Working in extremely harsh winter conditions —during the 11 weeks of the survey, average daytime temperatures were below freezing, and surveyors endured more than 60 inches of snow and rain — the RLS Group, based in Chattanooga, Tenn., was able to survey 19 miles of trail corridor. The survey was completed on schedule, with no equipment breakdowns.

The project was done in winter to take advantage of reduced foliage and snake hibernation. Because the descriptions of underlying parcels called to ridgelines and other natural features, surveyors knew they would be working in areas with minimal sight lines and that good GNSS equipment was required.

“With all the one-to-one slopes out here, and the snow cover and the brush, traversing with total stations would have been ridiculous,” says RLS President Shane Loyd, PLS. “Fortunately, the Viva GNSS system really came through for us. We put it to the test and we were quite impressed by the reliability, accuracy and durability of the equipment.”

Since part of the job was to create and mark the corridor on the fly, crews used the Viva controllers and cellular links to upload data to an FTP site at the end of workdays. RLS office technicians downloaded the data and calculated alignments, then uploaded alignments to direct the next day’s staking. “We could have done the calcs in the field,” says Loyd, “but that would really have cut into the time available for survey work and camping chores. The cellular links and Viva’s intuitive dataflow management worked very well for us and made life a lot easier.”

The Cumberland Trail will eventually total more than 300 miles of wilderness trail, and stretch from Cumberland Gap National Park to Chattanooga. Leica Geosystems is proud to be part of this historically important project, and that the Viva system came through for surveyors in extremely challenging conditions.

Article and photo contributed by Leica Geosystems

by Tina Grady Barbaccia

Spring equipment tune-ups and fleet maintenance can be likened to the Peter-Paul principle: You rob Peter to pay Paul.

By putting off preventive maintenance, that’s essentially what’s being done, says John Scharffbillig, director of fleet services for the City of Minneapolis and member-at large for the American Public Works Association (APWA) Technical Committees. “You can either pay now or pay later,” he says.

Some agencies and contractors unintentionally adopt this rule by holding off on necessary maintenance. Instead of paying now for a potential problem, they pay later for a major problem that could have been staved off.

It seems like common sense to take care of minor problems. To keep your equipment running properly, you have to keep up maintenance. It’s just like putting off vehicle repairs. That odd engine noise could turn into a complete engine replacement if the problem isn’t taken care of. Either pay now or pay later.

The same goes for your fleet of equipment. The snowplows and deicing equipment are starting to be put away, and pavers, milling machines, loaders and patch wagons are being brought out of storage. However, many capital equipment purchases — which would supplement current equipment — are being put on hold, making it even more imperative to properly care for the equipment.

According to the Associated General Contractors of America’s (AGC) national construction hiring and business outlook released in a conference call attended by Better Roadsin late January, nearly nine-in-10 contractors say there will be no recovery in 2010. As a result, fewer contractors plan to purchase construction equipment, says Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. (For a full report on the construction business forecast, including links to the survey data, go to http://www.betterroads.com/ and click on “The Roadologist” blog and to http://bit.ly/BetterRoads.)

Agencies and contractors have eliminated capital equipment purchases because of budgetary constraints, says Mark DeVries, maintenance superintendent/superintendent of operations, McHenry County (Illinois) Division of Transportation and APWA Winter Maintenance Committee member. “They are still allowing us to purchase plow trucks,” DeVries says, “but they have eliminated everything else. We aren’t buying any other equipment…no tractors, etc.”

DeVries says his agency has a regular equipment replacement program, which is common for most agencies. Typically, McHenry County purchases new equipment each year, with the type of equipment purchased based on the number of years or hours it has been operated. “We may keep a road grader for 20 years, but other things like a wood chipper may be replaced more often,” DeVries says. “But we are putting off purchasing any of this equipment.”

The problem, he says, is if a wood chipper or tractor is usually replaced every year, but it’s not being replaced this year — or even next year — the agency will be three years behind with equipment replacement. But that doesn’t mean three wood chippers or tractors will be able to be purchased in one year to make up for the deferred purchase.

“It’s not a huge hit to us right now, but the question is whether we’ll get caught up again with our equipment,” DeVries says. “I’m worried about two years from now. If we still haven’t recovered and have pushed off two, three or four tractors for two years, then it’ll be several tractors we haven’t replaced…and we can’t just go out and buy three tractors in one year. How do you recover? I don’t know if you can. You just adjust.”

Typically, plow trucks are used 10 years on a route and five years as a spare, making the span about 15 years of operation, DeVries notes. “But if you start changing that routine, you start extending how long the trucks are on a route, that starts playing into what you’ve traditionally done. It changes your whole maintenance and replacement routine.”

Delaying replacement, however, doesn’t mean it’s just money in the bank. There still needs to be an investment in maintenance, especially because eliminating/putting off the capital equipment purchases means they have to run longer. And just like a vehicle, the longer it’s kept, the more likely major repairs will need to be done.

“We expect more repair bills this year because we haven’t replaced equipment,” DeVries says. “And I know we’ll have to do more than just preventive repairs. You have to gear yourself up for an impact on your repair budget.”

But sometimes even extreme maintenance and major repairs just won’t cut it. How do you know when it’s not worth the maintenance and the equipment absolutely must be replaced? “You have to look at the value of the equipment and how much it costs to maintain,” DeVries points out. “At some point, it’ll cost you more to maintain it than to replace it. Every agency has a threshold. We look at how many hours there are on a piece of equipment and how long we’ve had it.”

The City of Minneapolis’ Scharffbillig when ownership and maintenance start to cross, it’s “the optimum time” to replace equipment. “Again, it’s the Peter-Paul Principle,” he says. “It’s pay now or pay later.”

Scharffbillig says, for example, if there is a problem with a speed sensor, it can either be pulled out and replaced — which may cost about $200 — or the problem can be put off, only to soon see the other components will not function. “Then you’re looking at $1,500 or so instead of a few hundred,” he says. “It ‘s the little things that will keep your equipment running. Big money takes care of itself, little money drives you broke.”

Wash away or wash in corrosion?

The Peter-Paul principle not only applies to equipment maintenance but also to storage. For snowplows, this is particularly important, Scharffbillig says. Although snowplows endure harsh conditions and corrosive materials when going down the road, he says, corrosion is even more of a problem while it’s in storage.

“When it’s being stored, it’s the most corrosive time after you’ve rinsed it down, parked it so it dries, and when the temperature is between 40 and 50 degrees [Fahrenheit],” Scharffbillig points out. “The corrosive material leaches in. You can wash it down really well and use rust inhibitors, but I haven’t found in my 30 plus years in this business of anything that stops it. The chloride water wicks in. Sometimes when [equipment is stored], the protective boots isn’t pushed back and left up to dry. Then it gets corroded there.”

Chloride is most effective on the road in liquid format, Scharffbillig. “We’re putting it on at the most active rate for the road but also most active for corrosion and causing other incidences to components because it gets caught in all the cracks and crevices and causes deterioration.”

To maintain and preserve the equipment — beyond just having a preventive maintenance program — is get make sure the program will be properly implemented, Scharffbillig says.

“You need to get the drivers to buy in and follow the program,” he says. “They need to sweep under the accelerator pedals. Once you get salt and material buildup under the pedal it just sit there. Corrosion is accelerated by the heat from the truck and the water off the boots of the operator creates a environment that is perfect for corrosion.  But more than that, it’s a safety issue. The pedal could stick, Scharffbillig says. “In the old square boxes style with cross bracing, if you don’t’ get an operator to clean off chunks of salt and debris, it will eat away at the equipment,” he says. “It’s hard on the bearings and cross members. It’s hard on the feeder chains in hopper bottoms too.”

Common sense doesn’t mean common practice

Some of these inspection points for your equipment fleet may seem like common sense. “If something doesn’t look right, then have it looked at further,” Scharffbillig says. But he notes that it’s surprisingly how many “common sense” points are overlooked or disregarded. “Inspect your brakes, check your tires…,” Scharffbillig says. “It seems like common sense, but if you talk to commercial vehicle inspectors, they’ll tell us they can’t believe what they are beginning to see out there.”

Ignoring easy and common repairs not only sets up an agency or contractor for a heftier repair bill down the road, but it means accepting a liability for its employees but for the traveling public, Scharffbillig says.

This is especially true when it comes to equipment maintenance and electronics. By not maintaining the electronics or not following protocol, a potential safety liability has been created. “There are so many safety sensors, from a car to a dump truck to of-road equipment,” Scharffbillig says. “If you do any alterations to it, you’ve accepted a liability.”

Scharffbillig gives two examples. The first, he says was drilling a hole in the rollover protection (ROPs) on a loader to hang a coat in the back of the seat. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were doing and inspection found that the safety equipment was altered and told Scharffbillig’s agency that it had to re-weld along with having it re- inspected for to make sure that the integrity of the device was still there.

A second and more serious example was a stuck trailer hitch receiver on a  vehicle. “We put a chain around it and hooked it to a pole to pull the receiver out,” he says. “This used to be common practice in the feild.” But what seemed like no big deal actually created a problem. “We jerked so hard that all the airbag sensors went off,” Scharffbillig points out. “An airbag went off and gave the operator a black eye and knocked off the operator’s glasses. We ended up spending $5,000 to $6,000 to just repair the airbags, and we didn’t even hit anything.”

The lesson learned? “Think before you act. If someone runs into a snow drift or drills into equipment to mount an attachment, you need to understand what could happen and where all the electronics are.”

With hybrid equipment, such as the cars International Hybrid Trucks, Komatsu Hydraulic excavators have been recently released, Scharffbillig says. Now equipment is powered by electric, compressed natural gas and propane. This affects how maintenance to the fleet can be done.

“We just had a class with our first responders about electric hybrids,” Scharffbillig says. “We found out that if there is an accident, the hybrids mustbe properly marked to make sure people don’t get hurt or severely shocked. On some of the equipment, you need to be carful with is the Jaws of Life because it could hurt both the first responders and the operators.”

It all goes back to proper maintenance, training and adaptability. The operational schedule of fleets is being stretched longer, so more maintenance is needed. And times have changed. This all has to be considered when developing a preventive maintenance plan and determining an equipment care plan.

“You can’t always do things the way you’ve done them,” Scharffbillig says. “There has been an evolution of equipment. This isn’t your granddad’s equipment. Things have changed, and you need to adapt with it.”

A Cheat Sheet: Top 5 Tips to Spring Equipment Maintenance

John Scharffbillig, fleet manager with the Minneapolis Department of Transportation and a member-at-large for the American Public Works Association (APWA) Technical Services Committee, shares these quick tips about how to keep your equipment fleet running well and important maintenance guidelines.

1. Make equipment operators realize how important it is to keep equipment clean.

2. Make sure filters are being changed and use quality fuels and lubricants are being used.“Make sure you’re buying fuel from a reputable vendor, or have a testing program incorporated into your own in-house maintenance program to make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for,” Scharffbillig says. “Oil analysis programs can make sure you’re optimizing the most amount of fuel and pre-predict failures.”

3. Make sure you have your operators and drivers write up all the minor repairs. “Get them when they are small,” Scharffbillig says. “Don’t let a minor repair. Become a major repair get it while it’s small… It could be just a simple as tightening a bolt instead of just letting them all fall out.”

4. Shop is only able to repair equipment if it knows there is a problem.

5. Take time to do it right. “You don’t have to do it over,” Scharffbillig says. “With workforces being cut, everyone is trying to cut corners and cut costs. But you’re not going to get the job done if equipment is sitting in shop.

During the last several years, Canadian off-road emissions regulations have been aligned with U.S. EPA regulations; however, there are some key differences. Knowing the similarities and differences will help both Canadian and U.S. contractors better manage their fleets.

A little history first: in 2005, Canada first required off-road diesel engine and equipment manufacturers to meet U.S. EPA emissions standards. Specifically, Canada adopted U.S. EPA Tier 2 and 3 standards, depending on engine horsepower, for model year 2006 and later diesel engines.

Now, regarding U.S. Interim Tier 4 and Final Tier 4 standards, Canada has yet to publish proposed or final regulations adopting these standards. You should expect Canada to align with U.S. standards, though their timing will differ. Some U.S. EPA Tier 4 standards are currently effective for lower engine power classes that do not require aftertreatment. There are also some differences to keep in mind for engines in certain applications, such as those in underground mines.

On a local level, some in-use rules are starting to develop in Canada, just as we have seen in the U.S. Remember that the term “in-use” refers to existing engines that are already in contractors’ equipment fleets.

As part of its “Diesel Emission Reduction Program,” Metro Vancouver is currently considering a very unique “Non-Road Diesel Emissions Initiative.” As proposed, this program, among other things, would impose regulatory fees to promote retrofitting, re-powering or replacement of Tier 1 and Tier 0 off-road engines, which were made prior to the U.S. EPA’s enactment of off-road standards in 1996, along with the establishment of an incentive trust fund to assist with these efforts.

Sound familiar? Just like in the U.S., options for complying with in-use rules include installing retrofit devices, re-powering equipment and renting or purchasing new machines.

If you’re a contractor doing business in Canada, be aware of the areas with the highest levels of PM and ground-level ozone; these areas are more likely to see in-use regulations in the future. Your local dealer should be monitoring the situation as well so they can help you implement the right emissions reduction solution for your equipment.

The company claims that the equipment can save a potential 16 percent in fuel consumption, according to the April 19 edition of the Bauma 2010 Daily News e-newsletter. (No press releases on this were available on the JCB Website.)

The revised machines feature a host of technologies aimed at making these the most efficient machines that the firm has built, according to the e-newsletter.

The technology that surrounds these machines is the company’s EcoDig system, which now incorporates three hydraulic pumps rather than the previous two hydraulic pumps.

According to the Bauma 2010 Daily News, the EcoDig system allows for the same hydraulic pressures and flows as before, but produced using lower engine rpm. Operators are able to select from two operating modes, Eco and low flow, to optimize productivity and machine control. The three-pump system also contributes to faster extradig extending dipper operation, further reducing cycle times.

For basic specs on the 3CX14, 3CX15 or 3CX17, go to the JCB Website page for these backhoe loaders.

For basic specs on the 4CX14, 4CX15 and 4CX17, go to the Website page for this series of backhoe loaders.

Here’s the latest research from the Transportation Research Board (TRB):

Construction Manager-at-Risk Project Delivery for Highway Programs

http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/ 162916.aspx

Construction Manager-at-Risk (CMR) project delivery (also called Construction Manager/ General Contractor or CM/GC) is an integrated team approach to the planning, design, and construction of a highway project, to control schedule and budget, and to ensure quality for the project owner. The team consists of the owner; the designer, who might be an in-house engineer; and the at-risk construction manager. The aim of this project delivery method is to engage at-risk construction expertise early in the design process to enhance constructability, manage risk, and facilitate concurrent execution of design and construction without the owner relinquishing control over the details of design as it would in a design-build project.

CMR project delivery has long been used in the building industry, but the use of CMR for federal-aid transportation projects requires Special Experimental Projects Number 14 approval. As a result, its use is relatively new in highway projects. A number of state and local transportation agencies have undertaken or experimented with CMR project delivery on road, bridge, and other projects.

To further expand knowledge on the CMR project delivery process within the highway industry, TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 402: Construction Manager-at-Risk Project Delivery for Highway Programs explores current methods in which state departments of transportation and other public engineering agencies are applying CMR project delivery to their construction projects. The synthesis identifies three different models for CMR project delivery in use, and examines practices and lessons learned that have been gleaned from the experiences of seven highway case studies and case studies from the airport, rail transit, and building industries.

Russell Houston is senior communications officer for the Transportation Research Board (TRB). He may be contacted at rhouston@nas.edu.

Installation of a ClearSpan Fabric Structure for salt storage has enabled the Township of Wayne, N.J.'s Department of Public Works to more efficiently and safely store its road salt.

But through the installation of fabric storage structures from ClearSpan Fabric Structures International, the public works agency was able to safely and efficiently store its road salt — just in time for severe winter weather this past winter.

“Winter weather in New Jersey can coat the roads with anything from snow to sleet and freezing rain, creating slippery conditions that require layers of road salt,” says Wayne Township Public Works Director George Holzapfel. ”Since the state of New Jersey mandates that all road salt be kept in an enclosed area, a proper storage facility is crucial for road crews.”

The department had been storing its road salt on an asphalt pad, covered with a large tarp. Holzapfel says this practice was not only inconvenient in severe weather, but also sometimes hazardous.

“The tarp had to be removed for access before, or sometimes during, snow or ice events, neither of which was a pleasure for the employees,” Holzapfel says. “During non-winter periods winds often blew the tarps off, which then had to be reinstalled. Handling large tarps in windy conditions had to be undertaken with extreme caution…again, a task no one liked,” he added.

Holzapfel began looking for a more efficient, yet cost-effective solution to comply with the mandate. After a bit of research, he decided on a ClearSpan Hercules Truss Arch Building. The quick, easy construction and low cost of the 65- by 100-foot building made it the best option for Holzapfel.

“An overriding factor was foundation requirements,” Holzapfel says. “The site had clay layers and refuse which would have required deep spread footings or piles to support a traditional structure, substantially increasing costs. The ClearSpan system was essentially placed on an asphalt pad.”

The building’s construction took only a few weeks and meets all of the department’s needs.

The Township of Wayne, N.J., solved its salt storage problem just in time for this past winter's severe winter weather

“It is well received,” Holzapfel says. “Material stored is safe from the elements, and access for trucks and equipment is excellent.”

The building is working so well that they have already constructed a smaller ClearSpan structure to store truck tires, and are considering another facility to increase their winter salt storage and possibly store vehicles the rest of the year.”

Article and photos contributed by ClearSpan Fabric Structures International

by Matt Fielding, P.E and Rick Chestnut, P.E., P.G.

Soft, compressible soils provide special challenges to the construction of transportation infrastructure projects. These soils may be so weak that typical construction would result in a global stability failure and when this is not the case, short-term or long-term settlements may be unacceptable or result in continuing maintenance problems. In these situations, lightweight fill or ground improvement techniques can be used to get roads and bridges in place quickly, while reducing long-term maintenance costs.

What is geofoam?

Many lightweight fill options exist, and among the lightest of these is geofoam, which is the generic name for cellular foam material used in geotechnical applications. This material is typically made from expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is similar to the typical Styrofoam cup.

Because this material weighs about 1 to 2 pounds per cubic foot (compared to about 130 pounds for soil), the load it induces on the underlying soil is significantly less than is typical for soil fill. In particularly soft soils, the geofoam can be designed to have a “net-zero” effect, meaning that the stresses induced after construction is complete are equal to or less than those that existed prior to construction. This is accomplished by removing an appropriate volume of soil and replacing it with geofoam. When done properly, the soil essentially does not even “feel” like anything has changed.

Geofoam is manufactured in blocks of varying sizes (typically no more than 16 feet in length) that are stacked in alternating directions to form the bulk of the embankment being constructed. Some of the potential risks with geofoam include that the blocks are flammable, will float, will dissolve if exposed to fuel, and are susceptible to damage. Protection is typically accomplished by placing soil over slopes formed with geofoam and concrete facing elements in front of geofoam walls. Pavement sections placed over geofoam must include enough material to reduce vehicle stresses (typically about 3 or 4 feet) and to prevent the roadway over the geofoam from becoming icy in the winter.

Geofoam was used on the Frontrunner South project in Bluffdale, Utah, to reduce settlement magnitude around box culverts and drainage conduits and to reduce the potential for damage to rigid concrete structures. Pictured are geofoam blocks being placed to form a 40-foot tall fill between a box culvert and future commuter rail track.

Ground improvement

When soils are too soft to support imposed loads and lightweight fill is not appropriate or cost effective, the ground can be strengthened. Two methods that are often used are stone columns and deep soil mixing.

Stone Columns: While stone columns can be installed in many ways, the intent is to insert continuous columns of higher-strength crushed rock into the weaker soils and to densify the adjacent weaker soils, where possible. These columns of compacted stone are typically 20 to 48 inches in diameter and extend down to more competent soil layers. The isolated columns are installed on a rectangular or triangular grid pattern.

Stone columns were recently used to strengthen foundation soils and mitigate liquefaction hazards on a U.S. Highway 30 bridge project near Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. The stone columns extended up to about 60 feet below the ground surface and supported mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls at the bridge abutments.

Stone columns can improve global stability, increase bearing capacity, and reduce liquefaction potential in loose cohesionless soils. However, all soft soils cannot be treated with stone columns. Very soft clays and organic soils typically provide inadequate lateral support for the stone columns, which can result in bulging of the stone into the surrounding soils.

Deep Soil Mixing: Deep soil mixing (DSM) improves foundation soils by mixing “binders” into the ground. The mixing takes place below the ground surface and is accomplished with specialized equipment. Binders are mixed into the soil as an auger is advanced to the design depth and retrieved back to the surface. Deep soil mixing can be used even in very soft soils where stone columns would not be suitable.

The DSM binders can be placed in a dry or wet form and typically consist of Portland cement or quick lime. Columns of these binder and soil mixtures are typically installed immediately adjacent to each other to construct subsurface walls or cellular grids. Similar to stone columns, DSM can be used to reduce settlement, improve bearing capacity and global stability, and mitigate the effects of seismic activity.

Deep soil mixing (DSM) was used on the Pioneer Crossing project in Lehi, Utah, to improve subgrade soil strength and increase global stability for bridge approaches.

Speeding up settlement

Sometimes soils are strong enough to support applied loads without having to resort to lightweight fill or ground improvement, but are still very compressible. One of the problems with compressible clays is that they can take several months or even years to undergo initial settlement (primary consolidation). Using wick drains and surcharges can dramatically accelerate settlement.

Wick drains, also known as prefabricated vertical drains or PVDs, have essentially replaced sand drains because of their cost advantages. Wick drains have a rectangular cross section and consist of a geotextile jacket surrounding a plastic core. They are designed to allow water within the settling soils to be collected and then transmitted along the core. When a surcharge (fill that is in excess of what is required to construct the embankment) is placed in conjunction with wick drains, completion of primary consolidation is even more rapid. Surcharges can even be designed to reduce long term settlement, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

Whether it is lightweight fill, stone columns, surcharges, wick drains or deep soil mixing, the foundation of our infrastructure can be improved with these innovative solutions. Implementation of these solutions should be undertaken in consultation with an experienced geotechnical engineer.

Matt Fielding, P.E., is the office manager of Terracon’s Boise office and Rick Chestnut, P.E., P.G., is the office manager of Terracon’s Salt Lake City office. Terracon, an employee-owned engineering consulting firm, provides geotechnical, environmental, construction materials and facilities services from more than 100 offices nationwide with more than 2,700 employees. ]]> http://www.betterroads.com/ground-improvement-with-geofoam/feed/ 0 http://www.betterroads.com/hybrid-electrification-basic-training/ http://www.betterroads.com/hybrid-electrification-basic-training/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:43:08 +0000 Tina Barbaccia http://betterroads.randallreillycms.com/?p=5896 As construction equipment owners seek lower operating costs, lower emissions and better returns on their machine investments, hybrid technologies like electrification are rapidly progressing from theory to reality.

But the terms used to describe this technology are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion. And with so much information in the marketplace, determining the right match of technology to application can be difficult.

“While manufacturers are moving as quickly as possible to get these new technologies to market, contractors will likely need clarification of the benefits of each in various machines before they can determine the value each solution brings to their businesses,” said Joe Mastanduno, product marketing manager for engines and drivetrains at John Deere Construction & Forestry.

“As new products hit the market, it is very important that contractors understand how each technology applied in different machines will provide different levels of benefits and payback.”

Pencils up

It’s helpful to start with a basic vocabulary lesson to realistically break down the technologies, their best applications and the potential payback.

Hybrid electrification technology in construction equipment simply means two sources of energy, such as diesel and electricity – with energy being created, transferred or stored. Think of “hybrid” as an umbrella term over subcategories like electric traction, auxiliary or ancillary electrification, energy management and integrated/starter alternators.

With electric traction, the engine drives a generator to create electricity used by an electric motor or motors to drive tracks or wheels. This is in the market today with large mining trucks.

“Electric drive is a future just waiting to happen,” said Mike Vorster, professor emeritus of construction engineering at Virginia Tech. “Thanks to research there’s going to be mega-levels of reliability with motors, drives and computer controls in handling of high-voltage current, and the diesel engine will be able to stick to the basic job it does best.”

John Deere has been heavily involved in electrification research and development, and has already launched a number of electric drives on greens and fairway mowers. The E-Cut series mowers use electric-driven cutting units, improving fuel economy and reducing environmental risk of hydraulic leaks.

“Electric drive technology sets the stage for energy storage. As energy storage reuse capabilities and costs improve over time, this technology will provide contractors with viable paybacks on equipment that does a lot of repetitive motion, or equipment with short cycle times such as loaders and excavators,” Deere’s Mastanduno said.

“Any application that slows down, dumps, swings, or basically has built-in times to recover energy can be a match for electric drive,” continued Mastanduno. “Electric drives can also be used on machines that operate at a more constant speed, but the energy storage option is most beneficial on repetitive movement machines.

“When Deere launches its first electric construction product, it will be the right machine form for the right application, with the right payback for the contractor,” Mastanduno said.

Auxiliary or ancillary electrification is generating electric power to run an attachment off the main machine or a component of the machine. An example of this is already in use: Deere’s e-Premium agricultural tractors, which run implements like sprayers with electric power.

For construction equipment, electrification could mean running items such as the HVAC (heating/cooling) system, the hydraulic pump, or using electricity as the input as opposed to mechanical gearing. That could also mean fewer moving parts and improved uptime.

Energy management involves having the right technology to recover unnecessary propulsion or work energy and store it. John Deere engineers are looking at energy storage for equipment, but at this time, the widespread storage of energy on construction and forestry equipment does not carry the right payback for customers.

The bottom line

With hybrid technology, whether it takes the form of electric drives, electrification, or energy storage, many factors have to come together to justify the cost of the added technology.

“No matter what the base equipment adds, contractors want a return on their investment in a reasonable time frame, an emissions benefit and the productivity, uptime and low daily operating costs they’re used to,” Mastanduno said.

“Contractors need a trusted equipment partner that offers the right technology combined with the right machine at the right time in the industry. John Deere is preparing itself to be just that.”

Contributed by John Deere

To help gain a little perspective, let’s quickly review how emission tiers for new diesel engines and equipment all started and then look at where you can start – on the road to compliance.

Today’s regulations have their roots in the Clean Air Act of 1970, one of the most significant environmental laws in U.S. history, which created sweeping laws to reduce and control air pollution. Among other air pollutants, the Clean Air Act addresses particulate matter (PM, known as “soot”) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Nitrogen oxides react with sunlight and other substances in the atmosphere to create ground-level ozone, otherwise known as “smog.” Particulate matter and NOx come from many sources, including diesel engines.

In an effort to reduce and control PM and NOx emissions, the Clean Air Act required the EPA to, among other things, establish and enforce progressively more stringent emissions requirements for all new off-road diesel engines starting in 1996, known as the “Tier” emissions standards.

We’re now in the Tier 3 and Interim Tier 4 (IT4) period, which requires a significant reduction in PM and NOx emissions. Interim Tier 4 standards are based on timetables determined by the horsepower rating of the engine. Final Tier 4 standards begin phasing-in during 2013.

So what should you do first?

See your local dealer for an assessment, which will help you determine local and/or state emission requirements for your existing equipment or fleet and what strategies, such as repower, retrofit or repurchasing (buying newer iron), might be right for your particular location, equipment and applications.

“Make sure your dealer has a designated IT4 focus person responsible for spreading IT4 expertise across the dealership organization,” says Joe Mastanduno, product marketing manager for engines at John Deere. “That’s a sign they’re committed to emissions solutions.”

“Also, ask the dealer if they are part of a manufacturer’s ongoing emissions compliance training program that covers more than just IT4 technology – you’ll want the benefits from a broad range of training, like knowledge of changing regulations and government funding resources.”

Contributed by John Deere