When it comes to Blaw-Knox paver, Callan Industries Inc., Albany, NY, doesn’t mess around. Callan owns and operates seven Blaw-Knox pavers while it sister companies own another five.
“They’re all-around dependable machines. With them, we can pave anything from a 20-ton driveway to a $15- or $20-million interstate highway project,” said John Hladik, construction manager, Callanan.
Callanan recently used one of its two PF-5510s to put down 2,500 tons (2,250 t) of New York Department of Transportation Type 6 mix for a T & L course in a working day. On the semi-rural road in the town of Schodack, NY, crews used one 2-ft. (.6 m) screed extension on each side. Callanan was able to reprofile it and put a crown in the road in a single pass that averaged from 19 to 22 ft. (5.8 to 6.7 m) wide.
The 100-year-old contracting firm, with a specialty in asphalt paving, truly believes that paving “wider is better,” especially when applied to asphalt paving.
“Historically, in our part of the country at least, the centerline joint has been the cause of many premature road failures. We have about 60 inches of snow and a high incidence of winter freeze-thaw cycles. If there is any way for water to seep through into the joint, it will contribute to its disintegration. No matter how much care we put into the joint compaction, eventually there is a failure here. By shutting down a section of road and pulling it in a single pass without a joint, there is a much longer roadway lifespan,” said Hladik.
“Ten years ago, we would be paving similar roads with two 10 foot wide passes with a centerline joint. That’s no longer the case. Anytime we can pave wider now, we do, because the roads hold up better. The taxpayer gets more and longer lasting highways for his dollars, as well. It hasn’t been an easy task to convince the state and the homeowners of the benefits of doing it this way, but we are making progress. Only putting down 2-inch lifts, the state is getting roads that last from seven to 10 years without requiring an overlay.”
Paving wider eliminates many troublesome joints added Hladik, and, in the case of the two lane rural roads, the water just drains off to the sides reducing the potential for damage.
Paving this way can be harder on the equipment. It is this reason why Callanan relies on Blaw-Knox pavers for the machine’s durability.
“You have to buy the best machines you can find and then you must maintain them in peak operating condition. Our Blaw-Knox PF-5510 pavers with the 10-ft. screeds are designed and built to handle this,” said Hladik.
With the power extendible Omni III screed and the optional auger and tunnel extensions, Callanan crews can pull up to 24 ft. (7.2 m) wide. With its modern electronics, crews can break (crown) the pavement where it is needed, and also pave out keyways for driveways automatically.
To get both a longer service life from the screeds and to provide the crews with a cleaner work environment, Callanan has elected to equip its PF-5510 pavers with propane screed heaters. “We feel that propane provides a more even and positive heat when we need it. They pretty much come on and turn off by themselves so the men tend not to let them burn all the time. That sometimes is the case with fuel oil burners, especially with the cooler and shorter days of the fall. By using the propane burners, we have been putting between 130,000 and 160,000 ton of asphalt through the screeds. With the bonier Superpave mixes we’ll have to take another look at this,” said Hladik.
Pavers in Action
Paving Foreman Frank Grant said that his Callanan crew was using a Blaw-Knox PF-5510 to put down roughly 9,000 tons (8,100 t) of Superpave mix on a 2.5-mi. (4 km) long section of Route 52 in White Sulphur, NY. The mix was being placed in two lifts, an inch and a half of T & L, and an inch and a half of surface course. The paver was set to pull 18 ft. (5.5 m) wide, a 12-ft. (3.6 m) wide travel lane and a 6-ft. (1.8 m) wide shoulder, at a time. A Michigan wedge joint was used to bond the two halves of the road.
(The preceding appears courtesy of Blaw-Knox Operating Strategy Report.)
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