Next-Gen Paving and Compaction

Improving road quality by filling gaps in machines & skills.

Up-grading roads!

The road construction industry in India is undergoing a paradigm shift. Robust demand, higher investment and significant policy support in the road construction industry are driving the demand for motor graders in India.

Upgrading Technology

Commonly used to construct and maintain gravel and dirt roads, motor graders have also prepared building foundations and drainage ditches, making them popular with government agencies and contractors.

Paving the way ahead

While recent times may have been tough on construction equipment manufacturers, the compactor market is still brimming with optimism.

Volvo CE introduces 3 new construction BEVs

Roads and highways sector is considered to be the most vibrant infrastructure segment where a lot of activities ongoing consistently for a long time.

First Liebherr R 936 Compact crawler excavator on Corsica

The Liebherr branch in Rognac near Marseilles offered the company a type R 936 Compact crawler excavator. This excavator, with a weight of approx. 35 tonnes, rounds off the Liebherr range of compact excavators from 14 to 38 tonnes.

First Liebherr R 936 Compact crawler excavator on Corsica

The Lanfranchi company performs earthworks and rock filling work in the Porto-Vecchio region on the island of Corsica, as well as work on traffic routes and various pipeline networks.

Odisha CM announces Rs 155 cr package for Balasore

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced various developmental projects worth Rs 155 crore in the first phase for the all round development of Balasore Municipality area.

Grove GHC130 provides Terra E&C with precision in ecologically sensitive job

Wisconsin-based Terra Engineering & Construction’s website proudly proclaims that the company actively “seeks out the difficult watercourse projects that may discourage other contractors” — and while this is largely due to Terra’s skilled workforce and years of experience in that sector, having access to a Grove GHC130 telescopic crawler crane also proved crucial in helping it meet the strict deadline imposed on one of its most recent environmentally sensitive projects.

CASE strives for water conservation in India

With an objective to propagate water conservation, CASE Construction Equipment, a brand of CNH Industrial has launched Jal Sanchay-Water Conservation and Rejuvenation of Traditional Water Body initiative at Sanjay Jalashay in Pithampur. As a part of its CSR initiative, the project aims at working together with the local communities to conserve water.

Grove GHC130 provides Terra E&C with strength & precision in ecologically sensitive job

An environmentally sensitive and time-restricted project called for reconstruction of a river embankment and relaying of a gas line with minimal disturbance.

CASE strives for water conservation in India

With an objective to propagate water conservation, CASE Construction Equipment, a brand of CNH Industrial has launched Jal Sanchay-Water Conservation and Rejuvenation of Traditional Water Body initiative at Sanjay Jalashay in Pithampur.

Solving Big Challenge

A W 210i and W 2100 precisely milled the spillway chute of the Oroville Dam, the highest dam in the USA. In this process, the milling contractor also benefited from cold milling specialist Wirtgen’s application experience in steep gradient milling.

Advance BIM for rail on WDFC

Using a multidiscipline portfolio of Bentley applications, L&T was able to conceptualise, design, and construct the project in a timely manner.

Overcoming access and movement issues

In recent years, MB Crusher has let the experience of the customers themselves help make users aware of the potential of their machines by watching the machines in action in amateur videos, created by the users themselves including the customers own reviews and pictures.

Volvo CE partners with National Geographic on sustainability project in India

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has joined forces with National Geographic to highlight a sustainability project to save an endangered community against the threat of rising sea levels.

Mahindra launches new motor grader

Mahindra & Mahindra announced expansion of its road construction equipment with the launch of another Motor Grader -

Setting New Standards

Mahindra RoadMaster G75 launched

Mahindra & Mahindra announced its foray into the road construction segment with the launch of its first motor grader - the Mahindra RoadMaster G75 under the aegis of its Construction Equipment business.

Mahindra launches RoadMaster G75

Mahindra & Mahindra announced its foray into the road construction segment with the launch of its first motor grader - the Mahindra RoadMaster G75 under the aegis of its Construction Equipment business.

Rolling ahead

Roads and highways is still going strong as the most happening infrastructure sector in India with many ongoing projects and many in the pipeline. India has the second largest road network across the world at 4.7 million km and is still growing.

Saving cost of transportation

Crushing on site provides lower cost and greater efficiency. In fact, crusher and screening buckets attached to excavators and other earthmoving equipment allow materials to be processed for reuse, right where they are being extracted.

Mahindra enters road equipment segment, launches motor grader

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd announced its foray into the road construction segment with the launch of its first motor grader, the Mahindra RoadMaster G75 from its Construction Equipment business. The product comes with a one year, unlimited hours warranty, according to the company.

DhOLA-SADIYA bridge will propel intense development of the region

The making of Dhola-Sadiya Bridge across the River Brahmaputra was a different task altogether, considering the location and an unpredictable flood situation. This mega structure was constructed by Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd.

ELGi has built silent version of portable compressors

ELGi Equipments is a leading air compressor manufacturer with a broad line of innovative and technologically superior compressed air systems. Anvar Jay Varadaraj, Head - Marketing & Communications, provides an overview of the air compressor segment from a technology perspective and upcoming plans of the company.

196-m RCC Dam in 196 days196-m RCC Dam in 196 days

The complexity of infrastructure projects is increasing day by day. At the same time, the speed at which you build any infrastructure project is becoming critical. Various technological and methodological improvements have enabled us to optimise the speed and efficiency of the construction process.

Trimble Technology Improves Productivity

Gayatri Projects Ltd is the flagship company of Gayatri Group that has interests in infrastructure, power, hospitality, real estate and industry.

On Course for Success

Road construction is driving the Indian compactors market. This is expected to continue. ?Most of the current demand for both soil and tandem compactors is for road projects,? says Ramesh Palagiri, Managing Director & CEO, Wirtgen India.

Asphalt Recycling

Millions of tonnes of asphalt have being wasted in the country, when these could be properly treated and recycled for rehabilitation of road projects and new pavements.

Intelligent Compaction

Intelligent compaction (IC) is a state-of-the-art technology, which is a combination of the absolute measurement technology with regulation system that uses measured information to adapt the equipment continuously to required conditions.

On Fast Track with Cat- 320D

Creating the formation for laying railway tracks can be a formidable job. However, with the right earthmoving equipment, it becomes easily negotiable. The Cat 320D excavator has been simplifying the challenges for Agarwal Enterprises, which does earthwork to create embankments.

Compacting Technology Set to Improve

The new trend in technology is faster compaction by achieving the required density at a lower operating cost. Also, the latest equipment is designed with features to improve operator safety, comfort and maintainability.

Cat at the Heart of Gammon Projects

With a fleet of more than 80 Cat machines, Gammon banks on Caterpillar for smooth sailing, peak performance levels and timely completion of its infrastructure projects.

Caterpillar has vibratory soil compactors in the operating weight range of 4.5T?18.5T

The popular model being offered in India is the CS533E (11T Class) which is required to meet the National Highway Project requirements in India,? says Pankaj Dara, Associate Vice President - Construction, TIPL. 0 - - 15633 14 102 2011-05-02 00:00:00.000 Equipment India Hamm is the technology leader in compaction equipment

?Our existing manufacturing facility can produce 400 machines annually and plans are on for further expansion in the coming years,? says Girish Dixit, Head - Engineering & Design, Wirtgen India. In a freewheeling chat, Girish speaks about the industry trends.

Tell us about the range offered in compaction equipment and also their unique features?
Wirtgen India offers Hamm-11T soil compactor, 9T asphalt compactors and 24T pneumatic tyre rollers (PTR) for the Indian market. Hamm compactors come with German design and technology mainly featuring excellent operator comfort and safety. The equipment are powered by a fuel-efficient and highly durable water-cooled engine.

Hamm is the technology leader in compaction which has been awarded many design prizes for its latest innovations. Recently, it was awarded iF-Gold award 2010 also called the Design Oscar for new HD+ series of asphalt compactor. The GRW 280, rubber-wheeled rollers received the iF Design award 2010.

Higher quality level of the components used in Hamm compactors increases the durability of the equipment. Better serviceability and reduced maintenance frequency with less fuel consumption results in the lower operating cost of the equipment.

What is the existing manufacturing capacity for these product lines?
Our existing manufacturing facility can produce 400 machines annually and plans are on for further expansion in the coming years.

What is the rental scenario for these products?
Currently, Wirtgen India is not in the rental market and is only selling the new equipment in the retail and corporate segments, rental companies.

Are these products compliant with the Bharat stage III emission norms?
Yes, the equipment built after April 2011 will comply with Bharat stage III emission norms.

How do you look at the replacement/ repowering market for the units sold which are not complying with Bharat stage III norms?
As per the regulations, no replacement/re-powering is required for the units built with Bharat stage II norms.

Why vibratory compactors over static ones and what is the vibration effect in compaction over the static loading?
Vibratory compactors develop dynamic force in addition to the static load and total applied force is the sum of dynamic force and the static weight of the machine. For example, Hamm 11T soil compactor generates 24T dynamic force and with 6.8T static weight at the drum will induce 30.8 tonne load on the ground. The advantage of using 11T vibratory soil compactor versus 30 tonne static compactor is evident from this.

The vibratory compactor with drum vibrating at higher amplitude will result in compacting the higher lift thickness and achieving the required density compared with the static roller. In the static roller, the linear load is not uniform over the width of the machine (one front roller and two rear rollers) which results in uneven mat finish. In the vibratory compactors, the linear load is uniform along the width of the drum.

To what extent do soil conditions determine the selection of compactors? Could you tell us the reasons?
Type of soil and conditions like moisture content decides the achievable density within the required number of passes. It is important to select the suitable compactor which will develop the required force to achieve the density with lesser number of passes on the appropriate lift thickness.

What determines the maximum achievable density?
Density depends on the soil characteristics (type of soil) and optimum moisture content (OMC) present in the soil. Generally, 95 to 100 per cent density can be achieved with 11T soil compactors on the appropriate lift thickness.

?To have maximum return on investment, the equipment should have maximum productivity and less rework,? says SM Roy, Chief Executive Officer, Lanco Infratech. In an exclusive chat with Equipment India, Roy elaborates on the evolution of compacting and grading technologies. Excerpts from the interview.

How, over a period, have the methods of compaction and grading evolved and to what extent does the contracting fraternity use the advanced equipment and methodology?
The first road roller was horse-drawn; this was followed by steam and diesel rollers. For a long period, static compactors of various sizes were used. The introduction of vibratory compactor in 1946 opened a new era in construction industry.

A few decades ago, grading was done manually or with tractor dozers where operator skill was important for accuracy. Advanced technology has made the grading work simple by giving option of automatic slope and elevation offsets. GPS navigation and machine guidance systems have reduced the amount of external surveying required.

Almost every construction project or site preparation requires some kind of grading and compaction. The Indian contracting community extensively uses the graders and compactors for various purposes based on size and extent of projects.

Why vibratory compactors over static ones? What is the vibration effect in compaction over static loading?
Static compactor functions with its own weight and hence compaction is confined to the top soil layer. Vibratory compactors use a mechanism to create a downward force in addition to the machine's static weight thereby affecting the top layers as well as deeper layers. Vibration moves through the material, setting particles in motion and moving them closer together for the highest possible density.

To what extent does the soil condition determine the selection of compactors?
The desired level of compaction is best achieved by matching the soil type with its proper compaction method. Clay is cohesive; its particles stick together requiring high impact force to compact. Hence, the sheep-foot roller is the best choice. Best compaction of granular soils is possible with shaking or vibratory action. For mixed type of soils, it is a good idea to choose the compactor appropriate for a larger percentage of the mixture.

What is the return on investment on a compactor and on a grader?
To have maximum return on investment, equipment should have maximum productivity and less rework. Production cost depends on depreciation, maintenance, fuel, working hours and labour. Smaller machines cost less in terms of ownership but more in labour and vice versa. In general, for each situation, one should study equipment productivity and try to strike a balance to get better value for money.

Could you tell us about the density achievable from the range of compactors? What determines the maximum achievable density?
The maximum achievable density depends on fill type, compactive efforts and moisture content and it varies from 2.1 tonne/cu m for well graded gravels to 1.5 tonne/cu m for highly plastic clays. Most of the compactors can achieve maximum fill density with different compactive efforts and efficiencies.

What are the variants in compaction?
The variants in compaction are soil type, moisture content, lift or fill thickness, compactive efforts or number of passes of compactors.

Selection Criteria:

A selection criterion for graders and compactors is given below:
? Size, weight and machine power.
? Steering, direction control and maneuverability.
? Functional automation.
? Multi-tasking machine with various attachments.
? Maximum possible thickness of the lift (for grader).
? Accuracy of the grading (for grader).
? Range of vibration frequency (for compactor).
? Working and downtime.
? Ownership and maintenance cost.
? Availability of trained manpower to use the machine.

A 100 per cent density can be achieved using either 10T or 18T vibratory rollers

?With the help of vibratory rollers, the degree of compaction is better (95-98 per cent) achieved than with the static ones.

Vibratory Compactor Vs static

Agith G Antony finds out the technical aspects of compaction from Pradeep Kathuria, Head -Essar Equipment Bank, Essar Projects India.