VÖGELE Pavers Build First Formula 1 Circuit in India

Created: April 19, 2012

Precise paving and perfect grade and slope control provide ideal conditions for Formula 1 drivers.

The VÖGELE Big MultiPlex Ski was used for grade and slope control. Even long irregularities were easily levelled out with the ski.
The VÖGELE Big MultiPlex Ski was used for grade and slope control. Even long irregularities were easily levelled out with the ski.
"Thanks to the VÖGELE pavers and expert advice from WIRTGEN India, we remained safely below the extremely tight tolerances," says Pankaj Gautam, overall project manager Oriental LTD.
"Thanks to the VÖGELE pavers and expert advice from WIRTGEN India, we remained safely below the extremely tight tolerances," says Pankaj Gautam, overall project manager Oriental LTD.
Dr Rainer Heart, specialist in race tracks, was full of praise for the Big MultiPlex Ski. "With this sensor technology, VÖGELE achieved an outstanding evenness," he says.
Dr Rainer Heart, specialist in race tracks, was full of praise for the Big MultiPlex Ski. "With this sensor technology, VÖGELE achieved an outstanding evenness," he says.
The final touches: the surface course is made from a special asphalt containing aggregate with high resistance to polishing. This ensures that the road's good grip is maintained in the long term...
The final touches: the surface course is made from a special asphalt containing aggregate with high resistance to polishing. This ensures that the road's good grip is maintained in the long term. The surface course was paved with an AB 600 Extending Screed in TV version.
VÖGELE pavers build first formula 1 circuit near New Delhi, India.
VÖGELE pavers build first formula 1 circuit near New Delhi, India.

Lower compression stress, better tire grip

On a racing circuit, the base and binder courses are very much thinner than on normal roads. This is due to the lower pressure acting on the asphalt package. Non-skid properties and evenness are far more important here. That is why the paving teams paid more and more attention to the pavement’s evenness as they worked their way up to the top of the asphalt package.

Big MultiPlex Ski for potentially record-breaking evenness

A Big MultiPlex Ski was fitted on each side of the SUPER 1800-2 pavers when placing all three layers – a move which indisputably paid off, particularly when a maximum permissible tolerance of .12 inches per 13 feet has been specified.

"The evenness achieved by VÖGELE is outstanding, thanks to the Big MultiPlex Ski. To the greatest possible extent, the surface unevenness was less than .04 inches over a distance of 13 feet," says Dr Hart, who was delighted with the excellent pavement results. He has supervised the paving work on numerous Formula 1 circuits in the past.

Long irregularities are levelled out

The Big MultiPlex Ski uses the proven VÖGELE technology of the sonic grade sensor. Three multi-cell sonic sensors are mounted on a beam with a maximum length of 43 feet. They simultaneously scan a reference at several widely spaced points. NIVELTRONIC Plus®, the VÖGELE System for Automated Grade and Slope Control, calculates a virtual reference from these picked-up values.

The Big MultiPlex Ski is capable of detecting and levelling out long irregularities in the surface, such as undulations, over a maximum distance of 43 feet. The Ski consequently operates with greater precision than a single cell grade sensor. It is controlled as usual via the screed operator’s console. Variability is also assured: the individual sensors of the Big MultiPlex Ski can be moved along the beam to optimally adapt to any jobsite.

Good work, even at very high temperatures

The racing circuit near Greater Noida is only a few miles away from the Indian capital New Delhi. The temperatures in this region are famously high, but the VÖGELE pavers did not baulk, even at these extreme conditions.The SUPER 1800-2 pavers reliably met all expectations.

"Even at temperatures of more than 40 °C the pavers continued to operate faultlessly," reports Service Technician Ralf Peter on site. Pankaj Gautam, Oriental LTD's Overall Project Manager, also had nothing but praise for the WIRTGEN Group's machines and team: "With their profound know-how and skilled eye, the service technicians from WIRTGEN India and VÖGELE gave us optimum support when fine-tuning the pavers." And the result really was record-breaking: the German Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel not only won the first race, but also broke the first course record with a lap time of 1:27 mins.