A few projects I have done recently

[Raildudes dad]

Even with 45 years under my belt as a civil engineer on the design / owner side, I don't claim to know the best way of constructing it. If it's something complicated or a bit different than the norm I have a couple contractors that are willing to give me their opinion.
I also get to review driveway approach plans (in the highway ROW) and soil erosion plans (county wide) for our organization. Today's young engineers rely way too much on what the computer spits out. I saw a driveway profile with 4 - 20 foot vertical curves in about 125 feet. A straight line from the first point of curve to the last accomplished the same thing if the center-line was calculated and plotted and I know that's what the contractor was going to do. I have no idea what the purpose was. And that wasn't an isolated instance, I see it all the time. The client gets to pay for the foolishness.
The good thing is any day can be my last day

 

[ih100]

Gone a bit quiet on here lately. I'm guessing things are busy at the moment, CM. Missing the updates, especially the 953 pictures.

 

[CM1995]

Ih100 it's been busy, very blessed to have as much going on and in back log.

Both crews are working steady. The 325FL is doing great, it is a very nice hoe.

Added this attachment to the fleet on the warehouse expansion job.

The blade is set up to grade automatically off a laser. Sitec Southeast set the system up on our 279D.

2 operators put down 1500 tons of dense grade base in 3 days graded to within 1/2" and compacted.

The system works great.

 

[CM1995]

So let's catch up.

321DL on a 2 story retail/office project with a little 953C love for ih100.

We had the erosion control, demolition, storm sewer and grading. Finished this project up today except for coming back to backfill a few curbs.



Our old 420DIT still earning her keep. Just goes to show if you take care of your equipment, it will take care of your company. Bought that backhoe new in 2003, 15 years of service and many more to come.

This was this summer in Alabama - the A/C still works.

This was another green auto parts store literally in my backyard - 5 min commute if the one traffic light between my house and the site is red.



Some 953C love again. The loader graded this end of the pad on the warehouse expansion. Brought both crews together on this project as the scheduling just worked out. On the loader is one of my superintendent's. He enjoyed being able to just push dirt and keep the trucks turning for a couple of days.

I'll say it again and it never gets old - If I only had ONE machine to make a living with it would be a track loader.



Very small job we did for our best clients - the chicken shack owners. They were the ones that help springboard this company after the 2009 crash that consumed the last one.

Project involved re-grading around the rear structure for positive drainage away from the building, piping gutters underground, misc conduits and grading a rear drive.

Rented a 305.5 mini - we really liked that machine. If I had enough mini work to justify one, we'd have one.

 

[td25c]

Outstanding CM !

I really appreciate the jobs that are close to home .

 

[CM1995]

Laying some 18" RCP in a subdivision. Nice little job close to home as well TD, this one is maybe 20 mins with traffic, 10 without.



This 325FL is one fine trackhoe. I haven't been on it since we first got it back at the green auto parts project where we tore the bank down.

It's surprisingly powerful and quiet. The C4.4 - 4 cylinder power plant is impressive for it's size.

This tractor outperforms our 321DL with the C6.4 - 6 cylinder and uses less fuel. I wouldn't have believed that unless we run both daily.



Overall shot this afternoon. The street goes on.
Some

 

[crane operator]

Glad you're staying busy- did you have much storm damage in your area, or did it stay east of you?

 

[CM1995]

Glad you're staying busy- did you have much storm damage in your area, or did it stay east of you?

It was all south east of us. The Dothan area was hit pretty hard but not near as bad as PC and Mexico beach.

 

[ih100]

Ah, bless you for the 953 pic, CM. I think I woke you up...Good to see you're busy, I guessed that would be the case. Why do you prefer a GP to a multi-purpose bucket? (may have asked this before) The variety of work you do I'd have thought the versatility would outweigh capacity. I've probably used MP's about twice as much as GP buckets, and much prefer the advantages. I've never strained one either - yet!!

Beautiful tidy work as always. Don't often see jobs (or machines) as clean as yours, no wonder the repeat work keeps coming in.

 

[CM1995]

Ah, bless you for the 953 pic, CM. I think I woke you up...Good to see you're busy, I guessed that would be the case. Why do you prefer a GP to a multi-purpose bucket? (may have asked this before) The variety of work you do I'd have thought the versatility would outweigh capacity. I've probably used MP's about twice as much as GP buckets, and much prefer the advantages. I've never strained one either - yet!!

Beautiful tidy work as always. Don't often see jobs (or machines) as clean as yours, no wonder the repeat work keeps coming in.

Thank you for the kind words ih. We are blessed to be busy with quality work at better prices than we've seen in the last 10 years.

MP buckets are rare as hen's teeth in my area. There are 100's of track loaders running in my work area and I can't recall seeing one with a MP bucket. I'd give it a shot if they were more common but the GP does what we need it to do.

Now on the next loader I will take a serious look at a hydraulic QC with bucket and forks. Our 420DIT has a QC and it's handy as a shirt pocket.

 

[walkerv]

Thank you for the kind words ih. We are blessed to be busy with quality work at better prices than we've seen in the last 10 years.

MP buckets are rare as hen's teeth in my area. There are 100's of track loaders running in my work area and I can't recall seeing one with a MP bucket. I'd give it a shot if they were more common but the GP does what we need it to do.

Now on the next loader I will take a serious look at a hydraulic QC with bucket and forks. Our 420DIT has a QC and it's handy as a shirt pocket.

Must be a regional thing like trackloaders themselves, we only have a couple old ones with a normal bucket everything else including our ctl's has 4n1 buckets

 

[hvy 1ton]

The handful of track loaders with GP buckets around here are dedicated to the big pipe crews. I'd say less than 50% of CTL's have 4n1's and 80%+ of track loaders do.

 

[AzIron]

I can't think of any track loaders around here

As for mp buckets they are not that popular most that I see with some wear on them are bowed so they dont sit flat or close right because of that I have never been a fan but you dont know what you haven't used so maybe the jokes on me

 

[willie59]

Nice pics and nice work CM. Love that red Birmingham dirt! When I was operating a horizontal drill (past life) it was easy drilling on Hwy 31 in Vestavia Hills, not like a job I did in Hamilton, soil was sand and pea gravel along with some spots of clay, I'm convinced Satan placed that crap material in that area.

 

[CM1995]

Nice pics and nice work CM. Love that red Birmingham dirt! When I was operating a horizontal drill (past life) it was easy drilling on Hwy 31 in Vestavia Hills, not like a job I did in Hamilton, soil was sand and pea gravel along with some spots of clay, I'm convinced Satan placed that crap material in that area.

Thanks Willie - Birmingham "dirt" makes us money.

We have a mixed bag of soil to deal with no doubt.

I can't think of any track loaders around here

AZ after touring your great State a few times I can see why - no need for one a wheel loader would be faster and much less expensive to operate.

With the clay and rain we deal with in the Southeast tracks are a necessity. The only wheeled machines I have is a 420DIT backhoe and Gradual 534D6.

 

[CM1995]

A current project - tear down a dilapidated waffle king to make way for another green auto parts store. Pic courtesy of our hired lowboy service - great guy but gotta give him a few pointers on pic taking.



The results of a 321DL renovation on the old waffle king. Your results may vary but ours were pretty good.

 

[CM1995]

Time to time when scheduling permits we take on side jobs like this one - clear for a geotechnical drill rig on a new warehouse project. The site is 70+acres and we cut probably 2500' of road in so the tracked drill rig could take samples.

Bought this D5G new in 2004, still producing to this day. A little love and care goes a long way.

 

[CM1995]

A little more 18" RCP CL III on a new housing project.

As Digger would say - "Proudly spending today building the dilapidated housing of the 22nd century...."

I can only imagine he would be proud of us.



Single wing curb inlet in the works.


Good ol' Alabama chert right here in the spoil piles. Abrasive as hell and tough to dig through.

Side note - the #57 limestone bedding around the pipe came from a quarry that is literally just down the hill from this site.

 

[CM1995]

It's been a while since I've updated this thread - a lot of life has happened in the last year both personal and business.

Installing the StormTech system at the Irish auto parts store we tore the diner down for a few posts up.

Pretty simple system we've done several of these, this is probably the smallest one.


The isolator rows forward in the pic, there are 2 and the nyoplast structure we've nicknamed "gumbies". You old folks will get the reference.


StormTech installed, inspected and backfilled. The outflow goes to a curb grate inlet in the entrance. Setting the lid with grate inlet.

That 325FL is one fine machine to run.

 

[td25c]

Excellent work CM !

Was sure thinking of you guys after the recent storms & tornados that hit Alabama .