Holcombe dispatches volumetric mixers to 45-mile, Arizona border wall site

Sources: Holcombe Mixers, Ault, Colo.; CP staff

Holcombe Mixers is providing eight, high payload volumetric mixer trucks in partnership with Fisher Sand & Gravel and Cat Construction to fast-track a wall on Arizona’s southern border—the main aspect of a $1.3 billion Department of Homeland Security contract. From a single loading point, the trucks have paced stepped up concrete or grout production and delivery requirements for two-shift workdays common along a 45-mile jobsite.

“We made a commitment to President Trump, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to get the wall up faster, and do it financially smarter. Generally, you’re pouring two to five loads per day. With Holcombe Mixers, we can pour 20 to 25 loads of fresh concrete each day and not have to worry about it exceeding required temperatures,” says Tommy Fisher, whose Dickinson, N.D., business secured a major part of the contract on the strength of a proprietary post and bollard system meeting Homeland Security and Corps performance criteria for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

The partnership equips Fisher S&G crews for speed and volume across a remote area where hot, arid conditions rule. Along with one Holcombe HM10H and seven HM12H volumetric models, a fleet of 16 Cat 390E track excavators is deployed to precisely hold and locate fixtured bollard posts in place as concrete footings are poured and set up.

“An element of control is key for a project that demands not only durability, but also the volume of fresh concrete that needs to be poured 16 hours a day,” says Brent Holcombe, managing partner of Holcombe Mixers. “Our 12-yard aggregate bins have supported a 120 percent increase to the standard payload where daily concrete pour goals can be achieved and ultimately surpassed. We are thrilled to be part of this visionary team effort.”

The HM12H heavy duty volumetric model is supported by the concrete industry’s only patented removable cassette conveyor that allows for belt changes in as little as five hours, he adds. Projects can stay on schedule with minimal downtime while saving horsepower and fuel with a frictionless conveyor roller floor and no-lubrication pintle conveyor chain delivering thousands of yards of service. — www.holcombemixers.com