Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/652983
F ollowing with cold mills and material transfer vehicles, asphalt pavers are the third element in the quest for smooth, bonus-winning pavements. Pavers are changing as electronics play a bigger-than-ever role, and best-practice principles are built into their design. The shift from asphalt pavement method specifi cations to performance specs – with more demanding smoothness requirements – is compelling contractors to take advantage of the technologies built into today's asphalt pavers in order to meet those specs and win bonuses. For example, for night work, paver-mounted fl uorescent lamps gave way to incandescent spotlights, which were in turn replaced by bril- liant balloon lights with their dispersed fl ood of light. In the near future, today's balloon lights will be replaced by 24-volt LED balloon lights, which have fewer operational issues compared to modern 120/240-volt systems. Still, the basic concept – a tractor and independent screed – has remained un- EquipmentWorld.com | March 2016 67 Part I: Smooth Pavements through Cold Milling Part 2: Smooth Pavements and Material Transfer Vehicles Part 3: Smooth Pavements and Asphalt Pavers Part 4: Smooth Pavements and Asphalt Screeds Part 5: Compaction for Super Smooth Asphalt Pavements Part 6: Super-Smooth PCC Pavements with Slipform Pavers Part 7: Super-Smooth PCC Pavements with Stringless Controls This month, Equipment World continues its seven-part series on how to optimize pavement construction to win bonuses with a look at pavers. Image: Advanced Materials Services Image: Tom Kuennen The three-drop method – fi rst drop at front, second drop at rear, and a third drop in the center of a truck – reduces aggregate roll-down and segregation, especially important when paving large stone mixes. Image: Texas Asphalt Pavement Association