TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT
FORWARD THINKING
FOR REMIXING TRANSFER VEHICLES WEILER HAS CREATED A NEW STYLE OF REMIXING TRANSFER VEHICLE, DISTRIBUTED BY HASTINGS DEERING IN QLD AND NT. PAUL MONTGOMERY, GENERAL MANAGER AT BASE COURSE MANAGEMENT DETAILS ITS USE OF THE MACHINE ON A MAJOR PROJECT FOR SUNSHINE COAST AIRPORT.
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he Sunshine Coast Airport welcomes over one million passengers to Queensland each year. To prepare for future growth the airport’s ‘2040 and Beyond Plan’ includes a new runway. Following planning and construction over the last four years, the runway opened in June 2020, ready to take its first planes as some flights resume following a travel ban as the result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. A subcontractor for Downer, Base Course Management (BCM), assisted with the laying of asphalt on the runway. Base Course Management is a specialist road profiling and construction business and is experienced with using the latest milling technology. For this project a remixing transfer vehicle (RTV) was required and BCM chose the Weiler E1650 with a 15-tonne capacity. Paul Montgomery, General Manager at BCM says when the company researched the Weiler RTV it was clear that the machine would enable the business to continue leading in a whole new area of paving. “The RTV produces benefits in reducing thermal segregation of the hot mix, removing truck-to-paver contact and provides 15-tonnes of storage in order to promote continuous paving,” Montgomery says. As compaction of the asphalt mat can be
Base Course Management receiving the Weiler RTV.
affected with uneven temperatures, it is important to ensure the temperature of the asphalt being laid is constant. The Weiler RTV consistently mixes the asphalt as it is transferred to the paver, keeping the mix at a regulated temperature. With the risk of a feeder truck hitting the paver and causing a bump in the mat, the Weiler RTV’s also act as a middle point, working to ensure the paver is not disrupted by the feeder truck. This reduces the risk of inconsistency in the pavement thickness. “Continuous paving is a method that helps to achieve a bump free surface, due to the paving machine working at a constant pace,” Montgomery says. “Each time a paver stops or changes its Base Course Management assisted with asphalt laying on the Sunshine Coast Airport runway.
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ROADS SEPTEMBER 2020
speed it can result on a bump in the finished surface. The ability of the RTV to store and mix material, gives the crew an opportunity to stockpile material before starting. This allows the mix to continually feed into the paver without stopping once at work.” Montgomery says the RTV also improved the ride count at the Sunshine Coast Airport project. “Downer’s preference of RTV was the Weiler, due to the front mounted operator platform and its ability to handle “tough” mixes,” Montgomery says. He says due to the forward-facing controls the operator has better vision of the site, making it a safer environment, with cameras to assist with any blind spots around the machine. “There is also better ability to match paver production with variable speed conveyors, which allows less material segregation. The machine even has four-wheel steering making it easier and quicker to manoeuvre.” The operators at BCM were especially impressed with the visibility when using the RTV. “Many functions on the machine are automated, this reduces the need for the operator to focus attention on minor areas and frees them up to keep awareness on what is happening around
