The Wirtgen SP 64 slipform paver has recently been deployed for new concrete road construction in Surat Thani and Tha Sala, Thailand. As no fixed moulds were required, the amount of manual labour on these projects was significantly reduced.
In Surat Thani province, contractor Premium Concrete used the SP 64 paver to help build a 22.3-km-long road with two 3.5-m lanes and one 4-m lane. This new section, which has an overall width of 11 m and a concrete surface thickness of 32 cm, is a part of the important AH2 trunk route to Maluan.
“With the Wirtgen slipform paver, we achieve a high working speed and can simultaneously ensure high surface quality,” said Sirichot Phetthong, project engineer at Premium Concrete.
In another project, the SP 64 paver was used by contractor CC Machinery & Construction to help upgrade a 17-km stretch between Tha Sala and Nopphitam, on the section from Thai Bun to Nopphitam. The road is 14 m wide overall, featuring four 3.5-m lanes. The concrete surface thickness is 25 cm on the right and 28 cm on the left.
As traffic in Thailand drives on the left, the left-hand lane is predominantly used by heavy vehicles. In view of this, it has been paved 3 cm thicker than the right-hand lane to withstand the additional stresses.
“We decided to use the slipform paver because Wirtgen offers outstanding customer care, comprehensive service and training courses. These are particularly important criteria for us,” said Thawat Arunsuwannakon, managing director of CC Machinery & Construction.
When applying the inset slipform paving method, the concrete is placed directly in front of the machine and distributed by a spreading auger or spreading plow. The wet concrete is homogeneously consolidated by vibrators, while the slipform mould defines the form and dimensions. The integrated dowel bar and tie bar inserter places the reinforcement exactly as required. The oscillating beam levels out smaller irregularities before the super smoother delivers the surface finish.
Both projects have demonstrated the strong performance of slipform pavers in modern road construction. High paving speeds, excellent surface evenness and long-lasting roads ensure greater cost-effectiveness.
