When the economy is strong, the productivity and reliability of a contractor’s equipment are critical to meeting demanding job schedules and keeping customers satisfied.
Livengood Excavators Inc., Walnutport, PA, is a contractor who believes investing in newer, more reliable and productive equipment allows the business to accomplish this, while at the same time avoiding spending money on old machinery and incurring the increased costs of downtime.
In Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, the economic boom has led to industrial development through large corporate campuses. And for local contractor Livengood Excavators Inc. to be competitive and grow as a business, productivity is more important than ever.
In order for Livengood to keep up with its paving workload, the company recently purchased a new Caterpillar 650B asphalt paver and 534C asphalt roller from Bensalem, PA-based Giles & Ransome Inc.
Livengood has recently completed the Lehigh Valley West (LVW) Industrial Part II. The project involved complete site improvements of the 400-acre industrial park, including the construction of 3 mi. (4.8 km) of new roadways, two bridges, all earth and rock excavation, utilities and asphalt paving.
Concurrently with the LVW II, Livengood also completed site improvements for the 800,000-sq.-ft. (72,000 sq m) Bridgestone distribution center, which is a 50-acre site involving more than 300,000 cu. yd. (27,000 cu m) of earthmoving, sewer, water, storm sewer and paving construction.
The LVW II was a very large, high-profile project for this area, explained Livengood President Tim Livengood. The Route 100 and Shantz Road intersection is one of the busiest in the Lehigh Valley.
In the construction of LVW II, Livengood excavated approximately 250,000 cu. yds. (22,500 cu m) of earth and rock which was utilized for embankment at bridge approaches and blasted rock used for initial roadway subbase.
Livengood utilized up to six Caterpillar scrapers and excavated rock cuts with the Cat 330 excavators and articulated trucks. Paving of LVW II involved the new construction of Industrial Drive and Bridgestone Drive, as well as the total reconstruction of Schantz Road and Grim Road.
In all, Livengood placed more than 50,000 tons (45,000 t) of asphalt paving, including 34,000 tons (30,600 t) of BCBC, 8,000 tons (17,200 t) of binder and 8,440 tons (7,596 t) of wearing courses. On Grimm Road, the new four-lane roadway of the project, paving production reached 2,800 tons (2,520 t) per day.
According to Leo Livengood, the third generation of the business, the new Caterpillar 650B asphalt paver with extensions allowed paving widths of up to 20 ft. (6 m). The 40-ft. (12 m) roadways were paved in only two passes, reducing the number of joints.
The new 650B saved a considerable amount of time, according to Leo Livengood, and the operators really liked the more rigid screed and smoother tracking system. The 650B asphalt mat was followed up with compaction by a new Caterpillar 534C asphalt roller.
Livengood Excavators Inc., as it is known today, has been in business for more than 30 years, but the company actually was started when Charles Livengood, Leo’s grandfather, began excavating with horse-drawn equipment in the 1920s.
Leo Livengood’s father, Harvey, purchased the company’s first power shovel in the 1940s. Leo took over the company in 1965 and purchased and incorporated it in 1970.
Giles & Ransome has been supplying Livengood with its Caterpillar fleet for many years, according to salesman Tom White.
Giles & Ransome Inc., headquartered in Bensalem, PA, is the authorized distributor for Caterpillar in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Northern Delaware.
For more information, call 888/438-RENT (888/438-7368).
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