Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/301563
TIONS ILLUSTRATED OUR EXPERTS Building Be er Berms May 2014 Bill Page, project manager at Huntsville, Ohio-based Duff Quarry, began working full-time at the quarry when he was 18. He spent a year at the Nashville auto diesel col- lege and continued his educa- tion with night courses. Page oversees maintenance and electro-mechanical changes at the quarry. He enjoys the au- tomation and improvements that come from new ideas in the industry and has patented one of his own inventions, the Screen Cleaner (www.thescreencleaner.com). Jim Tweedy is plant super- intendent at CalPortland's Pioneer Aggregates Plant in DuPont, Wash. After owning his own small operation for a number of years, he went to work for CalPortland in 2002. One of the things he most en- joys is working with the staff and crew whose commitment and dedication really show at the facility. MSHA policy requires berms to be at least mid-axle high of the largest piece of equipment that uses the road. However, weather conditions can cause a berm to settle, and material spillage can cause the roadway to become higher, so it's a good idea to build a more substantial berm, initially, that exceeds requirements and doesn't require constant touch up or repair. When approaching a berm, especially at a dump point, do so with care. A berm is not meant to stop a vehicle or keep it from going over the edge of a roadway or drop-off. It is only meant to be used like a curb on a city street to let the operator know when the vehicle is near the edge of the roadway or a drop off. Berm maintenance should be ongoing. It's up to equipment operators and other employees to monitor the berms every day as a part of the work area exam. If a problem is noted, repairs should be made as soon as possible. A minor repair, such as a low area in the berm, can easily be handled by a loader operator. Anything requiring a major repair should be reported to a supervisor or foreman. Though berms built out of aggregate are the norm at most quarries, some operations build concrete berms or barriers out of retained concrete from ready-mix plants. The concrete berms offer the same strength as aggregate berms without taking up as much space and offer a way to recycle material that would normally be a waste product. These berms work especially well on ramps where loaders feed hoppers. Exceed height requirements 2 3 Do not use berms as a stop 5 Be vigilant about maintenance 6 Alternative berms offer fl exibility