No More Speed Bumps!

Sponsored Blog

Have you ever driven over a freshly paved road and noticed that it was very smooth, but still had some dips and bumps that were quite noticeable at 60 or 70 mph. Now, imagine what those would feel like if you were driving at close to 200 mph.  

That’s the case in Formula 1^TM racing, where any imperfection in the road surface could be dangerous or even disastrous. Which is why the introduction of 3D paving systems is such a perfect fit with the specialized requirements of racetrack construction.

One of our SITECH^® technology dealers sent me this link to a project story about the new Circuit of the Americas^TM F1 track being constructed now in Austin, Texas. It is a fascinating story about the lengths that the architects and contractors take to ensure track surfaces that are as close to perfectly smooth as you can get... and ‘as flat as a table’.

That smoothness starts with the base, which is made up of several different kinds of aggregates laid and compacted to incredible tolerances, with the top layer laid using a 3D paver. Then, more layers of specially designed asphalt are laid using the 3D paving system and compacted using a 3D asphalt compactor. Results are less than 0.01foot (0.003m) of design elevations/grade.

The 3D systems are Trimble’s, and include PCS900 Paving Control Systems, SPS900 Site Positioning Systems for set up and checking, and CCS900 Compaction Control Systems... all using Trimble Universal Total Stations. Today, a number of contractors are leveraging this same technology for their roading projects—just imagine what they could do for your roadwork!

You can read many stories about why and how customers made the decision to implement technology, and what their experience has been, at trimble-productivity.com/paving.