Cat® SDX Screed Plates Help Mayo Crew

Cat^® SDX Screed Plates Help Mayo Crew Increase Compaction, Reduce Rework

For three generations, Mayo Construction has been paving the way for people on roads in North Dakota. That's no small challenge in an area with a short working season and weather that can keep projects and crews sidelined. Working with the team at Butler Machinery, Mayo decided to invest in Cat^® SDX Screed Plates to upgrade their technology, speed production and overcome downtime challenges.

Tools And Equipment Help Crews Get The Job Done Right

Joe Mayo founded Mayo Construction in 1923 in Cavalier, North Dakota. The company continues to be an integral part of the family today with a fleet of equipment specializing in asphalt paving. Always looking to add to their technology and capabilities, Mayo has expanded to include asphalt restoration specialties, such as milling and micro-surfacing, which add to their success when competing for government contracts.

An employee-owned company, Mayo is heavily focused on their people as the critical resource that fuels their success. Trevor Christianson, Mayo Construction President, points out: "We all have strengths and weaknesses. And you want to build on people's strengths. If you give them the right equipment, the right tools, and they learn from it, they're going to do better at their job, which is only going to help the company, and we're all going to succeed."

Cat SDX Screed Plates Are The Right Move

To expand their success, Mayo began the search to upgrade pavers, even running side-by-side comparisons to determine what delivered the best product, the best densities, the best ride and the best performance, they settled on Cat Pavers. In 2023, Mayo started seeing articles written about Cat SDX Screed Plates and they got a first-hand look at them during CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023. Soon after they purchased their first set, they currently own two sets.

''The big thing was that you could get your compaction faster, earlier, instead of trying to get all your compactive effort with your rollers," says Christianson. "We could see that someone could walk on the mat behind the paver and I thought, wow, you're getting it right there."

In addition, Christianson was happy about the SDX-improved smoothness, faster screed plate changes, and increased longevity. "We were excited that it was going to last longer. We have such a short season (approximately 23 weeks), and we're fighting the weather in North Dakota, so downtime is critical to us. If we have an opportunity to reduce downtime and we can keep paving through a season, that's a big advantage. We're running two pavers with SDX Screed systems right now."

Getting the Right Results

Recently Mayo had a large project in the middle of North Dakota on Highway 23, between Minot and Newtown. Most of the highway is four or five lanes across between the passing lanes and the turn lanes. The Mayo crew ran their two SDX-equipped pavers side-by-side for the bulk of the job.

We were getting such good performance out of them, and we were really happy with the results.

The team at Mayo Construction is seeing great returns from their Cat SDX Screed Plates:

Denser and tighter mat on sight
Eliminated 1 roller off the compaction train
Realizing a 1.5-2% increase in compaction compared to traditional Cat screed plates
Payback period for SDX Screed plate switchover was less than one season with bonuses and incentives from the state

The relationship Mayo has with Butler Machinery is also important to getting good results. According to Christianson, "We have a real close relationship with Butler Machinery.

When you have an issue or you don't have the technicians, you don't have the parts, you don't have the personnel to get your equipment back up and running again, that's expensive downtime. We can't afford to lose that. We have built a relationship with Butler Machinery where they're always there for us."

Planning for Rebuilds

In the off-season Mayo focuses on crunching the numbers for better bidding and estimating. Christianson recommends asking yourself these questions:

Where did we make money?
Where did we lose money?
What things are we doing right?
What things could we do better?

The off-season is also the right time to maintain or update equipment. The Cat SDX Screed Plates may be something to consider as part of a rebuild. Here are some of the advantages you could gain from an SDX Screed Plate investment:

Minimized downtime - replacement in as little as 4 hours
Increased wear life compared to standard screed plates
Higher and more consistent densities across the width of the mat
Improvements in International Roughness Index (IRI) scores

Disclaimer:

The results and statements presented are specific to Mayo’s experience and may not be representative of outcomes on other job sites or applications. All feedback was given voluntarily and without compensation.

Results may vary by application, paving technique, or job site conditions.

Find Out If Cat SDX Screed Plates Are Right For Your Busines

The Cat SDX Screed system can help you get more from your paving equipment. Talk to your local authorized Cat dealer today to find out if SDX Screed Plates are the right tool for your business.