Peak Concrete Production Performance for an Extreme Climate
CMC Concrete turned to Jonel Engineering for an innovative solution to address extreme climate challenges in Heber Valley, Utah, resulting in a proven answer for year-round concrete production.
Heber Valley, Utah, has been known as a vibrant, destination for people seeking small town charm and natural beauty, nestled at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. The former agricultural community, now cater to thousands of tourists each year with bustling Main Street shops along with a modern, thriving local economy etched out of the Greater Salt Lake Metropolitan area.
The area is also known for its innovation in cutting edge construction projects including recreational facilities and five-star resorts all carefully crafted to with a mindful appreciation to the surrounding picturesque landscape. Between 2006 and 2010 CMC Concrete a division of CMC Rock, LLC has provided aggregates to some of Utah’s largest and most successful construction projects. In 2020, owner David Cusick decided to diversify into Ready Mix production setting up a stationary batch plant in Saratoga Springs and a mobile batching facility in Payson.
In 2021 David’s son Tyler Cusick began researching a third ready mix location in Heber Valley. “We were looking for something unique for this facility since we wanted to be able to provide concrete year-round. Due to the higher elevation the winter months can get pretty cold, so we wanted a plant that could keep pace with the extreme climate conditions.”
Rather than relying on traditional winterization process of stacking up a stationary plant and then enclosing it with costly prefabbed materials, they opted for a modular plant that was designed specifically for this harsh environment. Tylor researched far and wide for a solution and his search took him to Finland to find what he was looking for.
The Tecwill batch plant CMC discovered is a modular plant that is completely preassembled at its factory in Europe. This includes pre-wiring, piping, thermal insulation and testing. The modular design dramatically reduces setup time and plant can be relocated and moved year-round.
This arrangement placed control points for the aggregate section distant from the control room. They utilized remote I/O (OptRIO) through Jonel Engineering’s Archer batch control system to facilitate control of the aggregate section and simplify what would otherwise be an unwieldy cable connection between containers.
“We selected Jonel because of the great service they have given us with our last two batch plants. We were confident they could integrate their system into this new kind of batch plant.”
Jonel made provisions for 240 I/O points, all discrete I/O was interfaced directly with Tecwill’s PLC. Along with all critical functions required for operating the plant; a multitude of I/O was dedicated to monitoring the status of various motor overloads, rotation direction, alarms, and plant voltage.
“Jonel took care of everything needed to integrate their system with this batch plant and achieve the performance we were looking for. Jonel has a great install team and their VP made several trips out to the sight to make sure everything was running smoothly. They really took care of us!”
In summary, CMC Concrete saw an opportunity to diversify and provide Ready Mix production, expanding their operations to two Utah locations. The Heber Valley location presented unique climate issues that needed to be addressed. Fortunately, the team at Jonel was able to put together a configurable solution through Jonel’s Archer batch control system. With innovative solutions like these, it becomes clear why Jonel is a trusted partner for so many customers with diverse needs.
If you're looking for reliable engineering services that provide efficient cost savings and optimized performance, don't hesitate to contact Jonel. By taking advantage of their expertise and vast experience in the industry, you can trust they will find the best solution for your project’s requirements.