Real Time Density Scan For Asphalt, From GSSI and HAMM

When it comes to asphalt paving, density is the name of the game. Having access to data, faster and more accurately delivered, means a whole host of savings and benefits for contractors. There are big benefits to fewer passes, not to mention, no over-compaction.

With this in mind, and the industry changing at an ever increasing rapid pace, GSSI and HAMM have revealed a close partnership, the result of which is RealTime Density Scan (RDS) a brand new sensor technology attached to the underside of tandem rollers.

Primary features of RDS:

• High-speed
• Highly accurate
• Rugged design meant to withstand rough paving conditions
• Dirt and moisture resistant
• Immune to vibration and high temperatures
• Ensures uniform pavement densities
• Reduces overall energy requirements

“Given the trajectory of Density Profiling Systems in the industry, the natural next step in the PaveScan ecosystem was to integrate this technology into asphalt rollers,” GSSI President Chris Green commented. “This agreement with Hamm combines the long-standing strengths of each company to provide customers with a truly innovative solution on a large scale. We couldn’t be more excited about working with Hamm and the future of DPS.”

GSSI revealed that the core technologies behind the new RDS have long been in development, refining the GPR and necessary algorithms that make it possible to deliver highly accurate information across a varied range of compaction scenarios.

“This is a hard problem to solve at the accuracies required,” GSSI CTO Dr. David Cist explains. “DOTs pay bonuses for good density because their research shows that each 1% change in compaction can extend or shorten road life by 10% or more. Since water is the enemy of all roads, getting good densities over the entire job is key to longer road life, since it seals out salt and water. However, the problem has always been that paving contractors have meager feedback for rolling asphalt to the right density. Knowing surface temperature, roller pass count, and stiffness are all great, but they can never be combined to give the density values contractors need at the accuracy DOTs pay for. Gauges and cores provide only spot density values, typically too late and too sparse to assure longevity.”

While PaveScan has been used by both domestic and international DOTs for many years, it was originally deployed as a quality assurance measure. The tools were mainly deployed once a job was already completed. The natural evolution of the technology was working with DOTs and contractors to allow it to play a part during the job in real-time. This would give them a powerful way to fix problems before they really become entrenched.

After an extensive testing period, they now believe that the technology is mature enough to come to market and start making an immediate impact on deliverables for road builders everywhere.

 “Our job is to create the best GPR sensors in the world and then work with partners to create innovative solutions that have the potential to revolutionize industries. Every problem is unique, but the goal is always the same, make something that customers quickly decide that they can’t live without” says Green.