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Challenging kart track paving job

Vögele wheeled pavers master every curve

In Hemer in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, two SUPER 1303-3i pavers and one SUPER 1803-2 laid a kart circuit featuring seven hairpin bends and a chicane. Key to the high quality achieved were the machines' wheeled chassis units.

Germany | Hemer (North Rhine-Westphalia)

"Like flying a helicopter in your living room" is how three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet once described racing around the Monte Carlo street circuit. The site in Hemer, North Rhine-Westphalia, looked very similar, as Vögele Compact Class pavers laid a new kart track.

Two SUPER 1303-3i wheeled pavers performed precision work installing seven hairpin bends and a super-tight chicane on the 428 yard track

New test track for a kart manufacturer

A new kart track in the northern Sauerland region of North Rhine-Westphalia was specified to meet the highest standards. Why? Because it's where the world market leader in electric and gas powered go-karts tests its products, and hosts customers and fans who get the chance to experience racing action. The challenge was to build a highly dynamic race track making perfect use of the limited ground available. What emerged was a plan for a 428 yard track featuring seven hairpin bends, with as much as 20% cross-slope, as well as a chicane. The challenge was met by a fleet of three Vögele wheeled pavers.

It was impressive to see how smoothly the Vögele pavers negotiated the curves.

Dominik Twer, Project Manager, Ossenberg Aufbereitung, Straßen- und Tiefbau GmbH

Wheel pavers master tight curves

The paving of the track in widths between 17 and 31 ft was handled by two Vögele Compact Class pavers. On the widest stretches the paving team additionally deployed the SUPER 1803-2 Universal Class paver. Key to the high quality achieved were the wheeled chassis units of the two SUPER 1303-3i pavers. Why? Wheeled pavers are advantageous when paving tight curves because they steer extremely precisely and have grip at all times thanks to their 6x4 drive. Two rear wheels with pneumatic tires and four front wheels with rocker bearings also provide excellent compensation for any unevenness. The crucial technology in the incredibly tight hairpin turns was the Pivot Steer steering brake. Project manager Dominik Twer from contractor Ossenberg Aufbereitung, Straßen- und Tiefbau GmbH was appreciative of how the work was done: "It was impressive to see how smoothly the Vögele pavers negotiated the curves".

For maximum maneuverability: Pivot Steer

The Pivot Steer feature makes the SUPER series wheeled pavers highly maneuverable. It automatically brakes the rear wheel on the inside of the curve hydraulically so the machine effectively 'pulls' it through the curve. That's why Pivot Steer is also referred to as a steering brake. It enables minimal turning circles to be achieved, which is a great advantage on tight construction sites especially – such as race tracks, for example, as well as when working in tight city environments.

Thanks to Pivot Steer, the outer turning circle of the SUPER 1303-3i is just 12.5 ft.

'Hot on hot' around the circuit

The 'hot on hot' paving technique was applied, as is usual on race track construction sites. Why? The more curves a track has, the more advantageous it is to have the smallest possible pave width. This ensures that the spreading auger always conveys the right amount of material across the entire width – even when left-hand and right-hand curves continually alternate. As a result of these efforts, the finished track exactly met the specifications. The AB 340 TV screed ensured a high degree of evenness while delivering optimal surface properties.

'Hot on hot' par excellence: The two SUPER 1303-3i pavers paved the race track seamlessly.

Vögele mobile feeder buffers material

Supplying mix material to the job site posed a challenge. Large trucks could not operate on the site. So a Vögele mobile feeder proved valuable. An MT 3000-2i Offset PowerFeeder was positioned conveniently close to the entrance to receive material from the trucks. Its 16.40 metric tonne receiving hopper capacity was a major advantage. The mobile feeder fed the material into the hoppers of the two SUPER 1303-3i pavers – but only when they were working within range of the MT 3000-2i Offset PowerFeeder. At all other points, the asphalt was transferred to wheel loaders which then transported it to the pavers.