Vögele’s smallest paver, a MINI 500, has renewed and widened the shoulder on Swiss cantonal road T9 near Raron. It paved the area to the side of the carriageway at a width of just 0.9m to 1.35m without interruption and to a high standard.
Raron is located in the picturesque mountain canton of Valais in the south of Switzerland. The T9 cantonal road connects the village with the A9 motorway. As the road shoulder was contaminated with mercury, the area to the side of the carriageway had to be cleaned up over 2.3km. The shoulder was also to be widened in order to integrate the crash barriers into the asphalt.
The Pius Schmid company, from Visp, was commissioned for the work. "When it comes to road pavers, we rely exclusively on Vögele. The MINI 500 complements our capabilities in municipal road construction. This means we can now pave widths of just 0.25m without any manual work," said Michael Schmid, a director of the company.
The MINI 500 allows small-works paving, from footpaths to narrow trenches because of its basic width of 0.9m and pave widths of just 0.25m to 1.8m. Its rubber crawler tracks ensure optimum traction on loose ground and enable manoeuvering in the tightest of spaces. The pave width on the T9 cantonal road was only 0.9m.
Another Mini Class paver from Vögele, the SUPER 800i, was used to pave the base and surface courses to the side of the T9. There were numerous constrictions on a 500m section meaning that work had to be carried out at a varying width ranging from 0.9m to 1.35m. Normally, this would have been done manually. With the MINI 500 and the AB 135 extending screed, the team quickly paved the entire section without interruption and to a high standard.
When installing the new shoulder, a cross slope of 2% was required for efficient water runoff. To control the height of the paving position, the team used automated grade and slope control adapted to the MINI 500. It compares target and actual values, corrects if necessary and is particularly easy and intuitive to use. “With the MINI 500, we were able to carry out the work much more efficiently and conveniently,” said Schmid. “The result is very precise and of high quality."
The large material hopper with a capacity of up to 1.5 tonnes also contributed to efficiency. The MINI 500 could be fed easily with a wheel loader via the wide funnel-shaped opening. Another advantage is that it weighs only 1.6 tonnes making it easy and cost-effective to transport. “We can easily move the MINI 500 to a new location by truck without any major logistical effort or, if necessary, lift it onto a raised surface – quickly and easily using a wheel loader.”
