A Brief History of Thyme as per Minnesota PCC Pavers

Co-Written by Steve Hawlking, A2Zand

Bob McPartlin, PE

Concrete Paving Ass’n of Minnesota Workshop – March 14, 2019

The Concrete Paver:

Disclaimers . . . . .

• Interviewed several personnel from various companies• No intention to rate productivity, quantity or quality of the different

companies• Balanced approach• Other

Olden Times – it worked for them!

Time

Com

pres

sive

Stre

ngth

of

Sto

ne

Old TH 61, south of Red Wing – mid 1920s

Time

Com

pres

sive

Stre

ngth

of

Con

cret

e

How Thick Can Concrete be Placed?

Time

Com

pres

sive

Stre

ngth

of

Con

cret

e

Peru – Pan-American Highway

Time

Usef

ul Li

fe o

f Pav

emen

t

Who Begets Whom?

Family Tree Approach

Who Begets Whom?

Family Tree Approach

Francis – Catherine; George – Ella; Augustus – Laura; Andrew – AnnaFrancis – Alice Robert – Rose

Hugh – RosemaryRobert

Who Begets Whom - Part II

Spaghetti Western Approach

Who Begets Whom - Part II

Spaghetti Western Approach

ClintLeeEli

Who Begets Whom - Part III

The “Bonanza” Approach

Ben

Adam Hoss Little Joe

SomeSSomeday Son, this will be all yours!

Who Begets Whom - Part IV

• Family lineage• Got tired, dropped out

• New company picked up pieces• Employees felt a better way - - - left• Void in the Industry (real or perceived), and filled

• As always - - A Chance to Make Money

The Early Years

• Progressive Project Types• Basements• Sidewalk and Flatwork• Curb / Gutter and Median

• Slipform• Mainline

• Both Feet at One Time• Mainline

Innovation over the Years

• Subgrade preparation• Fine-grade motor grader - - back / forth with many “Blue Tops”• Automated Trimmer – 3000’ to 2 miles per day

• Form• Several crews of xx plus trucks – Set AND tear down

• 10’ . . . 245#• Inventory – 8”, 9”, 10” – etc (Design of PCC = Engineered or Forms available?)• Slip Form

• One-side stringline – controlled trimmer only for vertical• Two-side string – for trimmer and paver, etc

Innovation over the Years

• Concrete Production• Ready-Mix (Urban, small projects)• On-job Mixers

• Rex 7E; 11E; 27E; 34E - - and others• Cubic Feet - - 7, 11, 29.7, 37.4

• Double Drum central plant• 2-minute cycle (34E) to 70-seconds

• 375 % increase in production• Evolved into “Very Mobile” set-up / tear down

• Concrete Transportation• 6-CY trucks - - > 9-CY

27–E Concrete Paver

Innovation = Production

• ACPA Mantra of the Time = Mile-a-Day!• Woodrich Const. - - 1963 I-90 Austin to Stewartville

• Better paver “smoothness” = less fatigue on straightedge & floaters• Just-in-Time Trucking

• Material Supply• Wet-Mix Delivery• Radio - - Cell Phone - - Weather Forecasting Apps

• Labor - - due to the above …… 100s to dozens

Just in Time - - Downtown Berlin, World Cup

Innovation - Concrete

• W/C ratio - - lower• Better aggregate blending• Better curing material• Better AE admixture (and testing)• Water-reducing Admixtures!• More Cementious blends – Fly Ash; Slag• Better designed joint pattern

Timeline of Events

• 1900s - - 1910s - - - 1920s - - -• The auto, and travel - - - soon the need for ‘cross-country’ network• Private “Auto Clubs”; “Named Routes”• 1919 : X-C trip by DDE

• Federal question - -• A National System of Highways or • System of National Highways? • The Big Roads by Earl Swift

Timeline of Events

• 1930s• Economic Depression• Federal $$ for Roads as “Make Work”

• Consequences? • WWII – An interruption in road building, or ‘re-tooling’?

• Al-Can Highway• New dozers, trucks, laydown equipment• Personnel trained by SeaBees, Corps of Engineers, etc.

• Interstate Funding, other Federal $$; and explosion of projects

• The rest is History

Butch Cassidy / Sundance Kid ----“Who are those Guys”

• The Early Pavers:

• The beginnings of the Growth – the 50s and 60s:

• Today’s Minnesota Concrete Pavers:

Early Pavers

Hallet ConstCentral StatesMcCree & Co.Ashbach Const

Woodrich ConstArcon Const

Oakes ConstPalda & SonsE.W. Coons

Anderson & SonsNorthern Improvement Co

Doyle Conner

Minimal Equipment - - Fakarava, South Seas

Time

Com

pres

sive

Stre

ngth

of

Con

cret

e

Beginnings of the Growth – 50s & 60s

Anderson & SonsArcon Const. Co.

Ashbach Const. Co.Barton Contracting Co.

Central States Const. Co.E.W. Coons

Doyle ConnerGould Const. Co.

Plus – Associates, Material Suppliers,

S.J. Groves and SonHallett Const. Co.McCree and Co.

Megarry Bros. Const. Co.Palda and Sons, Inc.

Schultz & Lindsey, Inc.Woodrich Const. Co.

Cement producers, etc

Parameters for FIRST Paving Awards

February 28, 1961 – CPAM Board of Director’s Meeting

Smoothness was primary consideration

“Set the Roughometer Index “Low enough” so it will be hard to obtain a full score.”

Reduce 1 point for every inch over 60 “/mile

(Today’s Readings = ??)

Also of Note . . . .

April 21, 1961 – CPAM Board of Director’s Meeting

Hire a ConsultantStudy Maintenance Costs of Concrete and Asphalt pavements as far

back as 1947 or 1948 for comparison and advertising purposes.

Today’s Minnesota PaversC. S. McCrossan

Doyle ConnerHoffman Concrete

North Country ConcretePCi, Roads

S.M. Hentges & SonsShafer Contracting

Today’s Paving Train

CPAM Executive Directors

Al O. TorgersonL.P. Pederson

Phillip HennesseyDick VanKrevelen

Arnie LaingenDan FrentressMark SnyderMatt Zeller

Innovation is not restricted

I-17, Phoenix, AZ – innovative delivery

Time

Com

pres

sive

Stre

ngth

of

Con

cret

e

Innovations by Contracting Agencies

Maximum Inspection Forces

And the Minimum

The Future of PCC Paving?

• # of Projects; $$ of Projects = # of Pavers• Concrete to be tweaked - - - - “Good for the Romans”• Productivity to increase

• Better equipment - - (drones?)• Innovation• Return to the 34-E? (ie. Mix at the Job Site?)• Precast? Pre-stressed or Post-tensioned?

• Labor to get smarter• Stingless Paving• Doing More with Less

• Getting the Edge

Time

Com

pres

sive

Stre

ngth

of

Con

cret

e

Your Questions?And

Ski-U-Mah!

Another METERMAN ProductionAll Rights Reserved!