Retire & Replace Program

Tier 4 Engines Reduce Emissions

As Vulcan continues to retire older components of our mobile equipment fleet, we are replacing them with newer machines that meet stringent Federal Clean Air Act Tier 3/Tier 4 engine emissions standards. In 2017, Vulcan purchased 79 new machines, 73 of which are Tier 4, meeting our high expectations of performance and significantly reducing emissions. This retire-and-replace process will be ongoing as older equipment is replaced. In the near future, the diesel-powered mobile equipment purchased will exclusively have Tier 4 engines.

The transition to Tier 4 machines significantly reduces the company-wide emissions of air pollutants associated with mobile equipment, specifically particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxides (SOx), carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The Tier 4 engines reduce emissions of PM and NOX by 96%, hydrocarbons by 86%, and carbon monoxide (CO) by 74%, compared to the older Tier 1 engine standards.

The new generations of engines are more fuel efficient. These engines incorporate technology similar to that used to improve fuel efficiency in passenger cars. The newer equipment has air management systems to reduce pollution, advanced electronic engine performance management systems, advanced fuel delivery and control systems, and many of the engines incorporate turbochargers, which allow the engine to produce more power with better fuel efficiency.

The efficiency improvements that come as new equipment enters operation will improve the fuel efficiency of the mobile equipment fleet, and reduce the emissions levels of greenhouse gas and other air pollutants from the mobile equipment.