In 1989 Astec Industries, Roadtec's parent company, introduced the very first material transfer vehicle, the Shuttle Buggy MTV. Roadtec material transfer technology has led the way to improved smoothness and even densities in asphalt pavements, which is key to durability of the asphalt surface. Now hundreds of Shuttle Buggy MTVs are in use all over the world: in 48 U.S. States, in 20 countries, and on six continents. The company shipped the 1000th SB-2500 Shuttle Buggy MTV this spring.
When pavement failure began to be studied more closely in the 1980's, it was found that one of the most important causes was material segregation. This discovery inspired Roadtec engineers to find a solution, and they designed a mobile device that could re-mix hot mix asphalt just before feeding it to the paver. With the help of a Shuttle Buggy MTV, road builders were then able to eliminate material segregation.
Segregation in hot mix asphalt can ruin the quality of an asphalt lift. Yet the things that cause segregation, like less than perfect stockpile management at the hot mix plant or long truck wait times, are often out of the road builder's control. The ability to remix the asphalt for even temperatures and even material size gave road builders the control they needed.
