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Issue 3 - Hitachi

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A HITACHI CONSTRUCTION AND MINING PRODUCTS PUBLICATION<br />

breakout<br />

THIRD ISSUE 2012<br />

How to figHt Moisture ContaMination, Part 2 — page 3<br />

CHosen for rent by ContraC equiPMent ltd. — page 4<br />

introduCing Zaxis 180lC-5 — page 7<br />

nrg PiPelines relies on HitaCHi — page 8<br />

goodfellow bros., inC. taCkles laHaina byPass — page 12


ON<br />

the<br />

INSIDE<br />

What is your equipment telling you<br />

Telematics systems are being increasingly utilized in<br />

equipment management, remotely connecting maintenance<br />

managers to their machines in the field.<br />

When a machine is equipped with telematics technology,<br />

like <strong>Hitachi</strong>’s own ZXLink , real-time data<br />

is collected from the machine via a communications<br />

controller and sent wirelessly to a data server, where<br />

it is populated for viewing online. Data can also be<br />

delivered as a text message or email alert. This data<br />

includes the “vital signs” of the equipment — its location,<br />

engine hours, idle time, and other maintenancerelated<br />

stats like fluid levels, pressures, temperatures,<br />

and maintenance intervals.<br />

Having this information at hand can help you<br />

assess the health of the machine as well as document<br />

its productivity levels. When cross-referenced with<br />

fluid analysis and machine inspection reports, this<br />

data can help you make informed, cost-effective<br />

decisions regarding equipment maintenance.<br />

Systems also allow the dealer to access equipment<br />

data. In many instances, a dealer can diagnose a maintenance<br />

issue or update machine software remotely<br />

without a trip to the jobsite.<br />

Regardless of your fleet size, monitoring telematics<br />

data can make a significant improvement in machine<br />

uptime. Most new machines come equipped with a<br />

telematics system, but this technology can also be<br />

installed on older models and on all-makes fleets.<br />

Ask your <strong>Hitachi</strong> dealer about our ZXLink Select<br />

and ZXLink Ultimate equipment-management<br />

systems and how they can work for you.<br />

POWERED BY THEIR<br />

<strong>Hitachi</strong> Dash-5 are powered by the fuelefficient<br />

Interim Tier 4-certified engines,<br />

the new Dash-5s are more productive than<br />

ever. Operators will also like them for their<br />

wider cabs with improved visibility.<br />

See your <strong>Hitachi</strong> dealer today about the<br />

exciting new crop of Dash-5 excavators.<br />

www.hitachiconstruction.com<br />

Kelly Granatier, Director, Sales, <strong>Hitachi</strong> Division


InBRIEF<br />

Questions<br />

from the field:<br />

What’s the difference<br />

between passive and<br />

active exhaust-filter<br />

regeneration in <strong>Hitachi</strong><br />

Dash-5 Excavators<br />

Passive regeneration is a natural cleaning<br />

process where engine exhaust temperatures<br />

are sufficient to oxidize the particulate<br />

matter (PM) trapped in the exhaust<br />

filter. The process is continuous during<br />

normal engine operating conditions, and<br />

is the most fuel-efficient way to clean.<br />

But, if conditions (temperature, load, or<br />

speed) for passive regeneration cannot<br />

be achieved, then PM must be removed<br />

using active regeneration, an automatic<br />

cleaning process. This requires injecting<br />

a small quantity of fuel into the exhaust<br />

stream for a short duration and elevating<br />

exhaust temperatures to clean the<br />

filter. The actual cleaning process takes<br />

approximately 20 to 30 minutes. In most<br />

applications, active regeneration cleaning<br />

occurs only when passive regeneration<br />

isn’t possible based on conditions — it<br />

serves as a backup system.<br />

Remember, in most cases, the regeneration<br />

process uses exhaust heat created<br />

under normal engine operating conditions,<br />

so the operator won’t even notice<br />

it’s taking place. In the event that an<br />

active regeneration is necessary, the<br />

engine’s control system can raise exhaust<br />

temperature to regenerate the filter. With<br />

either method, in most cases, regeneration<br />

does not impact machine operation or<br />

require operator involvement.<br />

Most of the processes with Isuzu’s Interim<br />

Tier 4 (IT4) engines happen behind the<br />

scenes, which enable operators to use<br />

their equipment the same way they used<br />

earlier <strong>Hitachi</strong> excavators powered by<br />

Isuzu engines. The diesel particulate filter<br />

is replaced at a minimum of 4,500 hours<br />

by a <strong>Hitachi</strong> dealer.<br />

For a more complete overview, read<br />

the full tech tip in the first 2012 issue<br />

of Breakout.<br />

HITACHI TECH TIPS<br />

How to fight moisture<br />

contamination Part 2<br />

In the second 2012 issue of Breakout, we looked at<br />

how moisture contamination can get into lubricating<br />

oils and your hydraulic system.<br />

Now let’s look at a way to combat it — desiccant breather filters.<br />

Finding the right breather will help the systems in your equipment last longer<br />

and prevent unnecessary downtime and oil replacement. Desiccant breathers<br />

are especially useful in environments that contain high dust and humidity levels.<br />

Desiccant breathers are comprised of a silica gel that attracts and retains up to 40<br />

percent of its weight in water. Together with a synthetic filter media, they prevent<br />

moisture and particle contamination from getting into your reservoirs as pressure<br />

fluctuations occur through thermal expansion and contraction of the fluid and the<br />

level changes produced by the filling and emptying of the reservoirs. When carbon<br />

is added to the silica gel, the breathers can capture oil mist and evenly disperse<br />

incoming air so that the synthetic filter and silica gel combination works more<br />

effectively. The more the air passes through both, the cleaner<br />

it becomes. If a breather is designed with more vent holes to<br />

allow variable airflow patterns, it increases the filtration media<br />

and desiccant drying capabilities.<br />

Talk to your <strong>Hitachi</strong> dealer to learn more about desiccant<br />

breather filters and how they can help you fight moisture.<br />

Some things to keep in mind when selecting desiccant breathers:<br />

n When choosing a desiccant breather size, be sure to consider the amount of air exchanged (cubic<br />

ft./min.) for each application. Airflow capacity must match or surpass the tank’s fill and drawdown<br />

rate. Breather size should increase as the flow rates increase.<br />

n Choose a steel or plastic breather housing, depending on your operating environment. Steel is a<br />

better choice if you’re dealing with hot, dusty environments.<br />

n Pay attention to the color of the silica gel as an indicator of when to change breathers, as most breather<br />

manufacturers put dyes in the silica gel to facilitate a color change when the gel becomes saturated.<br />

n If you operate in a damp and dirty environment with minimal air-volume changes, newer expansion-type<br />

breathers can better control the breathing action and permit expansion and contraction of the airspace.<br />

n Consider more specific applications for desiccant breather filters than mobile hydraulic systems, such<br />

as switch gears, gearboxes, turbines, feed pumps, oil-cooled transformers, and diesel-fuel storage tanks.<br />

3


Chosen for rent by<br />

ConTrac<br />

W<br />

Equipment Ltd.<br />

ConTrac, as one of Alberta’s largest independent rental and sales<br />

companies, offers <strong>Hitachi</strong> excavators. Shown are some of their<br />

new Dash-5 models.<br />

“<br />

e<br />

are one of the largest independent rental and<br />

sales equipment suppliers in Alberta,” says<br />

Michael Karczmarczyk, President, ConTrac. “We find<br />

equipment with the strongest market acceptance and<br />

buy the best examples available in the market for use by<br />

contractors. In many respects, we are the best testimony<br />

to just how strong a particular brand is.”<br />

Currently the company supplies Cat dozers, <strong>Hitachi</strong><br />

excavators, Volvo articulated trucks, and so on down the<br />

line. All top brands. The machines are typically rented<br />

to temporarily bolster a customer’s existing fleet, but at<br />

the same time, all pieces of equipment are for sale. And<br />

actually, after they have been rented for a predetermined<br />

number of hours, they are actively put up for sale as<br />

used. All machines are aggressively maintained during<br />

rental, making them good buys for ConTrac’s customers.<br />

“The OEM’s have large rental fleets, of course, and<br />

there are certain equipment dealers who are also into<br />

the rental of construction equipment,” notes Darren<br />

Cels, Vice President, Sales and Rentals. “But what makes<br />

us unique is our independence — and our interest in<br />

selling. We’re not interested in buying the cheapest<br />

brand. And we’re not interested being a single-brand<br />

source. We’re okay buying new…<br />

“We supply the top brands”<br />

“...but again, our mission is to supply active, aggressive<br />

contractors with the top brands they would either<br />

like to own or already have — and just need additional<br />

numbers to serve their customers’ needs for a particular<br />

project.”<br />

ConTrac offers a diverse fleet of over 100 pieces<br />

of equipment to rent or buy, allowing them to serve<br />

customers in many different industries. The majority of<br />

their fleet consists of D6 to D8 dozers, ZX200 to ZX470<br />

<strong>Hitachi</strong> excavators, 30- and 40-tonne articulated rock<br />

trucks, and three- to four-yard wheel loaders.<br />

5


Cathy Stein, Steph George, Shaun Malmo, Jany Paquette, John Karczmarczyk, Alex Ginda, Michael Karczmarczyk, Rob Serson, Darren Cels, Gord Krysa,<br />

and Chris Halwa with Chris Mitchell, Wajax Equipment.<br />

“Our focus is on serving and growing<br />

only this middle market of heavy equipment,”<br />

says Karczmarczyk. “We are not<br />

participating in the large mining-equipment<br />

segment. Our niche market is<br />

providing excellent service and the best<br />

brands to both market-leading contractors<br />

and smaller start-ups.”<br />

What a top brand means<br />

“I think it’s important to understand<br />

how crucial it is to be tied to a<br />

market-leading piece of equipment,”<br />

says Shaun Malmo, Vice President,<br />

Finance and Operations.<br />

In Western Canada, the market<br />

acceptance of the <strong>Hitachi</strong> excavator<br />

is excellent. Contractors know and<br />

respect the productivity they’re going<br />

to get.<br />

“With new Tier 4 engine requirements,<br />

there was concern among our<br />

customers that downtime and maintenance<br />

would increase,” continues<br />

Malmo. “We really counted on <strong>Hitachi</strong><br />

bringing a finished product to market.<br />

And so far, our experience with this<br />

newest Dash-5 group of hoes we’ve<br />

recently bought has proven that, yes,<br />

<strong>Hitachi</strong> does have its act together. The<br />

benefit from our customer’s perspective<br />

is that, as a contractor, when you show<br />

up on the job with a market-leading<br />

machine, totally government compliant,<br />

100-percent ready in like-new condition,<br />

it creates a very good impression.<br />

It’s as simple as that.<br />

“And, you know,” Karczmarczyk<br />

jumps in, “for us, going with top<br />

brands also means preservation of our<br />

equity. Similar to a good stock pick,<br />

choosing the right brand and piece of<br />

equipment gives us the best bet on the<br />

final outcome of our purchase after<br />

we’ve rented it, in how we might be<br />

able to retail it.<br />

“Our experience in going with the<br />

top brands has also meant we’ve had<br />

less repair expense because the uptime<br />

is better. Looking at that on the simple<br />

side, I guess that’s an obvious but<br />

often missed statement. On the more<br />

sophisticated side, one can say that<br />

buying a top brand like <strong>Hitachi</strong> for<br />

excavators minimizes our exposure<br />

to downside risk.”<br />

Malmo adds, “There are two more<br />

things we like about <strong>Hitachi</strong> and our<br />

<strong>Hitachi</strong> dealer, Wajax Equipment. First,<br />

we aggressively use ZXLink to keep<br />

tabs on the equipment hours, maintenance<br />

schedule, and any fault codes<br />

that may arise. Our service manager<br />

finds it is the easiest to use of all similar<br />

programs, and has had instances where<br />

replacement parts were delivered before<br />

the customer knew there was an issue.<br />

Second, we buy more than just excavator<br />

parts from Wajax, and we’re very<br />

impressed with the level of service from<br />

Shop Foreman Trevor Graham — he<br />

provides us with a wealth of <strong>Hitachi</strong><br />

knowledge.”<br />

For ConTrac, their number-one goal<br />

is to convince a prospective customer<br />

they should rent or buy from them. So<br />

that’s why, to help make their case, they<br />

carefully purchase the most popular<br />

brands at the very best price. And then,<br />

as the months go by on a rental, or<br />

especially when the piece comes back,<br />

ConTrac goes beyond the norm to fix<br />

and replace all possible damaged parts<br />

so that when it leaves again either on<br />

rental or to a permanent home, it is as<br />

first class as possible. And if it’s sold,<br />

because of the high market acceptance<br />

of <strong>Hitachi</strong>, the resale value is very<br />

good, indeed.<br />

ConTrac Equipment Ltd. is serviced by<br />

Wajax Equipment, Edmonton, Alberta.<br />

6


<strong>Hitachi</strong> introduces a new<br />

model to North America:<br />

the ZAXIS 180LC-5<br />

what happens when you specialize<br />

in excavators You build<br />

them better. You make them more reliable<br />

and productive. And you invent a<br />

model like the ZX180LC-5. New to the<br />

North American market, it is specifically<br />

designed to appeal to small local<br />

contractors, water and sewer contractors,<br />

and those who dig basements and<br />

pools. It packs excellent productivity<br />

and fuel economy into a small package.<br />

The ZX180LC-5 is slightly bigger<br />

than the new 160LC-5, yet has a<br />

unique boom/arm configuration for<br />

greater lift capacity and a wider undercarriage<br />

for more stability. It is lighter<br />

and easier to transport than the nextsized<br />

up 210-5/210LC-5 Excavators,<br />

yet can perform much of the same<br />

work while saving diesel-fuel dollars.<br />

Machine specifics<br />

The ZX180LC-5 comes equipped<br />

with either a 2.71-m (8-ft. 10-in.) or<br />

3.21-m (10-ft. 6-in.) arm, and 600-,<br />

700-, or 800-mm (24-, 28-, or 32-in.)<br />

triple semi-grouser shoes. The powerful<br />

IT4 Isuzu AI-4JJ1 diesel engine generates<br />

90 kW (121 hp). Special features<br />

such as a heated air-suspension seat,<br />

additional lighting, and a rearview<br />

camera are optional. Need even more<br />

Among other options are a controlpattern<br />

change valve, varying bucket<br />

sizes, and high-flow auxiliary hydraulic<br />

packages.<br />

Three work modes allow an operator<br />

to choose a digging style that fits<br />

the job. High Productivity (HP) delivers<br />

more power and faster hydraulic<br />

response. Power (P) delivers a balance<br />

of power, speed, and fuel economy for<br />

normal operation. And Economy (E)<br />

maximizes fuel efficiency while delivering<br />

an enhanced level of productivity.<br />

RooMy cab with a view<br />

The spacious cab features narrow<br />

front posts, a wider door with more<br />

glass, large overhead glass, and numerous<br />

mirrors — including one on the<br />

counterweight — for excellent allaround<br />

visibility. Inside there is more<br />

side-to-side footroom, a more comfortable<br />

high-back seat with increased slide<br />

range, and an easy-to-read and easyto-operate<br />

LCD multifunction multilanguage<br />

monitor. Among other things,<br />

the monitor tracks scheduled maintenance<br />

and reminders. It even provides<br />

diagnostic codes to assist in troubleshooting,<br />

and includes an attachment<br />

support system with 11 modes to help<br />

fit different attachments.<br />

DuRability<br />

Tungsten-carbide-coated wear surfaces<br />

protect the all-important bucketto-arm<br />

joint. Reinforced resin thrust<br />

plates, grooved bushings, and thermalcoated<br />

bucket joints increase arm- and<br />

boom-lube intervals to 500 hours.<br />

Oil-impregnated HN bushings enhance<br />

durability and extend grease intervals<br />

to 500 hours for the arm and boom<br />

joint and 100 hours for the bucket<br />

joint. Reinforced D-channel side frames<br />

provide maximum cab and component<br />

protection.<br />

ZXlink ultiMate — stanDaRD<br />

The new <strong>Hitachi</strong> ZX180LC-5 comes<br />

standard-equipped with three years<br />

of ZXLink Ultimate, enabling 24/7<br />

online access to machine location,<br />

health, utilization, fuel consumption,<br />

and other valuable information for<br />

better understanding of costs and<br />

jobsite performance.<br />

For more information visit your<br />

local <strong>Hitachi</strong> dealer or go online to<br />

www.hitachiconstruction.com<br />

7


NRG Pipelines<br />

relies on <strong>Hitachi</strong> for<br />

for best production<br />

“we’re at the site of a fairly typical<br />

project for us,” says Troy<br />

Thompson, Senior Vice President,<br />

Services Group, NRG Pipelines Ltd.<br />

“We’re digging trench and installing<br />

1550 meters (5,085 ft.) of double-flex<br />

pipe for one of our customers near<br />

Garrington, Alberta. We’ve brought in<br />

three <strong>Hitachi</strong> excavators for the job —<br />

a ZX200LC-3 and two ZX250LC-5<br />

machines, plus dozers and support<br />

equipment. We’ve been here five days,<br />

and we’ll be finished in another day or<br />

two. The pipelines tie together multiple<br />

oil wells to a valve station where the<br />

oil flow is controlled for feeding into a<br />

larger collector pipe with a valve package<br />

that we’ve built.<br />

“Although a lot of flex pipe is used in<br />

Alberta, we’re also placing quite a bit<br />

of midbore pipeline from two inch to<br />

12 inch. And, we’re actively involved<br />

in specialty work as well. For example,<br />

we just finished the first install of<br />

a new, high-temp insulated pipe in<br />

Canada. We’ve place 22 kilometers<br />

(13.7 mi.) near Swan Hill in 31 days —<br />

that was a very good project.”<br />

New, with years of experieNce<br />

The company came together as a<br />

new effort about 12 months ago. And,<br />

8


in March 2012 they surpassed 100 employees.<br />

They’ve had the opportunity to<br />

bid and win some rather large fabrication<br />

work for the Swan Hills area, so<br />

they established a 1626-m 2 (17,500<br />

square feet) shop in White Court. And<br />

much of their larger projects are in<br />

far northern Alberta. But, the division<br />

established in the Red Deer area will<br />

grow too, leaving more tie-in and flex<br />

pipe work.<br />

“This last month we’ve breached<br />

into Saskatchewan with a new project<br />

that we’re kicking off next week,” says<br />

Thompson. “We’ve accomplished a lot<br />

in a small amount of time.”<br />

Although the company is new, the<br />

team is far from new to the work, and<br />

has many references and industry ties.<br />

Thompson has worked for multiple<br />

contractors during the past 17 years,<br />

starting as a pipefitter, and working up<br />

the ladder to welder, operator, supervisor,<br />

and then project manager for both<br />

contractors and oil companies.<br />

Terry Regenwetter, Senior Vice<br />

President, Corporate Services, is a<br />

mechanical engineer and has worked<br />

since graduation as a design engineer<br />

within the petroleum industry of<br />

Alberta. Additionally, he has been<br />

involved in real-estate development<br />

and construction management, with<br />

increasing experience in business<br />

management and finance.<br />

Mike Runcer’s skills parallel Thompson’s:<br />

hands-on work since he was 19,<br />

working his way up from laborer to<br />

operator to superintendent to project<br />

management. He is senior vice president,<br />

Projects Group. “We’ve learned<br />

how to complement each other, and<br />

we’re both driven to succeed.<br />

“I know we’re going to make a success<br />

of this company,” asserts Thompson.<br />

“Too many guys start a business<br />

like what we’re doing here as oil and<br />

gas booms, along with the dream of<br />

becoming rich. Well, everyone who is<br />

okay with really working would love<br />

to be rich.”<br />

But, too many guys don’t have their<br />

heart in the business. They’re not really<br />

willing to walk the walk.<br />

“The oil patch requires all out effort.<br />

It’s a 24/7 type of business. I think<br />

we’ve proven that we have the heart.<br />

I know that our customers believe we<br />

do; they wouldn’t have trusted us with<br />

their business so quickly if they didn’t.<br />

So now we’re walking the walk, and<br />

rising to the everyday effort of simply<br />

getting the job done like we said we<br />

“The <strong>Hitachi</strong> excavator is<br />

our first choice because of<br />

its rugged dependability.”<br />

— Troy Thompson,<br />

Senior Vice President<br />

9


“I’ve spent my life in the oil patch; growing up in it and working<br />

for multiple contractors from high school on. And now, using all<br />

of our resources, Mike, Terry, and I are embarked on building<br />

the best pipeline-services company we can.”<br />

— Troy Thompson, Senior Vice President<br />

would. We know what it takes, and we<br />

know what it should cost to be fair to<br />

everyone. Our closest friends are in this<br />

industry, and many of them are now<br />

working here. We’re almost family.”<br />

Why hitachi and Wajax<br />

“There are multiple reasons why<br />

we went with <strong>Hitachi</strong> excavators and<br />

Wajax Equpment, Canada’s <strong>Hitachi</strong><br />

dealer,” continues Thompson.<br />

“First, in Alberta the <strong>Hitachi</strong> hoe is<br />

an industry standard. When you look<br />

around at the big guys in our business<br />

who continue to be successful — they<br />

all have <strong>Hitachi</strong>. The company where<br />

I used to work and manage projects<br />

was 100-percent <strong>Hitachi</strong>, and we were<br />

continually impressed with how well<br />

they worked.<br />

10


“I know as it relates to this article<br />

that we’re one of the first to really<br />

experience the newest Dash-5 <strong>Hitachi</strong><br />

models using newest engine modifications<br />

to meet the increased pollution<br />

controls. So, here’s what we have experienced:<br />

The new Isuzu engine works<br />

better than the one in the Dash-3<br />

Series. It has worked good from the<br />

start, with more power and better fuel<br />

economy. So, no big deal on worrying<br />

about the newest engines as far as we’re<br />

concerned.<br />

“As a start-up company, we were<br />

relieved to learn how aggressive Wajax<br />

Equipment was in for pursuing our<br />

business. They have worked with<br />

us from the word ‘go’ in getting us<br />

the equipment we needed, when we<br />

needed it. And, they have helped us<br />

with suitable financing. We wanted to<br />

be exclusive — one brand and all new<br />

— because that sets the image. We’re<br />

going to be on a 5,000-hour rotation so<br />

our equipment is always current; every<br />

three years, we’ll be new. We want to be<br />

first class, not showboaters, but solid.<br />

NRG Pipelines continues to be impressed with how well the <strong>Hitachi</strong>’s work.<br />

“I already knew how strong Wajax<br />

product support was from my past<br />

dealings with them. Now, I’ve had the<br />

opportunity to learn the full extent<br />

of their business approach to making<br />

things happen. Our first order was for<br />

six hoes, and we’ve continued to add.<br />

We’re now at 13. It is hard to get good<br />

construction equipment in Alberta<br />

right now. Too often, there are plenty<br />

of delays and broken promises. But the<br />

Wajax group hasn’t let us down. And<br />

that’s what I learned before we struck<br />

out on our own.<br />

“We are determined to be a 30-hoe<br />

company successfully working in the<br />

Western Canadian oil patch,” says<br />

Thompson.<br />

“To get there,” say the three partners,<br />

“we know that we’ll have to truly<br />

keep heart, do what’s got to be done,<br />

and operate both productively and<br />

efficiently so our customers are both<br />

proud of what we do for them and<br />

happy enough to see the bill.”<br />

NRG Pipelines is serviced by Wajax<br />

Equipment, Red Deer, Alberta.<br />

NRG Pipelines is a certified fabricator of<br />

custom pressure vessels, separator packages,<br />

line heaters, and choke manifolds.<br />

11


Goodfellow Bros., Inc.<br />

tackles the<br />

Lahaina Bypass<br />

lahaina, located on the northwest<br />

coast of Maui, was once a busy<br />

whaling port and the capital of the<br />

Kingdom of Hawaii. Today, tourism<br />

reigns as king, with the town’s population<br />

swelling nearly 400 percent<br />

during peak seasons. Such an influx<br />

of people puts quite a strain on the<br />

arterial roadways, and even off season,<br />

traffic can snarl.<br />

The need for a bypass around<br />

Lahaina was identified over 30 years<br />

ago, and ever since then residents had<br />

been anxiously awaiting the highway<br />

to be authorized and the planning<br />

hurdles resolved. As most major highways<br />

in northern Maui hug the coastline<br />

on one side and are hemmed in<br />

by buildings or natural barriers on the<br />

other side, existing roads cannot easily<br />

be widened. So it was decided to build<br />

the Bypass further inland, closer to the<br />

central volcanic-formed mountains<br />

and their water-carved gulches. This<br />

ensured plenty of construction space,<br />

but meant dealing with less-thanfriendly<br />

terrain.<br />

In 2008, construction finally got<br />

underway. Five phases were established,<br />

with Goodfellow Bros., Inc. (GBI) currently<br />

tackling the complex Phase 1B-1<br />

— a 2.81-km (1.745-mi.) stretch complete<br />

with a 30.5-m (100-ft.) bridge,<br />

T-intersection, paved shoulders, traffic<br />

signal, and an agricultural-equipmentcrossing<br />

tunnel.<br />

“We’ve worked in Hawaii for 40<br />

years building roads, bridges, subdivisions,<br />

shopping centers, golf courses,<br />

and hotels on all the inhabited islands,”<br />

says Ray Skelton, Director of Business<br />

Operations — Maui, Kauai, and<br />

Molokai. “We’re excited to be a part<br />

of a long-overdue project, especially<br />

as many of us live right in the area.”<br />

Inland challenges<br />

As the Bypass is being built inland,<br />

away from heavily populated areas,<br />

one would think blasting would be the<br />

best way to remove the extremely hard<br />

volcanic basalt rock. But this project<br />

did not allow for drilling and blasting<br />

in the specifications. Instead, it called<br />

for all material to be removed by an alternate<br />

means. GBI chose to rely on its<br />

<strong>Hitachi</strong> excavators to get the job done.<br />

“Our Hawaiian basalt rock is known<br />

for being very hard and difficult to<br />

extract,” explains Bo McKuin, Project<br />

Manager. “We pride ourselves on our<br />

ability to rip basalt rock — it is one of<br />

our specialties. For this project, we used<br />

up to four <strong>Hitachi</strong> excavators equipped<br />

with rippers and hammers, along with<br />

some dozers and other equipment. We<br />

had three ZX450LC-3s already here<br />

on Maui, but the biggest excavator in<br />

our fleet, the ZX800, we shipped from<br />

Washington State, where we also maintain<br />

offices.”<br />

“Of the 496 957 m 3 (650,000 cu. yd.)<br />

of material we had to excavate, about<br />

Excavators were the key to removing 152 910 m 3<br />

(200,000 cu. yd.) of basaltic rock.<br />

12


Blasting was not called for in the bid<br />

specs. Excavators equipped with rippers<br />

and hammers got the job done.<br />

Goodfellow Bros., Inc.<br />

Family owned since its beginnings<br />

in Wenatchee, Washington, in 1921,<br />

today the third and fourth generation<br />

of Goodfellow brothers specialize<br />

in large infrastructure projects. The<br />

company has built transportation<br />

systems, housing, and recreational<br />

facilities.<br />

In 1972, the company won a bid for<br />

a project for a sewage-treatment<br />

plant on Maui. In the decades since,<br />

GBI has built both government and<br />

private-sector projects on all the<br />

major Hawaiian islands.<br />

Today the company does business<br />

throughout North America and the<br />

Pacific, from Virginia and Florida, to<br />

Pilau and Guam. It also owns two<br />

subsidiary companies: Blasting<br />

Technology, Inc. and Pacific Drilling.<br />

Although times have changed, the<br />

company’s credo has not: Give<br />

premium service. Create a quality<br />

product. Satisfy the client.<br />

13


Look at the size of that rock!<br />

The ZX800 handled it with ease.<br />

183 492 m 3 (240,000 cu. yd.) was<br />

basaltic rock,” says Skelton. “In excess<br />

of 152 910 m 3 (200,000 cu. yd.) of that<br />

rock was removed using excavators<br />

and dozers. For the remainder, DOT<br />

and the community granted us permission<br />

to blast. So drilling and shooting<br />

took care of just a small fraction of the<br />

overall rock we had to remove; it was<br />

the <strong>Hitachi</strong> excavators that did the bulk<br />

of the work. They got the job done.”<br />

Most of the excavated rock was processed<br />

and crushed on-site and reused<br />

for the roadbed. It also provided backfill<br />

for drainage systems. GBI estimates<br />

that as a company, they process and<br />

reuse a higher ratio of excavated materials<br />

than other competing contractors.<br />

Although GBI carved and graded<br />

four lanes out of the landscape, only<br />

the two inland-most lanes will be<br />

paved. As more money becomes available<br />

in the future, the rest will be paved<br />

to create a divided four-lane highway.<br />

Now that the grading and mass<br />

excavation portion is completed, there<br />

is much more work for the <strong>Hitachi</strong><br />

excavators to do.<br />

“We use our <strong>Hitachi</strong> excavators to<br />

support all of the facets involved in this<br />

project — from utility relocation and<br />

rock ripping to forming detailed footing<br />

for the concrete structures,” says<br />

McKuin. “We’ve equipped them with<br />

Trimble GPS guidance so our talented<br />

operators can precisely follow the<br />

project models we’ve established.”<br />

The big shifT<br />

“Over the last 30 years, we’ve moved<br />

from dozer/loader to excavator-intensive<br />

operations,” says Skelton. “We<br />

run a lot of <strong>Hitachi</strong> excavators.”<br />

“We have about 50 <strong>Hitachi</strong>s in our<br />

fleet,” elaborates John Stump, GBI’s<br />

Equipment Department Manager.<br />

“We’ve been using <strong>Hitachi</strong> since about<br />

1994, and they’ve done well for us.<br />

In fact, we’ve just purchased five new<br />

ZX470LC-5s, and they’re all in Hawaii<br />

— two on Oahu and three on Maui.”<br />

GBI’s service crew makes the rounds<br />

each day to fuel the fleet, record the<br />

hourmeter readings, grease them, and<br />

so on. They handle the 250- and 500-<br />

hour scheduled maintenance themselves<br />

on the excavators, while tending<br />

to turn the higher-hour ones over to<br />

their supporting dealers — American<br />

Machinery for Hawaii and Papé Machinery<br />

for the mainland. GBI forecasts<br />

about 10 days in advance when scheduled<br />

maintenance will be required, then<br />

works with the appropriate dealer to<br />

ensure parts will be on hand.<br />

“We’ve some 450s that are up<br />

around the 9,000-hour mark, but typically<br />

we’ll cycle out machines every five<br />

years or at 7,500 hours,” adds Stump.<br />

“If things are slow, we’re more apt to<br />

sell a newer machine with lower hours<br />

because it has more resale value.<br />

“Hawaii’s basalt rock is really hard<br />

on all of our equipment. <strong>Hitachi</strong> excavators<br />

hold up very well, but we’re<br />

always checking the booms, sticks,<br />

buckets, and ripper shanks. And we<br />

endeavor to be in constant communication<br />

with the manufacturer and the<br />

dealer to make sure we’re all on the<br />

same page and are working toward the<br />

same target. It’s a constant challenge.”<br />

“We look at performance, price,<br />

service costs, and dealer support,” concludes<br />

Skelton. “We wouldn’t be using<br />

<strong>Hitachi</strong> if it didn’t meet our requirements.”<br />

Goodfellow Bros., Inc. Maui operation is<br />

serviced by American Machinery, Wailuku,<br />

Maui, Hawaii.<br />

14


PRSRT STD<br />

AUTO<br />

U.S. POSTAGE PAID<br />

STEVENS POINT, WI<br />

PERMIT NO. 272<br />

DKD1045 Litho in U.S.A. (12-06)<br />

<strong>Hitachi</strong> Construction and Mining Products • 1515 5th Avenue • Moline, IL 61265 • www.hitachiconstruction.com<br />

Never sidetracked.<br />

A “jack-of-all-trades” is good at some things, but great at nothing. That’s why at<br />

<strong>Hitachi</strong>, we stay on course specializing in excavators. By not getting sidetracked, we<br />

make exactly what you want. Great, reliable excavators. ThaT’s all.<br />

hitachiconstruction.com

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