October 2026 | Reading time: 4 mins.
Smart Compact Pro impresses COLAS straight down the line
In early November 2025, in the space of just three days, the asphalt surface course of France’s D934 was renovated along a stretch measuring some 2.5 kilometres in length and on average 6.2 metres in width. Altogether, this added up to approx. 16,000 m² of paving. COLAS, the company tasked with this project, put their trust in two tandem rollers from Hamm to do the job, namely the HX 70i and HD+ 90i.
Hassle-free calibration and automated compaction based on real-time density measurements
Before work started on compaction, seven measuring points were taken to provide a growth curve, mapping the progress of compaction relative to the number of passes completed. Four more measuring points were then taken using a Troxler gauge to calibrate Smart Compact Pro.
Once Smart Compact Pro was calibrated, work could start straight away on compaction and the benefits of the system soon became more than apparent: The intuitive operation took the pressure off the driver while Smart Compact Pro automatically took control of the compaction energy and the relevant modes for each drum separately – all this is done on the basis of real-time asphalt density, the cooling behaviour of the asphalt, temperature data, the course type and thickness and even local weather data. This allows the driver to devote their full attention to the important task of steering. Throughout the entire project, the density values were also visible in real time from inside the cabin, where they appear on the Smart Compact Pro display even during static compaction.
Density maps with WPT Compacting
But it’s not just the driver who can track the live density values. This data forms part of WPT Compacting, which means it can be viewed in real time through the John Deere Operations Center™. This way, the COLAS construction management team was also able to monitor the progress of compaction throughout the entire project and analyse all relevant performance indicators as they happen, including not only real-time density but also position data, the number of passes and temperature values, as well as operating data specific to the machine. By combining both Smart Compact Pro and WPT Compacting, the team was able to access not only selective asphalt density data, but also extensive density maps that could be used for analysis, comparison and documentation purposes.
‘It’s great when both the operator and the lab team are kept happy. Smart Compact Pro controls both drums. This is a major advantage when working on motorways and major national or regional roads, where requirements are challenging and you have the added pressure of laboratory testing.’
Gregory Fontaine, Supervisor, speaking about Smart Compact Pro
Analysing and comparing density measurements
To subsequently check the compaction performance of the two tandem rollers, a total of five drill core points were defined at random for extraction and laboratory analysis. A comparison of the measured values from the Troxler gauge and the drill core analysis revealed that four of the five measuring points showed either no deviation or minimal deviation of 0.2% in the degree of compaction. In other words, we were able to achieve a really high level of conformity between the reference measurements taken for the calibration and the actual compaction results. The compaction values requested by the client could be achieved with precision.
