On a construction site in Zerf, Rhineland-Palatinate, they were able to demonstrate how much easier automated processes are making asphalt paving.

On approximately .6 mi. of the major highway, the project required the paving of two new base layers, a binder course and an asphalt concrete surface layer. For the first time, the Lehnen company group used the Smart Pave digital paving control system with its Vögele Super 1800-5 X paver for paving widths between 21.3 ft. and 31.1 ft. The integrated system presented by Vögele at bauma 2025 automatically controls the paving width, position and direction of a road paver on the basis of virtual references.

Saving Materials, Time, Costs

The project in Zerf demonstrated the advantages of the new solution before the actual paving began.

"Using Smart Pave means that I have to do much less preparation work on the construction site," said Benjamin Biewen-Schreiner, surveyor of the Lehnen Gruppe.

Amongst other things, Smart Pave eliminates the need for time-consuming marking work and increases process reliability. First of all, Biewen-Schreiner used a Field Rover survey pole to record the coordinates and positioning data of the area to be paved. He created a CAD model of the road on the basis of the data and uploaded it to the planner in the John Deere operations center.

After automatic error analysis, he was able to transfer the order data over-the-air directly to the desired road paver via the John Deere operations center, the Wirtgen Group's central construction site management system.

Reduced Operator-Workload

The road paver was then guided along the specified route using only the virtual references — without any need for the installation of additional aids. Two integrated John Deere StarFire satellite antennas on the canopy of the Super 1800-5 X determined the exact position of the machine and enabled extremely precise control.

Here, a mobile RTK modem improves the positioning accuracy by the use of a correction signal provided by a local base station. As the screed width is automatically adjusted, the operator can concentrate entirely on the actual paving process. The control of the paver prevents paving of excess widths, thereby saving material and cutting costs.

As there is no longer any need to check the edges and the screed width from the roadside, Smart Pave also improves the safety of the paving crew. This is particularly useful in confined situations close to moving traffic.

User-Friendly Solution

The premiere of the new solution on a construction site impressed the entire team from the Lehnen Gruppe.

"With Smart Pave, we can carry out a lot of the preparatory work on a computer in digital form, independent of weather conditions, which brings us greater flexibility out on the construction site," said Alexander Wollscheid, asphalt construction manager at the Lehnen Gruppe. "The colleagues have a tool that assists them during the paving work and makes their job much easier."

For more information, visit wirtgen-group.com.