Skip to main content

Pioneering move for Cat paver

Melbourne winters are known as some of the coldest of all state capital cities on Australia's mainland, and its summers can be brutally hot. As a result, roads in the region need to be regularly maintained to ensure safety and promote longevity. Pioneer Road Services, headquartered in Victoria, recently took delivery of the first Cat AP300 asphalt paver to Australia, and it will be the first to play a role in maintaining the city's roads throughout the seasons. With the help of Cat dealer William Adams and
July 16, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The first Cat AP300 asphalt paver in Australia
Melbourne winters are known as some of the coldest of all state capital cities on Australia's mainland, and its summers can be brutally hot. As a result, roads in the region need to be regularly maintained to ensure safety and promote longevity.
Pioneer Road Services, headquartered in Victoria, recently took delivery of the first Cat AP300 asphalt paver to Australia, and it will be the first to play a role in maintaining the city's roads throughout the seasons.

With the help of Cat dealer William Adams and the 178 Caterpillar commissioning team, Pioneer Road Services put the new paver finisher through its inaugural paces on an important shoulder reconstruction project for an 8km stretch of highway between Pakenham and Drouin, southeast of Melbourne.

According to the paving crew on site, the project was challenging. Traffic control was critical, as the road was busy and space was at a premium. With the project's narrow paving width, machine productivity and manoeuvrability were critical. Pioneer Road Services knew the powerful, yet small, Cat AP300 with electric screed (model AS3173) would fit the bill, as crews raced to resurface the shoulders of the busy highway in preparation for the approaching winter.

Available in both LPG and electric heating systems, the hydraulic power extendable AS3173 screed offers variable frequency tamper or vibrators, and lays material to the desired depth and width. With mechanical extensions added to both sides, its maximum paving width can reach 4m.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Cat offers new excavators for emergent markets
    November 21, 2014
    Caterpillar is offering its new 326D2 excavator for sale into markets such as Africa, Middle East and the CIS. Maximum operating weight of 26.345tonnes for the non-ROPS variant, with power from the Tier 2/Stage II Cat C7.1 engine rated at 140kW. The machine is equipped with a three-stage fuel filtration system for optimum protection of fuel-delivery components. Features include cross-sensing hydraulics for greater efficiency, robust major structures for long-term durability, ergonomic cab for increased
  • Advances in road recycling and milling technology
    May 25, 2016
    Road milling and recycling play important roles in road building, with new models now coming to market - Mike Woof writes. The market for road milling machinery has become very competitive in recent times. In past years this sector of the construction machinery business was dominated by German firm Wirtgen, however there are now more companies active in the field and the leading companies offer a wider array of models than before. Wirtgen retains its market leadership and still offers the most comprehensive
  • New industry developments push boundaries of machine control
    May 22, 2014
    A series of innovations in machine control or automation technologies are helping transform the construction industry - Mike Woof writes Equipment manufacturer have made huge advances in machine performance, delivering new models that offer increased capabilities and productivity, while using less fuel. Reliability and uptime too have been improved, with the development of equipment that can forestall unplanned downtime by telling the user when it will require service attention. Meanwhile new engines delive
  • New concrete surface for Arizona freeway
    November 15, 2013
    In Tucson, Arizona, contractor McNeil brothers is using a two-track GOMACO concrete slipformer on a 3.2km stretch of highway. This project is for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and involves widening Interstate 10 to four lanes of traffic in each direction between Ruthrauff Road and Prince Road in Tucson. This new stretch was needed to better handle increasing traffic demands in the city and includes rebuilt entrance and exit ramps to improve access to the city.