Oil production is on the rise in Sturgeon County, Alberta. Tar sands mining and oil refining are driving this development, with construction of three new refineries commencing in 2008.
To meet the increase in truck traffic that accompanies construction, Sturgeon County has been upgrading its roads.
“There will be 15,000 to 20,000 workers coming in here on a daily basis at the peak of refinery construction. We’ve got to get ready for that traffic,” said Wayne Bullock, director of infrastructure for Sturgeon County.
The county spent $11 million upgrading roads in 2006 and 2007. A little more than seven miles of roadway were reconstructed to two-lane highway in 2007, with five miles to be upgraded to highway status in 2008.
Sturgeon County reconstructs five to six miles of existing asphalt roadways per year. Another nine to 12 miles of clay-based, gravel roadways are built or reconstructed annually. Approximately 98% of the work is reconstruction.
Improving and maintaining the county’s 1,118 miles of roadway—including 963 miles of unpaved roads—require the proper equipment. Sturgeon County’s fleet features 28 Cat machines, including 14 motor graders, four scrapers, three track-type tractors, two wheel loaders, a soil compactor and an RM-300 Rotary Mixer.
Meeting the challenge
Sturgeon County recently purchased three Cat 14M motor graders and two Cat 160M motor graders. “The 14Ms are heavier, and we’re using them for road construction, our road oiling program and our soil stabilization program. We’re using the 160Ms for road maintenance and snow removal,” Bullock said.
A simulator was rented for one week to help operators learn how to run the M-Series motor graders, which are operated by joystick controls instead of the traditional steering wheel and levers.
“There is a learning curve, but the operators like the new machines,” Bullock said.
County crews use the 14M motor graders for stabilization of gravel roads being upgraded to asphalt or on existing asphalt roads that are being rehabilitated. In road stabilization, cement containing fly ash is mixed with the existing, pulverized roadway material to improve the base.
The 14M motor graders also do shoulder pulling jobs, where gravel that has worked its way onto and past the shoulder is pushed back onto the driving surface. Material pulled from the ditch and roadway material are run through the county’s Cat RM-300 rotary mixer, compacted, then topped with gravel.
Sturgeon County uses the 160M motor graders for maintenance of unpaved roadway. “The 160M is an ideal size for that, and the all-wheel drive helps us in the winter. We don’t have to use chains to get through heavy snow drifts,” Bullock said.
The five new M-Series motor graders replaced older machines. Sturgeon County tries to replace motor graders every five years. An aggressive equipment replacement program saves the county money. “Our graders are very seldom in the shop—just for oil changes and other routine maintenance. If a grader’s in the shop, the other guys are working overtime or you’re not grading the roads,” Bullock said.
With the increasing demands on Sturgeon County’s roadways, motor grader uptime isn’t optional. It is required.
