Compaction control

Compaction Work for a new road near Zwickau, Germany is currently being carried out with pin-point accuracy. Joint venture contractors Strabag and Frenzel Bau are using a Bomag roller fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to provide accurate documentation of work on the Reinsdorf bypass.

The project involves construction of two bridges, a storm water retention and excavation of 155000 m³ of material for a cutting on the 1,8 km route. The project's client, Zwickau Road Construction Office, was concerned that the variable weathering in the excavated surface would result in uneven bearing capacities and cause differential settlement. To prove that the work was being carried out to the same standard across the site, the client called for the contractor to accurately document the compaction work.

Bomag's existing Surface Covering Compaction Control (SCCC) system can provide this information but relies on the operator following predetermined rolling lanes and the client wanted the accuracy to be guaranteed.

Bomag fitted the BW 213 DH - 4 BVC single drum roller with Variocontrol and its BCM05 compaction measuring system and linked it to a GPS receiver to provide co-ordinate values accurate to 25 mm. The system is linked to an on site GPS reference station, which enables the operator to view the compaction in real-time and adjust the roller accordingly.

The information can also be transferred to the construction office where a PC-pased graphical display shows the areas where the compaction has been achieved in green, while areas which require further work are displayed in red.