Vol. 39, No. 1

GOMACO World is published by GOMACO Corporation to inform readers of applied construction technology utilizingGOMACO equipment as well as innovations and concerns in the construction industry throughout the world. Allrights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the consentof copyright owner. All stories written by the editor unless otherwise noted. © 2011 GOMACO Corporation (03 CFX). Printed in U.S.A.

Address all communications to GOMACO World Editor. If you do not receive GOMACO World, and would like a complimentary subscription, please contact GOMACO Corporation, PO Box 151, Ida Grove, IA, 51445, USA, 712-364-3347 or e-mail bwonder@gomaco.com.

Vol. 39, No. 1 GOMACO

President and CEO Gary L. Godbersen

Vice PresidentsAccounting Sharon K. Godbersen

Administration & Finance Richard E. SmithEngineering/Research & Development

Kevin L. KleinManufacturing Grant GodbersenWorldwide Sales and Marketing

Kent Godbersen

General Manager of ManufacturingDan Soellner

Sales United States and CanadaSales Manager Bob Leonard

Sales Coordinator Brad ZobelAssistant Sales Coordinator Mike Leinbaugh

United States and CanadaDistrict Managers

Brad Barkema – N. CentralJim Hayward – Western

Kendall Kelly – S.W.Vinnie Miller – S.E.

Len Rettinger – N.E./Central

Service DepartmentManager Dennis Ernst

Service Desk DeWayne Krayenhagen & Doug Comstock

Parts Manager John KallinParts Desk Dan Ellerbusch,

Jeff Stevenson & Dean O’Tool

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3 SHORT-TERM INCONVENIENCE PROVIDES LONG-TERM FIX AT NEW YORK’S JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – Tutor Perini Corporation (Cover photo: HW-041009 D1 by Ed Lampe)

8 SLIPFORMING 63 KILOMETERS (39.1 MI) OF TURKISH CANAL – Eren Construction Company

10 ONE SWEET PROJECT- SLIPFORMING SUGAR BEET PADS – Opp Construction Company

12 SPUR 601 PROJECT IN EL PASO FLIES HIGH WITH C-450 – J.D. Abrams

14 WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE ULTIMATE SMOOTHNESS – Manatt’s Inc.

18 GOMACO’S NEW 4400 BARRIER MACHINE

19 AROUND THE WORLD

Quality Policy: We Shall Meet Or Exceed Our Customers’ Expectations.

GOMACO Corporation's Quality Management System Is ISO 9001:2008 Certified By The American Systems Registrar.

GOMACO International Ltd.Witney, England

Managing Director Rory KeoghSales Managers John Bowden

& Andy Linham

International SalesDirector Bryan Schwartzkopf

Coordinator Randy Bean

International Managing DirectorsTim Nash – Asia Pacific

Steve Bowman – Latin America

GOMACO University Training CenterDirector Dennis Clausen

Assistant Director Rod Schneider

GOMACO World is produced by theGOMACO Advertising Department.

Manager Randy BachMarketing Coordinator Micki RettingerGOMACO World Editor Kelly Krueger

Communications Specialist Thomas R. GrellCommunications Specialist Bobbi L. WonderAdvertising Coordinator Carrie J. Odgaard

Photo Lab Don Poggensee

Please visit our Web site athttp://www.gomaco.com

GOMACO World magazine athttp://www.gomaco.com/gomacoworld

GOMACO World Editor Kelly Krueger at kkrueger@gomaco.com

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It’s the runway reconstructionproject that was felt around the world.John F. Kennedy (JFK) InternationalAirport’s main runway, the BayRunway (13R-31L), was in need ofrepair. Its governing organizationsintensively researched the best possiblemethods and procedures to eitherrepair the aging runway or replace it.Flight delays resulting from acompletely shutdown Bay Runwaycould potentially be felt across theworld.

JFK International Airport serves 48 million passengers and 440,000flights annually, with the total numberof air passenger traffic expected toincrease by 20 percent over the nextdecade. The Bay Runway handlesabout one third of the annualoperations, including more than half ofall departures. The newly rebuiltrunway is expected to reduce delaysoverall by an estimated 10,500 hours

per year. Another interesting fact about the

Bay Runway... at 14,572 feet (4442 m)long, it is one of only three in theUnited States long enough to land theNASA space shuttle. Rebuilding therunway efficiently and quickly was amajor consideration in the preplanning

phases of the project.In a July 28, 2009, news release

from New York Governor David A.Paterson, the scope of the project waslaid out... Construction on the BayRunway, or Runway 13-31, will beginimmediately as part of the second phase ofthe JFK Delay Reduction Program. The

project will widen the runway from 150 to200 feet (45.7 to 61 m) and will include anew drainage system, new electricalinfrastructure, the addition of delayreduction taxiways and accommodationsfor future navigational aids.

This investment in the Bay Runwaytakes advantage of an opportunity to makelonger-lasting improvements to the BayRunway - foregoing old-model asphalt foran 18 inch (457 mm) concrete overlayinstead. The lifespan of concrete is nearlyfive times more than asphalt and willprovide an estimated long-term savings of$500 million while reducing the need forongoing maintenance.

The Bay Runway was first placedinto service in 1947. The concreterunway was built on top of six inches(152 mm) of stone screenings, 150 feet(45.7 m) wide, 10,000 feet long (3048 m)and 12 inches (305 mm) thick. Variousrepairs and resurfacing have takenplace since then. This new contract,

Short-Term Inconvenience Provides Long-Term Fix at New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport

Tutor Perini Corp. had 120 days to build the bulk of the new 14,572 feet (4442 m) long, 200 foot (61 m) wide Bay Runway (13R-31L) at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

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A GOMACO 9500 placer works in front of the four-track GP-4000 paver. Over 20 truckshauled 12 cubic yards (9.2 m3) of concrete to the paving site.

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though, would restore the runway toits original concrete build with a new40-year expected lifespan.

Tutor Perini Corporation, basedout of Sylmar, California, was awardedthe Bay Runway contract and givenjust 120 days to complete the bulk ofthe project. Company officialsimmediately began looking for themost reliable and productiveequipment to use in all phases of thereconstruction. For the concreteslipforming work, including the newrunway, Tutor Perini Corporation

executives Jack Frost, CEO of the CivilGroup, and Steve Pavoggi, OperationsVice President, looked to GOMACO.

Ultimately, they chose both the GP-4000 and the GHP-2800 slipformpavers, with each model having certainbenefits for the various aspects of theproject. The GHP-2800 would alsoserve as a back-up paver for the GP-4000, which was a requirementwritten into the project specifications.

“We spent a lot of time planningout each aspect of this project,” DamonPetrillo, Project Manager for Tutor

Perini, said. “We even had back-upplans for our back-up plans. We knewwe’d be paving 220,000 cubic yards(168,202 m3) of concrete on the project.We talked with Len Rettinger,GOMACO’s District Representative, alot and from there we determinedwhich paving train would be mostapplicable for this job.”

Their main paving train includedboth a GOMACO 9500 placer and a PS-2600 placer/spreader in front of thefour-track GP-4000 slipform paver withAuto-Float® and Leica Geosystems

stringless guidance system. A T/C-600texture/cure machine completed thepaving train.

Before any work began on the BayRunway, a test section had to becompleted. The test section was newTaxiway KC, 1000 feet (305 m) long, 100 feet (30.5 m) wide, and 20 inches(508 mm) thick. The taxiway mimickedall of the same conditions as therunway, including excavation, milling,paving and more. It also gave theauthorities and Tutor Perini a chance totest their concrete mix design and

A GOMACO T/C-600 followed the paver applying a burlap drag and white curing compound.

The GOMACO GP-4000 slipforms a 25 foot (7.6 m) wide scab-on lane.

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Stringless systems allowed Tutor Perini to pave where they needed to, when they needed to.

Taxiway KC was the test section, allowing Tutor Perini a chance to fine-tune their pavingprocess before starting actual runway paving.

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paving methods. “We spent a lot of time and a lot

of money to ensure the success of theconcrete mix design,” Petrillo said. “It was a very difficult mix, in the sense that our top size aggregate was2.5 inches (64 mm). The test section letus prove the mix was slippable andwould achieve all requirements. Whenit came time to actually start paving therunway, the mix worked like a charm.

“This was also our first timerunning exclusively stringless and that

was a bit of a learning curve for us. Wegot a lot of support from GOMACOand Leica and it all went prettyseamless. The test strip afforded us that opportunity to learn and figure itall out.”

Thirteen of the 14 test lots earnedsix percent incentive payment, basedon the statistical performancespecifications. The 14th section earnedfull payment. Test section Taxiway KCwas deemed a success.

The construction schedule was

built to include three and one-halfmonths between the completion of thetest section and the beginning of the120 day runway closure. During thattime, a series of meetings were held todiscuss the lessons learned whileconstructing the test section andperfecting their paving plan. TutorPerini was also busy stockpiling theirsupplies, trucking in aggregates,cement and other raw materials.

Then, on March 1, 2010, the BayRunway was officially closed for

120 days. By mid-March, Tutor Periniwas paving concrete.

“Our concrete paving went verywell,” Petrillo said. “Keeping theconcrete placement on schedule wasthe key factor for the project’s overallsuccess. The utilization of the Leicastringless system was one of manycontributing components.”

The GOMACO pavers wereslipforming passes 25 feet (7.6 m) wide,so it required eight passes to slipformthe 200 foot (61 m) wide runway. The

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GOMACO pavers slipformed approximately 220,000 cubic yards (168,202 m3) of concrete, finishing the massive runway project ahead of the planned schedule.

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GP-4000 would work during thedaylight hours on the longer pavingruns. At night, while the GP-4000 wentthrough cleaning and routinemaintenance, the GHP-2800 worked onthe shorter runs and fill-in sections ofthe project.

Concrete was produced by two on-site batch plants capable of producingover 6000 cubic yards (4587 m3) per day.Slump for the sensitive concrete mixaveraged approximately 1.5 inches (38 mm) at the paving site. Over 20 trucks, depending on which portionof the runway was being slipformed,hauled 12 cubic yard (9.2 m3) loads ofconcrete to the paving site. The truckswould dump into the receiving hopperon the 9500 placer or the belt of the PS-2600 placer/spreader.

Smoothness specifications on therunway required a profile index with atwo-tenths blanking band of 22 inchesor less per mile (347 mm/km). Between

15 and 22 inches per mile (237 and347 mm/km) was subject to a penaltyreduction and over 22 inches (347 mm)required grinding. Straight-edgespecifications allowed a 0.25 inch (6 mm) plus or minus gradedifferentiation in 500 feet (152.4 m).Tutor Perini easily achieved andexceeded both specifications.

“Both pavers achieved very similarresults, especially when we had a steadysupply of concrete,” Petrillo said. “Weincorporated an Auto-Float on bothmachines and for this type of paving,the Auto-Float eliminated a lot of hand-finishing work for us.”

A GOMACO T/C-600 texture/curemachine followed the paver, applying aburlap-drag finish and spraying aconcrete curing compound. Joints wereplaced every 25 feet (7.6 m), creating atotal of 4900 squares, each 25 by 25 feet(7.6 m).

The runway reopened on June 28

with all navigational features, beatingtheir required July 1 deadline. Totallength was 10,925 feet (3330 m),requiring 160,000 cubic yards (122,329 m3) of concrete. The earlycompletion earned Tutor Perini a $5million bonus. The remaining 3647 feet(1112 m) of runway was completed inthe next few months with the totalvolume of work completed by mid-November 2010, one year ahead of theircontractual schedule.

“This was such a unique project inso many aspects,” Petrillo said. “Wewere all looking for the same result andwe all wanted this to be a success.Through every single phase, we hadcomplete cooperation from the PortAuthority of New York and New Jersey,our subcontractors, suppliers, andconsultants. That also includes e veryone we worked with at GOMACO.We knew we had to pour concrete everyday for this project to be a success.”

Total length of the new runway was 14,572 feet (4442 m), requiringapproximately 160,000 cubic yards (122,329 m3) of concrete.

The runway reopened early, beating the deadline, andearning Tutor Perini a $5 million bonus.

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OPERATED BY: The Port Authority of NewYork and New Jersey, under a lease withthe City of New York since June 1, 1947.LOCATION: On Jamaica Bay in thesoutheastern section of Queens County,New York City. The airport is located 15miles by highway from midtown Manhattan.SIZE: JFK covers 4,930 acres, including880 acres in the Central Terminal Area. Theairport has more than 30 miles of roadway.INVESTMENT: About $150 million wasexpended on original construction. The PortAuthority has invested about $6.1 billion inthe airport.

TERMINALS: JFK has seven operatingairline terminals, surrounded by a dual ringof peripheral taxiways. More than 125aircraft gates serve the terminals. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER: The321-foot tower, which opened in 1994,includes state-of-the-art communications,radar and wind-shear alert systems.PARKING: The airport offers customersover 18,000 parking spaces in a variety oflocations.CARGO: JFK is one of the world's leadinginternational air cargo centers. Two cargofacilities totaling 430,000 square feet of

warehouse and office space offer the latestin cargo-facility design. The airport hasmore than one million square feet of officeand warehouse space dedicated to broker,freight forwarder and container freightstation operators who do business withinthe New York/New Jersey region.RUNWAYS/TAXIWAYS: Total runway lengthis nine miles. Taxiways total 25 miles inlength. All runways have high-intensityrunway edge lighting, centerline andtaxiway exit lighting and are grooved toimprove skid resistance and minimizehydroplaning.

John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport

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Eren Construction Company,located in Ankara, Turkey, is at workslipforming 63 kilometers (39.1 mi) ofcanal. The work is the last section of a221 kilometer (137.3 mi) long irrigationcanal which will carry water from theAtatürk Reservoir into eastern Turkeyto irrigate agricultural land. This finalsection of canal runs between the citiesof Mardin and Ceylanpinar in easternTurkey.

The irrigation project is a highpriority for the Turkish governmentand they are pushing to complete theproject quickly, but with high quality. It

led Eren’s officials to make majorinvestments for the project, includingthe purchase of over 100 new pieces ofequipment. For the concrete portion ofthe canal, Eren officials looked onceagain to the slipforming process. Thecompany has had previous successslipforming canals in Turkey with theirGOMACO four-track GP-2600 canalpaver, and were prepared for theenormous length of this new canalcontract. This time though, they wouldbe introducing stringless control ontheir canal paver.

First, Eren Construction must

excavate and remove 13 million cubicmeters (17,003,358 yd3) of earth, laydown two million cubic meters(2,615,901 yd3) of fill material and thenfine trim the canal. Excavation crewswork during the daylight hours and thecanal slipform paving crew worksduring the cooler night timetemperatures.

Because of the government’sinterest in the project and their push toget the canal completed, Eren haslooked at the most efficient ways ofcompleting the project. They decided tomake a major investment into stringless

Slipforming 63 Kilometers (39.1 mi) ofTurkish Canal with a GOMACO GP-2600

Concrete is metered down the slope by an auger. A system of baffles controls the concrete and keeps itfrom sliding down to the bottom of the canal.

The new canal is covered with fabric and wet cured for four days to preventsurface cracking potentially created by the country’s hot daytime temperatures.

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guidance, for their earth movingequipment and their GP-2600 paver.

The complications of paving bystringline in the darkness of nightincluded the difficulty of setting thestringline with limited line of sight andthe visibility of the stringline forworkers and truck drivers deliveringconcrete. The conversion to the LeicaGeosystems 3D system improvedaccuracy and eliminated any potentialstringline problems.

Eren has three mobile batch plants set up along the length of thecanal. They are using a standardslipformable concrete mix design, withthe aggregate being produced by on-sitemobile crushing plants. The concrete has a 30 MPa (4351 psi) strength, andslump averages 30 to 50 millimeters (1.2 to 2 in).

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The finished canal will carry water from the Atatürk Reservoir into eastern Turkey to irrigate agricultural land.

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The canal is 10 meters (32.8 ft) wideat the bottom, 28 meters (91.9 ft) wideacross the top, with a 10.8 meter (35.4 ft) slope run, and 1.5:1 slopewalls. The canal will accommodate asix meter (19.7 ft) water depth whencomplete.

Before slipforming takes place, theslopes are lined with a T-Gripgeotextile fabric. The fabric keeps theunderlying soil from absorbing anywater, which would make it swell. TheGOMACO four-track GP-2600 isslipforming the slopes of the canal in10.8 meter (35.4 ft) wide paving passes.The concrete slopes are 150 millimeters(5.9 in) thick. Paving productionaverages 250 to 300 meters (820 to 984 ft) per day, depending on concretedelivery.

Finishers apply a float finish to the

new canal from a work bridgemounted to the back of the GP-2600paver. Joints are cut into the new canalat three meter (9.8 ft) intervals. Thefresh concrete is then covered withfabric and wet cured for four days to

prevent surface cracking from the hottemperatures.

“We purchased the Leica stringlesssystem for our paver because wewanted to remove all stringlines on theproject and to make night paving

easier,” Yaşar Eren, Chairman of ErenConstruction Company, said. “Pavingat night makes it difficult to ensure thatstringlines are correct or not. We didnot have that worry with the stringlesssystem. The system improved ourproduction capacity and allowed us towork where and when we wanted. Wealso had cost savings from lesssurveying and time savings.”

The Turkish government hasallowed four years to complete theproject, but Eren Constructionestimates they will be finished in onlytwo and one-half years. The earlycompletion date is attributed to severalfactors on the project, includingslipforming the concrete canal and theLeica Geosystems stringless guidancesystems.

A surveyor checks the Total Station working across the canal from Eren’s GOMACO four-track GP-2600 paver on the stringless project in Turkey.

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Opp Construction Company, based outof Grand Forks, North Dakota, with anoffice in Fargo, specializes in all kinds ofpaving applications, from curb and gutterand barrier wall to municipal and airportprojects. They also work on theagricultural side of things and perhaps oneof their more unusual slipform pavingapplications is concrete pads for sugarbeets.

Opp Construction has a uniquerelationship with American Crystal SugarCompany, based out of the Red RiverValley of North Dakota. Every year,American Crystal begins its full sugar beetharvest around October 1. Its membersharvest 24 hours per day until finished.The sugar beets are placed in huge outdoorpiles, covered, and allowed to freeze untilthey can be processed into sugar.

“The concrete pad is a better surfacefor stacking the sugar beets on and they’vebeen hand-forming these pads for years,”Greg Opp, President of Opp Construction,said. “We actually introduced the conceptof slipform paving to American Crystaland they accepted our suggestions. Theytake a really scientific approach to thepiles, as far as how high and how wideeach should be.”

Last year, Opp Construction decided itwas time to add another slipform paver totheir fleet.

“We mainly do municipal andagricultural-type paving and we wanted apaver that was fairly easy to move aroundand something that can do the type ofwork that we’re doing,” Opp explained.“We’ve got a really good GOMACO

The sugar beet pads are 1500 feet (457 m)long, 75 feet (22.9 m) wide, and 10 inches (254 mm) thick.

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Project - Slipforming Sugar Beet Pads in North Dakotadistributor here in SwanstonEquipment Company, and also BradBarkema as our GOMACO salesman.We worked together to find a solutionthat fit our needs.”

That solution was a two-track GP-2600 slipform paver and an RTP-500 rubber-tracked concreteplacer. The company’s first project with their new paving equipment wasa sugar beet pad near Grand Forks. The new pad was 1500 feet (457 m)long, 75 feet (22.9 m) wide and 10 inches (254 mm) thick. The GP-2600was set up to pave the pad in three 25 foot (7.6 m) wide paving passes.

Concrete was provided by a mobilebatch plant, but due to the remotelocation of the project, it had to be setup 25 miles (40 km) away from thepaver. Fifteen ready-mix trucks carriedeight cubic yard (6.1 m3) loads of thehigh fly-ash content mix. Concreteslump averaged two inches (51 mm).

“The 10 inch (254 mm) thick

concrete was continually reinforcedwith #4 bars every 24 inches (610 mm)on center,” Opp said. “AmericanCrystal has engineered these over theyears and this is the design that worksbest for them. We also had #5 tie bars,36 inches (914 mm) long on 36 inch(914 mm) centers.”

Very little finishing work isrequired behind the GP-2600. The newslab is broomed and a spray cureapplied. Joints are placed every 12.5 feet (3.8 m) transversely andlongitudinally to create a series of 12.5 foot (3.8 m) squares in the newpavement. Opp Constructioncompleted the 4000 cubic yard (3058 m3) project in three days,slipforming approximately 1300 cubicyards (994 m3) per each 10 hour day. Ittook approximately two months tocomplete the entire scope of the project.

“We are really happy with theperformance of our new GP-2600 paverand the men are smiling because they

don’t have to work so hard anymore,”Opp said. “Our operator is doing well with and liking the G22 controlleron it.”

A few of Opp’s operators were ableto attend a pavers class at GOMACOUniversity in Ida Grove, Iowa, inpreparation for the spring arrival of thenew paver. The class gave them a first-

hand look at the G22 control system,and covered the setup and operation,maintenance, and advanceddiagnostics for their new GP-2600.

“We’re pretty happy with theprogram they run at GOMACOUniversity and our operators cameback with some valuable information,”Opp said.

The GP-2600 and RTP-500 went onto complete several other municipaland city street projects during lastyear’s paving season. The RTP-500 waskept busy nearly every day on a varietyof Opp Construction projects.

“The RTP has been a really goodmachine for us and we’ve used italmost daily since we bought it,” Oppsaid. “We use it in front of our bridgedeck finishers, for municipal streetpatching, water line replacements andshort stretches of street. It’s helped useliminate a couple of guys in front andhas been a very good investment forthe company.”

Opp Construction’s GOMACO RTP-500 rubber-tracked placer and two-track GP-2600paver slipforms sugar beet pads.

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An RTP-500 rubber-tracked placer worksin front of the GP-2600 paver.

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The Spur 601 Project in El Paso,Texas, was unique for several reasons.It was a design/build project for a 7.5 mile (12.1 km), six-lane highway onthe eastern side of the city. The newroad will connect U.S. Highway 54 onthe western edge, to the Purple HeartMemorial Highway (Loop 375) on the

eastern edge, which will improve accessto the U.S. Army’s Fort Bliss and to thecity of El Paso, including internationalports of entry to the area.

The El Paso Master TransportationPlan reported this northeastern area hasone of the highest growth rates in thecity. Also, the U.S. Department of

C-450 Flies High on

the Spur 601 Project

J.D. Abrams is using their GOMACO C-450 to finish the direct connectors on the massive Spur 601 Project near Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

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Defense will increase troop size at FortBliss by 50,000 as part of their BaseRealignment and Closure activities.Soldiers commuting to and from thebase need a route to get there from thecity quickly and efficiently.

Traditional funding for the massiveproject would not be readily availablefor another five to 10 years. J.D.Abrams L.P., an El Paso baseddeveloper, came forward with adesign/build proposal with themselvesas the contractor, and arranged for thefinancing of the project. The TexasDepartment of Transportation (TxDOT)accepted the innovative proposal andallowed construction to move forward.It’s the state’s first private-sector, pass-through financing agreement.

This is how the pass-throughfinancing agreement works. TxDOTprovided $55 million during theconstruction phase: $45 million infederal highway funds and $10 millionfrom the city-owned El PasoInternational Airport. Abrams worked

with the Camino Real RegionalMobility Authority to sell bonds tofinance the project. The state of Texas isreimbursing J.D. Abrams from the statetransportation fund with paymentsbased on the total volume of trafficgenerated by the highway.

It is not a toll road and the statewill not collect tolls. TxDOT will countthe total volume of traffic on a dailybasis and pay Abrams back based onthe number. Once completed, TxDOTwill make payments for 10 years, witha $35 million per year cap.

“The project was absolutelymassive,” Brian Chaffe, StructureSuperintendent for Abrams, said. “Forany company to take on the liability ofa $367 million project is pretty rare.During the early design phase, we had100 designers working in our officeshere in El Paso, and during the bulk ofthe construction between 250 to 300workers and 33 foremen were on theproject. It was a lot to coordinate.”

Chaffe and his crew’s main area of

concern was an elevated six-lanesection that stretches from ChaffeeRoad to U.S. 54.

“The main bridge on this stretch atits widest point was 144 feet (43.9 m)and at its narrowest was 118 feet (36 m)wide,” Chaffe said. “It’s a monster with53 spans, two on/off ramps and fourdirect connectors. One of the directconnectors involved 22 spans, 80 to 90 feet (24.4 to 27.4 m) in the air. Tolook at it from the air, it looks like asquid with four tentacles and there’snothing straight. We didn’t have anysimple, straight pours.”

Abrams brought in theirGOMACO C-450 bridge deck finisherto work on the direct connector portionand also on other areas on the project.Their C-450 was working 30 feet (9.1 m) wide and finishing four inches (102 mm) of concrete on top of fourinch (102 mm) precast concrete panels,forming an eight inch (203 mm) thickconcrete deck.

Strict concrete specificationsrequired most of their bridge pours totake place at night in the cooler Texastemperatures. Before any pour tookplace, Abrams’ surveyors fine-tunedthe C-450’s rail. The C-450 completed adry run over every panel making sureeverything was in exact alignment andthe correct deck thickness wasmaintained.

The project required a Class S, 3600 psi (25 MPa) concrete mix capableof achieving a four-day strength of over4000 psi (27.6 MPa). Concrete had toarrive at the site at a temperature ofless than 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29º C),but higher than 50 degrees Fahrenheit(10º C). And if the concrete was too hot,it had to be doused at the plant withliquid nitrogen to cool it.

Once the concrete reached the job

site, a local pumping company usedtheir 58 meter (190 ft) pump to placethe concrete up to the deck. Concreteslump averaged between 5.5 to six inches (140 to 152 mm).

Several challenges in the bridgedeck pours created added difficulty,with 15 degree skews that straightenedover a series of spans, bridge beamdeflections, 2.5 inch (64 mm) crownsthat shrunk down to zero, and widthsvarying in the same span.

“In one span, we had a crown thatdidn’t match up to either side... atrapezoid pour with a crown down themiddle of it,” Chaffe said. “Our C-450has horizontal alignment and theability to widen or retract to match thechanging width. It’s really a greatmachine for us and we ask a lot from it,especially on this project.

“My advice to project engineers issimple. Don’t skew the span if youdon’t have to and don’t make thewidth of the span change if you don’thave to. Everything else isn’t reallygoing to bother us.”

Production on the bridge spansaveraged 70 cubic yards (53.5 m3) perhour, with the best production reaching102 cubic yards (78 m3) per hour.

“After so many pours and so manysquare feet of deck production, it got tobe like clockwork for our guys,” Chaffesaid.

As construction progressed,different phases of the Spur 601 projectwere opened up to the public. Abramswas given a 41-month schedule toobtain right of way, relocate utilities,and design and build the project. Theyfinished on time on January 28, 2011.The state has already made their firstpayment to Abrams, and will continuesemi-annual payments until January2020.

An aerial view shows the nearly completed project, with some portions opened to traffic.

Working Together to Achieve Ultimate Smoothnesson an Iowa Highway

Manatt’s Inc., a paving contractor based out ofBrooklyn, Iowa, just completed 12.5 miles (20.1 km)of a 13 mile (20.9 km) project. The onset of Iowa’sharsh winter weather at the end of November hadthe company elect to finish the final 0.5 mile (0.8 km) of the project in the spring of this year.

They are building the new section of Highway 30 in Marshall and Story counties inIowa with their GOMACO paving equipment,including a PS-2600 placer/spreader, two-trackGP-3000 paver, four-track GHP-2800 paver, and a

T/C-600 texture/cure machine. The new concretehighway is 26 feet (7.9 m) wide, 10 inches (254 mm)thick, and slipformed in one paving pass.

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s(IDOT) specifications for pavement smoothnessutilize the zero-blanking band with bothincentive/disincentive pay built into the contract.Profile indexes on roadways with speeds greaterthan 45 miles per hour (72.4 km/hr) require ameasurement of 26.1 to 40 inches per mile (411 to 630 mm/km) for full pay. Anything under 26 inches per mile (410 mm/km) earns incentivepay, with greater incentives offered as the numbersgo lower. Anything over 40.1 inches per mile (631 mm/km) is penalized with a disincentive, andeven higher numbers require corrective measures.

“When we go to work, we have 60 guys on theproject who want to pave perfect every time,including the paving crew, plant personnel, andtrucking,” Kevin Hogan, Paving Superintendentfor Manatt’s, said. “Every single day we follow thesame procedures in order to achieve smooth rides.We set up our paver the way we’re taught in theGOMACO manuals, with a few of our own stepsadded. Everyone on site knows the steps and it’sall about communication and organization.”

It was Manatt’s continuing goal of alwaysachieving the perfect pavement that had themagreeing to work with GOMACO controlsengineers and research and developmentpersonnel on their Highway 30 project. Manatt’shad achieved 75 percent full incentive pay on thefirst seven miles (11.3 km) of the project.

They equipped their 2004 model-year GHP-2800 paver with GOMACO’s new 5400 seriesmold and a rear-loading, front-inserting 5400 series

Manatt’s Inc. worked closely with GOMACO engineersand research and development personnel to maximizesmoothness results on Iowa’s Highway 30 project.

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bar inserter. Manatt’s also upgraded thepaver’s G21 to a G22 controller to testnew software upgrades. Improvementsfrom the G21 to G22 include a newdisplay with high-resolution deviationsmeters on the run screen. The metersdisplay possible machine deviations inmulti-colored (green, yellow and red)bar graph meters. They also assist theoperator in fine tuning both grade andsteering performance on the paver. TheG22 also features new, proprietarysmooth paving software which detectsand eliminates any stringline hits androd and knot bumps.

GOMACO engineers workedclosely with Manatt’s personnel duringthe testing. Two pan-mounted GSI®

(GOMACO Smoothness Indicator)units on the GHP-2800 would

constantly monitor the paving results.The process began the first day withManatt’s using their standard settingson the G22 and recording the results.The second day, GOMACO’s ControlsEngineering Manager Mark Brenneradjusted the sensitivities. Then, on thethird day, the new G22 software wasinstalled and used for fine tuning thepaver.

“With every step that we moveforward with our controlsdevelopment, our ultimate goal is tomake machine operation lesscomplicated for our users whileimproving paving accuracy,” Brennersaid.

The software, available for G22 andG+ control systems, has been designedin-house by GOMACO’s controls

The GHP-2800 is equipped with the new GOMACO 5400 series mold that features aspreader plow mounted on the paver frame T-rail.

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Manatt’s five miles (8 km) of profilographed pavement averaged 17.95 inches per mile (283 mm/km) in the left wheel tracks and 17.72 inches per mile (280 mm/km) in the right wheeltracks after the G22 with new, proprietary smooth paving software was installed on the paver.

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experts who understand concretepaving. Before this new software, theoperator working at the control consolewould need a person on the groundwatching for leg movement whilegoing through the threshold calibrationprocedure. The groundman wouldcommunicate movement to theoperator and the operator would setand record the threshold and theprocess would be repeated for each leg

of the paver.“With this new software we have

one-touch calibration for the elevationthreshold,” Brenner explained. “Theoperator holds a button down and hasinstant feedback from any movementof the leg displayed on the G22’sscreen. One person is making theadjustments from on top of the paver.We have eliminated an extra personfrom the set-up procedure. When that

is done, the operator can then set thepaver up to pave either stringline orstringless, and using the green, yellowor red deviation meters go through theprocess of high-definition tuning.”

From the first day of operatingwith the new G22 software to the endof the project, Manatt’s rideabilityreadings continued to improve.Profilograph readings were taken usingManatt’s high-speed profilograph.

After approximately five miles (8 km) of new concrete roadway wasslipformed with the new G22 softwareand GSI monitoring capabilities,Manatt’s averaged 17.95 inches permile (283 mm/km) in the left wheel tracks and 17.72 inches per mile (280 mm/km) in the right wheel tracks.The haul road was located on the right

side of the GHP-2800 paver. On IDOT’spavement pay chart, pavementsegments averaging 22 inches per mile(345 mm/km) or less earn maximumincentive pay. In the state of Iowa, thatequals an incentive of $950 per 0.1 mile(0.16 km) segment per lane.

“We always have differentvariables popping up while we pave,from temperature variations, concreteslump changes, to everything else,”Hogan said. “The new G22 and the GSIwork together to help us overcomethose variables and solve any problemsimmediately. It’s a huge asset for acontractor to have. Before, if we weregetting questionable numbers, wedidn’t know until 24 hours later whenthe ride report was output from theprofilograph readings. Now, the GSI is

Manatt’s was inserting a #4, 30 inch (762 mm) long bar every 36 inches (914 mm) with their new center-mounted 5400 seriesbar inserter on the GHP-2800 paver.

The new 5400 series bar inserter is rear loading and front inserting. Workers load the inserter, capable of holding up to 50 bars, from the work bridge on the back of the paver.

“With every step that we move forward with our controls development, our ultimate goal is to make

machine operation less complicated for our users whileimproving paving accuracy.”

-- Mark Brenner, Controls Engineering Manager for GOMACO

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constantly tracing throughout the day and alerts us toany imperfections. It eliminates a lot of guesswork.

“It’s a very simple process, too, from calibrating ourmachine each morning to setting up the GSI. That muchtechnology and information can be overwhelming, butMark Brenner was easy to work with and easy to learnfrom and now it’s all just an easy fit for us. There’s somuch precision there now in the small adjustments. Wedidn’t change our paving method, just the technologybehind it.”

Paving production on the Highway 30 projectaveraged approximately 3800 cubic yards (2905 m3) perday, with several days averaging over 4000 cubic yards (3058 m3). Manatt’s had their mobile batch plant on sitemixing the IDOT approved concrete mix. Concrete wasdelivered to the job-site in trucks carrying eight cubicyard (6.1 m3) loads. The trucks dumpedonto the belt of the GOMACO PS-2600placer/spreader working ahead of thepaver.

The paver’s 5400 series bar inserterplaced a 30 inch (762 mm) long, #4 barevery 36 inches (914 mm) into the 10 inch(254 mm) thick concrete slab. A burlapdrag was applied behind the paver,followed by the GOMACO T/C-600applying the texture and curingcompound.

“Our last six miles (9.7 km) of pavingon the project this season just keptgetting better and better,” Hogan said.“We earned 92 percent of oursmoothness incentive pay and on theentire 12.5 miles (20.1 km) we earned 86 percent. We were producing a reallynice slab.”

Two paver-mounted GOMACO GSI units monitor thesmoothness in each driving lane. The information isinstantly displayed and reviewed on a single touch-screen mounted on the side of the GHP-2800 paver.

“There’s so much precision there now in the small adjustments. We didn’tchange our paving method, just the

technology behind it.” -- Kevin Hogan, Paving Superintendent

for Manatt’s Inc.

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GOMACO Corporation proudlyintroduces the all new 4400, whichfeatures a totally new frame design forright-side and left-side slipforming. Itsnew Glide control console slides fromside-to-side, for ultimate operatorcontrol and visibility of the pavingoperation. It features GOMACO’sproprietary G+ control system, whichis positively simple to understand andcapable of operating in multiplelanguages.

The new 4400 was built aroundthe design concept of a left-side andright-side slipforming capablemachine with symmetric steering andminimal set-up changes for switchingprofiles from side-to-side. It has thenew GOMACO Barrier Hook-and-Gomold mounting system to quicklymount barrier molds up to 39.4 inches(1000 mm) tall on either side of themachine. For barrier taller than 39.4 inches (1000 mm) or existingbarrier molds, an optional GOMACO

side-mount attachment is available.The GOMACO barrier mold itself isdesigned for proper vibration andconsolidation of material, with theGOMACO-exclusive trailing stainlesssteel for superior finishing.

The barrier machine features thenew 4400 series auger with the pitchand speed designed specifically fortransporting low slump concrete. Itsfour-way hydraulic positioningcapability allows the auger to beplaced perfectly for concrete receiving

and delivery to the mold on either sideof the machine.

The 4400 features a CumminsQSB3.3, 99 horsepower (74 kW), Tier 3diesel engine. The engine is power-optimized for fuel efficiency andapproximately 18 hours of continuousbarrier slipform paving. The high-capacity cooling package wasdesigned for noise reduction andprovides one of the quietest workingplatforms in the industry. The new G+control system coordinates the speed

of the hydraulic fan with engine andhydraulic oil temperature. The tractivesystem on the 4400 features super low,allowing for the minimum speed andslow, smooth crawl necessary for avertical wall. The new G+ speed dialturns to adjust in one percentincrements and speed displayfeedback allows for smooth, precisionpaving speed control.

Its unique GOMACO U-shapedoperator’s platform, with vibrationisolation, puts the operatorcomfortably on top of the action. TheU-shaped platform and side-to-sidesliding console accommodate right-side and left-side pour and provide a360 degree view of the entire pavingoperation. Safety is first in all ofGOMACO’s design considerations.The 4400 features track guards andground level emergency stops to keepeveryone safe while working aroundthe machine.

Introducing the All New GOMACO 4400, the Ultimate Barrier Machine!

Left Side Right Side

The all-new 4400 slipforms right-side retaining wall next to a new sound wall along Interstate 95, a major roadway leading into Washington, D.C.

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Ikiz Insaat Turizm Ve Tic. Ltd. Sti slipforms a scab-on lane with their four-track GP-2600 paver on an airport project near Ankara, Turkey.

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Coffrages Dunasso 2001 Inc. slipforms stand-up curb ona new development project in Cowansville, Quebec,Canada.

An SL-450 is at work on the Melbourne Water CanalProject in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, for the B.P.L.-Fitzgerald-Staps consortium of contractors.

Stiler S.A. finishes a fill-in lane with an 80 to 120 millimeter (3.1 to 4.7 in) crown with their C-450 on a street project inMontevideo, Uruguay.

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Marcon Concrete LLC slipforms stringless curb and gutterwith their GOMACO GT-3600 in Meridian, Idaho.

Al Musban slipforms stand-up curb with their new GT-3200curb and gutter machine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

KNR Construction Ltd. uses their Commander III to slipform astand-up curb along a new roadway in Bijapur, a city in the state ofKarnataka, south of Mumbai, India. Mak-Yol Cengiz Adi Ortakligi slipforms an airport project with their four-track GP-2600 in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.

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Coffman Specialties has reconfigured their All-American Canal paver into a full-prism paver and is slipforming a newcanal project in Sacaton, Arizona. The water stop machine and work bridge are also being used on the canal. For moreinformation on the All-American Canal project and equipment, please refer to GOMACO World, Volume 36, Number 2.

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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

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Morrison, Ackley & Schaeding Join GOMACO to Create In-House 3D Group

the majority of our customers in the setup and training of these systems,”Godbersen said. “Matt and Kevin arepart of a small, elite group of specialiststhat are familiar with stringless pavingand we are pleased to have two of thepremier experts in 3D concrete pavingin the world join the GOMACO team.”

GOMACO has also entered into anew business relationship with LeicaGeosystems. The two companies haveentered into a definitive OEM value

added reseller agreement. Under theterms of the agreement, GOMACO willsell, install and support LeicaGeosystems’ Concrete Paving Systemfor GOMACO products.

“This announcement with LeicaGeosystems is evidence of ourcommitment to our customers in notonly getting them the latest technologyavailable, but also supporting thattechnology throughout the pavingprocess,” Godbersen said.

GOMACO now sells and supports Leica Geosystems for stringless applications onGOMACO products.

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GOMACO has been the worldwideleader in stringless paving since itsinception 12 years ago when the first3D road in U.S. history was paved.GOMACO has worked closely withleading manufacturers offeringstringless systems to help develop andperfect the concept for slipform paving.

“We have invested over a decade inresearch and field testing on the 3Dstringless guidance system, and todayalmost every paving application hasbeen proven on projects around theworld,” Kent Godbersen, VicePresident of Worldwide Sales andMarketing, said. “Now we have anobligation to take the next step insupporting our customers with serviceand the development of GOMACO3D.”

GOMACO Corporation has createda new, in-house department for 3Dcontrols. Three new employees,Matthew Morrison, Kevin Ackley, andChad Schaeding, have been hired forthe department, with Morrison actingas the new manager of the GOMACO3D Machine Controls Group. Morrisonand Ackley previously worked for

Leica Geosystems. Schaeding is arecent Purdue University graduatewith a Master’s Degree in Engineeringwith an emphasis on Geomatics.

“GOMACO’s partnership withLeica Geosystems and our work withTopcon and Trimble have clearlyestablished GOMACO as the frontrunner in 3D controls,” Kevin Klein,Vice President of Engineering andResearch & Development, said. “As ourcompetitors are now starting to followour lead, it is time for us to take this tothe next level. Our goal is to design andimplement our own proprietary systemwhich will be able to utilizeinstruments from whatevermanufacturer that our customerschoose.”

The focus of the new group will besales, service and support of 3Dmachine controls and also thedevelopment of GOMACO’s futureproprietary 3D controls which will bean integral part of the company’sstandard machine controller.

“There are over 100 stringless unitson GOMACO machines in the field,and Matt and Kevin have worked with