Patent 8.388.261 B1
Testimonials
Testimonials
Michael R. Agnew
IHC, LTD.
Dear Chris:
I have been meaning to write to you concerning our use of the Plate Locks system at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) this past year. The CBBT is a 17-mile bridge and tunnel span at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. It is a major north-south route handling personal vehicle and heavy-duty truck traffic at 55 mile per hour speeds.
Our contract required the 8 roadway cuts @ the mouth of the two tunnels. The owner was very involved in the plate hold down method. After several unsuccessful attempts using standard steel roadway plates bolted directly to the roadway (18 wheel tractor-trailers hitting the plate @ 55 mph on a 30á´¼ incline/decline) we contacted your company regarding the Plate Locks System.
The top two men in charge of maintenance at the CBBT (both ex-VDOT supervisors) agreed to try the system.
We were all happy to say that the Plate Locks system worked without a hitch. Mr. Holloway of CBBT indicated that if VDOT wanted a recommendation from him on the use of this system he would be happy to give one. It is certainly our intention to use the Plate Lock system again in the future and would highly recommend it.
Tad S. Blanton
City of Medford Public Works Dept.
"I was approached in mid-February by Chris Lane who said he had a product I needed to try that would lock trench plates down to the road. He was very enthusiastic and piqued my interest. He said he had some plastic wedges that would eliminate the need for cold-mix asphalt transitions at the plate edges. I was skeptical, but we set up a demonstration in our yard. We tested the proto-type wedges with a 1″ plate over an uneven asphalt haul road. We used plate shims in several places to give the plate full bearing. The plate got an estimated 100 trips a day across it with all heavy trucks and heavy equipment. We left it in place for about 19 days and the plate never moved. I was impressed. Not only did the plate stay in place without cold-mix, the “Plate Locks” strips made the ride across the plate better than cold-mix generally would. Given its performance in our yard we decided to try it on our road system in a very difficult application. On the 6th of March we had to re-work a sewer manhole at a busy intersection in an older part of the city. The street crown was inconsistent and an asphalt valley gutter ran transverse to the long axis of the plate. It was a “real-life” worst case scenario! The through-street was a narrow (30′) collector that carries 3000-4000 trips per day. Once again because of the un-evenness of the surface we used the plate shims to get bearing for the plate. The plate was at that location for 5 days including over the weekend with no movement and no complaints or concerns-even for noise. I was convinced! I told Chris I would buy the finished product whenever it became available. The finished product is also bright orange in color which gives a visual warning to motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians alike."
Mike Kuntz, P.E.
County Engineer
Jackson County Roads
"As we discussed in our phone call last week, Jackson County Roads became aware of Plate Locks about a decade ago. We investigated them and discovered that compared to the typical alternative of cold patch, Plate Locks hold steel plates more securely in place, create a more uniform bump for the motoring public, and improve the visibility of steel plates due to the bright orange color of the Plate Locks. Shortly after our investigation and preliminary use of the product, we modified our standards to require the use of Plate Locks to restrain steel plates on Jackson County roads. After a decade of use, our opinion of the product remains unchanged."
Rand LeBaron, President
Pilot Rock Excavation
To Whom It May Concern:
"This is an unqualified endorsement from Pilot Rock Excavation of Central Point, Oregon for the Plate Locks trench plate securing system. We have been using Plate Locks for about a year on several projects in Southern Oregon. Our previous practice for securing trench plates was to surround them with cold-mix asphalt. That old method has literally kept us awake at night with worry about plate walk in heavily traveled areas. Plate Locks has ended our worries about the trench plates moving and causing a serious accident.
Plate Locks is easier to use than asphalt. It is cleaner and more professional, in addition to being safer. An added safety benefit is the increased visibility of Plate Locks as motorists approach a plated area. That bright orange strip in or across the traffic lane causes most motorists to slow down when they otherwise might not. Plate Locks is durable and can be used over and over. The savings over the cost of cold-mix asphalt and the labor to place it multiply every time we use Plate Locks.
We especially like the fact that Plate Locks can be left in place while work is performed in the trench. At the end of the day the plates can simply be placed back over the trench and the Plate Locks will hold it in place until access to the trench is needed again.
The comments we receive on our trench plates are complimentary now that we are using Plate Locks instead of asphalt. We also like the idea that Plate Locks is a recyclable, non-polluting product. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for cold-mix asphalt.
Plate Locks has made our jobsites safer, less worrisome and less expensive. We encourage anyone engaged in utility construction or repair work in traffic situations to try Plate Locks."
Johnny Beane
Town Of Blacksburg Virginia
We have been using the Plate Locks for several years and we love them. We were having trouble keeping the plates on the ditches in high traffic areas such as Main St. We started using the Plate Locks system and have not had any problems. VDOT requires the plates to be out lined with some sort of markings around the edge and I think this does that and we have to put up signs for the steel plates when in use. We are well pleased with the Plate Locks system.