Skip to main content

Innovative road construction

Wirtgen is introducing an innovative concept for road construction in the shape of its new WRC 240(i) rock crusher. The machine has been developed from the firm’s proven soil stabiliser technology and is designed to break coarse rocks in-situ, as found in hand-packed pavement layers.
By Mike Woof February 19, 2024 Read time: 3 mins
The WRC 240(i) from Wirtgen extends the firm’s range of wheeled soil stabilisers designed especially for the processing of stony ground

It produces a homogeneous mix using a continuous process to a working width of 2.32m and a working depth down to 510mm. This enables an output of up to 600tonnes/hour. The market launch of the Rock Crusher will take place in November 2023.

The WRC 240(i) from Wirtgen extends the firm’s range of wheeled soil stabilisers designed especially for the processing of stony ground. In addition to the crushing of rocks and stones with an edge length of up to 300mm and a compressive strength of up to 200MPa, the machine can add cement and water in the same pass, for instance in the preparation of base layers. For this last application, cement is pre-spread with a binding agent spreader and water required is sprayed into the mixing chamber of the Rock Crusher via the machine’s Varioinjection bar.

The machine can also be used for conventional soil stabilisation duties. For this application, the pre-spread binding agents such as lime or cement are mixed into soils with insufficient bearing capacity, transforming it in-situ into a high-grade construction material and depositing the mix evenly behind the machine. The main task of the WRC is the granulation and mixing of a variety of soils, courses and layers to produce a homogeneous final product in a continuous process. As opposed to the removal and replacement of material, the processes are characterised by shorter construction times, conservation of resources and lower CO2 emissions.

The machine features a rugged and resilient crushing and mixing rotor with toolholders developed especially for crushing applications and said to deliver high quality results when working in stony ground. The tools are fitted with large, impact-resistant carbide cutting edges and the holder bases are protected by wear-resistant protective elements made from high-tensile steel. This ensures high machine utilisation rates and process reliability in demanding applications. Robust edge protectors reduce wear on the rotor’s edge ring segments. The rotor is driven via a transmission developed for the WRC that allows high rotor speeds.

To ensure resistance to the stresses encountered when crushing rocks, the rotor housing is lined with abrasion-resistant wearing plates made from tough high-tensile steel. These provide a longer service life and increase the stability of the housing. The hard-wearing plates can be individually replaced if required.

The WRC 240(i) offers several setting options that allow a range of grain sizes as well as uniform distribution in a wide range of applications. The machine has nine rotor speeds, a variable crushing stage, exchangeable screens with a range of clear mesh sizes and adjustable distance from the rotor and adjustable rotor plate pressure and machine advance rate. These allow the configuration of the machine to match the needs of the site conditions and the application.

It benefits from the satellite-based AutoTrac system to ensure precise, automatic steering, delivering operating efficiency. The system steers the machine accurately within tolerances of a few centimetres on the basis of a previously calculated reference strip and a specified overlap of adjacent strips. This enables consistent utilisation of the machine’s ideal working width. The Wirtgen Performance Tracker (WPT) registers all relevant location-specific working parameters to provide a comprehensive database for the analysis and documentation of the construction site.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Wirtgen’s new recycling technology
    June 22, 2018
    Wirtgen is offering an array of new technologies for milling, recycling and stabilising applications. These are intended to boost accuracy, versatility and performance. A new milling drum assembly is offered that widens the range of applications that the Wirtgen W 150 CF/W 150 Cfi milling machines can handle. This redesigned assembly allows users to select an array of cutter drums, including a 1.8m-wide unit. According to the firm, the machines offer the highest power to weight ratio for their class, with d
  • Manufacturers have developed key innovations in recycling machines
    March 4, 2015
    Manufacturers are making advances in stabiliser/reclaimers and milling machines - Mike Woof reports. The market for milling equipment is a competitive one, with a range of companies from around the globe now offering machines for this segment: BOMAG, Caterpillar, Dynapac, Roadtec, Volvo CE and Wirtgen. In recent years a number of Chinese firms have entered this segment and determining the number of machines these companies manufacture is difficult, although most of their units are sold in China. But interna
  • BOMAG’s latest stabilisers: RS 250 and RS 300
    May 19, 2022
    Tractor-towed stabilisers are a new addition to BOMAG's product range – the RS 250 and RS 300.
  • Road recycling
    September 27, 2023
    Easier to operate, thanks to the increasing use of GPS, and greener to run because of biofuels are two of the more innovative technologies being integrated into machine design by major road recycling equipment manufacturers.