ABE looks at the latest equipment which is used to lay hi-tech asphalt

Smooth operator

Developments in asphalt mix design are now being matched by hi-tech innovations in paving technology. ABE takes a look at one of these in action on site in Germany

Advances in asphalt mix design have helped to create road surfacing around Europe that reduce spray in heavy rain, create less noise and offer better skid resistance. All these attributes have been achieved by careful laboratory analysis to revise the aggregates used, the material size and shape and high performance bitumen binders.
However, despite this innovative asphalt mix design, the smoothness of the finished surface has always depended on the equipment and processes used on site. But paving technology has also advanced and means that even smaller surfacing contracts can benefit from improved surface smoothness.
One road that has just received the advanced treatment is the L546 near Heidelberg in Germany, which was surfaced using a Vogele Super 1900-2 paver fitted with Navtronic Plus 3D machine control.
The n..