First use on Maui
New roads for the Wirtgen Group
The rehabilitation of the Haleakalā Highway
Maui | Hawaii: Maui’s Haleakalā Highway is one of island’s major highways. It connects the densely-populated valley with the surrounding rural areas. The team from Maui Paving completely removed and replaced the surface over a distance of about 4.2 miles. Two Wirtgen milling machines, a W 210 Fi and a W 200 Fi, were used on the project together with a SUPER 2000-3i paver from Vögele.
Quicker than expected
The rehabilitation of the highway had been estimated to take 125 working days. Originally, the first two steps would have been the removal of the surface layer and then the base layer with an excavator. By investing in the new machines, the team was able to remove both layers (with an overall thickness of 8 inches) in a single pass and then reuse the milled material.
The Maui Paving construction crew was impressed not only by the power and speed of the Wirtgen milling machines, but also by the speed and precision of the 10-foot Highway Class paver from Vögele. With an engine rated output of 186 kW (250 hp) and an efficient material conveying concept, the SUPER 2000-3i is ideally equipped for handling large-scale projects like the one on Maui. In combination with the VF 600 front-mounted paving screed, the paver was also able to achieve optimal paving results across the entire paving width. Thanks to the efficiency of the machines used on the project, the highway was able to be completed two weeks earlier than planned.
‘It was great when Wirtgen came out and gave us training on the machines. After all, it was the first time that a Wirtgen milling machine had ever been used on Maui. From the mechanics to the operators on the ground, they showed all of us everything we needed to know to let us get out there and get the job successfully done on our own.’
Tyrone Pullman, Foreman, Maui Paving
Building confidence right from the outset
Maui Paving was trying something new by investing in Wirtgen Group machines. Wirtgen machines had previously never been used for milling on the Hawaiian island. The Vögele paver was a first for Maui Paving as well. Thanks to Wirtgen America's on-site machine operating training, the transition to the new machines went off without a hitch. The freshly trained operators were delighted with the power, precision, and low noise levels of the Wirtgen machines. ‘Originally, we had planned to mill off the four-inch concrete layer in a first pass with the milling machine, and then remove the base layer in a second step. What we soon figured out was that the machine could easily handle all eight inches of the two layers in a single pass. This meant that we were able to move forward at a rate of 60 to 90 metres per shift when milling off the road surface’, reported Zack Gonzales, General Manager of Maui Paving.
‘The construction crew is now able to complete 600 metresper night in an 8 to 10-hour shift. That the transition to the Wirtgen milling machines has been so smooth and seamless is thanks not only to their efficiency, but also the fast delivery of parts by Pape, and the training provided by the Wirtgen Group.
Zack Gonzales, General Manager of Maui Paving
