Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/748269
November 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com 56 P avers and compaction equipment get most of the attention in roadbuilding – they give us the primary beauty of a fi nished pavement. But, as is often pointed out when we discuss top-notch road construction, the performance of a road is dependent on the quality of the base. With that in mind, it's easy to see that motor graders are a bit of the unsung hero of quality pavements – they provide much of the accuracy when it comes to the grade and slope upon which the rest of a roadway is constructed. While motor graders are viewed as singular in pur- pose, their functionality is far more diverse, as they are one of the more complex machines to operate. And operation enhancements are where much of the manu- facturer's focus has been of late. Operator challenges The general construction labor shortage, and the dif- fi culty of fi nding and keeping experienced operators, is a top problem for contractors. While nothing will replace an experienced operator, manufacturers have been working to advance the capabilities of motor grad- ers to make operation easier, which would benefi t less experienced crews. "It's well known there is a lot of turnover in motor grader operators," says Luke Kurth, John Deere product marketing manager for motor graders. That factor often leaves a contractor with a skills drain in his crews. And even if an operator is adequate, he or she could be missing out on features that can step up their performance. "You get a guy that hops in the seat that can run and cut grade, but maybe he doesn't understand how to run the road science | by Chris Hill | ChrisHill@randallreilly.com Updates help operators fi ne tune work in roadbuilding applications MOTOR GRADER CONTROL: