County council chooses Bomag roller

A 7.1-tonne pivot-steered Bomag BW154 AP-4 Asphalt Manager roller (pictured) has helped Staffordshire County Council complete a £1 million resurfacing project on the A515 six weeks ahead of schedule and within budget. 

The county council’s highways department maintained a high rate of production by laying the binder layer and wearing course in a number of phases. The resurfacing works also demanded an above-average surface finish with accurate levels. Use of the Bomag Asphalt Manager roller, combined with thorough planning and preparation, resulted in a smoothly executed project by the highways department and several subcontractors. 

A fully trained operator worked the BW154 AP-4 throughout the process. With the machine in automatic mode, the operator was able to complete the rolling with the benefits of ‘intelligent compaction’ and ‘directed vibration’.

Bomag Asphalt Manager rollers are equipped with two acceleration transducers, mounted on the roller drum, that are used to determine the dynamic stiffness module of the asphalt being compacted. The machines also have infrared sensors that indicate the temperature of the asphalt surface. 

In automatic mode, the on-board computer optimizes the force and direction of vibration to achieve the desired stiffness level with as few passes as possible – saving time, fuel and costs. In addition to automatic mode, the rollers offer the option of pre-selecting a required direction of vibration with a choice of six settings between vertical and horizontal.   

According to Bomag, the operational advantages of Asphalt Manager rollers include: high compaction output; no risk of aggregate damage; progressive adjustability; even compaction; better surface finish; low-vibration surface compaction; and the option of using EVIB measurements for surface covering control.