At RDO, we always look for ways to partner with our customers to improve productivity. As we in the industry continue to focus on efficiency, one rule from roadbuilders from the generations before remains the same: eliminate rework.
Eliminating rework altogether isn’t easy. Slipform pavers may need to complete another pass to fix uneven slopes caused by factors outside a roadbuilder’s control. Roadbuilding crews are always improving efficiency after each project. While a portion of additional passes to ensure accurate compaction can be expected, available machine control or software can decrease the likelihood of unexpected additional passes.
When machines work longer, labor, machine and fuel costs increase. Depending on the project, like a tollway road restoration, the state's Department of Transportation (DOT) may require in the bid for the contractor to maintain the road up to 10 years after the initial work ends.
Equipment professionals, operators and manufacturers can all work together to create long-lasting roads without breaking the bank. I’ve recently talked with many roadbuilders, WIRTGEN GROUP leaders, quality control experts, and equipment experts. We’ve identified three ways technology increases accuracy and efficiency for roadbuilders.
#1 Fleet Management Software (FMS) Keeps Track of Machines
With the ability to connect machines to an FMS like John Deere Operations Center™ or WITOS FleetView, roadbuilders can track specific data points, like GPS or production hours, to share with direct stakeholders.
RDO’s Paving Product Specialist Cody Wagner, who has worked for over eight years in paving quality control in partnership with state and county municipalities, explains that these entities will highlight areas requiring attention.
"After the state, county, or city selects certain roadways for repair, they will determine if it's a complete rebuild or resurfacing project," Wagner explains. "Roadbuilders will bid on the project, and if they win, they'll asses the road to determine the paving depths and compaction rate."
Before any asphalt removal, resurfacing or paving begins, the contractor and subcontractor will use GPS equipment, like Topcon Positioning Systems, to analyze the current roadway's changing slopes.
"Once the team has a digital plan, they'll spray paint to mark intended slopes and depths," Wagner said. "After milling, the team will survey the road to determine if they need to do a leveling pass to fill in spots before paving to ensure optimal compaction."
RDO’s Telematics Support Manager Larry Herman Jr. explains that tracking a paver's location optimizes the roadbuilding site when many stakeholders require real-time information, such as the length and depth of paved passes.
"We can track whether machines are working or idle, which helps fleet managers allocate resources. We can also monitor fuel usage, machine speed and engine data," Herman Jr. said. "We can focus on the entire job site to partner with a roadbuilder to effectively manage projects and to plan for future roadbuilding bids."
Some dealers offer remote support services. When fleet managers opt for machine monitoring software and a remote support team, a trusted dealer like RDO can monitor specific machine components. This ability becomes even more valuable when contractors work on remote job sites and field technicians require advanced notice to travel and perform preventative maintenance.
#2 Machine Control Technology Precisely Guides
In the past, crews used strings to guide machines in building straight roads, but since telematics integration, OEMs have developed machine control technology. The WIRTGEN GROUP AutoPilot system eliminates the need for strings and uses satellite navigation. With the AutoPilot system, roadbuilders can pave complex geometric shapes like curves.
Most roadbuilding crews use the Autopilot system so project managers can program depths for operators. Often, a foreman and project manager will review data points automatically collected at the end of the day to check if the paver has completed the planned path. Roadbuilders who partner with RDO work with our telematics and connected support teams to learn best practices for making data-informed decisions.
#3 Computer Models Create Digital Twins, Prevent Issues
When roadbuilders must ensure their team achieves the right compaction rate as they quickly resurface a road, they look to Topcon Positioning Systems. Topcon's SmoothRide™ intelligent paving system is a 3D scanning, modeling and automated machine guidance system (AMG) that captures a detailed road model using a vehicle-mounted scanner capable of collecting data in live traffic at typical highway speeds.
For Pavement Recycling Systems (PRS), Topcon’s intelligent paving technology provided their team with the necessary tools to complete Highway 52’s emergency repair job in California. After the road was deemed unsafe for drivers due to potholes, Ben White, Topcon product manager for RDO Equipment Co. and former PRS technology manager, used his knowledge of paving plus Topcon’s technology to help the PRS team. White and PRS team members entered the engineer’s 3D model, which included the highway’s optimized smoothness, grade and thickness for the environment, into five WIRTGEN GROUP 210i milling machines. Each milling machine was outfitted with AMG, an automated machine control. The five milling machines simultaneously milled the road’s old asphalt into uniform material so it could be repaved in one pass with unmatched precision. In the end, PRS completed the project in a single weekend with a 70% road smoothness increase from its previous state.
Some dealers, like RDO, offer 3D modeling services or training. Data points can be fed into a CAD (computer-aided design) system to create a digital twin of the paving project. DOT quality inspectors often review the digital twin of the road's progress to discuss optimal compaction.
After a paver’s initial pass, DOT officials and contractors determine if the mat requires another pass to increase compaction. Fleet managers may opt for vibrating (VV) oscillation (VO), combination (VT), or pneumatic-tire (TT) drums on a Hamm tandem roller, depending on the required impaction force. Rollers like these, plus integration with GPS and surveying data, allow operators to change compaction force periodically. The fleet manager, DOT quality control official and operator can all review these data points within the road project's digital twin to ensure optimal compaction.
Many state or county-funded projects can have “bonuses” for accurate density. With the Operation Center, machine monitoring and control and 3D computer models, roadbuilders have the information to illustrate that their highway restoration will last for years.
Ready to connect with WIRTGEN GROUP equipment and technology expert? Contact your local RDO Equipment Co. store or click here to request more information.
Dennis Howard
Dennis Howard has spent more than two decades with RDO Equipment Co.’s construction equipment division. As a Senior Vice President of Roadbuilding and Minerals, he leads RDO's WIRTGEN GROUP business throughout RDO's footprint. He’s a member of the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP), a regular contributor to ForConstructionPros.com, and host of The Track – Construction Equipment from RDO web series. Subscribe to The Track on YouTube, or connect with Dennis personally on LinkedIn.
