Tight hairpin turns, steep gradients and narrow passages characterize the vital access road to the Falkenstein castle ruins, located at an altitude of 4,190 ft., and the hotel with a gourmet restaurant located just below. Here, the new Vögele road paver Super 1800-5 X demonstrates why it is the right choice for difficult paving tasks.
Job Site With Many Challenges
The road to the castle ruins, which is just over 1.2 mi. long, is only 10 ft. wide in sections and is already showing its age. The stretch of road is bumpy and has deep potholes.
"This job site has a lot of tricky features. We are dealing with a steep gradient and very tight curves at the same time. That is a challenge for the paving and logistics," said Sascha Böck, managing director of the contractor Josef Böck GmbH, describing the task.
He planned the operation meticulously in advance. Only three-axle trucks can be used for mix delivery due to the hairpin turns. In addition, there are only limited passing places along the stretch to be covered. The trucks have to reverse over long sections. A flexible and easy-to-operate road paver also is crucial for a high-quality paving result.
Super 1800-5 X: Compact, Powerful, Precise
The Vögele road paver Super 1800-5 X used at Falkenstein is comparatively compact for its high performance, with a length of 20.2 ft. In addition, it offers high traction and precise steering — which benefits the paving team given the confined space: a mountainside on one side and a steep drop-off on the other. Here, the paver has to be steered with millimeter precision to avoid hitting anything on the narrow road.
"That works very well with the new Dash-5 paver," said Böck. "Thanks to the optimal overview, the responsive steering via SmartWheel and the exact screed width adjustment, asphalt paving is possible in these challenging curves. The paver keeps to the line perfectly and we get a uniform paving result, which is not something to be taken for granted given the poor condition of the existing surface and varying paving depths. The pressure bar of the screed is very helpful here for achieving high pre-compaction."
The extending screed AB 500 TP1 can be hydraulically adjusted from 8.4 ft. to 16.4 ft. By adding bolt-on extensions, an extension up to 28.7 ft. is possible.
Enhanced Operating Concept
Tatjana Drexler steers the Super 1800-5 X along the steep walls and the rugged drop-off. Until five years ago, she worked in hospitality at a ski hut and was looking for an interesting new activity for the summer. She would never have dreamed back then that she would one day drive a road paver.
"Today, it is my dream job," she said, describing her career choice. She has only ever operated Vögele road pavers and would not want to switch. "Why would I, when I'm already out here with the best machine," she said with a smile.
Drexler loves controlling large machines safely, even under difficult conditions, while keeping an eye on her colleagues at the paving screed and the entire working area. The further developed operating concept ErgoPlus 5 is helpful in this regard.
While operators always have to get used to one or two new features on a new machine, she was able to get used to the new paver very quickly due to the operating logic being very similar to the predecessor model. Operation is even simpler and more intuitive; the SmartWheel enables very precise steering, and the new touch display offers many additional options, according to Vögele.
"Visually and technically, you can see that the machine has been noticeably further developed," she said about the new road paver.
Compaction On Slope of More Than 30 Percent
For final compaction, the team uses an oscillation roller HD 13 VO and an HD 10 VT from Hamm. Above all, the gradient of the route, which is more than 30 percent in parts, paired with the tight hairpin turns, places high demands on the skill of the roller operator and the capabilities of the rollers. They must be driven with great sensitivity so as not to push the mix, tear it apart or cause the roller to slip. This is precisely where the 3-point articulation of the Hamm rollers proves once again to be a valuable feature.
Successful Premiere of New Super 1800-5 X
After just a few days, Germany's highest gourmet restaurant and highest castle ruins, as well as the hotel below, are easily accessible again. The use of the Vögele road paver Super 1800-5 X with the extending screed AB 500 TP1 made a significant contribution to this.
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