Topcon Positioning Group has announced a new vehicle-mounted resurfacing solution for paving and milling projects – the SmoothRide system. It uses a combination of core Topcon technologies designed to deliver the smoothest surface possible, while efficiently managing the quantity of material for each project.
“In most situations, it’s inconvenient or impossible to shut down a road and map its surface using traditional survey methods,” said Murray Lodge, senior vice president and general manager of the Construction Business Unit. “We’ve developed a way to scan roads at highway speeds with no need for lane closures, crash trucks, escorts or any other typical road survey collection obstacles. With the new RD-M1 scanning unit, the system maps the existing surface elevations – with many more points captured versus what can be expected with traditional tools – providing more accurate data needed to confidently estimate materials, as well as form the basis of the final design surface.”
The workflow consists of a vehicle-mounted road scan, existing and finish surface design, and machine control using GNSS with sonic tracker sensor guidance – each phase devised to contribute an overall time and cost savings, as well as maximize crew safety for projects.
Once the road information is gathered, operators can use Mobile Master Office point data processing software to recreate the existing surface. MAGNET Office with Resurfacing is then used to digitally create a high-resolution model of the required finished mat. The resurfacing module allows operators to create a design using specific regulatory requirements such as minimum thickness, desired cross-slope, and overall smoothness.
“That information is taken to a paver or milling machine, allowing variable depth performance. The result is a much smoother road and faster completion times – changing the game in paving,” said Lodge.
