A Wirtgen Concrete Paving Train Impresses with High Productivity in Texas

The WPS 62i Placer/Spreader Leads the First “Full-Line Concrete Paving Train” for Roads with Preplaced Reinforcement

Concrete pavements with continuous reinforcement stand out for their low cost of upkeep. They are low-maintenance, extremely durable, and cost-effective. In Conroe, Texas, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Houston, Larry Young Paving Inc. is building a new connecting road using this construction method and leveraging the benefits of the new WIRTGEN WPS 62i placer/spreader in the process. With perfect weather and spring-like temperatures around 80° Fahrenheit (26° C), the belt conveyor of the placer/spreader is usually loaded by two mixer trucks at the same time. The complete unloading process always takes less than two minutes. As a result, the paving train covers an area of approx. 585 yd²/h (480 m²/h), which corresponds to an advance rate of approx. 3.3 ft/min (1 m/min).

Project:
  • New construction of a supply road for an industrial park
  • Length of the entire construction project: 2.4 miles (3.8 km)
  • Road width: 52 ft (15.8 m)
  • Paving width: 26 ft (7.9 m) *
  • Paving thickness: 8 in (20 cm)
Construction Work:
  • Continuously reinforced concrete pavement
  • 0.7% steel content of the slab cross-section area, bar diameter ¾ in (19 mm), total of more than 500 t of reinforcing steel
  • Concrete feeding via placer/spreader
  • Total road surface: 72,000 yd² (60,500 m²)
  • Construction time: approx. 4 weeks
Machines Used:
  • WPS 62i
    working width: 24 ft (7.3 m) – working thickness: 10 in (25 cm)
  • SP 62i
    paving width: 26 ft (7.9 m) – paving thickness: 8 in (20 cm)
    *Modification performed by the customer – standard paving width of SP 62i – max. 24 ft (7.50 m)
  • TCM 1800
    Longitudinal texture
    Application of dispersion as weather protection
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Contractor:
  • Larry Young Paving Inc., Bryan, Texas, USA
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The belt conveyor of the WPS 62i can also be loaded by two mixer trucks simultaneously without any issues.

Concrete Paving at Warp Speed – WPS 62i Increases Productivity by 40%

When constructing roads with continuous reinforcement, the concrete is often placed and spread laterally with an excavator, since the transport vehicles cannot place the concrete directly in front of the paving train. This means the paver’s paving speed largely depends on how quickly and evenly the concrete is placed. By using the WPS 62i, the paving crew at Larry Young Paving Inc. was able to significantly increase the concrete feed rate. This, in turn, also increased the operating speed of the SP 62i slipform paver. Overall, the company was able to increase productivity by around 40% compared to previous job sites. Instead of the mixer trucks used here, dump trucks can also be used to deliver the concrete. This allows contractors to fully leverage the performance potential of the WPS and increase productivity even further. Although the company had originally expected the paving speed to increase as a result of using the placer/spreader, no one had anticipated such a significant improvement. In fact, they were able to wrap up the job after about four weeks, even though five weeks had been scheduled.

Concrete Paving in Conroe, Texas
Three Machines, One Objective – The Cost-Effective Production of High-Quality Concrete Surfaces

The use of three machines all designed to be perfectly compatible with each other leads to a number of advantages. In addition to the advantages that are directly reflected in the paving result, the ease of operation is a tremendous benefit. The machines are all controlled in a similar way thanks to an operating concept that is standardized across the entire fleet. This reduces the time needed to become familiar with the machines to a minimum and allows the operators to focus on what really counts, namely the paving result.

The WIRTGEN full-line concrete paving train consisting of a WPS 62i, SP 62i, and TCM 1800.

Intuitive Operation and Maximum Precision during Concrete Paving

The paving crew is already extremely familiar with the WIRTGEN SP 62i’s operating concept and feels right at home using the machine. The machine has been used for several other projects and now has a few engine hours under its belt. One such project was completed about a year ago in the Southern Pointe residential area:

View Compact SP 62i Slipform Paver Press Release

When they first encountered the new placer/spreader, the pros from Larry Young Paving Inc. were pleasantly surprised. “We already know the basics of how to operate and control the WPS from the paver,” says Ronnie Carter, assistant project manager at Larry Young Paving Inc. The short amount of time required to become familiar with the machine saves time and money, meaning that concrete paving can begin as quickly as possible. The paving crew also had nothing but good things to say about the remote control to adjust the height of the WPS’ strike-off wall. This makes it possible to conveniently adjust the height of the placed concrete remotely, for instance from the paver. This feature wasn’t introduced solely for reasons of convenience, however; it also contributes to perfect paving results. This is because on the paver, the operator can easily view and assess the fill level of the compaction chamber and the quantity of concrete being placed.

One of our colleagues has never been on a machine this size before. The biggest thing he ever drove was a skid steer. He went up there and in one day, he was able to work with it and to move it without any issues.

Ronnie Carter, Assistant Project Manager, Larry Young Paving Inc.

Concrete Paving Process with the Placer/Spreader

With the Placer Spreader the whole work is a lot easier. This machine increased our productivity by about 40%. I love the remote control, it's amazing.

Daniel Pineda, Foreman, Larry Young Paving Inc.

The WPS’ belt conveyor can be folded up to make positioning the transport vehicles as easy as possible. The process of folding up the feeding unit takes less than 6 seconds, which effectively prevents unproductive waiting times.

It's easy to learn the operation of the new machine. It has the same mechanisms as the paver.

Jose Vanquez, Operator, Larry Young Paving Inc.

One-of-a-Kind Support Around the Globe from the WIRTGEN GROUP Service Team

WIRTGEN technicians provided expert advice and supported the construction project to ensure that everything ran smoothly on site at all times.

Technical Support
  • Workshop service
  • On-site service
Spare Parts
  • Genuine parts
  • “Parts and More” catalog
Expertise
  • Training
  • Application consulting
  • WIDOS information system
Service Agreements
  • Smart Service
  • WITOS® Fleet View telematics solution
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SP 62i

Inset Slipform pavers

Exhaust emissions category
EU Stage 5/US EPA Tier 4f
Paving width
12 ft - 24 ft
Paving height
0 - 18 in
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TCM 180i

Texture curing machine

Exhaust emissions category
EU Stage 4/US EPA Tier 4f
Working width max. 59 ft
Working height 1 ft 8 in
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WPS 62i

Placer/Spreaders

Exhaust emissions category
US EPA Tier 4f
Paving width
12 ft - 24 ft
Paving height
0 - 20 in