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Vögele Power for Runway 9-27

Vögele SUPER 2000-3i paver laying down the asphalt base layer. In the foreground, the newly laid down base layer; the paver in the background. Workers checking the result.

Vögele Super 2000-3i Ensures Smooth and Safe Landings at Washington County Airport

Precision paving and high surface quality: Northeast Paving rehabilitated a section of the runway with powerful machine technology from Vögele. The asphalt base layer of the section of runway with a width of 21 m (70 ft.) was repaired over a length of 518 m (1,700 ft.).

The Federal Aviation Administration’s standards are particularly strict when it comes to the surface smoothness of airport runways. This was also the case at Washington County Airport in Pennsylvania. So, when Northeast Paving from Pittsburgh won the bid for the rehabilitation of a section of Runway 9-27, the team knew that the finished result had to be perfect.

A Complex Project with Stringent Requirements

The project involved the repair of the asphalt base layer of the 21 m wide middle section of the runway over a length of 518 m. This included asphalt milling, compacting, and replacing the base layer as needed, plus renewal of the surface layer with a 10 cm thick wearing course paved in two layers. The critical requirements here were: No changes to the existing grade and slope, as well as fulfillment of the specifications of the International Roughness Index (IRI). In order to fulfill these stringent requirements, Northeast Paving decided to deploy a SUPER 2000-3i with a VR 600 extending screed. The Highway Class paver and the screed are both specially designed to meet the particular needs of the North American market.

SUPER 2000-3i rehabilitating the runway, two workers in the foreground to one side and two workers watching the paving process.

The SUPER 2000-3i and the VR 600 screed are both specially designed to meet the needs of the North American market.

Rob McAnallen,, Equipment Manager at Northeast Paving, speaking about the construction process: “We did a mill and some base repairs to start with. Now, we’re going to tandem pave with two pavers, so we have a hot joint. This will help with our compactions and ensure we don’t have any failures in our joints.”

“The heavy VR 600 extending screed is ideal for this type of work, because the international roughness specification required for the surface of a runway is pretty significant and it lets us achieve good IRI values.”

Nars Narsingh, Application and Technology Specialist, Wirtgen America

Professional Support from Wirtgen America

As the paving work began, Application and Technology Specialist Nars Narsingh from Wirtgen America accompanied the team from Northeast Paving through the first days and was ready to provide technical and practical assistance whenever required. “Northeast Paving is using the Vögele SUPER 2000-3i, a rubber track paver with a VR 600 extending screed. This screed with rear-mounted extensions on the basic screed weighs around 4,200 kg. It’s ideal for this type of work, because the international roughness specification required for the surface of a runway is pretty significant.” Here, Narsingh refers to compliance with the specifications of the International Roughness Index (IRI). As Paving Foreman Dave McCartney explains: “The IRI specification that we’re trying to maintain is to get the final coat at 56 ride or better.” With the heavy and robust VR 600 extending screed and its high compaction performance, these specifications can be achieved and better IRI values can be realized than with other road pavers.

What is the International Roughness Index (IRI)?

The International Roughness Index (IRI) is a standardized measure of pavement roughness that quantifies surface smoothness and ride quality. The IRI assesses overall ride quality by measuring the vertical movement of a vehicle's suspension when traveling over a paved section.

Once the center strip of the runway had been completed, the crew turned their attention to the outer edges. The asphalt layer was milled off to a depth of 5 cm over a length of 4.5 m on both edges and resurfaced with a 5 cm asphalt surface course.

The SUPER 2000-3i was developed especially for the North American market. Performance and productivity are what matter most.

The extensions for the VR 600 are mounted on the back of the basic screed.

With a weight of 4,200 kg, the VR 600 is particularly heavy and robust. And this allows us to achieve the specified IRI values during compaction.

Side view of the SUPER 2000-3i showing the filled material hopper.

Detail view of the extensions for the VR 600, mounted on the back of the basic screed.

Detail view of the VR 600 during paving.

Outstanding User-Friendliness Ensures Best Control

Both McCartney and McAnallen emphasized that the ease of use and calibration of the SUPER 2000-3i made all the difference on the construction site: “The handling of the Vögele paver is intuitive and user-friendly. Once you’ve set everything, there’s not much more you have to do,” says McAnallen. The Vögele paver’s operator console is extremely clear and designed for practicality; all functions are combined into logical groups. The screed is crucial for the quality of the pavement reinforcement. The ErgoPlus 3 operating concept of the SUPER 2000-3i enables perfect control of the paving process. The operator’s platform of the road paver offers an unobstructed view of all crucial areas of the machine, e.g. the material hopper, the steering guide, and the screed. “We’re using the non-contact Big MultiPlex Ski with ultrasonic sensors set up on both sides. Once you set the grade and slope, the guy on the screed gets bored because there’s nothing much else to do.”

“The handling of the Vögele paver is intuitive and user-friendly. Once you’ve set everything, there’s not much more to do.”

Rob McAnallen, Equipment Manager, Northeast Paving

Big MultiPlex Ski: Easy Setup, Precise Results

“Attaching and setting the Big MultiPlex Ski is easy and uncomplicated. One person can set it up alone. The sensors sit a little higher, too. The guys can move around underneath them without bumping into them when they need to get a shovel full of asphalt,” adds McCartney.

Nars Narsingh provided deeper insights into the technical details: “The Big MultiPlex Ski from Vögele has three sensors with an LED light that indicates the movement of the tow point So, if the machine is calling for an up correction, the red light will flash an up-arrow. The amber light allows operators to position the sensor in its working window. So rather than having to guess or use a measuring tape, the amber light indicates when the sensor is within the working window,” explained Narsingh. “Thanks to its practical clamps, the Big MultiPlex Ski can be installed almost completely without the need for tools. This simplifies installation, and no further tools are required once the beam has been set up the first time.”

Best Equipment at the Best Price

As Equipment Manager, McAnallen has to take many criteria into consideration when buying machines and equipment. The reliability of the equipment matters just as much as the high quality and the best price. “We were looking for a heavier screed. A lighter screed has too much flex to it,” reports the Equipment Manager. Another decisive factor was availability at short notice. As Northeast Paving has been using milling machines and rollers from authorized Wirtgen Group dealer Groff Tractor & Equipment for many years, the dealership was also the first choice when it came to the paver.

After the first days of paving, the new machine had already made an overall positive impression. The Northeast Paving team met with reps from both Groff Tractor and Wirtgen America at Washington County Airport to assess the performance of the Vögele SUPER 2000-3i. “The machine is more intuitive and user-friendly than others. Our guys are picking it up fast,” concluded McAnallen. “The team grasped the operating concept immediately and got started right away.”

Facts and Figures

Repair of the asphalt base layer of the 21 m wide middle section of the runway over a length of 518 m.

Project brief:

Asphalt milling
Compaction and replacement of the base layer as needed
Renewal of the surface layer with a wearing course made up of two layers with a thickness of 5 cm each.