Construction markets are sinking, forcing some contractors that built today’s foreclosed housing tracts to make payroll by selling their iron. But heavy global demand is a bright spot in the U.S. equipment glut. Sukut Construction Inc. Earthmovers go to work inside Nevada gold mine. One builder in Southern California is cashing in on its fleet of “green” machines by renting them out. “We’ve got a lot of equipment, and a lot of it is parked right now,” says Michael Bobeczko, who leads Santa Ana, Calif.-based Sukut Construction Inc.’s marketing department. The contractor, which runs 120 scrapers and other giant earthmovers
Haishan Design Animals inspired dump truck’s “legs.” When Guangzhou, China-based industrial designer Haishan Deng looks for inspiration, he dreams of mammals that carry precious cargo and lizards that morph. Then, he takes those visions and applies them to heavy equipment that not only looks cool but is incredibly versatile. Enter the “Super Tipper Truck,” which Deng recently designed in Munich for Germany-based F.X. Meiller GmbH, a large producer of dump bodies. Deng says he drew on four-legged animals to create a suspended chassis that can squat, stand up and bounce to allow its underbelly to pour off or scoop up
Elastic Sealant: Resists Water and Impacts The Loctite 5510 Adhesive/Sealant is a permanently elastic, primerless formulation that is able to bond and seal a variety of dissimilar substrates, including metals, glass, nylon and plastics. The single-component, oderless adhesive is free of solvents, isocyanates, PVC or silicones. It bonds and seals simultaneously, skinning over relatively quickly and cures to a tack-free surface in 24 hours. Able to fill gaps, resist weather and moisture and withstand ongoing shock and impact, it has many potential uses, including air/water penetration joints, expansion joints, doors, windows, wall penetrations or precast panels. The sealant is available
Simplified Design Steel of Steel Structures 8th Edition by James Ambrose and Patrick Tripeny, John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2007, ISBN: 978-0-470-08631-5, 480 pages, $85.00 A reliable and easy-to-use handbook that covers all commonly used steel systems, practices, and research in the field, reinforced with examples of practical designs and general building structural systems. In this edition, the authors examined a wide range of steel structures, building types and construction details, and came up with an updated design guide to conform to current building codes, design practices, and industry standards. It also features various illustrations, expanded text examples, exercise problems
Loader/Tool Carrier: Simplified Operation The 570M XT Series 3 Loader/Tool Carrier has a Tier III turbocharged engine that delivers 79 net hp. It features a single lever loader control for both tilt and lift for easier operation, with an automatic self-leveling function to minimize bucket spills during raising. The optional Ride Control aids in cushioning the loader arms to prevent spills during transport. It can accept a variety of attachments including a box blade, pallet fork or auger. Case Construction; 866-542-2736; www.casece.com. Welding Generator: Fully Enclosed The 225 GXT Welder Generator has AC/DC welding output with 225 amps/25 Volts of
Materials Placement: Belt Conveyor The Telebelt TB 600 truck-mounted telescopic belt conveyor is designed for high-volume materials placement. It has a rated output of 600 cu yd per hour and has a 24-in.-wide main conveyor and feeder belt. It can place a wide range of flowable materials, such as pervious concrete, roller-compacted concrete, soil cement, flowable fill and larger aggregates. It has an unfolding height of 15 ft, 4 in. Putzmeister America Inc.; 800-884-7210; www.putzmeister.com. Excavation: Wet and Dry Vac The AllTrench Vacuum/Hydro Excavator is an industrial vacuum loader and high-pressure water cleaning machine designed to quickly remove material from
Underhood Air Compressor: Fits Latest Trucks The VR140 Underhood Air Compressor is designed to fit the latest 2008 Ford 6.8L Triton V10 Gas F250-F550 Super Duty trucks. Eliminating the need for a tow-behind air compressor, the 200-lb VR140 fits under the hood and draws its power directly from the truck’s engine. It has a small air/oil separator tank mounted on the truck’s frame rail, with the rest of the components under the hood. The belt-driven, rotary-screw compressor is capable of up to 150 cfm/175 psi of air delivery. The compressor is cooled by the truck’s cooling system; oil is warmed
Smooth Ride: Roller-Suspension System The Bobcat line of compact tract loaders feature a redesigned all-steel roller suspension system option that attempts to minimize vibration at the ground level for a smoother ride. The system’s high-strength-steel leaf springs reduce vibration and roll over obstacles easily. This roller suspension system does not require any greasing or adjusting as the rollers are permanently sealed and lubricated with synthetic oil. Bobcat; 866-823-7898; www.bobcat.com. Excavator: Small Footprint The XL 5100 III Excavator is a 55,000-lb truck-integrated excavator that uses one 275-hp diesel engine to power both the excavator and truck carrier, conserving fuel compared to
Excavator: Fuel-Efficient Design The CX700B excavator has an electronically controlled, common-rail, Tier-III 7.8-l engine that delivers 463 hp. According to the manufacturer, the common rail engine combined with a refined hydraulic system with low cycle time contributes to a noticeable increase in overall fuel efficiency. The excavator has an operating weight of 153,400 lb with a bucket digging force of 65,194 lb and a maximum dig depth of 27 ft, 7in. Case Construction; 866-542-2736; www.casece.com Framing Nailer: Cordless But Powerful The Cordless 20° Round Head Framing Nailer is capable of driving 2-in. to 31⁄4-in. nails at a rate of two
Hydraulic System Analyzer: Complete Profile The Flo-Check USB Hydraulic System Analyzer allows for the complete testing of hydraulic equipment through a simple computer interface. The system can be used for testing, troubleshooting and diagnosing service issues on any piece of hydraulic equipment, including front-end loaders, cranes and excavators. The sensor unit is able to transmit flow, temperature and pressure data to a computer through its USB port, which then displays and logs it using the included software.Flo-Tech; 800-433-5263; www.flo-tech.com Portable Band Saw: Air-Powered The Airband is a portable, pneumatic band saw that is designed for use in hazardous environments. This
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