ForConstructionPros.com

The folks at Cummins Construction Co. know that a pavement's smoothness starts from the bottom up, so when they began the third and final phase of construction of Oklahoma State Highway 7 and State Highway 3 in Atoka County, they paid close attention to smoothness at each level of construction.

So much so that the paving contractor even used one of its pavers to place the aggregate base. The result earned the Oklahoma contractor a 105% of pay performance bonus based on smoothness.

Mike Knox, area manager for Cummins Construction, says placing aggregate with a paver might be unusual for other contractors — but not for Cummins.

"Every chance we get we do this on a job and it works very well," Knox says. "It's a lot more economical and efficient than to do it the old fashioned way. And when you place aggregate with a paver you don't get as much segregation and you can control the thickness real easy."

Headquartered in Enid, OK, Cummins Construction Co. placed its first hot mix asphalt in 1955 and now employs more than 140 people in peak season. Cummins operates five paving crews, with five permanent plants, and three mobile plants. The contractor does highway construction and municipal work almost exclusively out of five locations that include Enid, Ada, Durant, Hugo, and Stringtown.