Jones Contracting Corporation of West Point, IA recently broke out nearly its entire slipforming fleet to install a DOT ramp and turn lane addition. They used their Power Paver SF-1700 for the mainline, Power Curber 5700-C for the shoulders, and added the finishing touches with their Power Paver TC-2700. Allowed only 35 days to complete the $700,000-plus job, Jones had to be efficient. Owner Pat Jones explains, “Our thought was the more we could use the slipforming machines, the less we would have to form up.” And it worked. Jones added, “we had days to spare. If we had to hand form all that, we would have been there a long time and been into penalty. The machines are what made that job quick work.”
A Fort Madison, IA wind turbine blade factory needed the new ramp. They struggled to maneuver trailers loaded with 150 ft (46 m) blades onto Highway 61. Although the 1,500 ft (457 m) job wasn’t the largest, it was complex. Incorporating numerous joints and varying widths meant Jones had to be creative. Further complicated by Highway 61 traffic, they had to keep their equipment off the road to minimize disruptions. Jones used the SF-1700 to slipform most of the mainline, but there wasn’t room for a paver where it joined into the highway. There, they used their 5700-C to pave the shoulders first, eliminating the need to set up forms. One of the shoulders was 4 ft (1.2 m), and the other was 6 ft (1.8 m). So, Jones used a single, adjustable Power Curber mold that could pour both widths. They followed their paver with the texture/curing machine to add longitudinal tining. Jones described the results, “we got an excellent profilograph back on it. No issues, and it is a smooth ride.”
Pat Jones founded the company in 2015. He worked in the financial industry after graduating college. But eventually, the mud in his blood got the better of him, and he chose a life of concrete over a suit and tie and Jones Contracting Corp. was born. Today it specializes in concrete foundations, flatwork, and road construction. The thirty-person operation typically works within sixty miles of home. Beyond the equipment used for the ramp job, they also own a Power Paver SF-2700. Jones describes their choice of machinery, “We do a lot of city street paving and occasional county road projects. Power Pavers are great machines for us. They are a lot more compact and well-suited for city street paving. We are very impressed with the equipment we’ve gotten from Power Curbers and Power Pavers. They are good people and have been a good partner.”
