GOMACO World Index --- GOMACO World 27.1 - January 1999

 

The GT-3600: From Amphitheater Seating To Golf Cart Paths

 

amphitheater

Axis Curb Company utilized the GOMACO GT-3600 for a project where they were named as subcontractor by The City of Salem, Oregon. This was to implement the first amphitheater wall for the Salem Riverfront Park.

A GT-3600 was also used on a project in Rockford, Michigan. M & S Construction Company, Inc., poured a golf cart path on an 18-hole golf course. Both projects utilized the full-range capabilities of the GT-3600. These contractors decided upon GOMACO equipment because the machine has the ability to perform with both versatility and reliability.

 

Salem Riverfront Park

Civil Engineer Keith Kuenzi, City of Salem, stated, "The amphitheater project certainly has been a favorable one for the city. The project is one of the few outdoor amphitheaters that is going to be used in this manner. The City of Salem has had many outdoor concerts that have been successful. It has been a year since the construction of the amphitheater, but it is continuing to grow in popularity."

This construction project involved slipforming 256m (841 ft) of a combination retaining wall and seating area. Every wall was a radius. There were five radii starting at 30.48m (100 ft) and increasing at 5.49m (18 ft) increments. Concrete placement was on five separate tiers, 5.49m (18 ft) between finished products with a 762mm (30 in) elevation increase per tier as the radii expanded. The walls were 864mm (34 in) high with a 152mm (six inch) wide gutter/mowstrip, which was level with the backfilled grade. This eliminated edging in the lawn care (see diagram on next page).

Mike Blakely, superintendent of AXIS Curb Company, stated, "Some of the difficult aspects of the pour were the tight tolerances and the tight working area. We had to back into all five different terraces with the trucks and the machine. The rear steering was used to position the machine due to the 762mm (30 in) vertical bank on three sides of the pour area. The rear steering function was easily activated and very accurate."

 

 

GT-3600

GT-3600

 

 

The survey staking was set at 3.81m (12.5 ft) stations with 1.22m (four foot) offsets due to the critical line and grade tolerances. The tangent sections in the string were reduced to less than 8mm (.3 in) by AXIS Curb personnel using a chord theorem method of laying out a circular measurement of the curve.

The job required 7.5 to 9.5 hours to actually place the concrete with the machine. The rest of the process was preparation and the total job time was 14 hours. They were slipforming at a rate of 1.52 to 2.44m (five to eight feet) per minute with a 25mm (one inch) concrete slump. The speed was dictated by the delivery of the concrete. This depended upon the efficiency and performance of the ready-mix trucks. The concrete mixture had a 30MPa (4000 lb psi) with fiber mesh added to it. The ultimate break strengths on the mix were in excess of 40MPa (5500 lb psi) with a 28-day curing time.

 

 

amphitheater

GT-3600

 

 

 

Secrets

"The job process is like a chain. You need to properly prepare the job and prepare a good stringline. The equipment needs to be properly prepared and you need to have good concrete delivery. Good quality people are very important as well," remarked Blakely.

The features on the GOMACO GT-3600 proved to be favorable to AXIS Curb Company. Blakely added, "I find that the most likable features on the machine are the mold and the trimmer shift that both move vertically and horizontally. I also like all of the hydraulic functions that are gauged and allow easy access for diagnosing any problems. The rear steer function has made it easier to get into the tight working conditions on this project."

 

 

GT-3600

 

 

 

One Golf Cart Path For 18 Holes

Steve Suchowolec, vice president of M & S Construction Company, Inc., of Rockford, Michigan, remarked, "The owner of the golf course says that the number one complement that they receive on this golf course is the cart path. Each day someone comes up to him and remarks about the cart path. We used a 6-sack/AA limestone mix for the concrete, which beautifully turned the cart path snow white."

The versatility of the GT-3600 proved to be one of the benefits for M & S Construction Company, Inc., in producing this golf cart path for the Boulder Creek Country Club in Rockford, Michigan. M & S Construction Company, Inc., is involved in road construction and parking lots which prepared them for slipforming the cart paths for this course.

The idea of the path began as a brainstorming effort between three construction companies; M & S Construction Company, Inc.; Dykema Excavators; and Grand Rapids Gravel.

 

 

GT-3600

GT-3600

 

 

The path was 2.44m (eight feet) wide, 102mm (four inches) thick and 9205m (30,200 ft) in length. They used 2309m3 (3020 yd3) of concrete.

"It was a terrain of nothing but twists and turns moving up and down hills. Some of these hills were too steep. We would have to change the direction of the pour so that we could pour from the top of the hill down because of the steep grade," Suchowolec remarked. "The cart path started at the club house. We could drive to the number one tee and never get off the cart path until we got back to the club house. It was continuous all the way."

The crew consisted of 11 to 12 people, who were pouring 153m3 to 191m3 (200 to 250 yd3) per day. The GOMACO GT-3600's ability to pave within a narrow path proved to be very helpful. Suchowolec noted they were barely missing the trees with the machine while paving through some wooded areas.

 

 

GT-3600

GT-3600

 

 

 

Secrets

"The number one secret is purchasing the best equipment," added Suchowolec. "The number two secret is the personnel and having the best workers on the crew. Everyone knows that if you have a problem with the equipment, GOMACO is very dependable and will take care of your needs. They do not rest until a problem is solved. I personally know everyone that I need, even the CEO of the company. In this day and time companies are not normally like that."

 

 

GT-3600

golf cart path

 

 

 

 

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