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Senate Hearings on Wetlands Cut Short

The Senate Environment and Public Works committee held a hearing Dec. 13 focusing on the Clean Water Act (CWA) following the recent Supreme Court decisions in the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) and Rapanos-Carabell cases.

While the subject matter was purportedly about the jurisdictional issues surrounding the CWA, the witnesses quickly referred to the controversial legislation, which would remove the term “navigable” from the CWA and replace it with a lengthy definition of what would be considered “waters of the United States.”

In a hearing notable for its brevity, approximately 30 minutes due to an expected vote in the Senate, no questions were asked of the witnesses, and few senators bothered to attend. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced the next series of hearings would deal with S. 1870, the Clean Water Restoration Act introduced by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), which is the companion bill to Rep. Jim Oberstar's (D-Wis.) H.R. 2141. Three of the five witnesses supported the controversial legislation, and the remaining two opposed expanding the jurisdiction of the CWA.

The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) submitted a statement to the committee opposing the underlying legislation and noted the way to improve the Section 404 program would be to classify wetlands based on value and function and to develop an incentive program for private landowners to conserve wetlands on their property.

(Source: National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association eDigest & Washington Watch)

 

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When the clock runs out on 2007, Boston will quietly mark the end of one of the most tumultuous eras in the city’s history: The Big Dig, the nation’s most complex and costliest highway project, will officially come to an end.

Don’t expect any champagne toasts.

After a history marked by engineering triumphs, tunnels leaks, epic traffic jams, last year’s death of a motorist crushed by falling concrete panels and a price tag that soared from $2.6 billion to a staggering $14.8 billion, there’s little appetite for celebration.

Civil and criminal cases stemming from the July 2006 tunnel ceiling collapse continue, though on Dec. 24 the family of Milena Del Valle announced a $6 million settlement with Powers Fasteners, the company that manufactured the epoxy blamed by investigators for the accident. Lawsuits are pending against other Big Dig contractors, and Powers Fasteners still faces a manslaughter indictment.

Officially, Dec. 31 marks the end of the joint venture that teamed mega-project contractor Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff with the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to build the dizzying array of underground highways, bridges, ramps and a new tunnel under Boston Harbor — all while the city remained open for business.

The project was so complex it’s been likened to performing open-heart surgery on a patient while the patient is wide awake.

Some didn’t know if they’d live to see it end.

Enza Merola had a front row seat on the Big Dig from the front window of her pastry shop — stacked neatly with tiramisu, sfogliatelle and brightly colored Italian cookies — in Boston’s North End.

During the toughest days of the project, the facade of Marie’s Pastry Shop, named after her sister, was obscured from view. The only way customers could find the front door was along a treacherous path through heavy construction.

“For a while we thought we weren’t going to make it,” Merola said. “But you know, we hung in there.”

The Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel Project — as the Big Dig is officially known — has its roots in the construction of the hulking 1950’s era elevated Central Artery that cut a swath through the center of Boston, lopping off the waterfront from downtown and casting a shadow over some of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.

Almost as soon as the ribbon was cut on the elevated highway in 1959, many were already wishing it away.

One was Frederick Salvucci, a city kid for whom the demolition of the old Central Artery became a lifelong quest.

“It was always a beautiful city, but it had this ugly scar through it,” said Salvucci, state transportation secretary during the project’s planning stages.

Rather than build a new, elevated highway, Salvucci and others pushed a far more radical solution — burying it.

Easier said than done.

Those who built the Big Dig would have to undertake the massive highway project in the cramped confines of Boston’s narrow, winding streets, some dating to pre-Colonial days.

Of all the project’s Rubik’s Cube-like engineering challenges, none was more daunting than the first — how to build a wider tunnel directly underneath a narrower existing elevated highway while preventing the overhead highway from collapsing.

To solve the problem, engineers created horizontal braces as wide as the new tunnel, then cut away the elevated highway’s original metal struts and gently lowered them onto the braces — even as cars crawled along overhead, their drivers oblivious to the work below.

It was the just one of what would be referred to as the Big Dig’s “engineering marvels.”

The Big Dig’s long history is also littered with wrong turns — some unavoidable, others self-inflicted.

One of the biggest occurred in 2004 when water started pouring through a wall of the recently opened I-93 tunnel under downtown Boston. An investigation found the leak was caused by the failure to clear debris that became caught in the concrete in the wall during construction. Hundreds of smaller drips, most near the ceiling, were also found.

Some delays were unrelated to construction.

The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge — the project’s signature element — went through dozens of revisions as designers labored to come up with the most practical and elegant way to cross the Charles River.

But the project’s darkest day came near the end of construction in 2006 when suspended concrete ceiling panels in a tunnel leading to Logan Airport collapsed, crushing a car and killing Del Valle, 39, a passenger in the vehicle driven by her husband.

The tunnel was shut down for months as each of the remaining panels was inspected and a new fastening system installed. A federal investigation blamed the use of the wrong kind of epoxy and the Massachusetts attorney general indicted the epoxy manufacturer.

Four workers also were killed working on the project. During peak construction, more than 5,000 workers labored daily on the project.

The project’s escalating budget also became an unwanted part of its legacy.

In 2000, former Big Dig head James Kerasiotes resigned after failing to disclose $1.4 billion in overruns. A frustrated Congress capped the federal contribution.

“It never should have taken so long. It never should have been so expensive,” said former Gov. Michael Dukakis, who left office just as major construction was to begin.

For those who grew up with the noise and clutter of the old Central Artery, the transformation of downtown Boston is still a wonder to behold.

The darkened parking lots under the old elevated highway have been replaced by parks, dubbed the Rose Kennedy Fitzgerald Greenway after the mother of Sen. Edward Kennedy, who grew up in the North End. Buildings that once turned their backs to the old Central Artery are finding ways to open their doors to the parkway.

Mayor Thomas Menino, who presided over the city during most of the construction, said that for the first time in half a century, residents can walk from City Hall to the waterfront without trudging under a major highway.

“When I came into office in 1993, people said your city isn’t going to survive,” he said. “Now we have a beautiful open space in the heart of the city. It knits the downtown with the waterfront. All those dire predictions by the experts didn’t come true.”

Drivers also give the Big Dig a big thumbs up.

A study by the Turnpike Authority found the Big Dig cut the average trip through Boston from 19.5 minutes to 2.8 minutes.

“Before we drove bumper to bumper, but now they are moving very well,” said Gamal Ahmed, 38, who has been driving a cab in Boston for seven years. “Sometimes we are stuck, but not like before.”

For Salvucci, who warns gridlock could soon return without a major commitment to public transportation, the Big Dig — for all its whiz-bang engineering — was always second to the city itself.

“The Big Dig is not a highway with an incidental city adjacent to it. It is a living city that happens to have some major highway infrastructure within it and that highway infrastructure had to be rebuilt,” he said. “This was not elective surgery. It had to be done.”

(Source: Associated Press (AP), Dec. 25, 2007. By Steve LeBlanc, AP Writer. AP Writer Rodrique Ngowi contributed to this report.)

EPA Seeks Nominations for 2008 Environmental Quality Awards

Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes and honors those individuals and organizations who contributed significantly to improving the environment during the past year in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands through its Environmental Quality Awards. 

Nominations for the awards are solicited from both within and outside the EPA and must be submitted by Friday, Feb. 22, 2008. Award recipients will be honored at a ceremony in April at EPA’s Manhattan offices.

The awards recognize achievement in the following six categories:

• Individual Citizen;

• Non-Profit Organization, Environmental or Community Group;

• Environmental Education;

• Business and Industry;

• Federal, State, Local, or Tribal Government or Agency; and

• Press and Media.

For more information on award criteria, prior winners and nomination instructions, visit EPA’s Environmental Quality Award Web page at www.epa.gov/region2/eqa. Self-nominations are welcome.

MSHA Reopens Comment Period on Sealing of Abandoned Areas Until Jan. 18

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has reopened the comment period for the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on sealing of abandoned areas of underground coal mines to provide commenters time to review and submit comments on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Draft Report “CFD [Computational Fluid Dynamics] Study and Structural Analysis of the Sago Mine Accident” (Report).

 All comments on the ETS published at 72 FR 28796, May 22, 2007, and other appropriate data must be received by midnight, Jan. 18, 2008, Eastern Standard Time. MSHA will hold a public hearing on Jan. 15, 2008. Details about the public hearing are addressed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

www.msha.gov/REGS/FEDREG/FINAL/2007finl/07-6128.asp for more information.

Vulcan Materials Assigned ‘A-’ Corporate Credit Rating

MUMBAI—Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said it has assigned its ‘A-’ corporate credit rating to the recently formed construction materials producer Vulcan Materials Co.

Vulcan is the new parent holding company for Legacy Vulcan Corp. and is also the parent of the unrated Florida Rock Industries Inc.

The ratings agency also assigned its ‘A-’ rating to the $1.23 billion of senior unsecured debt issued by Vulcan on Dec 6.

“Vulcan’s credit quality benefits from its strong competitive position in aggregates, favorable long-term outlook for publicly funded construction projects, moderate capital spending requirements, strong pricing fundamentals, and past conservative financial policies,” S&P said.

(Source: Thomson Financial via AFX News Limited)

Lafarge Buys Orascom

Lafarge has acquired Orascom Cement, a major cement producer in the Middle East, for € 8.8 billion (US$ 12.9 billion). Lafarge will also assume € 1.4 billion (US$ 2.1 billion) of debt, for a total price tag of € 10.2 billion (US$ 15 billion).

The deal will add 35 million tonnes of cement production capacity to Lafarge’s footprint throughout the region, increasing its annual sales by US$ 2.6 billion in 2008.

According to Lafarge, the privately held Orascom Cement group is market leader in the cement markets of several key economies in the region, including Egypt, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, and Iraq. It is also described as having “strategic positions” in Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey.

Commenting on the deal, Lafarge chairman and CEO, Bruno Lafont said, “This acquisition of a leading Egyptian group is a decisive opportunity to accelerate our profitable growth strategy in cement in emerging markets. Orascom Cement’s positions are concentrated in a fast-growing region that will fully benefit from the boom in oil and natural gas revenues. The two companies are wholly complementary geographically with considerable potential for synergies.”

Contamination Control Basics

Contaminated fluid systems can lead to shortened component and fluid life, reduced productivity, and even catastrophic failure. Here’s how to avoid these costly problems.

by Carmen L. Rose

Controlling contamination in oils and diesel fuel has grown in importance as aggregates operations work to increase productivity with machines that deliver more power, greater breakout forces, and faster cycle times. To meet those requirements, most machines use electro-hydraulics, higher-system pressures, and tighter clearances. As a result, modern fluid systems — hydraulics, transmissions/final drives, fuel systems, and engines — are more sensitive to contamination.

Good contamination control

Contaminated fluid systems can lead to shortened component and fluid life, reduced productivity, and even catastrophic failure and the resulting costly downtime associated with unscheduled repairs. Tests prove that clean oil and fuel extends machine life and maintains machine productivity.

A breather containing a 4-micron filter and a desiccant to remove moisture should be used on each bulk tank.

Instituting good contamination control procedures has proven to have positive effects for all organizations that have engaged the program.

The concepts of contamination control are simple; the real work is in the detail. Categorizing the sources of contamination lends perspective. Contamination can be built in at the factory; contained in new fluids; introduced through worn seals, pitted rods, vent ports, and incorrect maintenance practices; and generated in the machine system.

The steps that aggregate operations can take to control contamination range from the straightforward, such as good housekeeping, to the uncommon, such as particle counting. The basic procedures focus on clean facilities, clean components, clean processes, and clean fluids.

Housekeeping encompasses all that it takes to keep maintenance facilities and service vehicles clean. A clean shop means there is less dirt, dust, and grit to get into components or to be transferred into components. Cleaning floors frequently, cleaning up spills immediately, keeping workbenches free of debris, and limiting use of the floor for storage all contribute to keeping machine systems clean. Use absorbent mats to soak up fluids spills rather than using absorbent particles, which create airborne dust. Washing heavy equipment and large components thoroughly before they enter the shop helps keep dirt out.

Storing parts in their original packaging and with caps on hoses keeps dirt out.

Proper parts handling and storage goes hand-in-hand with good housekeeping practices. Keep components packaged until they are ready to install, and store them in clean, dry areas. Return parts to storage in their packaging. Protect components in the assembly/maintenance area, and clean components properly before assembly.

Hoses, fluids, and filters

Hydraulic hose assembly and storage require special attention. Hoses and tubes should be cleaned and capped. The hose assembly process creates contaminants. As a result, it’s recommended to clean the inside of each hose assembly with a hose cleaner, which pneumatically fires a cleaning projectile.

Oil storage and transfer processes can introduce contaminants. Both oil and diesel fuel storage tanks should be equipped with desiccant breathers to keep dirt and water out.

Barrel covers should be use to keep dirt and water from entering around the bung. Even new oil can contain thousands of microscopic particles, and oil picks up contaminants if it is stored in dirty drums or bulk tanks or transferred through dirty lines. Filter oil before it fills a machine by using a transfer filter cart. Fuel, too, should be filtered before it fills a machine’s tank. And when machines are serviced, using a filtration cart to remove contaminants from fluids has been shown to extend component life.

Change filters carefully. Oil and filter change intervals should be met. The used filter should be removed carefully at change time to ensure that contaminants do not reenter the system. The new filter should be kept in its package until it is ready to be installed.

Filling filters with oil before installation is not recommended because the process can introduce contaminants into the system. Inspect used filters for metal particles and other indicators of problems. High-efficiency filters are recommended after any system repairs have been made.

Inspections and particle counting

Exercise care in operation and maintenance. Well-trained and alert operators and service technicians are important element in contamination control efforts. Make sure equipment is inspected daily for leaks and fixed immediately if any are found. Always keep the hydraulic tank between “full” and “add.” Insufficient fluid levels are the leading cause of pump cavitation, which can lead to pump failure and contamination of the entire system.

A particle counter can quickly identify contaminated fluids to help guide the maintenance process and to determine the success of clean-up work.

Low fluid levels also can result in high oil temperatures, which can cause oil to degrade. Maintain oil cooler and relief valves properly. Use cylinder rod protectors when conditions warrant. Monitor system temperatures and heed warnings when operating.

Use particle counting to measure contamination control efforts. Particle count identifies the number of particles in a 1-milliliter sample of oil. It cannot identify specific elements or distinguish metal from non-metal, but unlike spectrographic analysis, particle counters handle a wide range of 4 microns to greater than 70 microns in size. Particle counting is critical, because the human eye can’t see most of the dirt that damages machine systems — and it doesn’t take very much. Only one-half teaspoon of dirt, about 160 milligrams, in a 208-liter barrel of oil pushes the contamination past the ISO standard for fill oil.

Implementing a contamination control program is an effective way to get more from your mining machines while reducing costs. Get started with help from your equipment dealer’s contamination control specialist.

Carmen Rose is a senior consultant with the Caterpillar Marketing Product Support Division in Peoria, Illinois. He initiated contamination control procedures in the East Peoria, Illinois, track-type tractor manufacturing plant in the early 1990s, and in 1999 he started taking those concepts to Caterpillar dealers and customers worldwide. He is respectfully known as the "Father of Contamination Control"  within the Caterpillar organization. 

Cheat Sheet to Controlling Contamination

• Clean and cap hoses and tubes.

• Equip oil and diesel fuel storage tanks with desiccant breathers to keep dirt and water out.

• Use barrel covers to keep dirt and water from entering around the bung.

• Inspect machines daily for leaks and fix them immediately.

• Always keep the hydraulic tank level between full and add.

• Use particle counting to measure contamination control efforts.

• Maintain oil cooler and relief valves properly.

• Use cylinder rod protectors when conditions warrant.

• Monitor system temperatures and heed warnings when operating.

• Train operators and service technicians in contamination control practices.

• Change filters carefully. The new filter should be kept in its package until it is ready to be installed. Filling filters with oil before installation can introduce contaminants into the system.

• High-efficiency filters are recommended after any system repairs have been made.

Photos courtesy of Caterpillar Inc.

Highlights from the January 2008 Aggregates Manager print edition: Trade In or Trade Up? Tips for capital investment planning Forecast 2008: Our exclusive industry analysis Learn to win the fight for water rights Plan your trip to ConExpo-Con/Agg

Improved grapple loaders

Petersen Industries has reengineered the A-frame pedestal design on its SL-2 and SL-3 grapple loaders to reduce stress on both the loader pedestal and the mounting bolts. The new design features four additional tapered gussets to spread the stress evenly up the pedestal legs and down to the base plate. The new design is compatible with the previous design so existing customers can use the same concrete base they used for the previous models.

High-capacity dewatering

Derrick Corp. says its new C56 HI-Capacity Dewatering Screen can dewater incoming feeds such as concrete, asphalt, or mason sands to more than 90 percent solids by weight. The screen delivers an 8.0 G-force to the screen bed and features Derrick’s patented high open area urethane. The company says one 5- by 14-foot unit can handle 300 tons per hour and requires only 10 horsepower to operate.

For more new products for the industry, check out the RollOuts section
in each month’s print edition of Aggregates Manager.
 

Hyster Co. recently donated a new lift truck to aid wildfire relief in California. The truck will be used in a warehouse located in Miramar, Calif. The State of California and Adventist Community Services (ACS), a nonprofit volunteer organization, requested donations of material handling equipment for use in the state’s recovery warehouses. The truck will help fuel Southern California’s recovery from the devastating wildfires that caused more than $1 billion in damage and forced the evacuation of 1 million people in October.

Charlene Sargent, pacific regional disaster response coordinator for Adventist Community Services Disaster Response, says that the Hyster lift truck is a tremendous asset to the facility. “Besides our volunteers and computers, our fork lift is the most valuable thing that we have,” Sargent said. “And because the Hyster truck was donated and not rented, we can use it for future events wherever and whenever it is needed.”

The Hyster lift truck was shipped to a multi-agency warehouse, where it will be used to handle other donations from across the country. Because the majority of the donations are palletized, the lift truck saves both time and effort of volunteers working in the California warehouse. The truck can also move materials that are too large for pallet jacks or other smaller material handling equipment.

Red Rhino has been given the National Gold Award in recognition of its “Compact Onsite Recycling Solutions” project. The trophy was presented by top botanist and TV personality Professor David Bellamy, OBE at The House of Commons.

The trophies are awarded annually in recognition of organizations carrying out projects that benefit the environment. “These compact towable crushers bring full recycling potential to any building site,” the judges commented. “Rather than sending useful aggregate to landfill, it can be crushed and reused on site, or sold on to be recycled by a third party. Either way the benefits to the user and environment can be significant.”

The project will be featured in “The Green Book” and the organization will also be presented with a prestigious Green Heroes Shield in spring next year, during a special prize-giving ceremony.

The Green Apple Awards campaign is run by The Green Organization, an independent, non-political, non-profitable organization that recognizes, rewards, and promotes environmental best practice around the world. Red Rhino supporters include the Environment Agency, the Chartered Institution of Waste Management, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and various other professional bodies. 

There were nearly 750 nominations in the contest, and 80 awards were given.

In 2005, a customized motorcycle was created for Caterpillar Inc. during two episodes of American Chopper on the Discovery Channel. The 150-horsepower, six-speed bike toured 32 states and up in Canada during the following year.

In May 2007, Caterpillar donated the Cat Chopper to Victory Junction Gang, a camp in North Carolina that caters to children with chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses. Victory Junction is a NASCAR-themed camp started by the Petty racing family. Caterpillar has been a NASCAR sponsor since 1993, starting with Kyle Petty, a founder of Victory Junction camp.

The Cat Chopper is now being auctioned online in February. For 10 days, bids will be accepted on eBay at www.ebay.com/catchopper. Richard Petty will hand the winner the keys on March 13 at ConExpo-Con/Agg in Las Vegas.

Freightliner LLC will change its corporate name to Daimler Trucks North America on Jan. 7, 2008. The company operates a several trucks manufacturing companies including Freightliner, Sterling, and Western Star in North America.

Jeff Zawacki assumed duties as general manager of the Hendrickson Bumper and Trim business unit in Joliet, Ill.

In making the announcement, Douglas A. Sanford, vice president and general manager of the Hendrickson Truck Systems Group in Woodridge, reported Zawacki holds full responsibility for the bumper and trim business including strategic direction and day-to-day management of the operation.

A 13-year veteran of Hendrickson, Zawacki most recently served as director of marketing and engineering for bumper and trim since 2003 and previously held the post of manager, program management and business development, for the truck group. He also held posts at bumper and trim from 1997 to 2000.

Before joining Hendrickson, Zawacki served in various positions in operations and engineering with the Victor / Reinz Division of Dana Corp.

He earned a MBA from Benedictine University, Lisle, Ill., and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from GMI Engineering and Management Institute of Flint, Mich.

Hendrickson, a Boler company, is a premier global manufacturer and supplier of truck and tractor suspensions; trailer suspensions, controls and loose axles; truck and trailer lift axles; bumpers and trim components, and truck, tractor and trailer springs to the commercial transportation industry.

Safety Vision, a global provider of mobile digital video solutions, has hired Christopher Fritz as Chief Technology Officer.

In this new role, Mr. Fritz will focus on developing technical solutions that help account executives win proposals in the mass transit, law enforcement and pupil transportation sectors.  He will also be integral in developing partners to round out the company’s mobile video solutions suite and identifying new technology trends that keep Safety Vision on the leading edge.

Fritz brings more than 11 years of experience in developing and managing advanced imaging systems for industrial applications, consumer products and the government. Prior to joining Safety Vision, Fritz served as director of mobile video products and a founding member of Light Speed Mobile where he was responsible for the management of sales and engineering. He was fundamental in several business starts, is the author of five patents pending, and has written technical papers.

CNH Global N.V. has appointed Giuseppe Fano as president and CEO of New Holland Construction Equipment S.p.A., effective Jan. 1, 2008.

Fano will report to the CNH President and CEO Harold Boyanovsky.

Fano will take over from Franco Fenoglio who has elected to resign from the company after more than two years of service to pursue other interests.

Fano joined CNH in 2006. Most recently he served as vice president sales and marketing, Europe of New Holland Construction. He is also president and CEO of New Holland Kobelco Construction Machinery S.p.A.

He graduated from the University of Naples with a degree in civil engineering, in project, general management and business administration from Sinnea at Johns Hopkins University in Bologna. From 1996 to 2006 he held leading positions with Ingersoll Rand.

Fano also serves as President of Comamoter (the Italian Association of construction machinery manufacturers).

Compiled by Tina Grady Barbaccia, Aggregates Manager Senior Editor.
To contact Tina about the newsletter content, send e-mail to e-news@aggman.com or call (630) 364-2306.

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