INNOVATION BACKGROUND?
DTS innovates time-consuming and cost-intensive roadway maintenance with new “Tank Drum”
Cracks in the asphalt, potholes, increased risk of accidents, slow maintenance work, road closures due to construction sites and lots of traffic jams. This is how critics see the condition of German roads, which in their eyes is due to a backlog of investments, which in turn causes traffic jams on the roads. The annoying regional traffic jam problem has long been put on the political agenda and highlighted in the election campaign.
But in addition to the question of freeing up funds, the congestion problem in practice will primarily be about implementing long-lasting maintenance measures with long intervals and short construction and closure times.
Weak point asphalt surface
In general, insufficiently compacted areas in the asphalt and uneven areas in the road surface are considered the starting point of a larger crack or a pothole. When water penetrates the gravel layer, it bursts when there is frost due to the expansion of the water and softens further due to the melt. The use of road salt and extreme heat in summer can also attack the weak points of the asphalt surface.
Avoid “breaking points”.
If damage is discovered, a floor cutter and a surface milling machine are used in two separate work steps to remove the damaged asphalt surface and then replace it. What is crucial here is that the repair does not leave any further weak points on the asphalt surface, which can be vulnerable to wear, corrosion and weather and thus unnecessarily shorten the maintenance interval. The successive use of floor cutters and surface milling machines has not only proven to be time-consuming and labor-intensive, but has also revealed weaknesses in the coordination of both work steps. On the one hand, it can happen that the straightness of the joint is affected by the surface milling machine; on the other hand, it can happen that the milling depth does not coincide with the joint. In any case, the lack of flushness between the old and new asphalt pavement can result in new unevenness or significant weak points in the density of the asphalt pavement. This must be avoided.
Perfect interaction with "Tank Drum"
The idea of the “Tank Drum” is based on the fusion of floor saw and surface milling machine. If both work steps are carried out simultaneously and coordinated with one another, the developer’s premise is that consistently flat and seamless surfaces can be achieved afterwards when filling the road surface. In addition to the obvious one By saving costs and time during construction work, a much cleaner and more sustainable result is possible with the repaired road surface. Flat surfaces, seamless and flush joints seal the asphalt optimally, so that there are no weak points for corrosion or erosion. The “Tank Drum” is used It is a mobile milling drum that can be clamped in front of a small wheel loader with a corresponding holder and protective cover. The chisels made of cermet, a metal-bonded ceramic cutting material, which are symmetrically attached to the milling drum, optimally cover the milling surface. A 550 mm diamond ring saw blade is attached directly to the milling drum, which is flush with the area of the milling machine and is precisely tailored to the depth of the milling machine. With a total weight of only around 85 kg, the milling machine is easy to handle and transport.
Practical test on the highway
The fact that the technology is already ready for the market is shown by a successfully carried out practical test on the South Korean Yeongdong Expressway near Majang, where 4 km of route was successfully milled and given a new asphalt surface. With a cutting and milling depth of 5 cm, the speed was between 2.3 and 4 m per minute. The responsible road construction company was extremely satisfied with the test results. Time will tell how sustainable the maintenance measures are; you are currently observing the area being worked on.
Conclusion
With the urgently needed maintenance measures on local roads and the associated traffic jam problems, in addition to the willingness to invest, it will also be important to find quick, sustainable and cost-effective technical solutions. In this context, the “Tank Drum” from DTS shows how you can make a big difference through smaller innovations.
The company
DTS (Diamond Tool Solution) is a young, up-and-coming South Korean company that was founded in 2017 and specializes in the development and production of diamond tools in the construction and industrial sectors. Analogous to the “Tank Drum” presented, the company has also developed a mobile solution for grinding concrete and asphalt etc. The company motto “Needs – New – Next” suggests that innovations tailored to needs will follow.
