Paradigm Crusher: Michael J. Manatt
Name:
Michael J. Manatt
Transportation Mode:
Other
Era:
Post-1920s
Gender:
Male
In 1993, the late Michael J. Manatt, vice president of Manatts Inc., of Brooklyn, Iowa, oversaw the development of a piece of equipment that would revolutionize the highway construction industry. The machine, called the Paradigm Crusher, is used on large-scale, heavy highway construction. It crushes old roadway concrete on site and deposits the recycled material through the back of the machine.
Prior to the Paradigm Crusher, roadway rubble had to be hauled to an off-site location, crushed and then hauled back to a construction site. With this machine, trucks no longer drive to and from construction zones; safety issues are minimized; and roads require less maintenance. In terms of cost savings, it has been estimated that the Paradigm Crusher was responsible for an $800,000 savings on a single 14-mile project. This machine earned Manatt the Construction Innovation Forum's NOVA Award in 1996.
