Desert race

Surfacing crews working on laying the asphalt for the new Dubai Autodrome Race track had to contend with strong winds, high humidity levels and extreme temperatures. Al Futtaim Tarmac UAE used two Ingersoll-Rand ABG Titan 325 pavers in echelon to lay the material to the tight tolerance specification and complete the work on time, despite the tough atmospheric conditions.

The 5.4 km track varies in width between 14 and 17 m and some sections are banked with gradients of up to 9%. The Titan pavers used on the scheme were fitted with VB 88 Variomatic screeds, which could be continuously adjusted to extend the laying width up to 8.5 m. Al Futtaim Tarmac UAE overlaid the 60 mm base course with a 50 mm binder course, topped with a 40 mm wearing course formed by asphalt bound with polymer modified bitumen. The specification for the track called for a tolerance of +/- 3 mm over a 4 m straight edge and the surfacing contractor used a levelling system with a digital sonic ski to achieve the required accuracy.