GPS controlled graders deliver a smooth surface

Birse has used two machine control systems on the A14 project in the UK, one GPS-controlled to provide excavators with a +/-30mm accuracy and a second system which used a Trimble UTS as control on a grader to achieve +/- 5mm - well within the Highway Agency's sub-base tolerance of +10/-30mm. This meant that when it came to the asphalt surface, Birse agreed a thickness and Lafarge, the blacktop contractor, let the paving machine run instead of the operators constantly making manual adjustments. At the end of
July 12, 2012 Read time: 1 min
1486 Birse has used two machine control systems on the A14 project in the UK, one GPS-controlled to provide excavators with a +/-30mm accuracy and a second system which used a 2122 Trimble UTS as control on a grader to achieve +/- 5mm - well within the Highway Agency's sub-base tolerance of +10/-30mm. This meant that when it came to the asphalt surface, Birse agreed a thickness and 3180 Lafarge, the blacktop contractor, let the paving machine run instead of the operators constantly making manual adjustments. At the end of the job, one of Birse's engineers looked at a 1km section of type 1 sub-base in detail. The average surface deviation on this tested carriageway was zero and local users of the A14 have even been phoning and emailing their approval of the smooth finish.
Connected Construction

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Steel sealed on Stonecutters Bridge
    February 6, 2012
    The stone mastic asphalt surface being laid on the bridge deck. The Stonecutters Bridge in Hong Kong, the second longest spanning cable stayed bridge in the world, is a dual three-lane crossing of the Rambler Channel. It utilises 33,500tonnes of structural steel in the bridge deck; 32,000m3 of concrete in the towers and 65 steel deck units relying on 224 cables. Effectively protecting the megastructure's deck from the weather extremes (monsoon rains and extreme heat in the summer) and the high levels of tra
    Read More
  • Fast and efficient asphalt paving for rural road rebuilds
    January 22, 2013
    The rural roads near Brandýs nad Labem, in the heart of the Czech Republic, may not be as heavily travelled as their counterparts in Prague, about 25km (15.5 miles) to the southwest, but they are nevertheless crucial pipelines to the rural and agricultural areas of the country. An assessment by regional authorities indicated that these roads are in need of repair. That led to cold planing and paving work on a series of rural roads near Brandýs nad Labem. Regional authorities have two key requirements: The r
    Read More
  • Major innovations are coming to market in concrete slipforming
    March 6, 2017
    Tough competition is being seen in the specialised market for concrete slipforming machines, with new partnerships and new technology coming to market - Mike Woof writes GOMACO is boosting the versatility of its Commander slipformer further with the development of the new Three-Track Commander IIIx variant. This has been configured to cope with much tighter radii than previous versions of the Commander III, allowing it to slipform a radius of just 610mm. This suits the machine to applications such as sli
    Read More
  • Optimising operations with construction software gains
    May 20, 2015
    Innovations in construction software are helping boost project efficiency and optimising project operations – Clive Davidson writes Over the past decade, while construction engineers have been putting up buildings or infrastructure, software engineers have been developing a parallel universe where virtual buildings or infrastructure can be created in ever increasing detail. What started with 2D architectural drawings in computer-aided design (CAD) systems, has become a multi-dimensional world, with 3D ge
    Read More

Highlighted Content