Bright Ideas

Financing • Excavators • Mobile Crushers & Grinders
October 2009
gradingandexcavation.com
COMPACTOR
SELECTING THE RIGHT
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M
ore than ever, margin pressures are necessitat-
ing that grading work be completed with as
little wasted time as possible, yet as safely and
with as little disruption to “job-site neighbors”
as possible. An example that is in the public
eye more than most construction is highway work, which is
increasingly taking place at night and on tight schedules so as
to minimize the inconvenience to neighbors (read motorists).
Of course, the unstoppable force of progress is running into the
dual immovable objects of the need to keep the public safe and
to keep crews working productively.
Artificial lighting and auxiliary job-site power are two of
the most mission-critical items on a remote nighttime job site.
Manufacturers of this equipment would tell you that, despite
their importance, contractors spend the least amount of time
selecting and maintaining this equipment. That should not be
the case, with manufacturers offering more choices in lighting
quality and power capacity than ever. In buying and renting
decisions, the contractor may opt to focus on lighting or auxil-
iary power as separate entities, or combine these items in one
piece of equipment.
Lighting Coverage, Quality, Portability Stressed
The SHO-HD lighting system from Allmand Bros. is designed
to provide increased brightness and whiteness of light for better
visibility and greater coverage. The system is now standard on
the company’s Maxi-Lite Series and Night-Lite Pro Series por-
table light towers.
The system utilizes the company’s SHO parallel lamp fixtures
and has 1,250-watt lamps and ballasts and produces 150,000
lumens per lamp, a 36% increase over the 110,000-lumen out-
put of standard 1,000-watt lamps. This increase is said to light
up to 45% more surface area to one-half footcandle or higher
compared with 1,000-watt fixtures.
The system is also designed to increase lighting quality as it
utilizes an enhanced color rendering index of 70 CRI and high-
er Kelvin color temperature of 3,954ºK, compared with 65 CRI
and 3,700ºK for standard 1,000-watt lamps. The result, accord-
BrightBright
IdeasIdeas
The contractor has more lighting and
auxiliary power choices than ever—often
in one unit.
By Don Talend
Allmand Bros.
28 I www.GradingandExcavation.com October 2009
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ing to the manufacturer, is whiter light and improved color rec-
ognition for workers in night environments. The towers’ fixtures
are equipped with “flex” mounting yokes and tip supports that
help reduce lamp breakage.
Baldor Electric Co. has launched a new 30-foot light tower
kit that is designed for portability and ease of assembly. It is
compatible with the company’s TS35T towable generator, and
assembly reportedly takes about two hours. Assembly consists
of installation of the specially designed brackets and ballast
box—with no need for drilling—and attachment of the self-con-
tained telescoping light mast. The new light-tower kit reportedly
provides 5–7 acres of light saturation.
A different concept in lighting is balloon lights, so dubbed
because they utilize flexible shroud material that reduces glare.
These fixtures are deployed at a lower height than towers—
in locations such as on a stand, truck bed, or on construc-
tion equipment itself. These units are configured to produce
intense, daylight-like light to allow precise, safe grading and
paving work at night.
Airstar America’s Sirocco 2K is designed for 360-degree
illumination without “hot points” and is said to allow workers
to look directly at the unit without eye discomfort. The bal-
loon contains two spring-mounted 1,000-watt lamps suspended
inside a protective grid. This design reportedly allows the light
to withstand greater vibration than competitive units, and the
two-lamp lighting harness protects from blackout if one of the
lamps should burn out. The quartz halogen lamps, which are
available in most local retail outlets, are also interchangeable
and available in different wattages for compatibility with any
generator capacity.
The unit is equipped with the company’s safety system,
which is designed to turn the unit off if the system encounters
problems. Additionally, the units self-inflate, and when the bal-
loon reaches 90% air mass inside the envelope, the pressure
sensor disengages and the lights automatically turn on. The
unit also is reportedly resistant to winds exceeding 60 miles
per hour.
The units’ minimal glare and quick-deployment capabil-
ity are becoming increasingly valued for nighttime highway
work, says John Caldwell, project manager for APAC, Asheville,
NC. “The majority of our work, particularly interstate work
around Asheville, is night work right now,” he says.
Caldwell estimates that he has pur-
chased 12–14 of the units over the
past two years. The units “give you
a lot more coverage around the area
and the [North Carolina Department
of Transportation] likes it, especially
because they can see a lot better
behind and to the side for their
inspection purposes. One of the big-
gest advantages is that you can set up
one of these in five minutes. They’re
great as far as putting the lighting
right wherever we need it.”
Another balloon light, the
Powermoon, has a similar general design.
The difference from the Airstar unit is that it uses an
umbrella-like mechanical open/close system, rather than a
fan, to deploy the shroud. According to the manufacturer, the
fixture allows the contractor to work in daylight-like conditions.
The underside of the balloon distributes the light and the upper
side is covered with aluminum for highly efficient downward
reflectivity of light.
Reducing glare is something that Larry Owens, equipment
manager, and C.R. Jackson, Columbia, SC, do for safety, not
because DOT regulations call for it. “You get more [footcandles]
out of the balloon-type lights because you can raise it up and
it disperses the light more readily,” says Owens. “You get much
less glare to the traveling public and you also give yourself bet-
ter visibility because [drivers] can see you a lot better.”
Auxiliary Power Comes in Handy
A new line of XP portable generators has been designed for
high performance, long periods of operation, and rough han-
dling at job sites, according to Generac Power Systems, Inc.
The gasoline-powered units have oversized full-wrap frame
tubing and impact-resistant corners to prevent damage from
rough handling. The three units feature the manufacturer’s
OHVI Engine, which is designed specifically for generators
and is said to last three to four times longer than competing
engines. The engine can be operated on uneven surfaces, in
contrast to “splash-lubricated engines.”
A control panel contains engine controls for ease of use and
an hour meter is included to facilitate maintenance tracking.
For safety, the generators are equipped with ground fault circuit
interrupter (GFCI) protection to protect from overloading.
Three new conventional generators from Subaru—the
RGX5100, RGX7100, and RGX7800—feature the latest models
of EX series overhead cam engines. The generators are con-
structed of heavy-duty steel for durability.
The RGX5100 is powered by a 10-horsepower EX30
engine. The unit delivers a maximum output of 5,000 watts
(4,200-watt standard output rating) and offers a continuous
operation time of 8.3 hours. The RGX7100 has a maximum
output of 7,100 watts (5,000-watt standard output rating) and
provides 8.3 hours of continuous operation. The RGX7800
utilizes a 14-horsepower EX40 engine and provides a maximum
output of 7,800 watts (6,000-watt standard output rating and
can operate continuously for 7.5 hours.
The models have either a recoil or electric starting
system. A high surge capacity
reportedly allows the generators
to take on up to 150% of the
rated power for as long as 20
seconds. Each unit houses a
large zinc-plated steel fuel tank
and electric components that
feature copper windings with
high-temperature insulation.
Solenoid-actuated AC circuit
breakers provide overload pro-
tection and GFCI receptacles
help ensure operator safety.
The RGX7800 from Subaru utilizes a 14-horse-
power EX40 engine and provides a maximum
output of 7,800 watts (6,000-watt standard output rating
and can operate continuously for 7.5 hours.
Subaru
October 2009 Grading & Excavation Contractor I 29

An automatic idle control, standard on all models, lowers the
engine speed when no electrical power is needed to reduce fuel
consumption while minimizing noise. Other standard features
include an hour meter, low oil level sensor and shutoff, and
low-tone muffler with a US Forestry-approved spark arrestor.
Two-wheel kits are optional.
One common task on a job site requiring auxiliary power is
welding. Eric Snyder, engine-driven welders product manager
for Lincoln Electric, notes that grading and excavation contrac-
tors also involved in general contracting work often need to
weld rebar, and the company’s Vantage 400 welding unit suits
this type of work. The unit also provides 19,000 watts (peak) of
three-phase or 12,000 watts of one-phase AC generator power
for other equipment, such as lights, grinders, and power tools.
Snyder stresses that the 400-amp unit is designed for com-
pactness because it is commonly mounted on a service truck
and contractors are often concerned about their truck’s gross
vehicle weight rating. When equipped with a four-cylinder
1,800-rpm Perkins diesel engine, the unit weighs 1,230
pounds, 1,245 pounds when equipped with a four-cylinder
1,800-rpm Kubota diesel engine.
According to Snyder, other differentiating features include
standard a stainless-steel roof and case sides, a sliding engine
access door for tight spaces in case the contractor truck-mounts
the units, GFCI, a new sealed module to keep moisture out,
battery access on the control panel side of the unit machine, a
tilt-down panel from the control panel that provides easy access,
and a latched cover for the radiator cap on the roof, which
eliminates the need to loosen bolts.
Lighting Units Provide Useful Auxiliary Power
Several manufacturers promote the auxiliary power—in addition
to illumination of the job site in low-light conditions—that their
lighting units provide.
The ML 30 EX is Allmand Bros. Inc.’s latest addition to its
Maxi-Lite portable light towers and provides up to 30 kW of
available power, an increase of 10 kW from the manufacturer’s
next-largest unit. The unit’s 135-gallon fuel capacity provides up
to 135 hours of run time without refueling.
Utilizing SHO-HD 1,250-watt parallel lamp fixtures, the
unit produces up to 150,000 lumens per lamp, a reported
36% increase over competing light towers. An optional Saf-
T-Visor attachment directs previously wasted light onto the
worksite. A modular engine/genset, designed to simplify
engine/generator removal or changeout, is standard. Other
standard features include a hinged ballast panel requiring only
removal of two bolts for full access and a captive latch on
the tower support and outriggers that eliminates the potential
for lost pins. Optional inside lamp storage for both four- and
six-light models allows for better security of the lamp fixtures
when the lighting system is not in use.
Manufacturers indicate that the recent nation-
wide trend toward nighttime highway construction
work is increasing the demand for lighting and
auxiliary power in one unit. “Right now, there isn’t
a great deal of new road construction, but there is
a lot of maintenance work on roads and bridges,”
points out Rachel Luken, product-marketing
manager with Doosan Infracore Portable Power.
“Therefore, you have a lot of existing traffic mov-
ing through and your space is limited. So if you’re
able to get a light tower with supplemental power
to power any other tools, heaters, or tripod lights,
for example, the need for an additional piece of
equipment, like a generator, is eliminated. With
one machine instead of two, you have a smaller
footprint, less maintenance to worry about with
one diesel engine to worry about, and there’s just
the lower overall cost of ownership—you can get
more with less now.”
Doosan has the Ingersoll Rand L20, a combina-
tion light tower and mobile generator designed for
use on job sites where no reliable power source
is available. The 20-kW generator powers the lighting system,
consisting of four 1,000-watt metal halide lamps, and provides
power to several receptacles. While the lighting is in use, the
unit provides up to 63 amps at 240 V and 126 amps at 120 V.
When the lighting system is not in use, the generator can output
up to 80 amps at 240 V and 160 amps at 120 V.
The unit suits the grading and excavation contractor, who
often is first on the job site and needs to supply auxiliary
power for the job-site trailer because no local power source is
available. The L20 is actually designed for rough terrain with
an axle rating of 3,500 pounds. Luken adds that the unit is
designed with wide, strong running gear and a center-mounted
engine to increase stability on rough job sites.
Other features include controls centralized on a front panel,
which has a protective coating to prevent debris contamination
and corrosion; power load protection against surges; and rect-
angular, reflective cast aluminum fixtures with horizontal bulb
positioning for greater light distribution.
An example of an L20 application where a local power
source is not available is ongoing construction of a junior high
school building in Drayton Valley, AL, Canada by Marshall-Lee
Construction Corp. of Spruce Grove, AL. Construction began
The contractor may opt to focus on lighting or auxiliary power as separate entities, or
combine these items in one piece of equipment.
AllmandBros.

fall 2008, scheduled to be completed in March 2010. Due to the bid
process, Marshall-Lee needs to be flexible and build through the win-
ter months, when construction typically is light or suspended. As a
result of the scheduling, Marshall-Lee commonly uses equipment such
as ground thaw heaters, propane heaters, and because a local power
source is unavailable, light towers also must be used during the short
winter days.
The light and power combination provided by the units rented from
4-Way Equipment Rentals in Edmonton, is very helpful in these condi-
tions, says Dave Somerville, construction manager. “You have to make
concrete work and things of that nature effective during the course of
what would normally be daylight hours, so you need auxiliary lighting.”
Also, “we sub out a lot of our foundation and concrete work, so we are
responsible for providing safety and task lighting to certain subcontrac-
tors—it’s built into our contracts.”
Somerville recalls that Marshall-Lee used some light towers with
lower auxiliary power capacity at first and experienced problems.
When equipment with high power demand was plugged into
these towers, they routinely went down due to overloading,
he says.
“A lot of times we’d be using a [circular saw] and we’d
get stuck in a piece of wood that was either wet or a bit
hard and we’d blow the breaker. We’d have to go all the
way back to the light tower and push the breaker back in—
that’s dead time to us. We haven’t experienced that kind of
thing with the larger unit.”
The new TML-4000 light tower from Genie Industries uses gal-
vanized steel for the mast, control box, ballast boxes, and outriggers
for corrosion protection. The unit also has standard 120- and 240-volt
outlets to accommodate both hand tools and equipment demanding a
larger power draw. The unit provides 1.6 kilowatts when all four lights
are on and 6 kW when the lights are off.
The light fixtures and ballasts are equipped with quick-disconnect
fittings to facilitate routine maintenance. The ballasts are also num-
bered and interchangeable, eliminating the need to remove the cov-
ers or use specialized electrical tools during maintenance. Horizontal,
Gary Johnson could not have foreseen 25 years ago that a routine
equipment purchase would still be paying off after all of these years.
Light towers can last indefinitely, but seeing the proof and benefiting
from it made Johnson a believer.
In 1981, Johnson purchased two Allmand light towers for his Fort
Pierre, S.D.–based highway heavy contracting business, AGE. At the
time, AGE was doing a large-scale earth moving project at the Black
Thunder coal mine in Wyoming, working in shifts around the clock.
Johnson decided he was tired of renting the equipment whenever he
needed it and “having nothing but a receipt to show for it” when he
was done.
AGE decided to buy the light towers used, and picked up two
relatively new models, manufactured in 1979 and 1981. Between the
work at the mine and highway work late in the construction season,
Johnson decided the investment was worth it, especially after a little
encouragement from his crew.
“There is enough potential for accidents even in natural daylight,
and when it starts to get dark it increases dramatically,” Johnson said.
“My crew had worked for people that didn’t have light towers, and
loved them. Like they said, it beats the heck out of using a flashlight.”
Perhaps most impressive is that in addition to the hours of use the
light towers get at AGE, they also see added work when Johnson rents
them out. Despite this grueling schedule, Johnson said his mainte-
nance responsibilities are almost nonexistent.
“After years of sitting in all kinds of weather, we have had to
replace cords a few times,” Johnson said. “Other than that though, in
25 years we haven’t done anything but oil changes and bulb replace-
ments, very basic maintenance.”
Johnson said it’s hard to believe that the light towers have been
part of AGE longer than his sons, Gerad, 23 and Andy, 20—fourth-
generation employees of AGE — have even been alive. And, he says,
the towers still work like they did back in 1981.
For the time being, just two light towers fulfill AGE’s requirements,
but Johnson said he wouldn’t hesitate to purchase an Allmand tower
again if he needs to expand, or when his current light towers finally
wear down—if they ever do.
AGE Has Time On Its Side
Contractor’s quarter-century-old equipment is running strong.
By Doug Dahlgren
Artificial lighting and auxiliary job-site
power are two of the most mission-
critical items on a remote nighttime
job site.WackerNeuson
Baldor

square aluminum lights feature Quick Aim horizontal and verti-
cal light casing adjustments and each of the four lights can be
individually adjusted. The horizontal mountings disperse light
more widely, although in a shorter beam than vertical mount-
ings. Quick-deploy outriggers allow deployment of the unit on
tilting surfaces.
Another Genie light tower, the AL4000, extends to a height
of 30 feet and provides 4,000 watts of light to illuminate up
to 7.5 acres. A single winch system with an ergonomically posi-
tioned handle is incorporated for easy raising and lowering. The
stowed width and length are 5 feet, 2 inches and 14 feet, 11
inches, respectively.
Branch Manager Bill Fewless and outside sales representa-
tive Carl Openshaw of ESCO Supply, Billings, MT, report that
a large grading and excavation contractor customer—Riverside
Contracting Inc., Missoula, MT—rents AL4000s due to their
ruggedness and reliability. Particularly useful features of the unit
that lend themselves to productivity, Openshaw says, include a
photo cell option that starts up the unit at sunrise and shuts it
down at dusk, and the electric winch.
New wide-body LTW series light towers from Wacker
Neuson combine job site lighting with power up to 20 kW in
a heavy-duty steel frame. The light towers feature a wide track
width, independent torsion axles and a heavy-duty tongue-and-
hitch assembly to accommodate off-road towing. Equipped with
large, 60-gallon fuel tanks and simple engine controllers with
various fault protections, these units are designed for illuminat-
ing and powering remote and/or long-run applications.
The series of light towers consists of three models. The
LTW 6K has a 6-kW generator and 13.1-horsepower Kubota
diesel engine. The LTW 8K has an 8-kW generator and is
powered by a 15. 2-horsepower Kubota diesel engine. The
LTW 6K and LTW 8K have 2-12-V, 20A Duplex GFI and
1-120/240V, 30A twist locks. The LTW 20Z1 has a 19.2-
kW generator with a 35.4-horsepower Isuzu diesel engine;
power equipment and specs include 4-120V, 20A Duplex GFI,
2-120/240, 30A twist lock and 1-240V, 50A California.
The company notes several features of the series. These
include a 30-foot adjustable tower that rotates 360 degrees,
elliptical light fixtures that provide diffused and even illumi-
nation without glare, storage of the lights inside the unit for
added security and convenience, a heavy-duty steel skid for
protection from road debris, and multiple power outlets. Full
length, 11-gauge steel doors are used for maintenance accessi-
bility and a mast-mounted base winch provides operator ergo-
nomics and easy operation by allowing the operator to raise
the mast without bending.
Communications specialist Don Talend resides in West Dundee, IL.
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