Advanced Controls Lead to Enhanced Efficiency in Curb and Gutter Paving

Controls with increasingly sophisticated technology have made curb and gutter, and related work, faster and easier—particularly during set up and more difficult jobs that require changes on the fly.

But that’s not all the systems and their corresponding sensors do.

Understanding what the controls make possible and mastering them can make curb and gutter crews more efficient. Here’s a look at some of the more prominent systems and their functions.

The G+ control system from GOMACO provides individual track speed control for maneuverability around a radius and operates on stringlines or interfaces with 3D guidance systems. This is helpful for tight radius applications.

On the company’s Xtreme Commander IIIx, this means interacting with a three-sensor radius system for stringline. When paving with a stringline, the lead steering wand is allowed to leave the stringline and reference is switched to sensor No. 2 for traveling around an extreme radius.

What GOMACO calls “intelligent offset” is aided by smart hydraulic cylinders for telescoping the mold mounting system. This allows G+ to achieve repeatable mold offset. The trimmer head and mold have independent vertical adjustments for raising and lowering.

G+ Radius Software for stringline allows the user to select the size of the radius and then the system calibrates and manages all aspects of traveling around the radius, including track angles and those individual track speeds.

It also allows the operator to select the size of the radius and input it into the controller. As the Commander IIIx approaches the radius, with the values programmed in, the operator activates the radius feature, and the curb and gutter machine slipforms around the radius.

G+ expresses itself in easy-to-understand international icons and full script explanations. It operates in all the major languages of the world and in imperial or the metric system.

It features two-way communications between the accessories and G+. Its instant digital feedback combined with the tight closed-loop electronic and hydraulic control is designed to create a smooth, efficient user experience.

A flat-panel 6.5-inch anti-glare display screen is provided with sensor-controlled backlight levels for visibility in all operating conditions. The screen is rugged and shock resistant in its construction to protect against dust, moisture, and rain.

G+ provides a full color display on the control panel to illustrate the various aspects of the paver for set up and operation. A “run” screen on the control panel illustrates the various aspects of the paver. It includes leg position, paving speed and percentage of drive, steering, travel information, grade information, deviation meters, and more.

G+ receives a track speed reading from pulse pickups in the track motors to give you real time feet per minute and total linear footage. G+ controls feature a detailed fault history with the time stamp, date, and information to track when each fault occurred.

The Commander IIIx has a GBox on every leg to accommodate improved steering and grade with G+ controls. GOMACO’s GBox features a new location for convenient access to the sensor bulkheads, valve overrides, and reduces hose and wiring needs. The GBox is designed to provide ease in serviceability, troubleshooting, and provides quick access with a horizontal swing door at ground level.

Machine-to-machine communication is possible using the GOMACO Navigator display and G+ control. When a GOMACO paving train is at work on a project, the GP3 paver now has the ability to talk to the other GOMACO equipment on the project with a G+ control system.

Wirtgen island — Curbs and islands are easier to pour with today's high-tech controls. This is the Wirtgen AutoPilot system at work.

Wirtgen’s AutoPilot 2.0. 3D control system can produce any kind of offset and inset profiles. Even more, it can also create a new, digital data model at the site. Wirtgen supplies the AutoPilot 2.0 for two slipform pavers: the SP 15/SP 15i and SP 25/SP 25i. AutoPilot 2.0 can also be retrofitted to existing machines.

The 3D system can be used for making concrete safety barriers, curbs, traffic islands, or for road surfaces with a width of up to 12 feet. Surveying, setup, and dismantling of stringlines is no longer necessary, and the lines no longer get in the way of the teams working around the paver. As a result, the overall process is more productive and profitable, Wirtgen says.

With the Wirtgen AutoPilot 2.0, the Field Rover measures the virtual string line support points. Using all measured points, the software calculates the optimum course for concrete paving. Even complex profile shapes can be created directly on the job site in a very short time.

Clay Armstrong, of Tally & Armstrong in Henrico, Virginia, went from the original AutoPilot system to AutoPilot 2.0.

“The AutoPilot 2.0 system is much more user-friendly, and the tablet we use both on the operator’s platform and with the Field Rover survey pole has a much better display. The system gives us the ability to make changes to the model regardless of whether it was imported or created from ground points or the usual stakes set up for curb/gutter profiles,” Armstrong said.

“Since civil engineers are also only human, we have to correct their models from time to time. We can change both the vertical and horizontal alignment during the paving process to compensate for any defects,” Armstrong said. “Changes to the vertical curve were difficult or not at all possible with the previous version. In addition, we didn’t have the display we now have. We didn’t have a profile to make adjustments, as is now possible with AutoPilot 2.0. Now we can actually make numerous changes and even delete or add points to an existing model.

“We can change individual points on a vertical curve and pull them apart as far as it takes to smooth a route,” he continued. “If we know, for example, that point A and point B are connected by a straight gradient, we can theoretically delete all of the intermediate points that don’t match, or return to the original model. And we can also change the percentage of the gradient in the model if we find that it’s incompatible with on-site conditions.”

The 3D control system includes a tablet that both controls the machine and is attached to the Field Rover survey pole. Two GPS receivers mounted on the machine communicate with a GPS reference station at the job site.

The global navigation satellite system (GNSS) controls the steering and transverse tilt of the slipform paver fully automatically. In combination with an ultrasonic sensor or a robot-controlled total station, it also precisely controls the machine height.

Thanks to a certified standard interface, the SP 15i and SP 25i can be equipped not only with AutoPilot 2.0, but also with 3D systems from other suppliers. The data is transferred to the machine via a 3D interface. During paving, various systems such as the GNSS-based RTK receiver or automatic total stations are used.

Sensors on the machine take highly accurate readings during the paving process. These systems constantly compare the target and actual values of the paving parameters. If a digital three-dimensional terrain model is not available for a project, the Wirtgen Field Rover can be used to generate a new digital data model directly on site.

Power Curbers barrier — Many curb and gutter machines can also produce barriers for highway work, adding to their versatility and utilization.

Power Curber’s SlipSmart system has been upgraded for its latest curb and gutter machine, the 5700-D.

“The upgraded control system brings a number of improvements,” said Power Curbers president Stephen Bullock. “Cross-slope controls are smoother, more responsive, and intuitive: we have auto-calibration for the radius steer sensor, and we’ve made it simpler to integrate with Topcon, Leica, and Trimble 3-D control systems.”

SlipSmart also has fine scaling for speed controls, a standardized display, and icons for languages other than English.

“We’ve kept much of the control panel the same so the 5700-D will feel familiar while including some improvements,” Bullock said.

The “all up” jog switch is a single switch that raises or lowers all crawler posts simultaneously. In addition to individual vibrator control knobs, a new master control increases or decreases hydraulic flow to all vibrators at once, allowing the operator to keep individual vibrators higher or lower relative to each other.

The company also replaced multiple individual engine gauges with a single display, and added weatherproof switches and a cold air dam between engine and console to better regulate control panel temperature and increase operator comfort.