September 2001 AGGMAN Operations

Clearing the Air in Arizona with Biofuel
Aggregates/Concrete Producer Rockland Materials Switches its Ready Mix and Aggregates Fleet to 100 Percent Biofuel

Rockland Materials¹ fleet of 75, 1999 or newer, ready mixed concrete trucks run on 100 percent soy-based Biofuel. For Rockland, the transition to 100 percent Biofuel required no engine modifications. Transition to 100 percent Biofuel in older model engines, however, may require some engine work.

Like too many cities in the United States, Phoenix has an air-quality problem. As the infamous “brown cloud” looms over the city and as the media reports frightening statistics about increases in asthma and other health problems exacerbated by air pollution, politicians and government agencies are marshalling forces to fix a problem that, to many, has reached crisis proportions. In Arizona, Governor Jane Hull created a “brown cloud” task force to attack the issue. Reducing diesel emissions is high on the task force’s to-do list. In fact, half the recommendations of the task force deal with diesel emissions.
As usually is the case, the construction industry wrings its hands, torn between wanting to do what’s right (reduce pollution) and trying to protect itself from unnecessary hardship caused by regulations of suspect or unsubstantiated worth. Such measures are endorsed by lawmakers frustrated and eager to assuage outraged constituents as well as to appease personal outrage. The outrage can be distilled into a simple sentiment: people should not have to risk or shorten their lives by simply breathing the air in this country.
That sentiment disturbs everybody, but the aggregate and construction industries run on diesel; it is literally the “lifeblood” of these operations. Engine and oil manufacturers have worked diligently with regulatory agencies to set deadlines to incrementally lower harmful diesel emissions. Technology may some day eliminate fossil fuel pollutants, but how long will that take? In the meantime, an enraged public will look upon the aggregate and construction industries as polluters. At best, we may be viewed as necessary evils to build and maintain the nation’s infrastructure, but certainly nothing people would want in or near their neighborhoods.
The upshot of this seemingly unshakable perception is the cost incurred on the aggregate and materials supply industries as they fight tooth-and-nail with communities to just survive in growing areas, much less attempt to open new locations or greenfield sites. Being labeled—justly or unjustly—as a polluter damages a company in just about every aspect of its operations. People, as the industry knows all too well, are not beating down the door to work for you. Likewise, the perception does nothing to lift the pride or morale of the people who do work for you.
Aggregate and materials suppliers can do a lot to mitigate or even eliminate the nuisance aspects and environmental challenges of operations, but what can they do about diesel emissions?
In steps Rockland Materials, a Phoenix-based aggregate and concrete products supplier. Its solution to mitigating harmful diesel emissions? Stop using fossil diesel fuel.
In January 2001, Rockland switched its entire fleet of ready mixed concrete trucks and mobile aggregate equipment to 100 percent soy-based (B100) biofuel at its two ready-mixed concrete and aggregate plant sites and two other ready-mixed concrete sites.
Operating about 120 heavy-duty diesel units, Rockland Materials is the only Arizona company in the private sector to make a complete switch to biofuel. It also represents the largest commercial fleet in the United States to make the conversion.

100 percent reduction in carcinogens, 95 percent reduction in hydrocarbons, 50 to 60 percent reduction in particulates.
Fuel is biodegradable and non-toxic. Tests sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirm that biofuel is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar.
Biofuel is the only alternative fuel to have successfully completed the Health Effects Testing Requirements of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.
Biofuel reduces air toxins by up to 90 percent.
According to testing sponsored by the Department of Energy, biofuel can reduce cancer risks from particulates by up to 94 percent compared to petroleum diesel.
With regard to ozone (a major concern in Arizona), research documents confirm that the ozone-forming potential of the hydrocarbon emissions of biofuel is nearly 50 percent less than that of a petroleum fuel.
Biofuel is made from a renewable energy source (soybeans) grown in the United States, which is not dependent on foreign oil-fossil fuel.

Rockland Materials’ company credo is “Good business means good environmental policy.”
Grant Goodman, chief executive officer and owner of Rockland Materials, is dedicated to having this credo apply to all aspects of the business, but the move to biofuel represents the most impressive testimony to this stance. Biofuel costs about 50 to 60¢ per gallon more than diesel fossil fuel.
“Rockland Materials is committed to doing whatever is within our power to preserve the air quality that we enjoyed while growing up here (Arizona),” said Goodman. Air quality particularly hits home for Goodman, as both his wife and his son suffer from severe asthma.
With a fuel consumption rate estimated at about 1.2 million gallons a year, Rockland Materials spends about $300,000 more to run its fleet, according to Goodman. While some contractor customers of Rockland’s also put their pocketbooks where their good intentions are and agree to help share the added cost of materials delivered by biofuel, for the most part, Rockland absorbs the additional expense. For Goodman and Rockland Materials, it’s simply the right thing to do.
Another factor offsetting the cost of biofuel is the tremendous positive press Rockland has received in the business community as well as the general media for switching to biodiesel thus switching from a problem in Arizona’s brown cloud battle to a solution, and from an unlikely source in the eyes of the public—the aggregate and construction industry. The story has not only hit the major Arizona newspapers, but the Associated Press. Ernst & Young named Grant Goodman “Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001,” partly because of Rockland Materials’ commitment to using biofuel.
Apart from the high cost of biofuel compared to fossil fuel, the switch to the alternative fuel is nearly painless. Biofuel can replace fuel in diesel-powered engines without any modifications. The only adjustment experienced by Rockland Materials was quick-changeouts of clogged oil filters due to the solvent qualities of biodiesel. The biodiesel will release deposits accumulated on tank walls and pipes from diesel fuel storage. After this adjustment period, the biodiesel fuel performs in all ways equivalent to fossil diesel, according to Goodman.
In addition, Goodman points out that in tests run by Caterpillar on biodiesel-based fuels, Caterpillar found the fuel to potentially lessen engine wear due to its superior lubricating properties. Other testing, using industry standard test methods, shows biodiesel to back a marked improvement in lubricity. Standard industry testing also shows that biodiesel offers similar power as fossil diesel, according to the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). In addition, nearly all diesel engine manufacturers have stated that use of biodiesel or biodiesel blend fuels will not affect service or warranty agreements.
Note, however, that industry testing has yet to establish how biofuel can be used to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
Rockland receives its supply of biofuel from Western State Petroleum which distributes the alternative fuel in Arizona for Southern States Power Co., the largest manufacturer and marketer of bio-based fuel products in the United States. According to Southern States, due to the increasing demand across the country for biofuel or biodiesel, the company is planning to build additional biodiesel facilities in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas.
At this point, there are no tax credits, incentives or other governmental programs to provide financial “breaks” or incentives to use biofuel.
Is biofuel the right move for your operation? To answer most any question you can have about biodiesel or biofuel, log onto the NBB website (www.biodiesel.org) to see statistics on fuel performance and emissions. The site also provides an informative biodiesel usage checklist, which includes a guideline to switching over to a 100-percent biodiesel fuel or biodiesel blend.

Ensure the biodiesel fuel meets the NBB biodiesel specification for pure biodiesel before blending with petrodiesel.
Check fuel filters on the vehicles and in the delivery system frequently upon initial biodiesel used and change them as necessary.
Be aware of biodiesel’s freezing properties and take precautions as with #2 petrodiesel use in cold weather. (In general, blended biodiesel fuels have not created freezing problems in most areas, however the 100B or pure biodiesel fuel used by Rockland Materials, in general, can only be used in warm weather.)
Wipe painted surfaces immediately when using biodiesel. (This relates again to the solvent characteristics of the fuel.)
Store biodiesel or biodiesel soaked rags in a safety can to avoid spontaneous combustion. (Although the flashpoint of biodiesel is much higher than fossil diesel, making it less flammable, it nonetheless, still is a flammable material and should be treated as such.)
Use biodiesel within one year. As the fuel is relatively new, though it has been used in Europe for more than 20 years, experts really don’t have much data on shelf life, as most of the fuel is produced on a demand basis. The one-year rule is more of an issue of no one knowing yet what the real shelf life is.

According to the NBB, biodiesel can be made available anywhere in the United States. The board says it maintains a list of registered fuel marketers. To obtain the current list, call NBB at (800) 841-5849.

The operating site required a 14-ton crane and approximately four people to assemble the crushing unit. Total time for assembly was 2-1/2 hours. After electricals and the rest of the crushing circuit were installed, minor adjustments and additions were made.

In January 2001, Charlie Brown Construction Company, Las Vegas, Nev., hired me to help with a major problem they had with their number two portable jaw crusher. Their jaw crusher is a 36-in. x 42-in. unit with a total weight of 54,000 lbs. It was mounted on a truck frame capable of supporting 40,000 lbs.
After several years of hard use, the frame was no longer functional or safe in an operational environment. I was hired to design and fabricate a replacement chassis that could withstand extended use and yet still be reasonably portable. The new chassis design was a three-axle frame capable of supporting a 42 in. x 16 ft. vibrating feeder weighing 15,000 lbs., a jaw crusher weighing 54,000 lbs. and a discharge conveyor from under the jaw weighing 2,000 lbs. The operational length is 48 ft., and the operational height is 20 ft.. The towing length is 42 ft., and the towing height is 14 ft. 11 in.
To meet transport load requirements on standard freeway systems in Nevada, the unit can be easily disassembled and moved with one primary carrier and a support carrier for the two-piece hopper and vibrating feeder.
I started by constructing the mainframe (40 ft. length x 8 ft. 8 in. width) with 8 in. x 18 in. (70 lb.) wide flange beam. The frame was closed in at the ends with the same size beam and three cross beams, two to support the jaw crusher and a third to support the three-axle frame. The main frame was constructed upside down initially, and the three axle frames were mounted on a separate 6-in. x 12-in. flange beam that were welded together and set upside down on the main frame.
Four 8-in. x 18-in. leg supports were then installed underneath the jaw crusher mounting and two 8-in. x 8-in. leg supports were placed at the rear end right behind the rear axles.
The support legs had cross supports and gussets installed to minimize cross vibrations when operating.
The whole frame was then turned over and set on six cribbing supports, four of 3/4-in. iron plate and 8-in. x 18-in. beam, and two of 8-in. x 8-in. leg supports. The four larger support bases were placed under the jaw area legs, and the two smaller ones were placed under the rear end legs. The crib and supports were angled to disburse the weight by increasing the surface area by 50 percent from top to bottom. The jaw was then mounted in place.
The next step was to design the feeder supports. With the feeder motor in the center between the two feeder support frames, I designed two separate frames each with four legs of 8-in.-wide (35 lb.) flange beam, which were cross braced with 2-1/2-in. x 3/8-in. angle iron. These were bolted on the main frame so that when the feeder is mounted, there is a 6-in. clearance between the feeder and the jaw.
Next, I installed 10 8-in. (35 lb.) legs which were mounted slightly to the outside of the feeder frame support to provide support for the hopper mounted on top. The new feeder was installed, and then I moved onto the monumental task of designing the hopper.
The hopper needed a minimum of 3 in. of vertical clearance and optimum of 1 in. horizontal clearance both inside and outside of the feeder. The hopper frame was made of 5-in.-wide (16 lb.) flange beam and lined with 1/4-in. plate, which provided enough stabilizing structure for the hopper without adding excess weight. The hopper was constructed in two pieces which bolted together and to the feeder support. The hopper was then lined with 3/4-in. AR plate, sufficient to withstand heavy impact from large boulders and rough handling.
The discharge conveyor was made out of an older conveyor using the head pulley motor and gearbox section and a self-cleaning tail pulley, which discharges carry-back material that would otherwise prematurely wear out a standard pulley. A double-bend frame was designed to fit from under the jaw to over the top of the front end of the main frame. The head pulley section was hinged so it could be folded during transport.
The drop hopper from under the jaw was the next section to be installed. I utilized a straight drop to a dead bed about 8 in. above the discharge conveyor belt. The dead bed was lined with a used dozer blade for durability and to enable easy removal and replacement. I installed 3/4-in. AR plate, 7 in. x 36 in., with uniform countersunk bolt holes for skirt lining for the conveyor inside the drop hopper directly above the conveyor. I then installed 1/2-in. x 6-in. skirting rubber on the outside to control dust and spillage.
The last section was the drop hopper underneath the vibrating feeder grizzly. It was constructed of 1/4-in. plate with a straight drop to a dead bed 2 ft. above the discharge conveyor. Again I utilized a used dozer blade for dead bed liners.
We installed a hydraulic jacking system, which utilized the hydraulic pump of the transport vehicle, to enable the entire portable unit to be set in less than 30 minutes. The jacking system had a central station on the right-hand side of the frame between the two jaw support legs. This enabled the operator to have a good field of view when operating the system.
The operating site required a 14-ton crane and approximately four people to assemble the unit. Total time for assembly was 2-1/2 hours. After electrical and the rest of the crushing circuits were installed, minor adjustments and additions were made in the following areas:

Installation and positional specifications were not available at initial construction of the feeder supports, so I had to invent a feeder belt tensioner to keep the drive belts from coming off the drive pulleys on the vibrating feeder after start-up.
Two light support poles were added to the front end of the main frame, which reduced the vibration of the head section of the discharge conveyor.

Start of project to installation was eight weeks. Material costs were approximately $58,000. Labor was approximately 950 man-hours. With regular and proper maintenance, this system‹even with the used components‹should last another 20 to 30 years.

Editor’s Note: This is the first article in a new regular column that will appear every other month, alternating with AggMan’s Plant Sense column. Each installment of Pit Sense will discuss the components and benefits of a comprehensive mine plan.

Ask the person in charge of the quarry at most mining operations if they have a plan for mining and the answer will probably be “yes.” But press a little harder, and the explanation might turn into “Well, we know where the rock is, we just mine it.” Or, the mine plan might be an elaborate sequence of bench advancement and ramp construction, but reside only in the head of the pit supervisor. Occasionally though, the mine plan that’s pulled out is a well-thumbed report or tattered roll of maps whose appearance indicates frequent consultation.
The typical image of a mine plan that springs to mind is a document composed of pages of text, some maps and maybe a few photographs. But that document represents the culmination of a long thoughtful process.
Due to the long life expectancies of many mining sites, it can be difficult to visualize what the quarry might look like decades into the future or the steps required to move in the optimum direction in an orderly fashion. A roadmap is needed to chart the course the mining operation will follow into the future.
Like creating a business plan, developing a mine plan forces the participants to ask hard questions and pursue realistic answers to those questions. Planning often neutralizes the “it will never happen in my lifetime” mindset, because many times it is discovered that “it” will! This process presents numerous opportunities to positively impact the bottom line from a number of directions.
A mine plan answers more than the questions “Where do we mine?” and “When?” It answers the question “Why do we mine here at this time?” Every mine plan is unique because every quarry has a unique set of issues that have to be considered. There are no bargain basement, one-size-fits-all solutions. The long-term value of a mine plan is directly proportional to the amount of preparation and thought that goes into creating it.
Who should have input in the planning process? Anyone that makes decisions about how the rock on-site is mined, processed, sold and transported both before and after sale should have some input in creating the mine plan. Quality problems, safety factors, environmental and permitting issues, and community relation concerns all place limits of some sort on mining activities and must be considered and addressed by the final plan. Daily production must take place within the boundaries these factors impose.
A portion of the value of a mine plan that is hard to quantify is the impact of the plan on company personnel. Safety, always a top priority at mining sites, is enhanced through planning. Haul roads and benches designed at adequate widths and grades improve loading and hauling safety. Known troublesome geologic conditions can be addressed to promote highwall stability and develop preferred production shot orientations (also enhancing breakage). These effects combine to make life a little easier for production personnel.
Changes in production might require adjustments in personnel. A mine plan can forecast these requirements, allowing lead-time for operator recruitment and training or a reduction in force through attrition. The key is knowing about the changes far enough in advance to deal with the effects in a positive way.
A mine plan can also provide a mechanism for maintaining corporate objectives regardless of employee turnover. It is formal documentation of the direction and goals established for the quarry operation, and it fosters operational continuity whether or not changes occur in quarry management. Additionally, the daily burden of deciding where to send the blast hole driller or lay out the next shot is reduced, giving the quarry supervisor more time to attend to personnel issues, equipment challenges or any of the other million things that conspire to keep him busier than any three people should be.
The process of developing a mine plan offers a great opportunity to consolidate and review all existing information regarding the operation. Rock core gets destroyed, drill logs and test results can be misplaced, and prior planning and permitting efforts can be forgotten as personnel change. Personal knowledge and mining experience can leave with employees as they retire or relocate. The significant investment of time and money these things represent can be optimized and preserved through documentation as part of the mine plan.
With the digital storage options available today and the widespread use of computer networks, any information documented—including maps and photographs—can even become a digital library available to any authorized user within the organization. This information can be preserved with all other critical corporate data through the backup system. What could you do with the space now filled with all that paper?
Developing a comprehensive mine plan might sound like a daunting prospect, but taken step-by-step, the process can be organized and efficient. Future columns will discuss various components of a comprehensive mine plan for both rock quarries and sand and gravel operations.

Editor’s Note: This monthly column is supplied exclusively for AggMan by The Equipment Maintenance Council (EMC).

As this diagram illustrates, some exhaust gas is being recirculated back through the engine and mixing with fresh intake air. This will cause new engines to run hotter and dirtier than their predecessors and place considerable challenges on the lubricant (illustration courtesy of D-A Lubricant Company).

It’s true that exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) will introduce more soot back into the engine and ultimately the engine oil, but soot is not the only unwanted outcome of EGR. Other compounds that make up exhaust gas can be even more detrimental to engine life than soot.
Al Roush, vice president of research with D-A Lubricant Company, explained that EGR is not new technology, but that diesel engine manufacturers are using it at higher levels than ever before.
“EGR has been used in gasoline engines for more than 20 years,” said Roush. “In the very near future, as much as 30 percent of exhaust gas could be circulated back through the diesel engine in an effort to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. This same exhaust gas also contains significant quantities of sulfuric and nitric acids, which can cause major corrosive wear problems when introduced back into the engine.”

Acidic components that have been introduced back into the engine oil are primarily managed by alkaline detergent additives. The metallic carbonates in these detergents neutralize the acids in the oil, principally in the piston ring belt zone. Dispersants are also important because they can hold acids in suspension until the detergents neutralize them.
Total Base Number (TBN) is a measure of the basicity of the oil, and basicity is depleted more quickly when oil is contaminated with more acidic components. Logically, it would seem that increasing the TBN or basicity of the oil would be the answer to the problem of corrosive wear in engines using EGR. But, according to Roush, there is a limit on the amount of TBN that can be used in an engine oil.
“TBN provided by alkaline detergents also contributes to oil sulfated ash, which at very high levels, can cause engine operational difficulties such as valve guttering. If enough basicity cannot be built into oil formulations to combat EGR acids, the only option a maintenance manager has is to reduce drain intervals,” he said.
D-A Lubricant has conducted millions of miles of field tests measuring the effects of corrosive wear, but none of these tests have been done on engines fitted with EGR.
“We expect to begin field tests with EGR-equipped engines shortly,” said Roush. “We will need a statistically significant number of used oil samples during field testing before we can begin to get a snapshot of what is happening inside these new engines. Until we accumulate this hard data, we can only speculate about the true damage corrosive wear will have on the engines.”

Roush feels that soot will remain an issue in new engines, but equipment managers need to be concerned with corrosive wear first and soot management second.
“The corrosive effects of EGR could put long drains in jeopardy,” said Roush. “Neutralizing acidic elements and managing soot will both be functions of oil chemistry. Used oil analysis will be more important than ever in determining equipment health and optimizing drain intervals. As more field tests are conducted, additional information will be available to help maintenance managers make worthwhile lubricant choices for their fleets.”

The Equipment Maintenance Council (EMC) is an individual membership organization comprised of equipment maintenance professionals. Its members are responsible for the purchase, maintenance, employee training, shop facilities, and parts management of leading corporations and government entities that utilize heavy, off-road equipment. Its members also represent the major manufacturers and suppliers of the heavy equipment industry. EMC provides end users with cutting-edge education, and it is the only organization to offer a certification program for the industry, the Certified Equipment Manager (CEM). For more information, contact Stan Orr, CAE, EMC executive director, at (970) 384-0510, e-mail at ceo@equipment.org, or visit EMC’s web site at www.equipment.org.