Smart paving methods for greater efficiency, quality and sustainability

Roadbuilding contractors have to satisfy ever more stringent specifications around asphalt paving, whilst also having to remain competitive. Vögele has two methods for completing paving projects more quickly, efficiently, economically and sustainably - InLine Pave and SprayJet.

Schedules in roadbuilding are tight, especially on projects involving the construction or resurfacing of major roads carrying heavy traffic. At the same time, tendering authorities demand the highest paving quality. Additional pressure comes from stricter environmental regulations and the call for construction methods which conserve resources – all as roadbuilders struggle with rising material and labour costs. The InLine Pave and the SprayJet technologies from Vögele are designed for precisely these requirements. The two paving methods are suitable for a variety of applications, have been proven in the field for years and are used all over the world.

InLine Pave: binder and surface courses in one pass

The InLine Pave concept is particularly suitable for building and resurfacing motorways and major roads – and for any road which needs to be reopened to traffic as quickly as possible. The clue is in the name: three machines work “in line” one after another. The material feeder accepts the material delivered for the binder or surface courses and passes it to the SUPER 2100-3(i) IP paver for binder course. This is the heart of the “train” with its Vögele AB 600 TP2 Plus high compaction screed. During paving, the binder course is compacted at values of up to 98%, to such an extent that the paver for surface course which follows is already able to drive on it. The paver for binder course also has a special transfer module which conveys the material for the surface course straight to the receiving hopper of the third machine – a SUPER 1800 of the “Dash 3” or “Dash 5” generation which then paves the surface course.

Durable, high-quality road surface with fewer emissions

The “hot-on-hot” method of paving has several advantages: the binder and surface courses interlock perfectly, increasing the quality and service life of the surface course. The proportion of surface course to binder course can also be reduced. On the one hand, this improves the stability of the road surface, because of the higher proportion of binder course (which resists deformation); which prevents deformation. On the other hand, less of the expensive surface course material is required. Compared to conventional paving, spraying with bitumen emulsion as a tack coat is also superfluous in this method - saving yet more material, time and CO₂ emissions.

Apart from the paver for binder course, the InLine Pave train uses standard machines with only minor modifications. This simplifies operation by the crew, and the contractor can utilise the machine fleet better. Both the material feeder and the paver for surface course can be used for conventional construction projects at any time with no conversion required, and the transfer module of the SUPER 2100-3(i) IP paver for binder course can also be attached and removed to suit the application.

SprayJet technology for paving a thin overlay

If a surface course has to be resurfaced, paving a thin overlay by paving hot on a spray seal is an interesting technology - it is cost-effective, efficient and conserves resources. In the SUPER 1800-3(i) SprayJet, Vögele is incorporating in its range a specific spray paver which is already tried and tested in projects all over the world. In one pass, it sprays a bitumen emulsion onto the old road surface and paves the new surface course.

The five spray bars with a total of 24 nozzles allow a seamless application of emulsion over varying pave widths of up to 6 metres. The SprayJet module is a self-contained functional unit, with the result that the SUPER 1800-3i SprayJet can also be used as a classic road paver. The module is easy to maintain and is consistently integrated in the Vögele ErgoPlus 3 operating concept; as a result, operators will be met by a familiar working environment on this machine, saving on lengthy training courses.

Three to five times quicker, reduced material consumption

The SprayJet technology is generally suitable for all road surfaces and is particularly efficient: pave speed is often significantly higher than in conventional paving, and because layer thickness is generally just 2 cm instead of the usual 4 cm, up to 50% of the expensive surface course material can be saved.

The quality of the SprayJet method also convinces: as the emulsion is sprayed on and the surface course paved in just one pass, construction vehicles cannot accidentally drive over the film of binding agent and damage it. The film of binding agent seals the entire surface of the layer below and effectively prevents any water penetrating it, another feature increasing the service life of the road.