SOME EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS ON HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION JOBS

WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED EQUIPMENT FOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION, NEW PROBLEMS IN EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT HAVE DEVELOPED. THE LARGEST SINGLE SOURCE OF DELAY (OTHER THAN WEATHER) COMMON TO ALL CLASSES OF EQUIPMENT INVOLVES THE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF THE EQUIPMENT ITSELF. APPROXIMATELY 30 PERCENT OF ALL DELAYS (AVERAGE FOR ALL JOBS EXCLUDING WEATHER) IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THIS CAUSE. ALTHOUGH COSTLY, ACQUISTION OF NEW EQUIPMENT IS EXCELLENT INSURANCE OF DEPENDABLE MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE AND ORDINARILY WILL AVOID MUCH OF THE DOWN TIME COMMON TO OLDER EQUIPMENT. HOWEVER, NEW EQUIPMENT WILL NOT INSURE TOP JOB PERFORMANCE, SINCE MANY CNTRACTORS WITH OLDER EQUIPMENT CAN OUT PERFORM OTHERS HAVING NEWER AND BETTER EQUIPMENT SIMPLY BY FOLLOWING BETTER JOB MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. THE PROBLEM OF KEEPING EQUIPMENT IN SATISFACTORY REPAIR IS A CRITICAL ONE DUE TO A SHORTAGE OF CAPABLE AND CONCIENTIOUS OPERATORS AND DEPENDABLE MECHANICS FOR SERVICING AND REPAIRING OF EQUIPMENT. OTHER DELAYS WHICH AFFECT VARIOUS JOBS TEND TO FALL IN CERTAIN WELL DEFINED CATEGORIES, DEPENDING UPON THE PARTICULAR CLASS OF WORK. SUPPLY OF MATERIAL TO ASPHALT PLANTS, HAULING UNIT PROBLEMS ON PAVING AND POWER SHOVEL JOBS, AND PUSHER PROBLEMS ON SCRAPER GRADING WARRENT SPECIAL ATTENTION.