At the Barren County Quarry, Cave City, Ky., are (back row, left to right) Scotty Shirley,
Lanny Lee, Ryan Whitlow, Robert Vincent; and (front) Kevin Borden.
steep deck incline coupled with a reduced stroke and high-rpm frequency to
separate fines at impressive production
rates. “This allows us to separate out all
the minus-#200-mesh material to produce high-quality asphalt sand at much
lower costs, while at the same time netting a premium aglime product,” Borden said.
In the past, Borden explained, making asphalt sand entailed running the
material through a wash screw to remove the #200 mesh. All the fines were
then diverted to a settling pond, which
eventually would have to be scooped
out, with the fines being dumped as a
waste product.
“This required additional labor as
well as a backhoe and a couple of trucks,
just so you could clean out the pond and
begin washing again,” he said. “Now
we’re able to make the asphalt sand we
need right off the plant. By eliminating
the wash screw process and pond main-
tenance, we’re saving approximately
one-dollar per ton. Plus the #200 mesh
is no longer a waste material, but rather
a saleable aglime product, which is in
high demand by area farmers due to the
high cost of fertilizer,” he added.
Also, Borden said his company purchased an additional high-frequency
screen for another location to separate
and size RAP material for the cost-ef-ficient use of varying grades within the
asphalt mix.
“We are no longer limited by a costly
outside contractor, or by a hodgepodge
of older stationary components that
could process only a fraction of the
volume we need. The old methods of
operation cost more and netted less,”
Borden said.
www.astecindustries.com
Carol Wasson is a veteran freelance writer for
the aggregates and construction equipment
industries.
