That custom drum was one Curb Roller Manufacturing engineered for a large stormwater job. From there, Clover reached out to Curb Roller Manufacturing and laid out his required specs—a drum with a 13-inch drop for the tunnel floor that could only extend out a few inches because of the tunnel walls. Curb Roller Manufacturing is known for building innovative, ergonomic equipment for shaping concrete flatwork as well as curb and gutter. For unique projects, they offer custom drums that are powered by the company’s hydraulic roller screed system or by a custom hydraulic power system. Each custom drum is designed for the specific project requirements and uses a spinning motion to shape the freshly poured concrete to create the desired dimensions. In this particular project, Curb Roller Manufacturing faced a unique challenge due to the limited space and drop downs within the tunnel. The lack of space between the tunnel’s floor and walls meant using the Hydra-Screed to operate the drum by walking and pulling along each side would not be feasible. Clover and his team would also need a way to finish the concrete after the drum shaped it. To overcome this, Curb Roller Manufacturing devised a custom offset drive system as well as an operator/finishing platform. The platform could be easily coupled to the custom drum carriage or could be operated independently. The offset drive system utilized pulleys to enable operators to stay clear of the pour area, reducing site congestion and maximizing workspace efficiency. While one operator could control the drum's speed from
behind it, the pulleys allowed the drive platform and drum to be maneuvered forward by operators positioned outside of the pour area. Curb Roller Manufacturing sent drawings of the custom system to Clover to make sure all the specs were correct, then built the equipment. Once the plans were approved, Clover and company then visited Curb Roller Manufacturing’s facility in Kansas for a complete mockup and small pour showing how everything worked together. By seeing how it worked in action, the demonstration helped avoid costly delays as the equipment would need to be disassembled and reassembled to transport into the tunnel. “For the demo, Curb Roller Manufacturing set all the forms the same width that we need and basically replicated what we were going to do down in the tunnel,” Clover said. “I was a little nervous because the demo was outdoors in the open, but it gave us confidence that the system would work correctly in an enclosed environment. I believe achieving such precision would have been challenging just doing the work by hand.” Making the Job Safer Labor is a frequently discussed topic in the construction industry. Associated Builders and Contractors states that the construction workforce shortage topped half a million in 2023. To combat the shortage of workers, contractors like PCiRoads are on the lookout for equipment that requires fewer people and less manual labor to remain efficient with a smaller crew.
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WINTER 2024
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