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Grady Brothers, Inc. Paves Speedway Road Course
By Sherri Pettigrew - 3/18/2008
Grady Brothers' Cat CB-534D XW Compactor
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway saw some action this last fall, but it wasn't the kind that breaks any speed records. The speed won't be in the record books, but perhaps the equipment and crew running the track will be. Enhancements are being made to the Speedway's road course for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP motorcycle race this September by local paving contractor, Grady Brothers, Inc.
Grady Brothers, Inc. is no rookie when it comes to paving and the high standards of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They have been the sole paving contractor who has played an important role in keeping Indianapolis' famed 2-1/2 mile oval safe for the drivers and have helped transition the track for multiple types of racing.
Grady Brothers, Inc. got its start back in 1933 (originally Grady Bro. Construction Co.) while Indianapolis was experiencing the Great Depression and work was hard to find. Two Indianapolis brothers Francis S. and William J. Grady, pursued entrepreneurship by starting their own company with just a truck laying limestone driveways and decorative stonework for Eli Lilly executives.
Steve Grady
Today, Grady Brothers, Inc. is one of the premier paving contractors in Indiana and is in its third generation of family ownership with three of F.S Grady's grandsons (Mike, Steve, and Tom) running the westside firm. There are more than 50 people on the payroll and customers ranging from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to United Airlines and FedEx.
Grady Brothers began their 32 year relationship with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 1970's. The original 1910 brick pavement oval was surfaced with asphalt in its entirety for the first time in 1976 (short sections had been resurfaced, but not the entire track). In 1980 it needed to be touched up. After the 1988 race, complete resurfacing was again required and Grady Brothers was for a third time, chosen as the contractor of choice. This time more work was involved in the project. The first phase required removing and repairing over three miles of cracking in the asphalt track. The concreted pit area was also to be paved.
The firm repaved the oval track again in 1995. In 1999, they paved the new Formula One track at the Speedway for the inaugural Grand Prix in September 2000. The F-1 Speedway job was massive and required four 11-1/2 foot passes with asphalt machines on the 50-foot wide track.
Grady Brothers' Cat AP-655C Paver
Paving the legendary 2-1/2 mile oval is no quick task. Assuming everything goes well, Grady Brothers can pave 1 lap per day, with 5 passes necessary for the 50' width straightways, more for the 60' wide turns.
To provide the best possible racing surface for the cars, the track must be extremely smooth and have a very abrasive surface for traction. The job specifications for the oval resurfacing allowed a surface variation of only 1/16th -inch in 20 feet, and the asphalt mix contains a slag aggregate to give it the necessary abrasive quality.
And typically the final step in the job was to uncover and re-lay the "Yard of Bricks" at the start-finish line. They are paved over to ensure a smooth overall surface, then the asphalt is cut off the brick surface. A crew from the Speedway will take out the bricks and re-lay them up to the same level as the asphalt pavement to finish off the job.
The asphalt components for the track are regarded to be a very secure mix and are determined by consultants through IMS. One of the main differences in the material content for today's standards is that it contains polymer.
Grady Brothers' Cat CB-534D XW Compactor
Mike Grady stated, "The first resurface job in '76 was old school paving compared to paving today where technology plays more of a part." Some of the challenges we face today include having to adapt to constantly changing requirements-from the material components to how it is applied. The actual materials in the asphalt can be difficult such as with the porous asphalt whose characteristics reduce cracking but don't lend itself to be very workable."
The normal temperature range for asphalt application is between 260-280 degrees. The required temperature for application on the track is 306 degrees. This is where Grady Brothers' expertise and workmanship shine in their asphalt application. This time they were paving for the inaugural GP motorcycle race, adding turns 1 through 9 inside the oval utilizing five tons of asphalt. The cold weather changes were a pushing issue, and IMS wanted the new track paved before the snow and ice hit so it would have time to cure before the race.
In the past, the track resurface work was done with a Barber-Greene paver. Getting off to a new start this time around, Grady Brothers just purchased a new CAT paver which they used for this job with two CAT rollers for compaction. This is the first Cat paver they have purchased. Mike Grady stated, "Everybody is very happy with it and it runs real smooth. Also, the product support we have received from Creg Adkins from MacAllister has been outstanding."
Grady Brothers' Cat AP-655C Paver
In Grady Brothers' early years, during the 1940's and 1950's, the company found increasing business paving county roads and streets of Indianapolis.
In the early '50's, the company operated several Barber-Greene Pavers and a Buffalo Springfield roller. They owned an asphalt plant and a crane to charge the cold-feed bins. Grady's projects included the 1960's interstate highway system and major paving jobs with the airport, Greenwood Park Mall site and an increasing amount of jobs for Eli Lilly & Co.
The company has done work for the city of Indianapolis, as well as all of the townships in Marion County. In 1998, Grady Brothers, relying on more than two decades of racetrack paving experience, paved the oval track at Indianapolis Raceway Park. They do some state work, lots of projects with schools, resurface jobs for county roads and commercial work.
Grady Brothers' good reputation continues as exemplary of their workmanship, expertise, experience and performace demonstrated throughout the state.
We wait with anticipation for the GP race to approach so we can hear the motorcycles scream by on the new track, perhaps even adding a new entry in the record books.