Short comment to the interesting conversation. At this moment we are developing a system where we can connect pach data to map system. That way we are able to know where it’s paved. Hopefully it’s on test use in this year.–Jussi Länsitalo
I would like to go back to my comment in the beginning. I am more focused on the process itself and I see today that there is a lot of unnecessary expenditure in the way we use aggregates. I would like to see more work done on reducing the cost of mixes by using longer aggregate fractions. In many countries it is a natural assumption that you must use short expensively produced short aggregate fractions for example 0/2mm. Longer fractions are cheaper and often give a better final quality for normal asphalt with harmonic gradings. The plant manufacturers need to see if using these cheaper fractions needs changes in the way the plants are constructed. Here I am thinking primarily of batching plants as this sytem already works well in drum mixers. -Martyn Luby
Mr Hennie. For now. the quality of asphalt produced by the asphalt mixing plant is match the need to built the road,even the high-level speed way. if we can monitoring the exact and continous data in the processing. in the perspective of cost, is it necessary ?
Well, yes, and no. There won’t be any immediate benefit, but for long-term performance monitoring, and for designing rehabilitation interventions (say) 15 years after the original construction, it would be very valuable information. Consider the following scenario:
Plant mix parameters are recorded initially onto the transponder chips. At the paver, the time of paving, paving temperature, and even number of roller passes that actually passed over the transponder could be recorded if the appropriate communicators are attached to the paver and rollers. After the lab results are available, this data could also be written onto the embedded (paved) transponders, leaving a permanent, in-situ, record for future use…
Obviously, this is just a futuristic fantasy at the moment, but the original question was about the development of asphalt plants in the future, hence a bit of day dreaming.
–Hennie Landman
I believe that in the next 10 years, asphalt plants will be like a well oiled machine, we have a hybrid plant that uses analog and digital controls. We just went through an upgrade on our feeder controls back in December of 2014, after having the new system in place for the past 6 months we have seen some major improvements of our plant’s production with better controls over the mx being produced.
The plant that I’m speaking of is a 1997 ASTEC Double Barrel with foaming system, 8 cold feeds and 2 recycle feeders which used the PM96 control system. I have been with this plant since it started up in May of 1998 and have been involved with all of the upgrades. In December of 2014, we installed the MP3 system for the blend controls, by far this has been the best upgrade that I’ve seen for an asphalt plant. We are now in the process of changing out the remaining Eddy Current motor controls to Dan Foss VFD controls on the cold feeds. By far as technology advances and the asphalt plant manufacture keeps up with the advances, you’ll have a plant that will be able to give the information that Mr. Landman speaks of.
With me being the asphalt plant manager and Q.C. manager for this plant, I would love to see something come about that Mr. Landman is speaking of, it would give the producer, engineers, and others some very valuable information, or at least real time data during production and lay down.
–Chris Noble
In the next ten year I want to see Asphalt premix that will endure any weather conditions better that the present tech. and cost effective.
