Paving at Night

Adams Construction Co. is also using a Volvo Road Machinery paver 6000 series PF-6170 at night in downtown Roanoke. The contractor has to lay the complex SMA mix, to resurface and inlay I-581 for 6.4 miles in both directions. The $7-million project consists of three lanes with a four foot inside shoulder and 10-foot outside shoulder. Paving is at night only, from Sunday night to Thursday. All guardrails are replaced in the contract.

Traffic cones are positioned at about 9 p.m., after rush-hour. Milling starts next with paving commencing several hours after that. Inlay is 1 ½ inches compacted SMA mix, one lane, or a lane and shoulder at a time, until about 4:45 a.m. Another portion of the project is just a 1½ inches compacted overlay of the same SMA mix.

The paver speed is programmed for 30 fpm or less, depending upon truck flow to the MTV unit. As a result, the paver will not travel any faster, so not to hinder the rideability results.

Paul Jones, foreman of the paving crew, says it's one of the easiest pavers to use. "The speed control is so helpful. Punch in the number you want for speed on the LCD screen and you can worry about all the other things an operator needs to watch, not how fast you are going."