Stringless paving in Oregon

• Wirtgen's SP 15i slipform paver with integrated AutoPilot 2.0 enabled fast and precise stringless paving of kerbs and gutters over 730 meters in Springfield, Oregon.

• AutoPilot 2.0 replaces traditional stringlines by using GPS and 3D digital models to control steering and cross slope, reducing setup time and costs.

• The contractor praised the machine's low fuel consumption, ease of operation, quick mould changes, and overall reliability during continuous use.

• Wirtgen provides comprehensive local service and training, and has introduced the SP 33 model featuring touchscreen controls, improved visibility, and new paving methods for enhanced site flexibility.

• Efficient concrete paving thanks to Wirtgen slipform paving technology

• A Wirtgen slipform paver produced kerbs and gutters for a new residential development currently under construction in Springfield, Oregon. The use of a SP 15i with integrated Autopilot 2.0 made the construction process much faster and delivered precise paving results.

Stringless profile paving, thanks to AutoPilot 2.0

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Kerb and gutter profiles for the new residential development in Springfield were paved over a distance of more than 730 m. The Wirtgen SP 15i played a decisive role in the fast completion of the paving project. The integration of the AutoPilot 2.0 stringless machine control system into the SP 15i enabled particularly quick and efficient completion of the construction project in Springfield. The Wirtgen in-house development replaces complex surveying, the setup and break down of physical stringlines and the generation of a geodetic data model. This significantly reduces the time and effort otherwise required and noticeably reduces costs. Wirtgen AutoPilot 2.0 enables extremely economical and precise paving of offset and inset profiles. The control system enables, for example, the paving of concrete safety barriers, kerbs, traffic islands or road surface slabs with widths of up to 3.5 m. The AutoPilot 2.0 3D control system uses either an existing digital data model or creates a new model from data collected on the construction site. The software computes the ideal line for the concrete paving process from all the measured points. Two GPS receivers mounted on the machine communicate with a GPS reference station on the construction site. The global navigation satellite system (GNSS) automatically controls the steering and the cross slope of the slipform paver. Wirtgen offers AutoPilot 2.0 for the SP 15i, SP 25i and SP 33 paver models. Retrofitting is also possible.

Higher quality, lower costs

Lead contractor Roger Langeliers Construction Co. (RLC) relies on a fleet of equipment that enables it to ideally fulfil its customers’ quality goals and deadlines. At the same time, the company is focused on assuring that operators can work safely, quickly and comfortably. The SP 15i is a good example of this. For Project Manager Thomas Kallai, the integration of AutoPilot 2.0 raises the construction process to an entirely new level. ‘We’re working with a Wirtgen SP 15i, running AutoPilot for the whole project. It took us about two or three hours to shoot the 730 metres. Then, we upload all the information to the tablet on the machine and away it goes.’ The paving crew particularly appreciated how quickly and easily they were able to learn how to operate the machine. ‘It’s really very simple.’ Anybody could turn it on, learn it and operate it fairly easily,’ says machine operator Kevin Valentine, who has been working with the SP 15 for the past two years.

‘The low fuel consumption is a game changer for us,’ explains Kevin Valentine. ‘We can run two huge jobs, without fuelling up for three days. In ECO mode, the machine automatically adjusts the power requirement as soon as we turn on the Trimmer or the conveyor belt.’ In addition to its low fuel consumption, the slipform paver is also less prone to breakdowns: Valentine is also responsible for ensuring correct operation of the SP 15i and appreciates the machine's reliability. Even with continuous use over four days, a single fill of diesel exhaust fluid is sufficient.

For Thomas Kallai, the time saved when changing the mould, which can be done on-site, is a big advantage. ‘It’s a well-balanced machine. That makes it easier to adapt to each specific working situation. Setup is fast.’ Thanks to the quick-change mounting system, changing the mould is really easy. The machine operator only has to flick a switch and the mould more or less walks itself onto the machine.

Fast commissioning and comprehensive local service

Before working with the first SP 15i, the lead contractor had always worked with physical stringlines. Nevertheless, the switch from the machines he had used so far to the Wirtgen machine turned out to be absolutely smooth and seamless. RLC was assisted by Wirtgen service technicians, who not only explained the operation and maintenance of the machine, but also the various functions.

A year later, Kallai and his crew got another visit from the familiar faces of the Wirtgen service team when the AutoPilot 2.0 system was retrofitted onto the machine. ‘Die Wirtgen reps came back and worked on several jobs. They taught us how to shoot it, adjust the machine for steering or elevation and then helped us work out any issues we had while shooting the job.’ That helped us enormously,’ says Thomas Kallai.

The successor is already on the market

In the meantime, Wirtgen has launched another new slipform paver model, the SP 33. Its revised operating concept significantly simplifies day-to-day operations on the construction site. The revisions include a better visibility concept, an HMI with touchscreen control and improved on-site flexibility. In addition to offset paving, the SP 33 now also offers paving with the Crosspave method. Here, the concrete is paved transversely to the direction of travel without a Trimmer. Thanks to its sliding track units, the SP 33 can manoeuvre with exceptional agility, even on construction sites with extremely restricted space.