Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/946503
EquipmentWorld.com | February 2018 33 ogy. And the contractor who has given up runs the risk of not being awarded contracts based on that." Hands-on training needed Many operators who first arrive for classes at the Road Institute in Pennsylvania or Arizona have received no training on their AGS systems. "And you can't just get it from a manual," Knudsen says. To learn it, an operator must first know manual pav- ing and best practices, say the instructors and Laubhan. Another prerequisite, the instructors say, is matching the AGS system to the valves on the type of machine the operator uses. The Road Institute relies on Volvo Construction Equipment's Blaw-Kontrol, which is proprietary to Volvo pavers. They use the Topcon System V or P32 for training. The courses, however, are designed to help operators on any type of equipment. "The big thing to look out for is that when somebody gets a system, wherever they get it, it must be matched one time to the particular paver they're running. That's to compensate for the valve tolerances that vary actu- ally from paver to paver, even with the same manufac- turer," explains Knudsen. "The operator needs to have somebody who knows the system set it up for them to match it to their paver. It only has to be done once, and it will stay matched, if you will, forever." Using the Trimble PCS900 3D Paving Control System, opera- tors can eliminate the time-consuming, costly step of setting out stringline. They can take out high and low areas early in the process with the less expensive first layer materials; lay complex designs such as transitions, super-elevated curves and frequently changing cross slopes; and meet accuracy and smoothness specifications.