Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/674536
EquipmentWorld.com | May 2016 67 road science | continued THIS YEAR'S ACTIVITIES: FREE ADMISSION ONLY WHEN YOU PRE-REGISTER!* Register online at GATSonline.com or call 888-670-7549. *Onsite registration is $10 REGISTRATION SPONSORED BY • Best of show winners from the past Pride & Polish events compete for the grand prize • Show trucks from across the country on display • Free health screenings • Cooking demos • Healthy food options • Health-related vendors • Daily meet and greets and celebrity appearances • Live performances at the booth • Prize giveaways and drawings Landstar Health & Wellness Pavilion Discovery Pavilion This year GATS is introducing a brand new pavilion where you can touch, try and test the newest products and gadgets in the industry! Trucking professionals and everyone else will find something to discover. by showing them what they are doing and where they are on the mat." An intelligent compaction sys- tem may seem like a panacea for getting quality compaction, but there are several other equip- ment advances on which manu- facturers are focusing to affect both performance and operator comfort. As for the latter, Atlas Copco believes operator stations are one of the leading equipment features helping operators create high-quality pavements. "We optimize visibility and comfort on our rollers with ergo- nomic operator stations," Hoff- man says. "Some rollers feature a sideways-sliding seat and a steer- ing module that rotates with the operator to improve visibility for optimal control and compaction. The right seat gives an operator optimal visibility of the surface and increases comfort by reduc- ing body strain from twisting and leaning to see the work area. When the operator can view the drum's edge and surround- ings clearly, he or she can stay on the roller longer and remain focused." Starry says another signifi cant compaction equipment change contributing to smoother pave- ment surfaces is higher vibration frequency. "A double drum vibratory compactor operating in either the breakdown or intermediate rolling positions will reduce the spacing between drum impacts, which, in turn, reduces pavement surface irregularities," he says. "The ability to adjust drum amplitude selec- tions will minimize the depth of the vibrating drum depressions. This also contributes toward im- proved rideability results." Starry also cites Volvo's auto- matic start and stop vibration feature. "For Volvo large double drum vibratory compactors, we have a unique feature which automatically engages vibra- tion in the leading drum a few seconds before vibration starts in the trailing drum. This leads to less drum marking and smoother pavements." Kowalski says a major ad- vancement for Hamm is an oscillation feature, which can be used when vibration can't, such as when encountering incorrect temperatures or sensitive areas that are too close in proximity to handle the vibration. "Operators like this because they can get the last amount of density, using oscillation instead of vibration and static, because there is enough temperature in the mix that the oscillation will keep adding density without damaging the mix or the sur- roundings. This will also help remove any roller marks in the mat when fi nishing," he explains. The skill of the operator still reigns supreme, and future equipment advancements will continue to provide features that support that skill to a greater degree. "When it comes to improving smoothness, good technique is a must," says Caterpillar's Down- ing. "So future developments will trend toward those things that make it easier to apply good technique consistently." Hoffman holds the same sentiment, believing visibility improvement will be a key en- hancement. "In the future, I think we will begin to see the addition of cameras to view and monitor the asphalt's surface and sur- roundings on pavers and rollers. We've come a long way since we developed intelligent compac- tion, and we'll just keep improv- ing as new technology becomes available."