Tracks vs Tires on Asphalt pavers

[Jeffksf]

When? Why? How?
Just a curious bystander.

 

[JimBruce42]

I read something, somewhere about how one can be better in certain situations than others. I don't remember when I read it, or if I'm gonna get this right, so take it for what it's worth, but...

Wheeled pavers are better in "patch paving" sections of roads, or paving mutliple streets in a town or city, where travel from one spot to the next is needed.

Tracked pavers are better in "first lift appicaltions, softer underfoot (though you'd think if it's being paved it shouldn't be soft?). I think they are also prefered in situations where you are paving long stretchs of Highway or Interstate.

Again, I could be wrong :beatsme

 

[powerjoke]

I think you are right but to add to your reasoning, from what i understand tracks kinda tear up the existing asphalt.

I just bought a Wheeled machine and it works fine

Pj

 

[Turbo21835]

Jim, soft underfoot conditions may depend on the gravel you are working with. Around here our stone names are different from a lot of other areas. Our 21A crushed limestone would be equivalent to a 304 type material. 57s are called 6A here. Now we get into what we call natural aggregates here. 6AA is a stone that is more like a river rock, usually comes out of screened and washed sand. We use a product called 21AA which screens similar to a crushed 304 material, but the fines are sand instead of crushed limestone. If the moisture content is not right, it will tend to be "soft." A wheeled paver having 6 wheels would tear the base up pretty badly, even compared to the truck that is running in front of it.

Theoretically, a tracked paver is going to also provide a smoother surface. The rubber tired machine will have some bounce to it. Plus tracks have more surface area on the ground distributing the weight, and movement over a larger area. Around here most paving companies run a tracked paver for a mainline machine. A lot of smaller outfits run a tired machine. Other parts of the country, there seems to be more wheeled pavers. Maybe its just the way things are done around here.

 

[he2009]

Most tracked pavers have options for installing "street pads" for added traction and prevent damage to existing pavement & foundations. - Recently heard that contractors in PA were getting cited for running equipment with bare steel-tracks over pavement. - Don't know what the fines were, but more than a few contractors have complained about it as a "sudden / urgent concern" to fine anything that moves.

 

[surfer-joe]

Turbo has it right. I don't remember how many times I've had to unstick a rubber-tired machine from a soft spot. But for moving quickly from one smaller job to another, like intersections or city streets, the tire machine will move much more quickly.

If the underfooting is hard packed gravel, and the paver has to push end-dumps, the crawler machine is definitely better for the application. Most later year crawlers all came with rubber overlay track shoes that I know of.

 

[andoman]

you also have to remember a wheeled machine has the tendency to roll up and down with the load in the hopper where tracked machines don't. Not good for ride quality jobs. With the new rubber tracks the tracked machines really don't damage the leveling layers of asphalt anymore.

 

[hardhatman]

wheeled pavers can actually be used for paving binder and wearing courses.

 

[The Tackman]

The company I worked for in Michigan used Blaw-Knox 5510's(Tracks) exclusively and the company I work for now uses IR3200's and RoadTec rubber tire pavers. I find the track pavers are better for pushing dump trucks and soft base areas along with the weight make it easier to achieve optimal compaction. I have yet to find one thing I like about rubber tire pavers.

 

[monster truck]

The company I work for has three pavers that I stay as far away from as possible. But what I have noticed from the seat of the dump truck is that the two tracked units are always the first ones to get used and the last to get put away, the rubber tired unit does alot of sitting in the yard while the others get the work. We do alot of work in steep terrain, just last week we paved an 18% road with the rubber tire and one of the tracked machines. When dumping into the rubber tire machine we had to slip the clutch to help it push us up the hill where as the tracked machine required no assistance. Both of our tracked machines have rubber pads on them and can move suprisingly quick down the road.

 

[hardhatman]

The good thing with tracked asphalt pavers they actually have good advantages over rubber tired pavers and they work well on all subgrade materials and they can handle hills and terrains with ease.With rubber tired pavers,they tend to spin on soft subgrades and on hills and terrains in some cases so they somehow have some disadvantages than tracked pavers.

 

[Tinkerer]

I ran a Ceder Rapids tracked machine with hydrostatic drive. It was awesome when it had to push a full semi load with a driver that had a heavy foot on the brakes. I also ran a Blaw Knox (rubber tiered) in the same situation and it was awful frustrating to push the same kind of load in the same situation. Also flat tires(vandalism mostly) are not uncommon on the Blaw Knox when we needed it the most.

 

[rino]

The company I worked for has CAT, Blaw Knox, and Vogle pavers all on tracks. Seemed like the tracks were rubber like a skid steer or mini excavator. We also had an old rubber tire blaw knox, and 2 of the blaw knox shoulder machines. the main one is bent to the right, and has NO power with a 3 or a 4-53 2 stroke detroit.

 

[CEwriter]

Rubber tracks, similar to those used on compact track loaders, are pretty much taking over a great deal of asphalt paver business. They offer the traction and power advantages mentioned here for pushing trucks, are said to be considerably more reliable than tires, and can transport the machine at good speed.

With weight distributed over the length of the track, they are less likely to displace subgrade or damage base course.

Largely because of their cost advantage, rubber-tired machines hang on in niches where traction is not an issue. Properly maintained, they can deliver good mat quality and economy.

Here's a story that addresses the issue: Should You Pave On Tracks Or Tires?

 

[Mr. Butcher.]

Here in the UK its v-commen to run tyres on every thing, from small maintenance work to larger infrastructure and new build/road construction work, due to the diversitey of the machines. The overall affect dosent seem to alter with either machine other than volumes and quantities, a decently drivern, adjusted and maintained machine regardless of drive system in the UK will give similar surfaces. I think its just what we have become use to, The company I work for features heavily in and around Wales, our counteryside can be quiet stubbern at times but the industry manages!, though as im typing this over the last couple of years ive seen a few tracked pavers about, any things possable!

 

[andoman]

Rubber tracks, similar to those used on compact track loaders, are pretty much taking over a great deal of asphalt paver business. They offer the traction and power advantages mentioned here for pushing trucks, are said to be considerably more reliable than tires, and can transport the machine at good speed.

With weight distributed over the length of the track, they are less likely to displace subgrade or damage base course.

Largely because of their cost advantage, rubber-tired machines hang on in niches where traction is not an issue. Properly maintained, they can deliver good mat quality and economy.

Here's a story that addresses the issue: Should You Pave On Tracks Or Tires?

I really hate wheeled pavers, I've been on wheeled pavers that spin on resurface jobs if the head of material on the screed is a little heavy. The only true benefits to wheel pavers are being able to road the machine to the job and lower up front cost. As for maintenance on tracked machines, it's really not an issue if you keep an eye on things. We've been running rubber tracks for about 12 years now (CAT 1055 / 655), and steel the 30 years prior to that (barber green 225's mostly) with no real undercarriage issues to speak of.

 

[paverinstallati]

I think that this decision depends on the wheel and the rubber for your asphalt paver often boils down to preference.

Regards,

<a href="http://www.mcpavers.com/">paver installation</a>

 

[paverinstallati]

nice discussion

I think that this decision depends on the wheel and the rubber for your asphalt paver often boils down to preference.

Regards,

paver installation

 

[Navi]

I think if you want to pave a straight road or a hilly area tracked paver is the best.

Wheeled paver is best for small job like patch work, they can easily moved from one place to another.And paving roundabout and all wheeled is best as it can't be paved in single strech.

 

[crazy-mp]

The company I work for has 3 pavers right now they are all tracked, we did have a roadtec for a little bit that was wheeled. From what I have seen the tracked ones work great in any circumstance, the wheeled ones tore up the sub grade pretty bad if it was rock. On overlays or patches they did fine, but they didn't have the pushing power the tacked ones do, they spin more I guess you could say.