A five-strong fleet of Volvo Construction Equipment road-building machines is being used to lay the asphalt at Palmer Motorsports Park in the United States.
Two Volvo CE pavers and three compactors have been employed by contractor, EJ Paving, to shape the private race track, which is situated in the state of Massachusetts.
Once completed, the 3.6km circuit will be used for driver training, demonstrations, vehicle testing, and a range of motorsport competitions.
“This is a unique job that requires specific paving requirements,” explained John Sullivan, paving director and general manager at EJ Paving.
“We are using a Volvo P7110 and Volvo PF4410 paver to lay the asphalt track, along with three double-drum compactors – two Volvo DD112 machines and one Volvo DD14.
“The P7110 is being used for 90% of the paving work,” he added.
EJ Paving has been contracted to complete the track with pits, garage areas, and an access road leading to the race course. The project will involve the placing of more than 20,000 tonnes of asphalt, and requires a 64mm-thick base layer of coarse aggregate stone. A latex-modified polymer, meanwhile, will comprise the top layer.
The 12m-wide track is only allowed one longitudinal joint – right down the middle – meaning that the Volvo CE pavers are having to lay two, separate 6m-wide passes, side by side. The P7110 was therefore selected for the job due to its 7.9m-wide, maximum paving width. Its rubber tracks also offer sufficient traction to hold the unit on steep banks without slipping.
“We are impressed with the performance of our Volvo equipment,” said William Muse, the contractor’s onsite paving superintendent.
“In particular, the operators are satisfied with the visibility the pavers offer, making operation easier and helping to ensure the safety of everyone on site.
“The machines produce a high-quality mat, and we are happy with the level of customer service we get from our Volvo dealer, Woodco Machinery,” he concluded.
Palmer Motorsports Park is being built on the site of a former logging property, and boasts surrounding hills that will act as an acoustic buffer. The project is scheduled to complete by April 2015.
