VÖGELE InLine Pave®

The Innovative and Economical Paving Process for Compact Asphalt Pavements

The new InLine Pave® concept offered by VÖGELE, Germany, is a particularly innovative method, especially suited for "hot on hot" paving when it comes to building compact asphalt pavements. However, conventional road construction jobs can also be realized with the InLine Pave® equipment in high quality and extremely economically.

The InLine Pave® process involves paving binder course and surface course in a single pass, which not only yields a perfect bond between the layers but also ensures strong interlocking of layers. This is a fundamental requirement for the longevity of roads.

The InLine Pave® process is based on the use of a machine technology very similar in design to VÖGELE pavers of series production, but slightly modified for "hot on hot" paving. For contractors, this means that every single machine in the InLine Pave® train can also be used for conventional paving jobs at any time. This substantially increases the productive utilization of the contractor's equipment pool and enhances the return on investment. Thus, the InLine Pave® technology is tailored not only to large road construction companies. With the InLine Pave® process, VÖGELE also offer to small and medium-sized companies the possibility of submitting bids for compact asphalt pavement contracts based on innovative machine technology.

1,500,000m² of road paved in two-and-a-half years

Thanks to the impressive concept, some 1,500,000m² of road were paved throughout Europe using VÖGELE's InLine Pave® method in just two-and-a-half years. Eleven European contractors convinced themselves of the technology’s quality and cost-efficiency. This innovative technique has been applied in single-lane and dual-lane rehabilitation projects, as well as in the construction of numerous new motorways, highways and rural roads. The InLine Pave® train can be put into operation on the job site within an extremely short period of time. It takes no more than two hours to set up the entire equipment in its basic width, heating of the screeds included. Thanks to the fast set-up times and compact dimensions, also short job sites, such as cross-town links, can be handled quickly and very economically.

Overview of machine technology and paving process

InLine Pave® means that the process of paving takes place by machinery working in a line, one after the other. All machines feature a very compact design with a maximum transport width of just 3m.

The InLine Pave® train comprises three machines: a MT 1000-1 IP Mobile Feeder, a SUPER 2100-2 IP paver for placing binder course and a SUPER 1600-2 for placing surface course. For the surface course, the VÖGELE SUPER 1800-2 model can also be used as an alternative.

The MT 1000-1 IP Mobile Feeder stands at the beginning of the paving process. It receives binder and surface course mixes supplied by feed vehicles and transfers the mix, alternately, either directly into the large material hopper of the paver for binder course or – via a transfer module and over this latter paver – into the hopper of the paver for surface course. Using a system of green or red light signals for the feed vehicles, the operator of the Mobile Feeder indicates to the lorry drivers whether binder or wearing course mix is to be delivered. With the feeder operator changing lights from binder to surface course mix or vice vesa, the conveyor automatically adjusts in height and distance. The MT 1000-1 IP Mobile Feeder has a conveying capacity of 900 tonnes/h.

The SUPER 2100-2 IP for binder course has the task of placing a binder course of high density and with high resistance to deformation. This machine comes with a special AB 600-2 IP High Compaction Screed (IP stands for InLine Pave®). VÖGELE have decades of experience when it comes to high compaction technology.

The AB 600-2 Extending Screed has been developed further over the past three years to meet the specific requirements of "hot on hot" paving. For the InLine Pave® process, it achieves an extraordinarily high degree of pre-compaction attaining a density of up to 98% for the binder layer, without rolling. On this layer then travels the paver placing wearing course. Weighing some 40 tonnes including mix and extra material hopper, this paver lays the surface course onto the fresly paved and still hot binder layer.

The binder course must be so designed as to being capable of transferring the traffic loads downwards, without deformation. Taken this for granted, the tracks of the paver placing wearing course will leave just a slight impression in the hot, pre-compacted binder course and no adverse effects result upon the quality of neither the binder course nor the wearing course.

For the InLine Pave® application, the SUPER 2100-2 IP for binder course comes with a special transfer module. The module transfers the surface course mix received from the Mobile Feeder – over the paver for binder course – into the surface course paver’s material hopper. The transfer module mounts or demounts within a very short time. Conversion can be completed in no more than 6 hours in the contractor’s workshop by just two persons.

The third machine in the InLine Pave® train is a SUPER 1600-2 or SUPER 1800-2 for paving the surface course. These, too, are machines of standard design, however equipped with a water spraying system for the tracks and an extra material hopper insulated against loss of heat and holding a total of 25 tonnes of mix. The material hopper is large enough to store the quantity of mix supplied by a feed vehicle.

The advantages of placing two layers "hot on hot"

Paving two asphalt layers "hot on hot" is an especially effective method of building long-lasting road pavements. When using this method, binder and surface courses of hot rolled asphalt mixes are paved "hot on hot". This offers numerous advantages.

When paving two layers “hot on hot”, the usual ratio of 8cm binder course and 4cm surface course can be abandoned and another ratio be selected. This is due to the reason that, when paving "hot on hot", the still hot binder course prevents rapid cooling of the surface course. A higher temperature prevails, which allows paving a thinner surface course of just 2 to 2.5cm.

Also on account of the high temperature inside the surface course, higher degrees of density are achieved during subsequent compaction by rolling, along with a smaller voids content. When designing the surface course and especially when paving stone mastic asphalt (SMA), it is of utmost importance for the binder content to comply with the “ZTV Asphalt-StB” regulations, in order to obtain a finished surface course with a voids content of no more than 2.5 – 3.5 percent by volume. This kind of surfacing is water-tight, thus protecting the binder course from atmospheric influences. The high degree of density in conjunction with the layer thickness of 2 to 2.5cm increases the resistance to deformation under the influence of heat to such an extent that rutting is massively counteracted, particularly during the summer months. Thanks to the high density, the service life of the road pavement as a whole is prolonged, as the density also increases the wearing course’s impermeability to water.

Building long-lasting roads cost-effectively:
The strengths of InLine Pave

One of the biggest advantages of the InLine Pave® process is its cost-effectiveness. Every machine of the InLine Pave® train can be used for conventional paving jobs at any time. The SUPER 2100-2 IP with AB 600-2 IP Extending Screed, for example, can also be used as a stand-alone paver for placing high-density base course. The speciality in this context: single-layer construction is possible. This saves time and money. Depending on the mix to be placed, a 18cm base can be built in one pass instead of two layers of 9cm each. Thanks to IP High Compaction Technology, a density between 93 and 97% is achieved. The paver can be used for paving base course with the transfer module fitted or without it. With the transfer module fitted, the SUPER 2100-2 IP is without further conversions ready for subsequent two-layer paving on the InLine Pave® job site.

In other words, all machines of the InLine Pave® train can be used, at any time, for conventional paving as usual. This significantly increases the productive utilization of the contractor’s equipment pool, not only for large contractors but also for small and medium-sized companies.

The InLine Pave® process also offers unsurpassed quality when it comes to evenness of the pavement. The conventional methods of road construction are ideal for producing road surfaces of high evenness. Base course, binder course and surface course are laid in three passes. The “self-levelling” behaviour of the paver’s screed provides that the evenness is improved from layer to layer.

The InLine Pave® process translates 100% of this principle into reality, even though paving “hot on hot”. Through the use of two pavers operating independently, each with a floating screed, irregularities are levelled to the same degree as in conventional paving. In contrast to other processes, InLine Pave® does not make special demands on the evenness of the base course. The usual tolerance of 10mm is sufficient to achieve an excellent final pavement of highest evenness.

When comparing the InLine Pave® process of "hot on hot" paving with conventional road construction techniques, there is no difference for the paving team as far as machine operation is concerned. Both paver and screed operators quickly get to grips with the machine technology as all vital functions are based on VÖGELE’s operating concept ErgoPlus. Only the job site logistics with a reliable organization of mix supply should be well planned and executed by an experienced team.