ForConstructionPros.com

Asphalt pavers are a big investment. The way to get your money's worth and keep them working properly for their full service life is to be committed to cleanliness and preventive maintenance.

"With pavers, cleanliness is next to godliness," says Mark Bolick, service manager with LeeBoy. "Cleanliness makes it easier to troubleshoot and visually see problems. It also saves money when it comes to repairs because it cuts the time necessary to fix or replace components."

Brodie Hutchins, Ingersoll Rand's marketing manager highway class paving equipment, agrees, noting, "Cleaning at the end of each work shift when the machine is still warm significantly increases component life in the material-handling areas and reduce many mat problems. Abrasive materials, which can accumulate in the sprocket, bearing, auger and conveyor areas, increase the stress on all components. The result is accelerated wear and sometimes poor mat quality."

He adds that cold paving material can also break loose if not cleaned off, producing tears in the mat as they pass under the screed.

Bolick ties the two main ingredients in paver longevity to operator pride and management attention. "If contractors see that regular maintenance is performed and require their crews to clean all pavers at the end of the day, they'll get the best performance and life from pavers," he says. "Much of a paver's life depends on the care it gets from its operator. Outsiders can see when a paving crew is proud of its work and equipment — the equipment is clean and the work professional. The way a crew looks while paving is the best advertising a contractor can ask for."