Exclusive material feeder added by Aggregate Industries to contracting services offer

28 Feb 2017

Aggregate Industries, construction materials supplier and leading road surfacing contractor, is the only contractor in the UK able to offer a new material feeder that allows for uninterrupted, non-contacting material transfer that allows road projects to be completed more efficiently and economically.

Powerful material feeder with pivoting conveyor, advanced Vögele MT 3000-2i Offset Powerfeeder, allows continuous paving as the storage and transfer of hot-mixed asphalt material from an insulated delivery vehicle to a paver. In addition, it can be utilised for ‘hot on hot’ paving and to provide an increased flow of material on a traditional paving scheme.

The large receiving hopper of the Powerfeeder has a storage capacity of over 16tonnes, with a 1.1m-wide conveyor capable of transferring up to 1,200t of mix per hour. Consequently, this allows work to happen continuously, in turn reducing joints in the pavement with a continuous flow of asphalt to the paver.

The Vögele Powerfeeder offers an alternative to traditional material feeders that improves on quality and offers cost and efficiency benefits, explained Managing Director of Contracting Services at Aggregate Industries, Paddy Murphy.

The Powerfeeder has been utilised as part of the Area 13 Framework contract undertaken between Aggregate Industries, Highways England, and kier on the M6 Junction 36-35 S/B C/W at Burton to Cinderbarrow. This was the UK’s first Hot-on-Hot in line paving trial.

The project involved laying two asphalt layers; Binder Course and Surface Course simultaneously to form a fully homogenous layer. The Surface Course material was laid directly behind the Binder Course using the Vögele Powerfeeder, feeding the material into the second paver.

Aggregate Industries has used the Vögele Powerfeeder to achieve 1,396 tonnes in one night on the M1 Smart Motorways scheme at Junction 33-32, since initial use on the M6, and is currently in use on the A556 Knutsford to Bowden Improvement Scheme; both in conjunction with Costain. Continuous paving of the Surface Course layer is therefore allowed by utilising the material transfer vehicle.

Visit the Aggregate Industries website