Asphalt compaction at the highest level

At Eindhoven Airport, the Dutch construction company BAM Infra bv compacted the surface course of the 3 kilometre long and 45 metre wide runway using 25 rollers from HAMM. The lion's share of the compaction work was performed by 10 cutting-edge HAMM DV+ series pivot-steered tandem rollers, working directly behind the 9 VÖGELE pavers. It was the first time that ten rollers – all equipped with the HCQ Navigator measurement and documentation system – worked in a group to complete a compaction assignment.

The result is impressive, not least because the 135,000 m² surface course was laid with breathtaking speed in just a single day. The refurbishment of the surface course demanded the highest quality standards because the 4 centimetre thick asphalt course had to be without seams or lugs while featuring the highest possible degree of homogeneity.

10,500 tonnes of asphalt in one go

The surface course was laid on a Sunday in June 2016 after the previous course had been milled off – a task that took 8 large WIRTGEN W 210i milling machines two days to complete. The day was chosen deliberately because only on a Sunday was it possible to transport the required 10,500 tonnes of asphalt from five mixing plants on the otherwise busy Dutch motorways in a single day. It took a fleet of 130 trucks to do the job. They supplied a total of nine VÖGELE "Generation 3i" pavers, which paved the 45 metre wide asphalt strip "hot-on-hot" in a V formation.

First-rate compaction with the DV+

For compaction, BAM Infra exclusively used HAMM rollers: Ten tandem rollers (5 x DV+ 70i VO-S and 5 x DV+ 90i VO-S) were on site for dynamic compaction, all equipped with HCQ Navigator, the measurement and documentation system from HAMM, as well as a temperature meter. These newest-generation pivot-steered rollers are fitted with the award-winning Easy Drive operating concept as standard. They also stand out for their extremely precise steering, uniform weight distribution, well-conceived water system and excellent visibility. This is complemented by low emissions as a result of the Hammtronic intelligent machine control, and numerous other functions such as Eco mode and automatic engine-off function.

DV+ series machinery as a focal point

A total of five DV+ 70i tandem rollers and five DV+ 90i tandem rollers looked very impressive when compacting the surface course across a total area of 135,000 m².

DV+ series with Easy Drive

The intuitive Easy Drive operating concept meant that roller drivers required only a short period of familiarisation, due to the few, cleverly arranged and language-neutral switches.

Oscillation: Efficient compaction

For BAM Infra, another success factor is compaction with oscillation. Over 30 years ago, HAMM was the first in the sector to bring this technology to market maturity, and development has continued ever since. The construction managers and drivers, as well as their colleagues in the asphalt laboratory, are convinced of the benefits of HAMM oscillation. For this reason, BAM Infra has equipped all new rollers with this technology since 2014. Prior to this decision, however, the company thoroughly tested the new technology. "We compacted a variety of our standard asphalt mixes, including low-temperature asphalt, with and without oscillation. The analyses conducted by our laboratory team have demonstrated that, alongside the technology's numerous other advantages, oscillation enables us to attain the desired compaction more quickly and more efficiently," explains project manager Mark van Duuren. Thanks to the effectiveness of oscillation, the tandem rollers in Eindhoven required only three outward and return passes – the first one without oscillation directly behind the pavers, the second and third ones with both oscillation and vibration activated.

HCQ Navigator: Optimised processes

As part of the tendering process, BAM Infra was required to describe the measures that the company would take to achieve homogeneous and high-quality compaction across the entire runway. The solution is "HCQ Navigator". The company has used this HAMM system since the beginning of 2016 in road building. Two decisive advantages for them are improved compaction quality and straightforward documentation. Construction manager Jeffrey van der Putten points out: "The client was soon convinced of the HCQ Navigator as a quality management and documentation system." The basic principle: Sensors capture all essential compaction parameters, and a DGNSS receiver determines the position. Based on this data, the system immediately generates a graphic depiction on a panel PC in the cabin that enables every driver to see the areas that have already been sufficiently compacted and the areas that still require compaction. If several rollers are networked via Wi-Fi, all drivers can see the progress of compaction achieved by the entire team. This prevents over- and under-compaction, while the compaction attained is highly homogeneous as well as cost-effective, because many of the passes are no longer required.

10 rollers in a Wi-Fi group

For the assignment in Eindhoven, BAM Infra was the first construction company worldwide to operate 10 rollers with HCQ Navigator on a construction site. "However, for the project in Eindhoven, the planners at BAM Infra, being professionals, played it safe and distributed the rollers over two Wi-Fi networks. This worked out perfectly," says Mark van Haaften, a service technician at WIRTGEN Nederland. He helped to complete the assignment on site and adds: "As expected, the ten-unit system passed its baptism of fire and functioned flawlessly." A further advantage that appealed not only to BAM Infra but also to the client was that the HCQ Navigator records all of the process data. "For us, this record is a very effective form of documentation. If required, we can also easily carry out analyses of processes and results," says van der Putten, a construction manager.

HCQ Navigator – optimised processes

HAMM rollers with HCQ Navigator can be recognised from the white DGNSS receiver on the roof. It determines the exact position of every roller. The system is extremely flexible because both the panel PC in the cabin and the satellite receiver can be easily exchanged between HAMM rollers and construction sites.

Intelligent measurement and documentation

During compaction, the HAMM rollers with HCQ Navigator exchange data continuously via Wi-Fi.

In the final assessment of compaction quality, it became clear that BAM Infra had fully met the high quality requirements in Eindhoven. This had been made possible by excellent organisation, the outstandingly prepared and motivated team at BAM Infra, and the intelligent compaction technology from HAMM.

Asphalt compaction exclusively with HAMM

For asphalt construction, BAM Infra exclusively uses pavers and rollers from the WIRTGEN Group. Project manager Mark van Duuren explains why: "In 2014, we decided to focus on a single brand. We wanted to take the best available technology to our construction sites, and optimise maintenance and repair work as well. We also asked our employees which brands they would prefer. The response was clear: VÖGELE and HAMM. On top of this, we know that these machines function extremely reliably, that the service is quick and professional, and that we have a very uncomplicated working relationship with WIRTGEN Nederland."