Skip to main content

Minnich’s concrete barrier wall drill slides along the barriers

Minnich Manufacturing, a maker of concrete dowel pin drills, concrete paving vibrators and vibrator monitoring systems, has developed a concrete barrier wall drill. The tool drills vertical holes for the pins used to secure temporary concrete traffic barriers. Minnich, based in Mansfield, Ohio, said the air-driven and self-propelled drill straddles and rides along the top of the temporary wall. A tethered controller enables the operator to simultaneously drill three accurate, consistent pin holes — through
April 18, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Minnich Manufacturing, a maker of concrete dowel pin drills, concrete paving vibrators and vibrator monitoring systems, has developed a concrete barrier wall drill.


The tool drills vertical holes for the pins used to secure temporary concrete traffic barriers. 286 Minnich, based in Mansfield, Ohio, said the air-driven and self-propelled drill straddles and rides along the top of the temporary wall. A tethered controller enables the operator to simultaneously drill three accurate, consistent pin holes — through pre-molded holes in the wall, through the road, into the sub-base — while positioned on the non-traffic side of the barrier.

The introduction of Minnich’s concrete barrier wall drill comes just as US states move towards requiring temporary barriers to be pinned, according to Todd Jurjevic, director of sales at Minnich Manufacturing. “The new drill saves contractors significant time and cost and promotes safety by eliminating the need to hand-drill pin holes on the traffic side of the barrier.”

Additionally, the tethered controller removes the operator from excess debris and dust. Minnich claims that on one Illinois highway construction project, the contractor realised  35% time savings, nearly 20% labour and equipment cost savings and around 30% bit cost savings compared to a three-person crew using high-powered rotary hand drills. The contractor also reported that the accuracy and consistency of the holes drilled by the Minnich drill made pin removal significantly easier. Hand drilling can result in inconsistent holes with varying angles, making pin removal a challenge.

Minnich can customise the drill to fit F-shape barriers, Jersey barriers or any other barrier wall profile. Drill spacing and hole-depth of the drill are fully adjustable. The unit can be easily moved with a forklift and loaded onto the wall with a backhoe or service crane.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Bitumen technology ideal for road repairs
    July 4, 2012
    Mike Woof discusses some novel developments relating to bitumen In the developed countries of Western Europe there is an increasing shift away from new highway construction to maintaining and rebuilding existing roads. In Germany alone, a network of asphalt roads extending more than 600,000km will have to be maintained or repaired. Highway maintenance techniques do vary between European countries but some commonalities exist. There are techniques that have been sidelined in the last few years but which now
  • Shaking all over: controlled frequency vibration for concrete
    November 28, 2018
    The use of controlled frequency vibration for concrete continues to grow, writes Paul Jaworski Controlled frequency vibration (CFV) technology has been around since the mid-1990s for concrete pavement applications. The technology has seen a gradual increase in acceptance, particularly in certain applications. For the 0- to 37mm (1.5”) slump pavement mix designs, many contractors were experiencing material separation due to speeds over 8,000vibrations/minute (VPM). With the wide variability of concrete
  • Wirtgen slipform paver works in Brazil road contract
    May 15, 2015
    Local contractor Galvão Engenharia opted to use an SP 850 slipform paver from Wirtgen as one of the key machines in the job to upgrade and improve the Anel Viário de Fortaleza. This important highway connects Fortaleza, located in the federal state of Ceará, with the busy port of Pecém. The deepwater port in Pecém is some 60km from Fortaleza and since it was inaugurated in 2002, the city has become a primary port for exporting fruit products in refrigerated containers. Fuel and liquefied gas, fertilizer
  • The Mersey Gateway bridge project continues on schedule
    October 18, 2016
    Work continues on the 2.3km Mersey Gateway signature bridge project close to Liverpool in the UK. David Arminas reports on some of the construction highlights. Under construction is a cable-stayed structure with three towers that will span the Mersey River’s expansive mud flats between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes near Liverpool. Including the approach viaducts on each side, it will be 2.3km long with a river span of 1km. The main bridge deck will be reinforced concrete. The 80m-high central tower will b