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Pacific Northwest 22, October 25, 2020

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PACIFIC NORTHWEST EDITION

A Supplement to:

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October 25 2020 Vol. II • No. 22

“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper‌ Founded in 1957.â€? Your Pacific Northwest Connection – Patrick Kiel – 1-877-7CEGLTD – pkiel@cegltd.com

Story on page 10

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Page 2 • October 25, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Pacific Northwest Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Bent Crews Replace Farmer Creek Bridge Along U.S. 101

Bent LLC is the general contractor for the $4.3 million project that began in November 2019.

By Irwin Rapoport CEG CORRESPONDENT

Bent LLC is in the midst of replacing the Farmer Creek Bridge on U.S. 101 just north of Hebo, a structure built in 1916, for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). The existing 27-ft. long, two-lane steel bridge is being replaced with a concrete, 80ft. long and 50-ft. wide, two-lane single span bridge. The new bridge and road infrastructure was designed by ODOT in-house engineers, with Michael Jacobson as the engineer of record. Work on the $4.3 million project, financed by state dollars, began in November 2019 and is expected to be completed later this fall. “The timber deck is in poor condition,” said Lou Torres, ODOT’s public information officer of Region 2: Willamette Valley and Northwest Oregon (Tillamook). An ODOT report on the bridge’s condition stated that “significant scour was starting to occur under the northern abutment.” Construction Phases Bent has completed Stage 1, the larger stage, of the two-stage project. “We’ve completed all of the driven piling and set the nine prestressed concrete slabs [box beams] on the cast-in-place superstructure for two lanes on the eastern portion of the bridge and we’ve done the major road work/reconstruction up to the bridge — about a quarter-mile on each side,” said Dale Sorensen, Bent’s project manager. The second half of the bridge required crews to set the three slabs for the west side

of the bridge and to get the top lift paving done on the road, according to Sorensen. This stage of the project was completed by the end of September. While the project may be on the smaller side, it is still complex and cooperation and communication between the departments of transportation and the general contractor has been essential. “From the beginning, we had to drive pile,” said Sorensen. “ODOT did a really good job in design planning before the project bid by allowing us to drive piles through the existing roadway that saved money and time as it eliminated a second pile driving mobilization and set up. When we were driv-

The existing 27-ft. long, two-lane steel bridge is being replaced with a concrete, 80ft. long and 50-ft. wide, two-lane single span bridge.

ing the piles, the capacities were good, but the depth of pile came up way shorter than anticipated. We worked with ODOT to take additional pile driving records and they went back to their designer to make sure that we are okay. When something like this comes up, it was great to see ODOT make the issue a priority so we can get a quick turnaround to save money and time. “Another challenge was building a fullwidth bridge while maintaining traffic flow — we always had to allow for traffic and wide loads,” he added. “This is a very active fish bearing stream on the Nestucca River, which is big for fishing and recreation, so it is important to recognize we are in an envi-

The east side of the bridge was constructed between January and April. This required 18 piles to be driven to a capacity of 640,000 lbs. each. The nine box beams, each weighing 86,300 lbs., were set in one day via the use of two cranes.

ronmentally sensitive area.” The new bridge, designed to allow for a future widening, has 12 slabs procured from RB Johnson, a local precaster in McMinnville, Ore. “It is longer because the old bridge restricted the stream, being so narrow,” said Sorensen. “Staging is important and instead of building a detour, we built the first half of the bridge that can handle two-way traffic next to the existing bridge.” The schedule also allowed for winter work, which gave Bent crews the opportunity to meet benchmarks earlier and jump into the in-water construction phase. This eliminated the need for two in-water work windows . The east side of the bridge was constructed between January and April. This required 18 piles to be driven to a capacity of 640,000 lbs. each. The nine box beams, each weighing 86,300 lbs., were set in one day via the use of two cranes. “We were pretty happy with that, especially when they were all trucked in from McMinnville [Ore.] to the coast,” said Sorensen. “The trucks were staged down the road and proceeded to the bridge one at a time because we didn’t have the space. That was one of the coordination challenges.” Chris Dials Contracting LLC, a local firm, was brought in to do the earth work, road work and demolition of the bridge. The heavy rains in the coastal range of Oregon were factored in. “ODOT anticipated the subgrade not being solid enough, so we had to do subgrade stabilization under all the asphalt on [U.S.] 101,” said Sorensen, who noted that see BENT page 8


Construction Equipment Guide • Pacific Northwest Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 25, 2020 • Page 3

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Page 4 • October 25, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Pacific Northwest Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Hitachi Excavators: Way of Life for Vanderwieles patience, which is great for operating. I set goals and every single woman passed all 20 exercises.”

By Sarah Larson HITACHI

For Casey Vanderwiele, a typical Sunday morning includes hopping in one of his Hitachi excavators with a hot cup of coffee. What may seem like work to others is therapy for Casey. “You can deal with the public and customers, but we refer to our Hitachis as therapy because when you’re in the excavator, it’s just like therapy,” Casey said. That love of excavating extends beyond Casey to four generations of Vanderwieles involved in the construction business. Casey’s grandfather worked in sand gravel. Casey’s parents, Cass and Pattie, own Triple C Redi-Mix Inc., specializing in sand, gravel, ready mix and excavation, in Baker City, Ore. The entire family takes part in the day-today operations. That includes sons Corey and Casey along with Casey’s wife Tara and their daughters Dawson and Campbell. Four additional employees also help out. Casey worked alongside his father as a “jack of all trades” until Cass started Triple C Redi-Mix in 1989. They also live near each other — Casey lives on one end of the property while Cass lives on the opposite end. After that, it didn’t take very long for Casey’s two daughters — Dawson and Campbell — to show their aptitude for excavating. Dawson first hopped in a Hitachi compact excavator to help her mom move dirt to a garden. Now, Dawson is forging her own path as an instructor in a heavy equipment operator training program at Baker Technical Institute in Baker City. “You could say excavating’s in our blood,” said Casey, who has lovingly named

Excavating extends beyond Casey to four generations of Vanderwieles involved in the construction business.

their Hitachi excavators Johnny (ZX160LC3), Kunzie (ZX240LC-3) and Clyde (ZX350LC-3). Leaving No Doubt When Dawson walks into the heavy equipment training course classroom as the instructor, students often doubt her. After all, in addition to teaching groups of mostly male students, she’s only 20 years old. Being doubted doesn’t faze her, though. For Dawson, who also takes online classes at Blue Mountain Community College, it just means she has to prove herself. “It’s similar to when you’re in fourth grade and a substitute teacher comes in,” Dawson said. “They think I’m the substitute,

so I prove myself by showing rather than telling them how to use controls such as a boom, stick and bucket to get a full scoop of material.” In her work at Baker Technical Institute, Dawson also taught young, female inmates during a special two-week program. She said it’s her favorite class so far and hopes the skills the women learn during their time in her course will help them get jobs once they’re released from prison. “The women’s results were great,” Dawson said. “I think that going into the class, they had a lot of self-doubt, but they figured it out. Next thing you know, they were helping each other pass different exercises. They had an attention to detail and

Family Business While Dawson’s schedule is filled with teaching operating courses, she still helps her dad and grandpa often. She’s also very familiar with their love for Hitachi machines. “All my grandpa and dad care about is their Hitachis,” Dawson smiled. “They’re the smoothest operating machines they’ve had yet.” With their Hitachi machines, Triple C’s efficiency has increased. Casey said the company handles the same amount of material in a half day as compared to a day-anda-half without the Hitachis. They also plan to get bigger haul trucks now that they can load using four buckets compared to the seven they used to need. “The 350 was the first Hitachi my dad got. The Hitachis outperform anything as far as excavators,” Casey said. “The response and power are outstanding. Those things will dance. The fuel savings will make the equipment payment. They’re great.” The Hitachi fleet isn’t the only thing he thinks highly of. For Casey, working with family is a choice — not an obligation. “I can honestly say since day one of working with my dad, we’ve never had any fights. He has taught me so many different things,” Casey said. “I feel like one of the richest people in the world.” Triple C Redi-Mix Inc. is serviced by Papé Machinery, Bend, Ore. (This story was reprinted with permission from Hitachi’s BREAKOUT magazine, Fall 2020 issue.) 

Casey Vanderwiele named his Hitachi excavators Johnny (ZX160LC-3), Kunzie (ZX240LC3) and Clyde (ZX350LC-3).


Construction Equipment Guide • Pacific Northwest Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 25, 2020 • Page 5

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Page 6 • October 25, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Pacific Northwest Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

PIRTEK Helps Keep Boats Shipshape at Port of Seattle PIRTEK Kent and PIRTEK Seattle, owned by Gregory Shideler, are unique in comparison to most of the other service and supply centers within the corporation. Due to their proximity to the Port of Seattle, the teams at these Washington locations have become specialized in hydraulic operations aboard large seafaring vessels. Home base for hundreds of fishing vessels, this port is one of the largest and busiest in the world. While both of these PIRTEK locations do, of course, welcome customers from manufacturing, engineering, construction and other industries, the majority of their large projects are maintaining the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, NOAA and large fishing boats that dock at the busy port. These locations also report regularly to the various shipyards located within 1 mi. of the Seattle shop. It is no easy feat to win the trust of the armed forces, as well as seasoned fishing boat captains who rely on their ships’ hydraulic hoses and other equipment to keep them afloat, both literally and figuratively. Some of the hoses and fittings aboard the military ships are part of their missile systems and require special security clearances to work on them. Bill Rose, technical sales manager of both Seattle area PIRTEK franchises, said that it took a lot of leg work on the part of owner Shideler and himself to secure the initial projects on these boats. Rose explained, “no one is going to drop a great opportunity to do a huge job in your lap.” He said it is their philosophy to always “be hungry,” and not shy away from asking for someone’s business. Past the initial introduction, Rose and Shideler are vigilant in following up on leads. If the men hear that a particular boat is going to be due for hose replacements or other work at a certain time of year, they make sure to reach out and

make themselves available. “Even if our PIRTEK employees have never been on the boat, or never spoken to anyone on it, there are ways to do research, find a phone number or a way to get in front of the right person,” Rose said. PIRTEK Kent and PIRTEK Seattle have earned quite a reputation throughout the port. Word travels quickly of a job well done, and they receive plenty of referrals to sister ships and affiliated vessels. According to Rose, the success of PIRTEK Kent and PIRTEK Seattle is a direct result of the teamwork and integrity that they have instilled in their employees. He said that every team member is encouraged to practice these core values: ● Safety first: no job is worth doing if it can’t be done safely. ● Strive for perfection: do the job by the book and double check your work every time. ● Be a team player: have each other’s back and support your coworkers. ● Make a promise and keep it: exceed expectations for every customer. ● Remember that every job builds the reputation of the business: quality work creates customers for life. Rose added, “whether our MSSTs are working on-site to complete a major project, or picking up an extra on-call week for their coworkers, they give 100 percent. PIRTEK isn’t a 9-to-5 job for us. We take pride in going the extra mile.” Rose isn’t shy about singing the praises of his employees. He is proud of the reputation that they have built as a team, through consistent quality work. He raves about Frank Vierra — who runs the Kent franchise — and his precise

measuring skills. He recounted an instance where Vierra was sent to a small town in Alaska to measure 231 hoses for a barge. Using his notes, they were able to fabricate more than 100 hoses for the client from their center back in Washington, and all of them fit perfectly. Lead technician Abel Dressel is referred to by Rose as his “No. 1 hose smith.” He said that Dressel knows all the fittings by heart, and impresses everyone he works with. He has equally kind words in regards to MSST’s Eric Hanson, Nathan Wolfe and shop technician Christian Thomas. Rose added that the two PIRTEKs rely on the superb organizational and administrative expertise of dispatcher Melanie Terrian and accountant Tami Snider. Rose added that the training provided by PIRTEK USA is very helpful. The extensive research and sales support provided by the management team sets their franchises apart from other hose suppliers in the field, he said. Shideler and Rose are striving to make the Greater Seattle Area PIRTEK franchises the best in the United States. Rose is confident that they will achieve this goal, citing the importance of marine and large projects for the future of their business. In his words, “these big jobs have carried their team through the COVID-19 pandemic, and have kept every single one of their employees working, so that they haven’t had to lay anyone off. “Where other industries have slowed down as quarantines and shutdowns have taken place around the country, we’ve stayed busy.” So, while PIRTEK has done its part to keep the Port of Seattle and surrounding businesses operating, those customers have done the same in return. 

Construction Crews Complete Battery Street Tunnel Filling

Construction crews began decommissioning the tunnel after the State Route 99 tunnel under Seattle opened in February 2019.

The Battery Street Tunnel that drivers once used to travel between Aurora Avenue North and the Alaskan Way Viaduct was filled in late September. Construction crews began decommissioning the tunnel after the State Route 99 tunnel under Seattle opened in February 2019. Much of the tunnel was filled with recycled concrete from the demolished viaduct. The final 7 ft. were filled with concrete pumped through ventilation grates along Battery Street. In addition to filling in the tunnel, work at the north end is nearly complete. The trench of highway lanes into and out of the tunnel that once prevented travel between Denny Way and Mercer Street is now Seventh Avenue North. The work reconnected the South Lake Union and Uptown neighborhoods. With the tunnel filled in and work on the surrounding area wrapping up, the program to replace the viaduct that included 30 projects will soon be down to two: rebuilding Alaskan Way and the South Access Surface Streets Connections project near the stadiums. The South Access streets project will complete road work between South Atlantic Street and South Deaborn Street in SODO. Sections of street and sidewalks that were paved temporarily will get longer-lasting concrete. A new section of a pedestrian plaza linking Occidental Avenue to the new amenities along Alaskan Way will be built. A section of bicycle and pedestrian trail will be constructed as well. Work on that project is scheduled to being next spring. 


Construction Equipment Guide • Pacific Northwest Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 25, 2020 • Page 7

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Oregon Logging Conference Raises Funds for Fire Relief Serving Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana & Northern California

Due to the wildfires on the west coast, specifically in the state of Oregon, Scott Melcher, president of the Oregon Logging Conference, issued the following statement: “The historic wildfires that are burning across our wonderful state have shaken our industry to the core. It will take months, possibly years, to realize the extent of the damage, estimated to be over one hundred million dollars in equipment loss alone. We believe the success of one depends on the success of another, which is why the Oregon Logging Conference has started a “fire relief fund” for loggers who suffered losses in these catastrophic fires. “As the ‘smoke’ settles, the need for resources to make Oregon’s forests green again, while continuing to fill supply chain needs, will put tremendous pressure on our logging community. We know Oregonians are up to the task and we want to ensure their recovery by offering some financial relief. Our goal is to raise one million dollars in donations to assist those who were impacted by the fires. Donations are designed specifically for logging companies who suffered loss of equipment. Funds will be allocated to

help defray costs of removal, repair, replacing of equipment, tools, and supplies. They will be managed by the Oregon Logging Conference. “We are always looking to the horizon to ensure Oregon continues being a leader in the wood products industry. Our softwood lumber and plywood manufacturing dominates US production, supplying 16% of the nation’s softwood lumber and 28% of its plywood. Responsible for creating over 61,000 jobs, the forest sector is the backbone of our economy, and right now it needs your help. We invite you to participate in rebuilding Oregon by making a financial contribution to our “Repair & Recovery Fire Relief Fund.” “Please issue checks payable to the Oregon Logging Conference Fire Relief Fund.” Mail to: Oregon Logging Conference Fire Relief Fund, P.O. Box 10669, Eugene, Ore. 97440 For more information, contact: Heidi Leib, heidileib@bc.com, 503/457.8527 or Rikki Wellman, firerelieffund@oregonloggingconference.com, 541/686.9191 or 541/954.2477. 

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Page 8 • October 25, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Pacific Northwest Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Aging Timber Deck in Poor Condition, Needs Rebuilding BENT from page 2

the dirt didn’t hold up in the area due to the widening. “We placed three feet of stone embankment as our subbase, followed by 12 inches of ¾ minus for the aggregate base, and 12 inches for the asphalt top. There was a 24-hour flagging operation running traffic in one lane while the crews were working on the other side. We were bottlenecked with only two lanes.” A Delmag D30-32 pile driving hammer was critical for the pile driving operations. This large hammer, weighing more than 20,000 lbs., had to be brought in to achieve the required bearing capacities. “For the box girder settings, we used two Link-Belt 100-ton cranes that allowed us to get close enough to the bridge site,” said Sorensen. “Without these pieces of equipment, this job would not have been able to go forward.” Assisting Sorensen is Jeremy Hiebert, Bent’s on-site superintendent who was onsite every day. “We have a good group and are thankful for the guys we work with,” said Sorensen. “One of the challenges of working in winter is that the county averages 120 inches of rain. Despite this, the guys always had good attitudes, making jokes about how wet it was and maintaining the schedule during the heavy rains.” There are approximately six Bent and subcontractor employees at the construction site, with the major subcontractors being Benthin Land Surveying; Baker Rock for paving; Columbia River Contractors for

The new bridge, designed to allow for a future widening, has 12 slabs procured from RB Johnson, a local precaster in McMinnville, Ore.

guardrail; and Fox Erosion Control. Project Impact The road realignment, also part of the project, will improve visibility for local residents, motorists and boaters using Farmer Creek Road and coming in and out of the wayside. Other work includes widening the existing roadway and providing new striping and traffic signs. New guardrails and other improvements will be made to the wayside. The construction requires lane constrictions and flagging for the duration on the

For the box girder settings, crews used two Link-Belt 100-ton cranes that allowed them to get close enough to the bridge site.

work. The wayside and boat launch has been closed for various stages during construction. “During closures, river users will need to use alternate launches,” stated the project web page. “The most up to date impacts will be on TripCheck.com. Access for pedestrians, including those with disabilities, will be available and identified through or around work zones.” Crews had to prevent debris and material entering the water to minimize turbidity

(murky water). “During the in-water work window, we have to monitor the turbidity,” said Sorensen. “If we make the water too dirty, we would be shut down and have to revisit our means and methods. When we started the demolition of the existing bridge our subcontractor, Chris Dials Contracting, put up a tarp to protect the stream from the demo debris. He has also started the stream reconstruction by placing a bypass pipe to keep the water flowing while we put in stream rocks, fish logs and reconstruct the banks.” The remaining road work involves the placement of swales and a drainage system, and the top lift paving. The totals for the bridge demolition and excavation of adjacent roads — concrete, asphalt and wood — are still being tabulated. “We were able to team up with local farmers to dispose of the earth and rock that was excavated,” said Sorensen. “The guard rail was recycled and the lead beams were disposed of at Cherry City Metals.” New materials include 250 yards of concrete and 3,700 tons of asphalt. In addition to the cranes, Bent is utilizing an Ingersoll Rand reach forklift and a bobcat mini-hoe. Chris Dials Contracting utilized a John Deere 245 excavator, as well as several dump trucks. “We didn’t run into any major equipment challenges on this job,” said Sorensen. Bent purchases and rents equipment from dealerships such as Wilson Equipment in Salem, Oregon.  CEG

The nine box beams, each weighing 86,300 lbs., were set in one day via the use of two cranes.


Construction Equipment Guide • Pacific Northwest Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 25, 2020 • Page 9

NORTHWESTERN PUBLISHING 2020 Issue#

Closing

Publishing

24

November 12

November 22

26

December 10

December 20


Page 10 • October 25, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Pacific Northwest Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Goodfellow Bros Utilize Komatsu Excavators on Duvall Site By Lori Tobias CEG CORRESPONDENT

The rural community of Duvall, Wash., has become the first town on the west coast to utilize an AIT Bridges composite bridge system. The bridge, made up of 12 fiberglass composite arches, was trucked from AIT’s Brewer, Maine, facility to Duvall, about 50 minutes northeast of Seattle. “This construction marks several milestones,” said Wendell Harriman, senior operations engineer at AIT Bridges. “The bridge’s arches span 51 feet and were cut in half to facilitate cross-country shipping. The bridge required no transportation permits due to its ability to be cut and then easily reassembled on site.” Contractor Goodfellow Bros Inc., known as GBI and headquartered in Clackamas, Ore., utilized a Komatsu PC360 excavator (among other excavators), rear dump articulating trucks and haulers for the job. “Something unique to that project was tandem-style dump trucks,” Harriman said. “They had a regular dump truck, which is like a dual axle dump truck. In addition to that, they had a trailer-like dump truck behind that dump truck. They back up the trailer and dump the trailer where they want the material. Then, they pull ahead, jackknife the trailer, which has a 20-foot-long boom, and dump the front truck. They moved 26,000 banked cubic yards — probably about 1,200 to 1,500 truck loads. They had to move a lot of earth and they need to put a lot of it back. We wanted to use as much native material as possible.” Installation of the arches calls for very light equipment, with each section weighing only 350 to 450 lbs. “It’s really simple to set it using a small telescoping boom forklift or boom truck,” Harriman said. “Excavators are often used as long as they have the reach. You do not need a crane. That’s one of the nice things. They’re also pretty friendly working with overhead utilities. This project in particular is 50 feet in a hole with a concrete foundation, and 150 feet from roadway access. The stream is relatively small because it had been constrained by a previously constructed culvert. “They basically block off the roadway, cut 300-foot-long at the roadway elevation and then you bevel down so you are

Construction crews moved 26,000 banked cu. yds. — about 1,200 to 1,500 truck loads.

150 feet wide at the bottom and then you have room to put in all foundation by the side of the stream. Our structure is in place and the remaining backfill goes on top of the structure and retaining walls to fill in the hole and bring it up to grade Then they pave over the whole structure.” The bridge system was developed in cooperation with the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center. AIT Bridges is a division of Advanced Infrastructure Technologies. The product has been available and installed since 2010 and also can be found in Florida, Michigan, all the New England states, Pennsylvania and the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The composite arch bridge system uses concrete-filled composite tubes and FRP decking and is touted as an “affordable and superior alternative to traditional steel and concrete small-to-medium bridges.” “It took some planning to achieve the transportation and assembly of the first ever composite bridge system to the West Coast,” said Ken Sweeney, president and chief engineer of AIT Bridges. “We saved time and money by splicing the bridge arches as they were trucked across the country. No permits, no road closures and now that the materials are on site, we are looking at an expedited bridge building process.”

This latest installation comes as the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) works on an $8.2 million project to revitalize fish passage impacted by current bridge and culvert structures. “Loutsis Creek goes through a 5-foot culvert under SR 203 just south of Duvall,” said Tom Pearce, spokesman of WSDOT. “The culvert is difficult for fish to navigate at times because water levels can be too low or can move too fast. To improve passage for native and migratory fish, we will replace the culvert with an arched structure and build a more natural creek bed under the highway. This will improve fish runs and open an additional 3.1 miles of habitat for fish and other aquatic creatures. “The approximately 13,000 vehicles a day that use this portion of the highway needed to detour via Northeast 124th Street, West Snoqualmie Valley Road Northeast and Northeast Woodinville-Duvall Road. The detour added about two miles to the trip. The crews allowed local access near the creek, but for safety reasons no one — including pedestrians and bicyclists — was allowed to cross the work zone.” Completion of the project is set for fall 2020.  CEG

The bridge system was developed in cooperation with the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center. AIT Bridges is a division of Advanced Infrastructure Technologies.

The rural community of Duvall, Wash., has become the first town on the west coast to utilize an AIT Bridges composite bridge system.


Construction Equipment Guide • Pacific Northwest Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 25, 2020 • Page 11

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Page 12 • October 25, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Pacific Northwest Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

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