FAQs
What are the advantages of slipforming curb over hand forming?
- Slipformed curb is stronger: Low-slump concrete is stronger than the high-slump concrete used in hand pouring.
- Slipformed curb is faster: You get more production with the same number or fewer people, resulting in lower price to the end user.
- Traffic patterns are diverted for a shorter time due to the speed of completing the project; thus, the traveling public (the taxpayer) is happier.
- Low-slump, air-entrained concrete is more resistant to salt and slag deterioration.
Why does my front crawler search back and forth when I’m pouring?
Several things may cause this. Here are a few simple procedures to help determine where the problem is originating. Do the following one at a time to determine the problem.
| Do this: | To determine if the problem is this: |
| Swap your steering sensor with a sensor you know is good. | Defective Sensor |
| Swap the steering sensor curly cord with a cord you know is good. | Defective Curly Cord |
| Swap the steering amplifier with an amplifier you know is good. | Defective Amplifier |
| Swap the servovalve with one you know is good (steering servovalves on late model 5700s, 8700s, and 5700-Bs are different from the grade and slope servovalves). | Defective Servovalve |
| Check the feedback pot for proper operation and correct timing. | Defective or Improperly Timed Feedback Pot |
What is the recommended maintenance schedule?
| Check and Clean Schedule | Interval | ||||
| Ref. No. | Identification | Type of Service | Daily (10 Hrs.) | Weekly (50 Hrs.) | Monthly (250 Hrs.) |
| 1 | Engine Oil Level | Check | X | – | – |
| 2 | Engine Coolant Level | Check | X | – | – |
| 3 | Radiator / Cooler | Check | X | – | – |
| – | Radiator / Cooler | Clean | – | – | X |
| 4 | Engine Air Filter | Check | X | – | – |
| – | Engine Air Filter | Clean | – | X | – |
| 5 | Hydraulic Oil Level | Check | X | – | – |
| 6 | Hydraulic Oil Cooler Fins | Check | X | – | – |
| 7 | Fuel Level | Check | X | – | – |
| 8 | Conveyor | Clean | X | – | – |
| 9 | Conveyor Torque Hub Oil Level | Check | – | – | X |
| 10 | Crawler Chain Tension | Check | – | X | – |
| 11 | Crawler Torque Hub Oil Level | Check | – | – | X |
| 12 | Crawler Idler & Roller Bearings | Check | – | – | X |
| 13 | Trimmer Torque Hub Oil Level | Check | – | – | X |
| 14 | Pump Drive Oil Level | Check | – | – | X |
| 15 | Mold & Hopper | Clean | X | – | – |
| 17 | Sensor Hubs & Wands | Clean | X | – | – |
| Change Schedule | Interval | |||||
| Ref. No. | Identification | Type of Service | 50 Hrs. | 250 Hrs. | 500 Hrs. | 2000 Hrs. |
| 1 | Charge Filter | Change | 1st Time | X | – | – |
| 2 | Servo System Hydraulic Filter Element | Change | 1st Time | X | – | – |
| 3 | Hydraulic Tank Return Filter Element | Change | 1st Time | X | – | – |
| 4 | Hydraulic Tank Breather Filter Element | Change | – | X | – | – |
| 5 | Engine Oil | Change | 1st Time | X | – | – |
| 6 | Engine Oil Filter | Change | 1st Time | X | – | – |
| 7 | Engine Coolant | Change | – | – | – | X or 2 years |
| 8 | Air-Cleaner Element | Change | – | X | – | – |
| 9 | Fuel Filters | Change | 1st Time | – | X | – |
| 10 | Hydraulic Oil | Change | – | – | – | X |
| 11 | Hydraulic Tank Suction Screen Filters | Clean | – | – | – | X |
| 12 | Crawler Torque Hub Oil | Change | – | – | – | X |
| 13 | Trimmer Torque Hub Oil | Change | – | – | – | X |
| 14 | Pump Drive Oil | Change | – | – | – | X |
| 15 | Conveyor Torque Hub Oil | Change | – | – | – | X |
What are some of the Brand Name Equivalents for the hydraulic oil?
| Hydraulic Oil Brand Name Equivalents | |
| AMERICAN | Industrial Oil 46 |
| CITGO | Pacemaker 46 |
| EXXON | Nuto H46 & Terrestric 46 |
| MOBIL | DTE 25 |
| PHILLIPS | Mangus 46 |
| SHELL | Tellus 46 |
| SUN | Sunvis 46 |
| TEXACO | Rando 46 |
| UNION | Unax 46 |
Why does the post leak down when the engine isn’t running?
| There are 2 possible reasons for this occurrence: | |
| Probable Cause: | Action: |
| Defective counter balance valve | Exchange the counter balance valve on the trouble post with a known good, pre-set valve. • If the post stops leaking down, replace the defective counter balance valve. • If the post contnues to leak, continue troubleshooting. |
| Excessively worn post cylinder | Visually check for hydraulic oil leakage at the rod end of the cylinder (oil will seep around the lower cylinder mount bolts on the underside of the inner post yoke, if there is external leakage). • If excessive external leakage is present, repair or replace hydraulic cylinder. • If no excessive leakage is present, the problem could be internal leakage. Remove the cylinder and disassemble, inspecting the cylinder bore and piston o-rings. |
Why does my Change Filter light come on but then go off when my machine warms up?
| Probable Cause | Action |
| Cold Hydraulic Oil | Warm up the machine to operating temperature before using. |
Why does my post or front crawler drift when the amplifier is in Standby?
| Probable Cause: | Action: |
| Servovalve NULL position | Adjust the NULL position on the servovalve (as discussed in Section 4, Page 4-15 of the 5700-B Maintenance Manual Revision 12-15-96) until the drifting stops. If drifting cannot be adjusted, replace or rebuild the defective servovalve. |
For slipform curb or barrier wall, what mix design or slump do you recommend?
Curb & Gutter Mix Designs
3000 psi
| Contents | Cubic Yard | Cubic Meter |
| Cement Type I | 564 lb | 335 kg |
| Sand (Coarse) | 1078 lb | 647 kg |
| Sand (Fine) | 267 lb | 160 kg |
| Stone #57 | 1673 lb | 1031 kg |
| Water | 33 gallons (275 lb) | 159 L |
| Air | 4% – 6% | 4% – 6% |
| Water / Cement | .48 | .48 |
| Fly ash (Type C or F) can be substituted for cement at 1.2 lbs per 1 lb of cement but not more than 20% substitute of cement volume. | ||
| Water to Cement ratio not to exceed .57 for angular stone and .49 for round stone | ||
| Barrier and Bridge Parapet Mix Design | ||
| Contents | Cubic Yard | Cubic Meter |
| Cement | 564 lb | 335 kg |
| Sand (Coarse) | 1078 lb | 647 kg |
| Sand (Fine) | 267 lb | 160 kg |
| Stone #67 | 1827 lb | 1013 kg |
| Water | 26 gallons (221 lb) | 136 L |
| Air | 4% – 6% | 4% – 6% |
| Cement content not to be reduced by more than 20% with fly ash at a minimum of 1.2 lb per 1 lb of cement. | ||
| Water to cement ratio not to exceed .43 for angular stone and .38 for round stone. | ||
For extruded curb, what mix design or slump do you recommend?
Concrete Mix Design(for a cubic yard of concrete): Very low slump – zero or close to it.
> 1,950 lbs of sand, SSD 4% moisture
> 517 lbs (5 1/2 sacks) of cement
> 1,442 lbs of 3/8″ gravel or crushed stone
> 16 gallons of water
> 3% to 5% air
Use this as a guide and make minor changes as required to result in the desired product.
Asphalt Mix Design:
> Virgin mix is recommended. The aggregate should be clean and dry.
> Liquid asphalt content by weight for virgin mix should be 8%.
> The working temperature should be in 200-285 degree (F) range.
> If the mix is too hot, the curb will crumble. If the mix is too cold, the machine won’t handle properly.
> The mix should contain a mixture of both large and small aggregates and avoid rounded or smooth aggregate.
How do I order molds?
Click here to order molds.
If I am hand forming, what is the break-even point on purchasing a curb machine?
If you can pour as much as 20,000 to 25,000 linear feet (6,000 to 7,500 m) of curb per year, you can justify the cost of a new or used Power Curber, financing it over a 3 to 5 year period. To pay for the machine, you build $1 a foot into the curb cost. The machine will increase your production, cut your labor, and allow you to bid more competitively.
Can I bypass the emergency stop?
Never bypass or disconnect the machine’s Emergency Stop Circuit in ANY manner which will render it inoperative.
Troubleshooting the High Pressure Water Pump
| Problem | Cause | Remedy |
| Pulsation | Valve stuck open. | Check all valves, remove foreign matter. |
| Low pressure | Worn nozzle. | Replace nozzle, use proper size. |
| Air leak in inlet plumbing. | Disassemble, reseal and reassemble. | |
| Relief valve stuck, partially plugged or improperly valve seat worn. | Clean, adjust relief valve; check for worn and dirty valve seats. Kit available. | |
| Inlet suction strainer clogged or improperly sized. | Clean; use adequate size. Check more frequently. | |
| Worn packing. Abrasives in pumped fluid or severe cavitation. Inadequate water. | Install proper filter. Suction at inlet manifold must be limited to lifting less than 20 feet of water or -8.5 PSI vacuum. | |
| Fouled or dirty inlet or discharge valve. | Clean inlet and discharge valve assemblies. | |
| Worn inlet, discharge valve blocked or dirty. | Replace worn valves, valve seats and/or discharge hose. | |
| Leaky discharge hose. | Replace hose. | |
| Pump runs extremely rough, pressure very low | Inlet restrictions and/or air leaks. Stuck inlet or discharge valve. | Replace worn cup(s), clean out foreign material, replace worn valves. |
| Restricted inlet or air entering the inlet plumbing. | Proper size inlet plumbing, check for air tight seal. | |
| Water leakage from under manifold. Slight leakage | Worn packing. | Install new packing. |
| Cracked plunger. | Replace plunger(s) | |
| Oil leak between crankcase and pumping section. | Worn crankcase piston rod seals. O-Rings plunger retainer worn. | Replace crankcase piston rod seals. Replace O-Rings |
| Oil leaking in the area of the crankshaft | Worn crankshaft seal or improperly install oil seal O-Ring. | Remove oil seal retainer and replace damaged O-Ring and/or seals. |
| Bad bearing. | Replace bearing and any spacer or cover damaged or cover damaged by heat. | |
| Water in the crankcase | May be caused by humid air condensing into water inside the crankcase. | Change oil intervals. Use SAE 30 non-detergent oil. |
| Worn packing and/or piston rod sleeve, O-Rings on plunger retainer worn. | Replace packing. Replace O-Rings. | |
| Cracked plunger. | Replace plunger(s) | |
| Oil leaking from underside of crankcase | Worn crankcase piston rod seals. | Replace seals |
| Scored piston rod. | Replace piston rod. | |
| Oil leaking at the rear portion of the crankcase | Damaged crankcase, rear cover O-Ring, drain plug O-Ring, or sight glass O-Ring. | Replace cover O-Ring, drain plug O-Ring, or sight glass O-Ring. |
| Loud knocking noise in the pump. | Pulley loose on the crankshaft. | Check key and tighten setscrew. |
| Broken or worn bearing or rod(s). | Replace bearing or rod(s). | |
| Valve stuck open or shut, or not opening enough. | Replace bad valve. | |
| Frequent or premature failure of packing. | Scored, damaged or worn plunger. | Replace plungers. |
| Over-Pressure to inlet manifold. | Reduce inlet pressure. | |
| Abrasive material in the fluid being pumped. | Install proper filtration on pump inlet plumbing. | |
| Excessive pressure and/or temperature of fluid being pumped. | Check pressures and fluid inlet temperature, be sure they are within specified range. | |
| Over-pressure of pump. | Reduce pressure. | |
| Running the pump dry. | Do not run the pump without water. | |
| Upstream chemical injection. | Use downstream chemical injection. |
What can I expect in the way of profit, per day, with a curb machine?
Realizing that costs may vary, depending on your location, here is an estimate on 24-inch wide curb and gutter, for your comparison:Concrete:
$120/yd divided by 20 ft. yield per yd = $6 per linear foot
$120/yd divided by 20 ft. yield per yd = $6 per linear foot
Labor:
5 men x$30/hr x 8 hours = $1,200
$1,200 divided by 2,000 linear feet per day = $.60/foot
Total Cost:
Direct cost (concrete + labor) = $6.60/foot
Overhead (estimate) = $1.65/linear foot
Total cost (estimate) = $8.25/linear foot
Daily Profit:
Bid price = $12/foot = $24,000
Less cost: $8.25 x 2,000 = $16,500
Daily profit (estimate) = $7,500
For your specific circumstances, you can edit these formulas with your price for concrete, the number of men in your crew, and your hourly rate. For this example, we’ve used 2,000 linear feet per day which is a good average. Depending on the type of job you’re on, how well the job-site is prepared, how quickly your concrete supply is delivered, and other factors, your production rate may vary. For this example, we’ve used 25% of the direct costs (concrete and labor) as the estimated overhead. You can edit these entries as well based on your specific situation.