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T-14D AUTOMATED SANDBLASTING MACHINE

HISTORY: 1976-1999

As contractors, Transume, Inc. (predecessor to Advantage SPS) used this equipment on over 1.2 million square yards of overlay between 1976 and 1999. During this period the focus was on developing a machine that offers the maximum versatility for contractors requiring surface preparation on a daily basis 24 hours prior to overlay operations. In 1978 the Minnesota DOT specified that work on 13 bridges in the state capital area must be sandblasted with a system that controlled the dust. This machine was initially designed to meet that requirement.

T-SERIES PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Since 1978, Advantage SPS T-series machines have represented a unique approach to the abrasive blasting of concrete roadway surfaces. Before the first production model of the T-14D was sold in 1985 for use on a major bridge overlay project in Dayton, Ohio, the prototype machines had cleaned over 10 million square feet of concrete surface. Job tested in Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and New York, the evolution to the T-10D has been slow in comparison to the average piece of construction equipment. The result is a machine that is easy to operate and highly productive whether the project is a 300 foot long overpass or the 4.5 mile long Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

As the T-series machines evolved, three primary design criteria have been addressed.

Automation of hand sandblasting with the ability to select the specific speed required to uniformly clean the surface.
Virtual total control of the dust produced as the machine operates.
Vacuum recovery of the cleaning residue including concrete and abrasive blasting media.

In addition to the primary criteria, Advantage SPS focused on these additional elements.

Safe and easy operation to allow the average operator to achieve uniform high production after less than one day of training.
Legal weight and dimension to permit easy mobilization to numerous jobsites.
Quick and easy setup for operation once at the job site.
Creative engineering to minimize the possibility of downtime and simplify daily maintenance.

T-14D and T-10D

The Advantage SPS T-Series machines represent the State of the Art in high production vacuum recovery automated surface preparation machines. They are designed to address the needs of the majority of bridge deck overlay projects.

Two models are available. The T14D has a 13' cleaning width (4 nozzles) with a 14 ton abrasive capacity. The T-10D has a 8'-6" cleaning width (3 nozzles) with a 10 ton abrasive capacity. The T-14D will clean milled concrete surfaces at a rate of production ranging between 6240 to 10,920 square feet per hour (8-14 Feet per minute) depending upon the degree of cleaning required. With a narrower cleaning width, the T-10D production ranges between 4080 and 7140 square feet per hour (8-14 Feet per minute) depending upon the degree of cleaning required. If the surface includes exposed rebar, the drive speed can be reduced to whatever speed is required to deliver the specified level of cleaning.

Typically, a forward drive speed of 10-14 (7000 sq.ft.hr.) feet per minute (1 pound of media per square foot) will clean a concrete deck that has been milled. With NO setup required, no time is lost once on the job. As the machine moves forward, it vacuums up 80-100% of the residue concrete and spent abrasive. A new high speed hydraulic circuit has been added for rapid vacuuming. The hopper capacity is designed to allow dumping after the full 10 tons of sand have been expended during surface preparation operations. Offsite disposal takes under 5 minutes and is accomplished by opening two hopper doors as the machine is pulled forward slowly. The non-hazardous mixture of blasting media and concrete is excellent for mixing with milled material to create a rock hard driving surface.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS:

Automation of the sandblasting and cleanup will commonly cut the manhours for the two tasks by up to 80%. Very simply, the 1 operator does the work of 2-4 laborers. . . productivity per man-hour is dramatically increased. By trading labor dollars for equipment dollars, a two man crew of an operator and truck driver can do the work of 4-6 men in a fraction of the time.
Virtual elimination of flying sand and dust allows other operations to continue while surface preparation proceeds. Operations can be overlapped allowing tighter scheduling prior to pour.
By eliminating flying sand, potential for damaging paint and glass is eliminated. Safety is dramatically improved by reducing the amount of hand blasting. With the operator capable of shutting down the entire system in seconds, even hand blasting safety is improved.
Perhaps most importantly, it is possible to gain more control over the scheduling because the surface preparation process takes less time. If a rainstorm delays operations, overlay operations can start sooner because the automation reduces total time required. If it is necessary to "brush blast" the previously cleaned surface, the machine can be run at the highest speed to quickly cover the area.
Consistent and uniform cleaning means supervisory and inspection time is reduced. Management personnel can focus on overall project scheduling.

FEATURES:

All components used on the T- Series have been field tested during 10 years of operation on T-14D machines that have cleaned over 16 million square feet of surface. The T-10D is simply a scaled down and improved T-14D. Most components utilized are smaller models of the components used on the T-14D. The entire patented nozzle carriage assembly is an improved version of the type used on the T- 14D.

Deutz engines are used because they have demonstrated an ability to run under the most severe conditions and because they offer a 5 year warranty.
Advantage SPS electric deadman controls are used because they provide the simplest sandblasting control system and the lowest cost per hour of operation.
As on the T-14D, the basic design criteria includes a significant overdesign on each part. Parts are designed to handle the stresses of actual project usage.
By design, the maintenance requirements are limited to daily greasing and inspection of consumable sandblast parts. Even the consumable parts have been selected to give the longest possible life. When they do need replacement, only minutes are required to exchange parts.

ZERO downtime has always and will always be a primary design criteria of Advantage SPS. Over the last 16 years, with Advantage SPS machines cleaning over 30 million square feet of concrete surface, downtime due to mechanical failure on all machines amounts to under .1% of total operating hours.
Finally, the real test of a machine is the ease with which it can be operated by the average operator. With 16 years of design evolution under actual project conditions, the T-Series machines are designed to be "USER FRIENDLY". An operator with average skills can be trained to achieve peak performance in under 1 day.

OPERATOR REQUIREMENTS:

This machine is designed to be operated by a two man crew. With a qualified truck driver in the tractor and an operating engineer running the hydraulic controls on the drivers side, all functions of this machine may be utilized. On bridge deck work, a laborer is commonly used to handle required hand work on rebar and saw cut edges. When labor rules permit, a truck driver-operator may be used to drive the machine to the project and position it for operation. During operation, a laborer may be used to steer the truck as it is hydraulically driven forward under the control of the operator. In this situation, labor calculations should be made assuming 1 operator, 1 laborer-steerer, 1 laborer-blaster.

ECONOMIC REQUIREMENTS FOR 2-3 YEAR PAYBACK:

The labor costs saved by using this machine have been demonstrated to payback the entire cost of the machine in 500,000 to 1,500,000 square feet of use. In these situations, no consideration has been given to savings from increased production (in relation to hand blasting) or savings in relation to other systems offering pollution controlled cleaning at this production rate.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE Advantage SPS T-Series

Why is the machine so big?

The T-Series machines are a self contained automated sandblasting system complete with an air compressor, pressure vessel for sand, nozzle automation system, hydraulic power unit, fan and vacuum hopper. All these functions are necessary to allow one machine to automatically abrasive blast, control the dust and recover the sand residue.

How long is it? How much does it weigh?

The trailer is designed as a standard 42' trailer to meet axle spacing requirements for 80,000 lb. loading. With a typical tractor, the total length is under 65'. The total weight of a T-10D filled with sand is 80,000 lbs. (typical tractor included). All axle weights are legal under current statutes for primary, interstate operation.

How did the machine come to this present design?

It was invented in 1978 specifically to meet a new "Dust Abatement" specification that the Minnesota Department of Transportation had written for bridge work to be completed within 3 blocks of the state capital. The designer, R.C.Benson, who was a contractor at the time, evolved and improved the design over the next 10 years. Input from other contractors focused on the need to have the following:

Easy mobility, no permits required for movement.
No setup if possible.
Easy operation and maintenance by construction personnel.
Maximum sand capacity in onboard pressure vessel to handle exposed rebar situations where sand usage per square foot can be 4 times that of a smooth deck.
Control of dust during operation.
MAXIMUM recovery of spent abrasive.

How does the T-10D differ from the T-14D machine?

The machine has been completely redesigned to offer the following balance of features:

Quick setup - the new nozzle enclosure is 8'-6" wide instead of 13' on the T-14D. No extensions need be installed. Just back into position and go to work.
Legally movable abrasive capacity - by reducing dead weight, the legal abrasive load is now 10 tons vs. 3 tons on the T-14D. This means approximately 20,000 sq. ft. can be cleaned (1 lb. per sq. ft.) with the abrasive load onboard.
Air handling/filtration - this has been reduced in capacity to compensate for the width reduction. The machine will still recover 80-90% during the first pass, with the remainder recoverable in a second vacuum pass.
Easy of maintenance - a new security enclosure and storage area around the engine permits easy access and storage of hose, fittings, etc.
Compressor attachment - a unique clamping system allows a variety of compressors to be quickly attached to the trailer. This makes it possible to change the production rate of the machine by changing the compressor/number of nozzles.

T-14D/T-10D USER LIST

Anselmi & Decicco, Inc.

Champagne-Webber, Inc.

Chapin & Chapin, Inc.

Cramer & Associates, Inc.

Crane-Hogan Structural Syst., Inc.

Frank J. Ciminelli Const Co., Inc.

Hull Corporation

International Bridge

Johnson Bros. Corporation

Kiewit

King Construction Co.

R. Knutson Construction

La-Con Systems, Inc.

Lunda Construction, Inc.

Lutz Construction Co.

McCarthy

Slattery Assoc.

Swank Construction Co.

Tex-Crete, Inc.

G.A. Wagman Construction

The Velotta Company

Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.

Wildcat Construction Co.

The above contractors have used Advantage SPS machines on projects ranging from 20,000 - 1,800,000 square feet. In each case, there was a need to get the required work completed rapidly and at the lowest cost. On over 50% of the projects that these machines have been used on, keeping the project on schedule and out of penalty justified the use.

Most recently the T-14D machines have been used on the 1.8 million square foot Zilwaukee bridge in Michigan and the 4.5 mile long Chesapeake Bay Bridge. On the latter project, the liquidated damages for late completion ran $50,000 per day. On any project where "Time is money", the Advantage SPS automated machines will save time and money.