October 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com
54
P
reparation for a paving job
goes well beyond simply
lining up equipment and
materials and readying
the site. Understanding
the design and specifi cations,
soil type, and utility locations is
a major step for contractors, and
can make a big difference in the
profi tability of a job.
For Eric Covington of DECCO
Contractors-Paving in Rogers, Ar-
kansas, unexpected utility interfer-
ences have been a major challenge.
They aren't things a contractor can
plan or budget for when preparing
for a paving job.
"It's just something you can't
foresee," he says. "Franchise utilities
seem to be the worst for North-
west Arkansas, and in a lot of
conversations we have with other
contractors, the issues seem to be
those electrical, gas, cable TV and
telephone lines. In our neck of the
woods, 90 percent of the time it's
utility delays."
Covington explains how, when
these underground utilities are mis-
allocated on the engineering plan,
it can have a far-reaching negative
impact.
"We bid work based on hours on
road science
|
by Chris Hill
|
ChrisHill@randallreilly.com
Success comes from a combination of planning,
communication and technology integration.
SITE PREPARATION
DECCO-Contractors Paving grading a
base course for paving work on a resi-
dential contract near Rogers, Arkansas.
