A perfect refurbishment so traffic can run smoothly

The Waltersbacher company, based in the Black Forest, can look back on a lengthy track record in the civil engineering, roadbuilding and landscaping sectors, where it has built up an excellent reputation over several generations. The team headed by the firm's junior principal Felix Waltersbacher uses an Ammann AFT 500 asphalt paver for road refurbishment work. The AFT 500 displayed its capabilities to full advantage during a refurbishment project on a local road in the municipality of Glatten near Baiersbronn.

A local road near Baiersbronn – home to the headquarters of the the Waltersbacher company – needed refurbishment on the basis of an annual contract for civil engineering and asphalting work. Waltersbacher was awarded the contract for this construction project not least because its machine pool includes a highly efficient track paver that can carry out high-precision work: the Ammann AFT 500.

Felix Waltersbacher had no hesitation in opting for the AFT 500 because the company already had several Ammann trench rollers and rammers in its machine pool. Previously, asphalting work was carried out with a small paver that can cope with working widths of up to 2.5 m. Waltersbacher also wanted to handle larger working widths, so the company began searching for the right paver.

Felix Waltersbacher sums up the story: "We were already able to cover a working width of 2.5 m with a small paver, and we wanted to take the next step forwards. Willi Reutter, Ammann's Sales Manager for Large Machines (South) devoted exceptional attention to our concerns and gave us perfect advice when we were choosing the right track paver." What ultimately persuaded the company to purchase the AFT 500 paver was its excellent cost-to-benefit ratio.

To allow even more flexibility for roadbuilding assignments, Felix Waltersbacher decided to buy the optional add-on parts for extended widths. The result: a maximum installation width of 6500 mm is now possible. Willi Reutter, Ammann's Sales Manager for Large Machines (South), explains: "Thanks to its vast array of options, the AFT 500 track paver can be configured optimally for each individual customer. More or less installation width than the standard version, electro-hydraulic adjustment of the roof profile, or heated lateral screed limiter plates – with options such as these, we always endeavour to meet all our customers' requirements and deliver machines that are perfectly suited to their purpose."

Before deploying the asphalt paver, the six-member team headed by Felix Waltersbacher first had to tackle some preparatory work: manhole covers and the surrounding areas were refurbished, and the curbstones had to be regularised. This work was followed by pre-profiling of the damaged areas and milling operations for the carriageway connections. These stages of work were predefined in the client's invitation to tender.

One of the AFT 500's strengths became evident as soon as work began: this paver starts and stops very gently, and it maintains a constant speed thanks to precise metering of the hydrostatic transmission, which is switched by variable pumps with an adjustable flow speed. Felix Waltersbacher sums up the benefits: "This means we can carry out extremely neat and accurate work, because distribution of the applied material is absolutely uniform if the speed remains constant."

A total of 200 t of bituminous concrete were processed during the refurbishment project. The base and wearing course accounted for 20 t of material, for which Felix Waltersbacher's team used AC 16 DL asphalt; variety AC 8 was used for the top layer. Given that the AFT 500's maximum output is 500 t of asphalt per hour, these quantities were child's play for the Ammann track paver. Because the machine deployed for this project has such high capacity, the material can always be applied and compacted at optimum temperature.

Felix Waltersbacher brims over with enthusiasm as he talks about his track paver: "Our machine operator always has an excellent view from the AFT 500 – including peripheral areas. We achieve additional accuracy during operation thanks to the levelling system. Another benefit: when our truck drivers deliver new material, they appreciate the paver's low filling height – which means that less material is spilt."

Aided by the flagship of Ammann's range of track-driven asphalt pavers, Waltersbacher can now offer excellent results for roadbuilding, even on a larger scale. This Black Forest company can look back on a long tradition spanning three generations. A 24-strong workforce and a pool of high-performance machines give this civil engineering and roadbuilding specialist the ability to handle a vast range of assignments – from small jobs on the doorstep to major projects elsewhere.

The final result of the road refurbishment project using Ammann's track paver is something to be proud of: a road that used to be damaged and somewhat uneven now has an absolutely uniform seal, giving it a superb visual appearance and genuinely improved protection against traffic loads and frost.

Roadbuilding with the Asphalt Paver

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