Bos Concrete completed the concrete work for a new Frontier Truck Parts facility in Wyoming, Michigan, with some help from the right equipment, including a Volvo ABG8820C Paver with tamper screed, a grader and a box paver on a skid steer. 

“The Volvo ABG paver is the crown jewel of what we do – a paver that can perform and place zero-sump concrete at the densities we need behind the paving screed,” says Mark Bos, Co-Founder of Bos Concrete in Coloma, Michigan. 

Bos explains that compacted concrete no longer needs the roll. With good mix design and with the Volvo equipment, he can get a 98 percent to 100 percent density behind the paver and deliver a flat mat. 

“We can deliver broom-finished concrete when we are done,” Bos says. 

Standard and roller-compacted concrete are both produced with sand, stone, cement and water, Bos explains. But with roller compacting, the concrete is produced at zero slump, with less water. Slump is a unit of measure determined by measuring the slump after a cone is removed. With regular concrete, a 6-inch slump is standard for residential projects and a 4-inch or 5-inch slump for commercial projects. 

“Water is the enemy of concrete,” Bos explains. “It kills the durability and strength of the concrete if it is abused. We can take out that water and have less shrinkage in the mat and more durability.”

The Frontier Project

The Weller family developed the Frontier Truck Parts facility for trucks and salvaged equipment. Heavy trucks and other vehicles will be salvaged at the new operation. Pioneer Construction in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is the general contractor on the Frontier project. 

Bos designed the job’s concrete work and shared those drawings with the site-work contractor, with whom he worked closely. Bos Concrete set up a batch plant with a twin shaft mixer to mix the concrete at a zero slump and all the additional equipment necessary, such as conveyors and dump trucks. 

During the 101,000-square-foot job, Bos Concrete placed about 2,000 cubic yards of concrete. Bos explained that concrete was the preferred surface for the job, because of its durability in a facility that would handle heavy equipment and trucks. The concrete can be driven on in a matter of days and will not develop potholes or rutting or deform under heavy loads. It also does not deteriorate from spills or soften in high temperatures. 

“Roller compacted concrete is a paradigm shift for engineers to start thinking about,” Bos says. “It’s a concrete pavement that is efficient, durable and economical. Often we can place this concrete at a rate that is less than asphalt.”

The Frontier Truck facility is one of the largest local projects Bos Concrete has completed. 

“We learn on every project we do, and we continue to learn,” Bos says. “We are producing a product we are really proud of.”

A Great Working Relationship

Mark and his brother, Mike, started 17 years ago in the ready-mix business, then added on pumping and other services to diversify and offer customers something more than other vendors. The brothers often talk about work, even in off hours.

“I could not do this without my brother,” Bos says. “It’s one of the best things about my business is working with family. We have a great working relationship. We are best friends. Even if we have a disagreement, water runs off our backs. And we go to work the next day.”

The company employs about 20 people and works in Michigan and on large jobs in other states with Andale Ready Mix Central in Wichita, Kansas. Bos Concrete works primarily to the east of the Mississippi River. It pours and pumps concrete for sidewalks, foundations, factories and public projects. The company will take on small and large-scale jobs. The Bos brothers invest in the people and equipment necessary to deliver top quality to customers. 

When Bos saw roller-compacted concrete come onto the scene in Indianapolis, about six years ago, he decided to also perform roller-compacted concrete. Bos Concrete purchased the equipment to produce zero-sump concrete, which delivers durable and long-lasting concrete. 

“Doing something new came with many challenges,” Bos recalls. 

Bos Concrete later switched to the Volvo paver from Alta Equipment in Detroit. Alta Equipment has 20 locations in the Midwest, 200 mobile service vans, available 24 hours a day year round, and 300 factory-trained technicians. The company realizes the importance of up time and guarantees its response times. It sells aerial lifts, aggregate equipment, earthmovers, power systems, cranes, plows and other heavy machinery and has a 5,000-unit rental fleet. 

“We are happy with Alta’s service and willingness to go across the country to get us what we need,” Bos says. “They go to bat for us, and support us today, because any piece of equipment will break down.”

The Volvo paver was able to deliver the density behind the screed that Bos Concrete could not get with its former paver, a Caterpillar 555 Paver, which forced Bos to use a 12-ton roller on mats, which produced roller marks and an uneven surface.

“We want a perfectly flat mat, within an eighth to sixteenth of an inch over a 10- or 15-foot rule,” Bos says. “That’s what the Volvo allows us to do.” 

Bos expects with time, his company will purchase more Volvo equipment from Alta. 

Looking forward, Bos remains optimistic. The company has several large projects scheduled for 2018. 

“We feel our product is the best in the industry, and it’s only going to get better,” Bos concludes.  “We see a lot of opportunity for us.”

Project Partners

• Owner: Frontier Trucks Parts, Wyoming, Michigan
• General Contractor: Pioneer Construction in Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Concrete Contractor: Bos Concrete in Coloma, Michigan