Paving Crew Rolls with the Pressure

With just days remaining before the doors were to open at Metropolis, the BW278 was brought out to assist with the completion of Perry Road. On the day of Deahl’s arrival, a delay in getting asphalt to the site prompted the crew, led by Milestone foreman Milton Kinder, to work in the dark until the mainline paving was completed at nine o’clock. The BW278 was used behind the paver as a breakdown roller and was also used as a finish roller.

Warren cited the BW278’s drum width of 78 inches as a huge benefit. “I was really impressed with the wide drum,” says Warren. “We could make about two passes and compact the material. The roller really achieved what we were looking for.”

Variable frequency is another key feature on the BW278, which offers vibration frequencies ranging from a minimum of 2,000 to a maximum of 3,800 vibrations per minute (vpm). Milestone ran the roller primarily in low amplitude at 3,800 vpm and then reduced the frequency while working more slowly on the turnouts and approaches.

The BW278 can reach a working speed of 4.3 miles per hour while maintaining a minimum of 10 impacts per foot. The BW278 is subsequently able to cover more area in less time without sacrificing compaction performance.

All of these features — drum width, frequency and working speed — meant less time on the project and more efficient production for Milestone.

“Proper compaction, density tests and quality are all obviously important,” says Deahl. “But to me what also matters is if an operator gets off the roller and tells me, ‘I like your roller.’ Then I know we’re doing something right.”

According to Shireman and Warren, Milestone’s roller operators were pleased with the performance of the BW278.

“We were getting high density numbers, and there were zero problems with cutting or stretching the mat,” says Warren. Additionally, the operators pointed out the good visibility offered by the BW278, which came in especially handy in the dark.

Maneuverability is another important aspect of the BW278. “The roller was very easy to control,” says Warren . While a roller with a 78-inch drum is usually considered more of a mainline machine, the BW278 was able to maneuver in tight areas. That versatility aided the Milestone crews as they pushed toward their deadline.

The productivity of the BW278 was impressive enough that Milestone decided to buy the BW278, and the company recently purchased three additional Bomag rollers for future projects.

On October 26, 2005, just three days before the grand opening of Metropolis, Milestone’s crews completed work on the site. Deahl, being familiar with deadlines, was genuinely impressed with the work of the Milestone crews.

“They had hard-working paving crews that really came through up against the deadline,” says Deahl. “For them to lay 1 1/2 inches of surface mix and get the smoothness they did was just excellent. I liken good paving crews to good families. And good families do two things: They communicate, and they watch out for each other. That’s exactly what this crew did.”

The Metropolis lifestyle center is now open for business with a fraction of the retailers it eventually hopes to attract. The fact that the mall opened on schedule is a testament to paving crews that came in and got the job done fast … some might say faster than a speeding bullet.