when high stability sand and high performance bedding are not being produced. Each stacker has a 270 degree arc and, according to the manufacturer, produces a massive stockpile containing nearly 280 000 tonnes of partially desegregated material or 82 700 tonnes of fully desegregated material.
     At the Montreal-area St-Eustache Quarry of Les Carrières St-Eustache, Real Labrie reports production increasing to 3.7 million tonnes compared to 3.05 m tonnes the previous year, edging the operation to 6th position from last year’s 7th spot. Here, new mobile equipment acquired in 2004 included Caterpillar 988G and 906C units while 2005 equipment spending plans include a Caterpillar 988H wheel loader, two 765E haul trucks and a 160H grader.
     Extensive equipment changes have been made by B.C. granite producer Mainland Sand & Gravel Ltd. at its Cox Station Quarry. Located on Sumas Mountain in Abbotsford, this quarry produced 1.99 million tonnes in 2004 allowing it to moved up several rankings from 15th place in 2003 to its current 10th position. Mainland’s president Ted Carlson reports that new processing equipment purchased in 2004 included an 8x20 Simplicity screen, a Superior 914 mm x 45.7 m and 1066 mm x 45.7 m Telestackers, a Trio 914 mm fine material washer, an Eagle 8x32 classifying tank, a Simplicity 8x20 screen and a Metso 54-74 gyratory crusher. New mobile equipment purchases included a Komatsu WA500 loader, two Caterpillar 980G Series II loaders, a Caterpillar D5M dozer, two Caterpillar D400E articulated dump trucks and a Freightliner FL70 cab and chassis. The list continues with 2005 equipment spending plans which include a portable jaw, cone and screening plant, two Caterpillar 740 articulated dump trucks, a Caterpillar 345 II excavator, a Hitachi EX1100 excavator, a Komatsu WA500 loader, a motor grader and an overland conveyor system
     Quebec’s St. Dominique Quarry, which placed 13th in this year’s survey, reports that its multi-stage expansion program continued in 2004 with the addition of a tertiary plant comprising a new Metso HP500 cone crusher and a new 8x20 Metso TS-403 triple-deck inclined screen. The tertiary plant operates in a closed circuit using hydraulic flop gates to produce three finished products. The TS designation in the Metso screen indicates “triple slope”, a new design developed by Metso Minerals that is claimed to provide 30 to 40 per cent more capacity than conventional screens using the same screening area.
     During a recent site visit, Jean Dubreuil told Aggregates & Roadbuilding during a recent site visit that the quarry has been steadily ramping up production to meet the increasing demand for construction aggregates in southwestern Quebec. Over the past three years, the quarry has more than doubled its annual production with more increases being planned for the future.
     At the Walker Brothers Quarries Ltd. Thorold operation near Niagara Falls, Ont., director of operations Ed Lamb reports that new mobile equipment acquired in 2004 included a Volvo L220 wheel loader for yard duty, while new processing equipment included a 1371 mm ElJay cone crusher. This year’s equipment spending plans include a 40-tonne capacity rock haul truck.

2004 - Canada's Top 20 Quarries (252kb-pdf)

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2005
- A Big winner in Las Vegas

By Robert L. Consedine, Editor

     It is being heralded as the biggest and most successful CONEXPO-CON/AGG Shows ever held as nearly 125,000 people attended the heavy equipment exhibition at the Las Vegas Convention Center during its five-day run from March 15-19. Included among the attendees were more than 8,800 Canadians – by far the largest foreign contingent among the 120 nations represented at the show.
     Held every three years, CONEXPO-CON/AGG is the premier industry event for North American road builders, earthmoving contractors and construction materials producers. In addition to bringing all the major manufacturers and suppliers together in one place to showcase their latest products and services, the show presented in excess of 115 educational seminars designed to help construction industry professionals solve real world challenges at their jobsites.
     The show spanned a record-breaking of 174 730 net m2 of floor space used by 1,968 companies to showcase a massive range of construction-related machinery worth hundreds of millions of dollars. According to show officials, the attendance and exhibit numbers reflect an improved North American economy as well as the pent-up demand to replace aging fleets. A high percentage of exhibitors visited by Aggregates & Roadbuilding Magazine during the show report a significant number of firm orders taken at their booths. “The buyers outnumbered the tire kickers at our stand,” said one heavy equipment manufacturer. Another exhibitor felt that more attendees brought their cheque books than at the previous two CONEXPO-CON/AGG events.
     Among the highlights of CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2005 was the introduction of Tier 3/Stage IIIa compliant machines by most of the major equipment manufacturers that not only meet the latest U.S. and European diesel exhaust emissions regulations but also, in many instances, deliver substantially greater fuel economy and increased productivity. On the other hand, rising steel and other commodity costs have been driving machinery prices higher in recent months. Manufacturers are predicting this trend to continue throughout 2005 and beyond. One particular area of concern for all makers of dirtmoving equipment is the shortage of off-the-road (OTR) tires. While automobile tires are not affected, demand for OTR tires is outstripping supply by a large margin as construction and mining activity picks up worldwide. OTR tire shipments rose over 30 per cent in 2004 with one major tire manufacturer reporting that demand is up by 80 per cent from last year. Tire companies expect the shortages to persist for the next couple of years as they scramble to expand manufacturing capacity. In the meantime, some equipment manufacturers are shipping some of their machines tireless, leaving it up to their dealers and customers to find the tires.
     The honour of being the largest exhibitor at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2005 went to Terex Corp., who utilized 5560 m2 of outdoor and interior space to showcase the largest range of construction and aggregate processing equipment in the world. Ranked as the world’s third largest heavy equipment manufacturer by sales ($US5 billion), Terex markets more than 50 diverse and well-known international brand which cover a broad range of equipment for the construction, infrastructure, quarrying, recycling, surface mining and other related industries. The key Terex brands represented at the show included Advance (front and rear discharging mixer trucks), Bid-Well (concrete pavers), Cedarapids (aggregate processing machinery and asphalt paving equipment), CMI (ready-mix concrete and hot mix asphalt plants and concrete pavement production equipment), Demag (mobile cranes), Finlay (mobile screens and crushers), Pegson (track-mounted crushers), Powerscreen (portable and tracked crushing and screening equipment) and Reedrill (rock drills).
     With floor space totalling 5,453 m2, Caterpillar mounted an exhibition of some 50 machines, many of which were shown for the first time. New machines included the D8T tractor equipped with the new AccuGrade GPS machine guidance system, the 930G wheel loader, the 730 ejector truck, the 345C L hydraulic excavator and the RM-500 reclaimer/soil stabilizer. The recently introduced 988H and 980H wheel loaders were also on display.
     The Liebherr Group marked the 35th anniversary of the completion of its manufacturing facilities in Newport News, Virginia with a large 4635 m2 display that featured six hydraulic excavators, four wheel loaders, two dozers and a crawler loader, four mobile cranes, three tower cranes, a pair of crawler cranes along with an exhibit of its concrete mixer technology.
     New Liebherr products making their North American debut included the newly-designed lineup of Series 4 crawler dozers, the 10 100 kg, 2.36 m3 bucket capacity L524 wheel loader, the Betomix 1.0 B-R horizontal concrete mixing machine and three models of Liebherr’s newest generation of mobile cranes, the LTM 1055-3.1 three-axle compact crane, the LTM 1070-4.1 four-axle, all-terrain crane and the LTM 1095-5.1 five-axle, all-terrain crane.
     Volvo Construction Equipment was another major exhibitor at the show with 2,926 m2 of space used to display twenty-nine Volvo machines including the new 70-tonne class EC700B LC hydraulic excavator.
     The next-generation machine is 30 per cent bigger than the next model in Volvo’s excavator product line and was designed from the ground up for greater digging output, reliability, serviceability and operator comfort.
     Equipped with the largest-capacity engine in its class, the Tier 3-compliant Volvo D16C EAE3 with Advanced Combustion Technology (V-ACT) system, generates 464 gross hp at 1800 rpm while delivering significantly improved fuel economy. The EC700B LC has a digging reach of 13.1 m, a digging depth of 8.4 m and a breakout force of 301 kN. It can operate with bucket sizes ranging from 2.5 m3 to 4.5 m3.
     According to Volvo, production models of the EC700B LC will begin in the fourth quarter of 2005 for delivery to all markets in the first quarter 0f 2006.
     Volvo also introduced four short-swing radius compact excavators at the show. The new models, the ECR28, the ECR38, the ECR58 and the ECR88, join Volvo’s existing 7-model lineup of conventional compact excavators.
     “Our new short swing compact excavators have been designed and built to meet the needs of operators working in confined spaces without comprising their comfort or safety,” said Bill Sauber, product specialist with Volvo Construction Equipment. Highlights of the new highly fuel-efficient machines include 360-degree visibility from inside the cab, a surprisingly spacious operator’s station, highly responsive controls, reduced noise levels inside and outside the cab and low exhaust emissions that exceed all current legal standards.
     Volvo CE has introduced more than 50 new models during the past three years. The company ended 2004 with a 24 per cent increase in worldwide sales, a record for Volvo CE. North American sales were up by 43 per cent over the previous year.
     John Deere used the Las Vegas venue as a platform to introduce the biggest wheel loader ever manufactured by the company. The Deere-designed and built 844J is a 5.54 m3 loader that features a Tier 3/Stage IIIa-compliant 380 hp electronically-controlled, 12.5-litre John Deere PowerTech™ diesel engine and a Deere powershift transmission that delivers smooth shifts without any delay. With an approximate weight of 31 343 kg, the 844J provides a full-turn tipping load capacity of 19 464 kg and a bucket breakout force of 24 721 kg.
     In addition to the 844J, the company’s 2787 m2 exhibit featured some 17 other pieces of new and current John Deere equipment including six new D-series motor graders. The 672D/772D/872D six-wheel-drive motor graders and 670D/770D/870D tandem-drive graders incorporate over 100 design changes over the previous models. One of the major changes is the completely redesigned cab to improve operator comfort, convenience and visibility. “The enhancements to the cab are dramatic. These machines provide 26 per cent more space and 40 per cent more glass in the operator’s station than previous models,” said Tom Parker, product marketing manager, John Deere Construction & Forestry Company.
     Low-effort hydraulics offer easier operation for the blade, circle, wheel lean and other hydraulic functions. The number of steering turns has also been reduced for 20 per cent less arm motion required to turn the D-Series.
     With horsepower ratings from 185 to 245, the D-Series graders are powered by John Deere PowerTech diesel engines with 25 to 40 per cent torque rise for better lugging. Another feature is John Deere’s exclusive event-based shifting transmissions, or EBS, which senses the load and automatically adjusts the clutch-pack engagement accordingly.
     Other machines introduced by the company were the new 700J and redesigned 750J and 850J crawler dozers, the 180C W and 210C W wheeled excavators and the 35D and 50D zero-tail-swing compact excavators.
     Metso Minerals presented seven new or substantially enhanced products to the North American market at its CONEXPO exhibit. These products included two new Lokotrack crushing units aimed at the contractor market, the LT200HP and LT1110S; a new 12x5 tracked-mounted screen, the Lokotrack ST352 with SmartScreen technology and IC300 intelligent controller, also for the contractor market; the wheel-mounted NW3054 aggregate and recycle plant; the totally redesigned FS303 horizontal screen; the Barmac B6150SE vertical shaft impactor; and, an upgraded and higher capability C145 jaw crusher.
     The launch of the new LT200HP and the LT1110S marks the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the first Lokotrack track-mounted crushing plant. Since 1985, more than 3000 units have been sold worldwide.
     The company also announced at the show that it has signed a global alliance with Magotteaux Inc., a major manufacturer of wear resistant impact and abrasion resistant products. The alliance provide Metso Minerals the patented technology of the XWIN trade name from Magotteaux for Metso’s impactor crushers. The agreement also allows Metso Minerals to be an exclusive distributor for Magotteaux’s XWIN products globally for Metso’s impactor crushers.
     The full line of Wirtgen asphalt recycling equipment, Vögele asphalt pavers and Hamm compactors offered by Wirtgen America was on display at the company’s 2230 m2 outdoor exhibit.
     Among the new Wirtgen cold milling machines introduced were the W35, a 42.2-hp compact and highly manoeuvrable machine that has a cutting width of 355 mm and a cutting depth of 61 mm, to the W2000 Combo Cutter, a versatile machine whose drum widths can be changed from 610 mm to 914 mm to 1220 mm in width.
     Vögele America relaunched its product line with five models of wheeled and rubber-tracked pavers with products updates, new model numbers and external paint schemes. The updated line features three rubber-tired pavers — the 2111W (replacing the 780WB); the 2116W (replacing the 880WB); and the 2219W (replacing the 1110WB); and two rubber-track pavers — the 2116T (replacing the 880RTB), and the 2219T (replacing the 1110RTB).
In addition to the pavers, Vögele introduced four new screeds, including its first electric-heated screeds – the 2.44 m, front-mounted HF400E and the 3 m, rear-mounted HR500E.
     The Hamm Compaction Division rolled out two new compactors utilizing Hamm’s exclusive Oscillation Compaction technology, the HD 0120V and the smaller HD 090V. They fill out the product line above and below the flagship HD 090V, introduced in 2003. Hamm also introduced the 3412 VIO that combines its oscillation technology with conventional vibration within one drum for soil/base compaction. The 2133 mm wide drum achieves an oscillation and conventional vibration frequency of 1980 vpm, with an oscillation and centrifugal force of 29 291 kg.
     According to Bruce Monical, Hamm’s marketing manager, oscillation compaction works by imparting a horizontal force into the base materials, side-to-side, rather than by forcing it downwards by an up-and-down motion. “The drum never leaves the material,” states Monical. The compaction technology has been found to help eliminate longitudinal joint failures from asphalt pavements, a long standing problem of the paving industry.
     GreyStone Inc. brought its full line of sand washing and classifying equipment to the show. Among its products on display was a GreyStone Aggre-Washer portable system comprising a twin 914 mm x 8.54 m fine material screw washer and a 6x20 horizontal screen. The Aggre-Washer system can be equipped with a single or twin screw classifier, rubber urethane or Ni-Hard wear shoes, a variety of horizontal or inclined screens and manual or hydraulic levelling devices.
     Also on display was an 8x32 GreyStone Aggre-Spec classifying tank and an operating cut-away model of an Aggre-Spec classification tank controller to show the internal workings of the system.
     GreyStone offers 30 different classifier configurations for producers to choose from for specific application and production requirements.
     Another display at the company’s stand was a 4x8 dewatering screen. The high frequency liquid/solids separator allows a wide range of adjustments to meet most variations of sand specs.
Canadian screen media manufacturer, Major Wire Industries Ltd. of Montreal, brought its new third generation Flex-Mat 3 high-performance, self-cleaning screen cloth to CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2005. According to the company president, Jean Leblond, Flex-Mat 3 is the result of a new manufacturing process pioneered by Major Wire that reduces the cost of the product and allows for faster delivery. The proprietary process enables his company to offer Flex-Mat 3 is screening opening sizes from 40 mesh to 101 mm in numerous wire diameters for increased output.
     Sandvik Rock Processing’s exhibit featured showcased its newest tracked unit, the Crawlmaster 1208i, featuring a built-in intelligent controller that provides large quantities of useful operational data. It also facilitates start-ups, close-downs and fault tracing.
Three versions of the 1208i are available, each having a Jawmaster 32x48 crusher, diesel engine and a main product belt conveyor. Minimum exhaust, noise and dust emission are incorporated into the design.
     Other Sandvik machines presented at the show included the hydraulically adjusted Hydrocone crushers with Sandvik’s ASRi control system, the Jawmaster single-toggle jaw crusher, the Merlin-VSI range of crushers and the latest generation of Impactmaster series crushers.
     The Tamrock product group of Sandvik Mining & Construction displayed a full range of its Ranger, Titon and Commando drills as well as the Axera D07 RP rig for underground quarrying operations. Sandvik Rock Tools MGT division introduced a new cutting tool system, called TriSpec, designed for longer service life in milling and road reclaiming applications.

Dufferin Construction named Ontario Paver of the Year

By Andy Bateman, Engineering Editor

Quality and performance by several roadbuilders was recognised during the 78th Annual Ontario Road Builders’ Association Convention, held earlier this year at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York Hotel. Award winners are selected annually by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) for outstanding performance in each of the ministry’s five regions, with one winner receiving the prestigious Paver of the Year Award.

    The 2004 Ontario Paver of the Year and MTO Central Region Award went to Dufferin Construction for its performance on MTO Contract 2003-2011. This $29 million contract west of Hamilton involved the construction of a new section of Highway 6 to connect the existing highway with Highway 403.
     Peter Gamble, superintendent of asphalt operations for Dufferin Construction, reports that the contract was completed in November 2004 after a September 2003 start and included grading, drainage, granular base, hot mix paving, structures and illumination. In the achievement of a successful project, Gamble underlines “a core group of quality people who understand their roles and responsibilities clearly which allowed us to immediately identify and prevent any possible deficiencies.” On site, conditions were favourable for paving, with traffic on the new construction limited to construction vehicles and only occasional vehicles on adjacent side streets. Hot mix asphalt was supplied by the company’s 350 tonnes/h capacity CMI PTD portable triple-drum plant, first featured in the September 2000 edition of Aggregates & Roadbuilding. This plant produced a total of 76 020 tonnes of Superpave asphalt mixtures including 1 330 tonnes of Superpave 12.5FC1, 22 405 tonnes of Superpave 12.5FC2, 50 715 tonnes of Superpave 19 and 1 570 tonnes of Superpave 25.
     On site, the company’s paving train included a Roadtec SB-2500 Shuttle Buggy and a Caterpillar AP-1055 rubber track paver. Behind the paver, a Caterpillar CB-634D compactor made two to four passes, followed by a Dynapac 271 pneumatic unit making six to eight passes. The mat was finished by a Bomag BW202 making one to two passes, to achieve overall densities of 93 per cent.
     Asphalt aggregates on this award winning job were supplied by the Flamborough and Milton operations of Dufferin Aggregates as well as the Huntsville operation of Hutcheson Sand & Gravel Ltd. McAsphalt Industries Ltd. supplied 64-28 Performance Grade Asphalt Cement (PGAC). All granular base aggregates came from the Flamborough operation while concrete was sourced from Dufferin Custom Concrete’s Nebo Rd. plant.
     The award winning project team included western district manager Jake Sudac, construction superintendent Bob Peart and superintendent of asphalt operations Peter Gamble. Dufferin Construction Co. is a division of St. Lawrence Cement, part of the Holcim group.

Eastern Region Award
     The MTO’s Eastern Region winner was R. W. Tomlinson Ltd. for quality work on Highway 417 and Regional Rd. 29 under MTO Contract 2003-4027. The contract extended from 1.2 km west of the Regional Rd. 29 and Highway 417 Interchange, extending easterly for 17.0 km to 1.6 km west of Panmure Road. Additional work included the completion of the realigned Regional Rd. 29 and Madawaska Blvd. The $12.6 million, seven-month contract was completed in mid-November 2004, with the scope of work including grading, drainage, granular base, hot mix paving, as well as electrical work and approach slabs at the Mississippi Bridge. Russ Perry, Tomlinson’s highway division manager, reports that site working conditions on this contract were excellent, thanks to a combination of good summer weather and highway closure to facilitate site access. In the event, one of the contract’s biggest challenges was compaction of its Superpave asphalt mixes. As Perry notes, “It proved difficult at times to determine when to get on the mat and when it was preferable to stay off the mat and allow the mat to cool further”. To tackle the compaction challenge, Tomlinson’s team located a Bomag BW 205 tandem vibratory ride-on roller in Chicago and floated the new unit directly to the job site. Perry explains: “Our objective was to maximise compaction with the breakdown compactor due to the characteristics of the Superpave mixes. After trying a number of approaches, we tested a BW205 in the breakdown position and found that we could achieve a density of 92 -93 per cent behind this unit with two passes. Equally important, fewer passes by the breakdown compactor meant that we could maintain our target paving rate of at least 12.2 m/min.” (Editor’s note: The BW205 has since been renumbered BW284 by the manufacturer).
     Tomlinson faced another major hurdle near the end of the job, when a window of just 96 hours was allowed to switch the traffic from old Highway 17 to the new configuration. Described by Perry as a gargantuan task, the switch involved moving 15 000 m3 of earth, placing 22 000 tonnes of granular materials, 36 m of box culvert, 6 600 tonnes of Superpave asphalt, line paint and rumble strip, all within the tight time frame. Perry reports that the job was completed with time to spare, thanks to excellent work by the company’s grade crews and paving crews.
     Hot mix asphalt for this contract was produced by a Gencor portable UltraDrum plant rated at 400 tonnes/h and located in Tomlinson’s Jinkinson Quarry. From there, asphalt was hauled to the job site by a mixed truck fleet having payloads ranging from 38–43 tonnes, including five-axle Raglan live bottom trailers and tri-axle with tri-axle pup units. On site, asphalt milling was completed by an 800 hp Roadtec RX-50 unit, achieving an average production rate of 12 000 m2 per day. During paving, a Roadtec SB-2500 Shuttle Buggy fed a Caterpillar AP-1000B paver equipped with Topcon System V controls, with the paving train achieving an average production rate of 350-400 tonnes/h. Behind the paver, the challenging compaction job was completed by Bomag BW205 and Caterpillar CB-634C vibratory rollers in the breakdown position, followed by Caterpillar PS-300B and Dynapac CP-27 pneumatic units in the secondary position. A Caterpillar CB-534C unit finished the mat to achieve overall mat densities of 92.5 – 94.5 per cent.
     Three Superpave mixes; 19.0, 12.5 and 12.5 FCII totalling nearly 125 000 tonnes were utilised on this contract. Asphalt raw materials included Petro Canada PGAC 64-34 asphalt cement, together with fine and coarse aggregates from the Jinkinson quarry as well as washed dust from Moodie Dr. Nearly 220 000 tonnes of granular base aggregates including A, B and O sizes were supplied by the White Lake quarry of Thomas Cavanagh Construction Ltd.
Tomlinson’s award winning team included highway division manager Russ Perry, project manager Garry Carriveau, project superintendent Mike Hendriks, asphalt foreman John Byrnes and asphalt plant superintendent Mike Dunphy.

Northeastern Region Award
     The MTO’s Northeastern Region award was won by the Aecon Alarie Joint Venture for its performance on MTO 2001-5106. Featured in the September 2002 edition of Aggregates & Roadbuilding, this contract on Highway 11 ties in with the south end of the Trout Creek Bypass and extends the twinning of Highway 11 a further 10 km south towards Huntsville. Valued at $25 million, the three-year job included granular base, hot mix paving, structure construction at the Goreville interchange, an east service road and illumination. Asphalt quantities for paving contractor Aecon Construction & Materials Ltd. totalled some 82 000 tonnes, with 50 000 tonnes of HL4 and 32 000 tonnes of an HL3 Modified mixture.
     Significant pavement construction work was required on this contract before any paving could begin, with the scope of work also including 1 738 465 m3 of earth excavation and 221 088 m3 of rock excavation. Excavated earth was utilised as selected subgrade material (SSM) to backfill excavated swampy areas where necessary. After backfilling, road base construction was completed by a lift of 600 to 750 mm of Granular B, depending on location, followed by a 150 mm lift of Granular A. Base material quantities totalled 170 000 tonnes of Granular A and 485 000 tonnes of Granular B.
     During paving, a 400 tonnes/h capacity portable Gencor drum mix plant supplied hot mix to a Roadtec SB-2500 Shuttle Buggy and Caterpillar AP-1000B paver. Behind this duo, the Caterpillar compaction fleet included CB-634D, PS-300B and CB-534D units in the breakdown, secondary and finishing positions respectively, with two passes required on average to achieve the required density of 98 per cent.
     Here, the award winning team included Senior Superintendent Bryon Kmith, Asphalt Superintendent Junior Lake, Asphalt Operations Manager Colin Burpee and General Manager, Asphalt, Phil Gignac.

Northwestern Region Award
     Camaro Enterprises Ltd won the MTO’s Northwestern Region Award for quality roadbuilding on MTO contract 2003-6017. Project manager Derek Walker explains that the contract was in three parts, with Part A on Highway 17 extending from 0.4 km west of Highway 665 (Dryden) westerly for 19.3 km and included two new passing lanes. Part B, on Highway 502, involved intersection improvements at Highway 594, while Part C on Highway 594 involved culvert replacements at various locations, from 1.2 km South of Highway 17 southerly for 0.3 km.
     The $6.9 million, one-year contract was completed on August 14, 2004 and included grading, drainage, granular base and hot mix paving. Principal material quantities were 67,000 tonnes of Superpave 12.5 and 19.0 mixes, 173 000 tonnes of granular base materials, 74 672 m3 of earth excavation, 16 870 m3 of rock excavation and nearly 1 km of culverts. Walker adds that wet and cold weather in the fall of 2003 created poor excavation conditions, with material dumpsites inaccessible to trucks for the majority of the fall. This poor weather, coupled with the discovery of unexpected muskeg in the proposed west-bound passing lane, resulted in Camaro missing the contract’s first interim completion date. In response to this situation, the MTO allowed Camaro to complete grade work on the passing lanes in non-working time and this compromise, described by Walker as a good example of co-operation between owner and contractor, ensured that the contract was completed in the 2004 season.
     Beginning in May 2004, traffic volumes on this two-lane section of Highway 17 were unexpectedly high and required careful staging of the project. Construction operations were spread out and traffic kept moving, thanks to an excellent job done by traffic control co-ordinator Judy Norris. Linking quality to performance, Walker notes that success in the production of high quality Superpave asphalt begins with the crushing of the bituminous aggregate. On this contract, Camaro instituted hourly testing of gradation to ensure that aggregates sourced from wayside pits were uniformly graded and that any necessary corrective action could be taken promptly.
     Close attention was also paid to changing pit faces, while product stockpiles were also closely monitored for segregation. In addition to all these measures, aggregate quality was monitored on a daily basis by project superintendent Jeff Tait, crushing foreman Wayne Hiebert, asphalt supervisor Daryl Boulanger and lab supervisor Simone Haquoil, who met to analyse and discuss crushing conditions as well as gradation test results. A similarly rigorous approach was taken with respect to asphalt mix design. Here, the QC laboratory with the QA and mix design laboratories were correlated to ensure consistency of results before full scale production of the Superpave mixes began.
     On the asphalt production side, Walker reports that the company’s success in the production and placement of high quality Superpave hot mix was the direct result of the communication and teamwork displayed by Tait, Boulanger, Haquoil, and plant foreman Greg Buccas who met at the end of each shift to discuss QC test results and troubleshoot in a team environment.
     On site, advance milling work was completed by a Caterpillar PM 565. After this unit had done its work, the same paving and compaction set up that helped Camaro win the 2003 Paver of the Year award was in action again on this contract, with the company’s Cedarapids CR551 Remix paver achieving an average production rate of 380 tonnes/h. Behind the paver, a Caterpillar CB-634 dual steel drum made two passes, approaching the mat with one drum on a low amplitude, high frequency setting and leaving the mat in static mode. A Dynapac CP-21 pneumatic roller in the secondary position made three passes, followed by Bomag BW164 AC-2 combination roller that made two passes on a high vibration frequency setting.
For asphalt raw materials, Camaro utilised asphalt cement from the Thunder Bay terminal of McAsphalt Industries Ltd., while asphalt aggregates were mostly sourced from the MTO’s Dryden No.12 pit.

Southwestern Region Award
     Hard Rock Paving Company Ltd. won the MTO’s Southwestern Region award for its excellent performance on MTO contract 2003-3012. This 8.9 km contract on two-lane Highway 3 extended from 1.6 km east of Haldimand Rd. 61, easterly to 2.6 km east of Haldimand Rd. 65. Completed in June 2004, the contract was valued at $2.1 million. Tom Saxton, manager of paving and regional construction, reports that the contract’s broad scope of work included grading, utilities, drainage, milling, paving, lighting, guard rails, asphalt milling, asphalt strip repairs, earth excavation, fill for road widening at curves, culvert work and curb at intersections, as well as full paved shoulders. Probably one of the most noteworthy aspects of this contract, however, was its method of payment for surface asphalt.
     According to Saxton, this was the first MTO contract where surface asphalt was paid for by the square metre rather than on a per tonne basis. As the existing road surface was in very poor condition, this payment method necessitated close cooperation between Hard Rock’s milling and paving crews in order to achieve the necessary smoothness requirements without overrunning the surface asphalt tonnage at the contractor’s expense.
     Hot mix asphalt was produced by the company’s Barber Greene BE65 fixed drum plant rated at 300 tonnes/h, while on site, milling was completed by a CMI PR-800 unit. A Roadtec SB-2500B Shuttle Buggy was used for about half of the surface asphalt, while the paver fleet included both Cedarapids CR461 Remix and Caterpillar AP-1000 rubber tired units. The compaction fleet consisted of Caterpillar CB-634C dual steel drum and PS-300B pneumatic units in the breakdown and secondary positions respectively, achieving overall densities of 95 per cent.
     Hot mix asphalt quantities included 7 700 tonnes of HL1, 17 289 tonnes of Medium Duty Binder Course (MDBC) and 7 228 tonnes of HL4, utilising aggregates mostly from the company’s Law Crushed Stone Division.
     Hard Rock’s award winning team included superintendent Rob Niece, paving superintendent Rob Konig, milling superintendent Mark Currie, paving foreman Ed Minor, lab supervisor Jennifer Koros, field technician Jason Cosby and asphalt plant foreman Ed Rodgers Jr.

May/June 2005 issue

Aggregates and Roadbuilding Magazine
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