Construction Equipment articles from May 2003

Construction Equipment archives from May 2003

GOMACO continues its leadership role in concrete paving technology. (Advertisement).
May 1, 2003... NEW GENERATION TECHNOLOGY: When you choose GOMACO, you know that you have the latest technology available today to achieve your goals in concrete paving. The new generation technology being introduced improves paving accuracy and provides...

Three steps to reauthorization. (Sutton Report).
May 1, 2003... It's not often bureaucrats, industry and legislators agree, but that seems to be what happened when the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee recommended $375 billion in highway and transit spending for the next surface...

Sakai. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... According to Sakai, its GW750 vibratory pneumatic roller is the first of its kind. By varying the force at each axle, the company says, the vibrating tires of the new 20,000-pound machine can do work equivalent to that of a 55,000-pound...

Kenworth. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The T800 vocational truck has an optional, larger cab that's 6 inches longer and 5 inches higher than standard. The extra length allows 2 more inches of belly room for the driver, and a 21-degree recline for seat back, plus 2.5 cubic feet of...

Gradall. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The company went from two engines on the XL 4100 excavator down to one 250-hp engine on the XL 4100-II, which is said to increase performance and save money on filters and downtime associated with routine maintenance. The 6x4 model weighs about...

Caterpillar. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... With an operating weight of 47,077 pounds, the 814F wheel dozer features a cleaner, more fuel-efficient engine and improved serviceability. It is powered by a 240-net-hp Cat 31 76C engine with air-to-air after-cooling. The engine meets Tier...

Roadtec. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The RP175 is a 10-foot-wide, rubber-track asphalt paver with screed extensions available in 6-, 12-, 24- and 36-inch widths, plus a 24-inch extension with crowning. It features a 170-hp Deere turbo diesel, and the drive system uses...

Caterpillar. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Cat's update of its 924G (single-piece boom) and 924Gz (conventional boom) wheel loaders includes electronically controlled engines with 7 percent more horsepower and a redesigned operator's station. For information circle 177

Schwing. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Billed as the longest boom pump in the industry, the S 61 SX features 198 feet of reach. Schwing says that superior articulation is achieved through the four-section, Overhead Roll and Fold boom reaching out, up and below grade with no dead...

Volvo. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A new skid-steer-loader line will initially include five models--the MC60, MC70, MC80, MC90 and MC110. Features include an excellent height-to-hinge-pin clearance, high ground clearance, and dual bucket cylinders. The machines are powered by...

Bomag. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The BW266 and BW278 tandem-drum vibratory rollers have a maximum frequency of 3,800 vpm. With 66-and 78-inch-wide drums, respectively, the BW266 can generate up to 32,950 pounds of centrifugal force, and the BW278 up to 37,099 pounds. They...

Kobelco. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Model SK170LC is the last addition to the Dynamic Acera line of excavators. The 37,600-pound machine has a 111-hp Mitsubishi engine and maximum dig depth of 20 feet. Kobelco says steel plate in the upper body ant boom support, as well as...

Caterpillar. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The 950G and 962G wheel loaders have advanced to Series-II status with a new Cat 31268 engine, a refined cooling system and a new operator's station. The two new models, rated at 183 and 204 net horsepower, respectively, feature Cat's Advanced...

Cedarapids. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Tier-2 Series asphalt payers include 13 models with Tier-2-compliant engines featuring 20 to 40 percent more horsepower, full-authority electronic control, variable-speed fan and a triple-element cooling package for coolant, charge air and...

Caterpillar. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The 330C Forest Machine comes in four configurations: Standard, for delimbing and processing on roads and clearings; High-Wide, for off-road applications and road building, Log Loader with a Caterpillar raised cab; and Log Loader with an...

Roadtec. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Featuring a maximum cut depth of 13 inches, the RX-500 is a 500-hp (@2,100 rpm) cold planer available in drum widths of 6.25, 6.58 and 7.17 feet. The drum is powered via a mechanical V-belt to a planetary hub. The machine can run in a...

New filter handles engine blow-by. (Maintenance News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The new Spiracle closed-crankcase filtration system from Donaldson is designed to eliminate crankcase emissions in a wide range of diesel-powered trucks and equipment. Mounted between the engine's breather port and its air-intake system, the...

Nashville hosts largest group of "sidewalk superintendents". (Industry Events).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Guinness Book of World Records should know about this. The largest gathering ever of "sidewalk superintendents" occurred recently in Nashville, Tenn., just outside the Nashville Convention Center, where visitors to the World of Asphalt Show...

Public supports fee increase for roads. (Legislation).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Americans recognize the need for and value of a strong highway system and are willing to pay to improve it, according to research conducted by Zogby International for ARTBA. Nearly two-thirds of Americans would support an increase of 2...

AEM names new VP of expositions. (Association News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has named Kenneth Snover the vice president of expositions, education and membership departments. His responsibilities will also include overseeing AEM's trade-show activities as co-owner and...

Public construction spending. (Managers Digest: Status & Forecast).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... After starting the year with a 1.6% increase, publicly funded activity fell 2.9% in February. This is a 5.2% decline from a year ago and 2.3% lower compared to the first two months of 2a02. Spending on buildings decreased 3.8%; nonbuilding fell...

Construction employment. (Managers Digest: Status & Forecast).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Employment in the construction industry was estimated at 6.543 million workers during March, a 0.8% decline from 2002. Over the same period, overall employment declined 0.2%. Despite the yearly decline, employment in March was up a.3% from...

Construction machinery & equipment shipments. (Managers Digest: Status & Forecast).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The dollar value of shipments of construction machinery and equipment fell 5.2% during February, following a decline of 6.6% in January. Year-to-date shipments are up 4.4% compared to the first two months of 2002. The value of orders placed...

New residential construction spending. (Managers Digest: Status & Forecast).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Residential construction spending grew in February for the sixth consecutive month. With a gain of 0.2% in February, and a sizable increase of 3.2% in January, 2003 is starting off strong. Growth in single-family home construction was on a 14%...

Private construction spending. (Managers Digest: Status & Forecast).
May 1, 2003... Overall privately funded construction work was worth 0.7% more in February than January. This is the fifth consecutive month of gains in the privately funded construction market. Both residential and nonresidential spending increased during the...

JCB pushes the right design buttons: in-the-dirt-testing shows substantial gains in productivity and fuel efficiency for JCB's New Generation 214 backhoe-loader. (Cover Story: Field Test).
May 1, 2003... In March of last year, at Conexpo-Con/Agg 2002, JCB unveiled its New Generation backhoe-loaders--literally. The new machines sat shrouded under an immense canopy of parachute silk during the early hours of the show. Then, when the moment for...

Had your fill of bad economic news? Bring yourself to hear something better.
May 1, 2003... The headlines are discouraging. Almost daily we learn of lower corporate earnings, plant closings, more job losses and other symptoms of a slow economy. With so much news of economic uncertainty, it's natural to worry get frustrated and...

Ready for more: K.T. Carter uses lease-purchase agreements to build the fleet best suited to keep the company growing. (Special Report: Up & Comers).
May 1, 2003... Bo Carter's path to up-and-corner status wasn't easy. He founded K.T. Carter Contracting in late 1999, after divorce ended his position in the successful construction company he and his former wife had operated. Carter and two associates, A.J....

Leases keep fleet: Rich Erosion Control keeps a short lease on its fleet and relies on distributors to provide service and parts to keep warranties in effect. (Special Report: Up & Comers).
May 1, 2003... Silt fences that border construction sites prevent topsoil from washing away Yet the familiar fencing is only one of several erosion-control measures used to comply with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations of the...

Own it, depend on it: Conkle's Tree Service uses service contracts to keep on top of maintenance, and replaces its equipment on schedule. (Special Report: Up & Comers).
May 1, 2003... When Georgia enacted a ban on outdoor burning several years ago, Chuck Conkle recognized an opportunity "The ban meant that trees and brush cleared from construction sites and high-way rights-of-way couldn't be burned between the months of May...

Driving a 5900i: Smooth Cruisin' with little work; automated mechanical transmissions are slick, but still rare because they're not cheap. (Hands-on Trucking).
May 1, 2003... It was like at first sight. This International 5900i dumper was one of two dozen 5000, 7000, 8000 and 9000 series trucks and tractors available for tryout at a recent Ride 'N Drive event, and I drove as many as I could. Each was a pleasure in...

Size up: the service crane for you; with a wide selection and technological innovations, service cranes can be tailored to the application for peak performance. (Buying File).
May 1, 2003... Truck-mounted service cranes not only act as important maintenance tools but as jobsite tools as well. Their maintenance function is that of lifting heavy components and they are generally teamed with a service truck. As general lifting...

Capacity reaches 40 tons. (National Crane).
May 1, 2003... The largest capacity telescopic crane in the National Crane line is the Series 1800, with a capacity of 40 tons at 7-foot load radius. Vertical reach is 190 feet. Four booms and four jibs are available. National emphasizes the long life and low...

Crane stows in bumper. (Tiger Line).
May 1, 2003... The Stow-A-Crane from Tiger Line mounts on a truck or van, folding away when not in use. The folding boom stores in the truck's bumper and may include snatch blocks, barrel and fork lifts, cable and hooks. Manual and electric winch models are...

Remote control comes standard. (Stellar).
May 1, 2003... Heavy lifting at a long range typifies the Stellar 5728 telescopic crane, with a reach of 28 feet. The crane features a 36,000-ft.-lb. capacity and can lift a maximum of 5,000 pounds at 7 feet. Features include standard proportional radio...

Easy operation. (Stahl).
May 1, 2003... Automatic overload protection found on Stahl telescopic cranes prevents lifting in excess of the crane's capability. In addition, a multi-function detachable remote control is lightweight for single-handed operation and prevents unauthorized...

Rotates 400 degrees. (IMT).
May 1, 2003... The new IMT 5525 telescopic crane has a capacity rating of 55,000 ft. lbs. and a horizontal reach of 25 feet 4 inches. With a standard rotation of 400 degrees, the rotation system consists of a turntable gear bearing powered by a high-torque...

Compact crane. (Maintainer).
May 1, 2003... New from Maintainer, the 115 E/ST is an electric-over-hydraulic, self-contained crane that requires only 14x15-inch mounting space. With a standard winch, overall crane height is 25.35 inches. Features include a 10,800-ft.-lb. rating and a...

Lightweight, compact design. (Auto Crane).
May 1, 2003... New from Auto Crane, the A40 articulating crane features a lightweight, compact design. Dual cross control allows identical control sequence on both sides of the vehicle. With a 40,000-ft.-lb. capacity, the crane has double-acting cylinders...

Clean-engine replacements hone fleet's competitive edge: air-quality program shares engine-upgrade costs, and new engines help outreach earthmover's competitors. (Great Managers).
May 1, 2003... Question: Why participate in a voluntary engine-retrofit program if it forces you to do major work on more machines in a year than planned? Answer: "In prior years, we were offered a job or two per year on the kind of project that requires...

Cat's ACERT engines promise to be formidable EGR alternatives: medium-duty truck engines finally comply with EPA emissions regulations; synergy of familiar technologies awaits certification as heavy-duty truck power. (Shop Report).
May 1, 2003... Most truck-engine manufacturers reached for exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's Oct. 1, 2002, emissions deadline. Only Caterpillar rejected EGR entirely, choosing instead to pay a steep fine for each...

Vermeer joins the mini-excavator fray: 5,400-pound forerunner (of an expected line of seven models) will take on at least 25 competitors. (Earthmoving).
May 1, 2003... Vermeer Manufacturing expanded its product line to include compact excavators with the introduction of the first in an expected line of seven models. The CX224 weighs 5,400 pounds and digs to depths of 8 feet 4 inches. A 25-hp Kubota diesel...

Continental tire completes line with seven new models: four tires feature the Visual Alignment Indicator System to check tire alignment. (Shop Report).
May 1, 2003... New developments to Continental Tire's premium truck-tire line include the Visual Alignment Indicator (VAI) Siping System for checking tire alignment. Equally positioned around the tire on both shoulder ribs, small sipes of various depths...

C&P attachments. (Market Watch Lite).
May 1, 2003... The Pipe Caddy allows a single operator to lift and move pipes from the cab of an excavator--without lift holes or straps. The product attaches to the excavator bucket, inserts through the pipe's center, and places it on the ground smoothly,...

Peterbilt. (Market Watch Lite).
May 1, 2003... Using lightweight Alcoa aluminum wheels instead of steel wheels helps decrease truck weight, according to the company. The severe-service wheels are rated at 8,000 pounds, which provides a front-axle weight rating of 16,000 pounds. By...

Cummins. (Market Watch Lite).
May 1, 2003... The QSK23 diesel engine maintains speed on uphill climbs with its six cylinders. A 29,000 psi high-pressure injection system provides fuel economy and maintains low e missions. Sensors send information to the Electronic Control Module to...

Paul Wever construction equipment. (Market Watch Lite).
May 1, 2003... Designed to accommodate many attachments, the Construction-Carry-All (CCA) is towed behind a pickup truck or attached to the front with a heavy-duty bumper package. It also attaches to tractors, skid-steer loaders and heavy-duty trucks....

Caterpillar. (Market Watch Lite).
May 1, 2003... The Machine Security System (MSS) uses machine keys embedded with an electronic chip, each having a unique digital identification. The keys fit all existing Cat machines and will start them. However, on MSS-equipped machines, only keys...

Case construction equipment. (Market Watch Lite).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Thanks to its notched construction, the cast-steel Rezloh bucket cutting edge works as both a standard edge and a tooth bar. With the edge, operators can keep all wheels grounded and use the machine's power--rather than hydraulics--to break up...

Lincoln electric. (Market Watch Lite).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Pipeliner 2000 diesel welder provides precise code consistency. All-copper windings enhance arc stability. The unit provides 200 amps of DC power at 60-percent duty cycle, which allows operators to weld up to 7/32-inch low hydrogen...

Cummins. (Market Watch Lite).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The 2003 Jacobs Exhaust Brake provides more peak retarding horsepower than previous Cummins 24-valve engine exhaust brakes for the Turbo Diesel in Dodge Ram Heavy Duty pick-ups. A new fingertip power switch that mounts directly to the six-speed...

When old-timers get together: each year, the Historical Construction Equipment Association brings together dozens of old machines at its convention and exposition. (Iron Works).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... When the Historical Construction Equipment Association holds its annual Old Equipment Exposition, it's like taking a step back in time. Dozens of vintage machines were on display at the last expo, many of which had been restored to working...