Stringless paving

For the new housing development in Springfield, the American paving crew paved kerb and gutter profiles over a distance of more than 730 m (2,400 ft). The Wirtgen SP 15i played a decisive role in the fast completion of the paving project. The compact slipform paver can pave monolithic profiles up to a height of 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) and narrow concrete slabs with a width of up to 2.1 m (7 ft). This makes it the ideal choice for use on construction sites that demand extreme manoeuvrability, the paving of tight bends and enormous flexibility. The two front crawler units with parallelogram swing legs and a movable rear crawler unit enable flexible adjustment to conditions on the construction site and seamless paving.

Stringless profile paving, thanks to AutoPilot 2.0

The subsequent integration of the AutoPilot 2.0 stringless machine control system in the SP 15i made it possible to complete the construction project in Springfield particularly quickly and efficiently. Developed by Wirtgen, it replaces complex surveying, the setup and break down of physical stringlines and the creation of a geodetic data model. This significantly reduces the time and effort otherwise required and noticeably reduces costs.

Quick and precise workflow reduces costs and increases quality

RLC invests in equipment that enables the best possible fulfilment of their clients’ quality targets and deadlines. At the same time, the company is focused on assuring that operators can work safely, quickly, and comfortably. The SP 15i, is a good example of this. For Project Manager Thomas Kallai, the integration of AutoPilot 2.0 raises the construction process to an entirely new level. Thanks to stringless paving, the process is not only more cost-effective, but also much faster and more precise in comparison to previous methods.

Tremendous time savings for the project setup

Thomas Kallai joined RLC as a machine operator in 2016. In the meantime, he works as a project and training manager. He is particularly proud of how perfectly everything meshes in his well-practiced team, and that the paving crew works more confidently and with added automated functions through all stages of the work with the SP 15i.

‘If we were to set a stringline, it would take two guys about eight hours to get it all ready to go,’ explains Kallai, reflecting on the old-school workflow versus what his crew did that morning. ‘This job took us three hours, maybe four because I was training someone. By myself, I could probably shoot it in two and a half hours from set up to break down. So, it’s at least 50 per cent faster most of the time.’

Easy operation and good visibility

The paving crew particularly appreciated how quickly and easily they were able to learn how to operate the machine. The good visibility also impressed the Project Manager: ‘The operators can see everything and don’t have to worry about running something over with the tracks. There’s more room to move around on top of it – and there’s even a cup holder!’

His colleague, operator Kevin Valentine, can only agree. ‘I’ve been using the SP 15i for two years now,’ he reports. ‘It’s really very simple. Anybody could turn it on, learn it, and operate it fairly easily.’

Low fuel consumption, reliable at work

• Low fuel consumption: ‘The fuel consumption is a game changer for us,’ explains Kevin Valentine. ‘We can run two huge jobs, without fuelling up for three days. In ECO mode, the machine automatically adjusts the power requirement as soon as we turn on the Trimmer or the conveyor belt.’
• Less prone to breakdowns: Valentine is also responsible for monitoring the SP 15i’s vitals, sharing that the machine is less bothersome than others in the RLC fleet ‘We used to fill up the DEF fluids all the time. With the SP 15i, if we’re constantly using it, I don’t have to fill up the DEF fluids for about four days,’
• Quick mould changing: For Thomas Kallai, the time saved when changing the mould, which can be done on-site, is a big advantage. ‘It’s a well-balanced machine. So it’s very easy to move from job to job. Setup is fast,’ says Kallai. ‘Everything is also easy to swap over. When we change the mould, the machine picks up the mould, we flip a switch, and the mould walks itself onto the machine.’

Fast start-up and excellent local service

Initially, Thomas Kallai was a little sceptical when the first SP 15i – at the time without AutoPilot 2.0 – arrived on the construction site. Nevertheless, the switch from the machines he had used so far to the Wirtgen machine turned out to be absolutely smooth and seamless. That was also due to the comprehensive support of the Wirtgen team. ‘When we got the first machine, we were on stringline. Fortunately, representatives from Wirtgen joined us for a few days on the job. They showed us how to run and maintain the machine and all the features.’

A year later, Kallai and his crew got another visit from the familiar faces of the Wirtgen service team when AutoPilot 2.0 3D system was retrofitted onto the machine. ‘The Wirtgen reps came back and worked on several jobs. They taught us how to shoot it, adjust the machine for steering or elevation, and then helped us work out any issues we had while shooting the job. So it was very helpful.’