In preparation for the U.S. Open’s 2014 Golf Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina, S.T. Wooten Corporation was selected as the premier contractor by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to rapidly expand North Carolina Highway 211 (NC 211) and accommodate the thousands of golf fans anticipated at the event. The new Cat® 336E H Hybrid Excavator is one of many Cat products working on the 7.5-mile-long project.
NC 211 is a primary state highway in North Carolina and traverses mostly through the Sand Hills and Coastal Plain regions of the state, connecting the cities of Candor, Aberdeen, Raeford, Lumberton, Bladenboro and Southport. The widening project consists of widening the road to a multi-lane highway with curbs and gutters, sidewalks, as well as installing traffic signals and signs along the upgraded multi-lane highway. Because of streams and wetlands in the area, NCDOT worked closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Choosing the Right Partners
As a family-owned business headquartered in Wilson, North Carolina, S.T. Wooten’s reputation is built on leveraging cutting-edge technology to ensure the highest levels of safety, quality of work and productivity. The company has a history of developing creative solutions that help protect the environment, reduce disruptions to the public and speed up efficiency in the face of tight deadlines.
When the time came, Wooten decision makers partnered with Caterpillar and selected the Cat 336E H Hybrid Excavator to assist their company’s construction progress on the project. Cat dealer Gregory Poole helped leverage the sustainable innovation on the job.
The widening of NC 211 began in late 2011 and is expected to be completed in May of 2014 – just in time for the U.S. Open in June 2014. As of late October 2013, the Cat 336E H has been on site for about a month, operating approximately 11 hours a day and loading fill material in preparation for the road grading process.
Proof of Performance
Wooten machine operator, Doug Poindexter, said the Cat 336E H is “powerful in its break-out force, comfortable and fuel efficient.” Burning approximately five gallons per hour in its application, the new technology is proving why a quick payback with uncompromised productivity is no longer a myth.
“It’s a lot faster than I’ve ever run,” Poindexter said after using the new excavator to load one of the trucks that run the fill material from the ball pit where the Cat 336E H operates. Poindexter notes that the machine is “so quiet!” Measured at only 69 decibels, the operator station sound level may be lower than the average household blow dryer or vacuum cleaner.
