Versatile curber pays off in dealing with urban obstacles

Roadbuilder Domti Engineering & Construction in Bolton, Ontario, works in urban centres such as downtown Toronto. “We have to do the work in stages,” said John Sansalone, owner of the company and operator of the curb equipment. “In the downtown areas, there are a lot of obstacles. Every road is done differently.” His Power Curber machines, with their easy maneuverability, “are great for the environment in which we use them,” he said. “The versatility of the machine, especially the hydraulics (shifting vertically and horizontally), is what attracted me to the machine.” Owning a Power Curber for the last five years also has given Domti the flexibility to take on a wider variety of jobs. “Slipform opened up a much broader field of prospective jobs.” Sansalone particularly likes the swivel chute, an option on the 5700-SUPER-B and standard on his new 5700-C. The swivel chute allows the operator to line up the concrete truck directly in front of the machine for pouring in smaller, high-traffic volume areas such as city streets. Locating the steps in back of the machine on the 5700-C makes it much easier to get off and on in an urban work environment, Sansalone added. “The instrumentation seems more intuitive,” he said. “The thought and time and input in the machine (design) does show. I like the screen (on the operator’s panel) that shows the diagram of the machine and the alignment of the front track.” Sansalone initially chose a Power Curber because of the auger conveyor. “It was not based on experience but on analyzing the mechanics of it. We’ve done concrete a long time. The idea of the auger conveyor works better than the belt. With the concrete contained in the auger, it just doesn’t dry up as quickly.”