Randall Hydraulics -
In 1992, Randall Hydraulics were commissioned to design the special hardware needed to enable a road paver, rollers and other equipment to operate on the curved, sloping surface of a car manufacturer's high speed test circuit (180 kph+).
The project involved the complete resurfacing of the 4.5 km circular banked track, across the full width, up to the safety fence where the slope of the surface is approximately 24°. The project was completed within budget for both cost and time.
In 2003, the same track received some maintenance attention, and Randall Hydraulics were again commissioned to design hardware to facilitate the completion of this work.
In addition to road paver and rollers, the maintenance project required the use of a 20 tonne profiler, which was also required to operate up to the highest part of the slope. Once again, the project was completed within budget for both cost and time.
Here the planer takes a cut near the top of the slope in preparation for repair of a weakened joint in the 10-year old surface.
The outrigger wheel system compensates automatically for changes in the profile of the track when the machine moves to higher or lower slopes.
The paving train includes a support machine to hold the laying paver on the slope. Randall Hydraulics' control system for this combination allows the driver of the laying paver to control speed and direction of both machines simutaneously.
Other machines specially modified for this project include a steel-drum vibrating roller and a multi-wheel roller.
