VIDEO: Hitachi Excavators Drive Massive Georgia Site Development Project for Barfield Enterprises

Thu August 01, 2024
Monica Debrot – SPECIAL TO CEG

A family-owned business in its third generation, Barfield Enterprises has built its reputation by being prepared for anything.

The company provides full-site work and utility construction to coastal Georgia and the low country, where ground conditions can be unpredictable. Dewatering is necessary when excavating for deep sewer work and Barfield Enterprises has established itself as an expert in this, as well as in overall site development.

Photo courtesy of Bill Elverman

"Doing everything the right way, the first time, really makes a huge difference for the success or failure of these jobs. You only have one shot when you go down that deep," said Jack Barfield, senior project manager at Barfield Enterprises. "Having the expertise behind you to help you prepare for those situations is vital."

That expertise has been built over the years by Barfield's father, grandfather and uncles, who he said have "seen every situation that south Georgia can throw at you" — and it's one of the reason the company continues to win contracts.

Barfield Enterprises specializes in single and multifamily residential development. In addition to wet utilities, the company takes care of every aspect of these large projects. That includes stripping and clearing the land after it's been logged and completing mass grade work, which involves digging lagoons and mucking and filling the roads. It also installs the telecom and power conduit systems. It finishes each years-long project by dressing the ground for grass before moving on to the next project.

"As far as what separates us, we really feel like it's our attention to detail and we always have our client's best interest at heart," Barfield explained. "Throughout the project, if there are any changes or a way we can save them money, we relay that from the field and work with the engineers to make it happen."

Making It Work

Taking on large housing development projects requires organization, significant manpower and a lot of hard work. Barfield Enterprises runs two mass grade crews at any given time, normally split between different jobs, along with four pipe crews at all times and a fine grade crew that finishes projects by getting the roads cut in or clipped to grade for asphalt. They work long hours to keep projects moving.

"Our crew is here from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. most of the time. A lot of times they'll run over, especially if we're getting ready for rain day events coming up. And then in the summer, a lot of times they push until 7:30 p.m. five days a week," Barfield said. "We take care of our employees. We've got a good group of guys that have been with us for a long time. Without them, we can't get any of this done."

Photo courtesy of Bill Elverman

That crew operates the company's equipment fleet, which consists of multiple excavators, six or eight bulldozers at any given time, plus multiple loaders, street sweepers and rollers. Articulated haulers also are a staple that help traverse rocky terrain and allow the crew to move large amounts of dirt regardless of ground conditions.

The equipment Barfield Enterprise relies on the most are Hitachi 490 (ZX490LC-6) and 350 (ZX-350LC-6) excavators, which are serviced and supported by Hills Machinery out of Savannah, Ga.

According to Barfield, the company has been running Hitachi excavators on and off for 30-plus years and he considers them dependable, fast and strong.

"You're always going to have breakdowns. But the thing that really keeps us moving the most is having good support," he explained. "Somebody we can call and depend on when something does go down and that's Hills Machinery. Our rep, Donnie Crosby, always goes out of his way for us so that we can keep the job moving."

Barfield added that the support extends beyond repairs. It includes Crosby bringing backup pieces of equipment if an excavator or other machine will be out of service for a while.

"Donnie is the best. If we need a special piece of equipment, he'll get it on site when we need it," Barfield said. "And that's just a simple fact. You can always call him, and he has an answer or a solution for whatever we're going through."

Tackling Multi-Phase Projects

The company has recently put the Hitachi excavators to work on a large multi-phase project in South Bryan County, outside of Richmond Hill, Ga. It's a 750-home site project with seven to eight phases and, when completed, it will be 55-plus retirement community.

Among many other jobs, the development required digging down approximately 35 ft. to set a large pump station. To do that, Barfield and his crew needed to bench a large area to get the excavators down into the ground. After completing the installation and putting the dirt back, they built berms and the surroundings around the pump station to hide it. The project also needed crews to excavate retention ponds and install storm drain and sewer systems.

"We used the Hitachi 490 excavator for digging the very deep sewers. It is a good tractor for any situation, but especially the very deep stuff. You've got so much reach with it," said Barfield. "And it's versatile. We're going to put a much larger bucket on it, probably a 72-inch bucket, and put it in the mass grade operation until we have other deep pipe to lay."

Photo courtesy of Bill Elverman

The Hitachi 490 excavator has a maximum dig reach of 41 ft. and a maximum dig depth of 27 ft. and offers 362 hp net power at 2,000 rpm. Hitachi designed the excavator with sustainability and performance in mind. It has passed rigorous emissions testing and has a two-pump system to improve control. The boom and arm have a direct oil flow to each actuator, making them more responsive and efficient, according to the company.

Barfield also appreciates the versatility of the three Hitachi 350 excavators the company has. They proved key for backfilling topsoil on the site and supporting the mass earthwork happening, including retention pond excavating.

"We can use the 350 for pipe laying for just your everyday normal 12-14-foot sewer cut. But it's also a very versatile tractor that you can backfill with, or you can lay up to a 60-inch storm drain with no problem. You can lay a water main with it or sewer — pretty much anything you want to," he explained.

Like the 490, the 350 excavator provides Barfield and his crew with reliable reach.

Its maximum dig reach is 38 ft. 10 in. and its maximum dig depth is 26 ft. 9 in., and it offers 270.9 hp net power. The excavator provides the power and productivity needed for large jobs like Barfield Enterprises' recent multi-phase housing development. When taking on heavy-duty work or when a job needs extra speed, its HP mode increases engine speed and hydraulic-pump output torque. Its three-pump hydraulic system lowers fuel consumption, which helps the company's bottom line.

Looking Forward

Projects are plentiful in the areas that Barfield Enterprises serves. The ports factor into the construction industry, bringing more people to the areas, as does local commerce and an influx of people moving from California and the northeast in recent years. That means there will be a continued need for single and multi-family developments — and plenty of work for Barfield Enterprises.

"We're going to strive to continue to do what we do best. And that's these larger 100 to 200 home site tracks at a time. So, we're going to continue focusing on those," Barfield said.

Their relationship with Hills Machinery and their Hitachi excavators is certain to help them along the way.

"We have solid, dependable equipment that we know is going to do its job every day. Add that to the support we get from Hills Machinery, and we know we can finish our projects on time, on budget and have something that we can all be proud of at the end of the day."

This story also appears on Construction Equipment Guide.