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According to Devonshire, time was of the essence on a Texas job last summer, which was delayed more than 30 days because of rains that flooded many cities around the Dallas jobsite. A big concern for the contractor was reducing paving time while still meeting tough ride specs.

The Series 6 paving kit helped save time because it could be used to do all of the mainline paving, which required paving at three different widths. By using the kit, the contractor estimates he saved 2.5 days.

No easy answers

With various sizes of machines offered, as well as options, sorting out which machine is the best choice for which job isn’t always easy. “There are no simple answers,” Devonshire says, noting that when combined with the number of tractors available, the page count for listed options of Terex machines nears triple digits. “You will always have a basic machine configuration. But contractors don’t buy a paver off the shelf. There is always something unique about every project.”

The selection process requires knowing what the immediate and future project requirements involve, notes Godbersen. He recommends asking yourself questions such as: Are there tight clearances involved? Are width changes required? If so, how easy is it to change the paver width? Does the paver have hydraulic frame widening to help accomplish width changes? What is the required ride specification? Is the control system easy to learn and operator friendly? What are the bar insertion capabilities? How easy is the machine to transport?

In addition to these questions, Fred Hite, Power Pavers, adds that concrete depth, width and tolerance limits related to smoothness should also be considered.