Manufacturers exhibited new road construction equipment at CONEXPO-CON/AGG this year that will soon be paving North America’s roads and highways. New features and smart technologies are available for machine categories from pavers to rollers to milling machines.
Overall, the new features make for simpler operation, faster production, lower cost of operation, greater versatility and a better final product.
Advanced Technologies Define Revamped Legacy Pavers
Bomag exhibited their new 10-foot and eight-foot pavers. The 10-foot 1030 W replaces the Legacy CR 452 and CR 552 while the new 10-foot CR 1030 T replaces the rubber track CR 462 and CR 562 pavers.
The updated 10-foot pavers feature an updated dual-swing-out operator's platform for better visibility to the sides of the paver and screen end gates and a new seven-inch color screen. The wheeled version features a 260-hp engine and a 16.7-ton-capacity hopper while the tracked machine features a 225-hp engine and a 14-ton-capacity hopper.
The new Bomag’s rubber track CR 820 T and wheeled CR 820 W eight-foot-class pavers feature a new operator’s platform, new controls, and a new seven-inch screen. New dual swing-out seats and consoles improve visibility from both the left-hand and right-hand side of the paver. Both pavers are powered by a 160-hp engine and have a 10-ton hopper capacity.
Paving widths on the new pavers can be increased via the Stretch 16 hydraulically extendable screed, which extends paving widths from eight to 16 feet and paving depth to 12 inches. Quick-connecting extension kits increase maximum paving width to 20 feet.
GOMACO Has Solutions for Diverse Concrete Applications
GOMACO exhibited the 3300 with a 12-foot wide undermounted transverse paving mold, the GT-3600, the GT-3200 and the Commander IIIx.
The 3300 is a multi-application paver from the company’s Xtreme line of concrete curb and gutter machines, which features, Xtreme steering capabilities, G+ control, and Xtreme radius capabilities when paving with 3D guidance or stringline. Press the button on the G+ digital control screen to put the 3300 into curb and gutter mode and slipform from either the left-hand side or the right-hand side a large variety of applications including tight radii.
The Xtreme Commander IIIx and GT-3600 curb and gutter machines are designed for high-production, in curb and gutter, barrier, parapet, sidewalk, recreational path, small canal, water channel applications and more. Both can slipform a 24-inch radius and feature rotary-sensored slew drives and smart hydraulic cylinders that allow the G+ control system to know the position of each track and redirect if needed of the curb and gutter machines to make as needed steering adjustments.
The GT-3200 is GOMACO’s compact curb and gutter paver. The curb and gutter machines on display will feature the different stringline and stringless paving options from Topcon, Leica Geosystems and Trimble. GOMACO equipment has been paving with 3D systems for more than 20 years and is able to seamlessly integrate with the three major suppliers of stringless systems.
Smart Milling and Advanced Functionality
Wirtgen exhibited several milling machines, including its new W 220 Fi and W 250 Fi, as well as the company’s existing W 210 Fi flagship models. The new machines serve a wide range of applications from surface course rehabilitation and fine milling work, to complete removal of the pavement.
When in automatic mode, the standard Mill Assist system provides the optimal balance between performance and operating costs, improving milling performance while reducing diesel, water and pick consumption, as well as CO2 emissions.
Intelligent control of the two-speed powershift transmission, together with the diesel engine, extends both the upper and lower range of possible milling drum speeds. At lower speeds, fuel and pick wear can be significantly reduced. At higher speeds, high milling pattern quality is improved.
By selecting one of several settings, such as Cost-Optimized, Performance-Optimized, or Milling Texture Quality, operators can pre-select a working strategy and can define the required milling texture quality on a scale of one (coarse) to 10 (very fine) at the touch of a button.
The new Wirtgen Performance Tracker (WPT) calculates important operational, real-time data, such as precise surface milling performance, milling volume, and consumption values.
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