Wirtgen is displaying a complete concrete paving train at the ongoing World of Concrete show, comprising a placer/spreader, a slipform paver and a texture curing machine, with the first two being world premieres.

The new WPS 102i placer/spreader and the SP 94i slipform paver are being shown to the public for the first time and are accompanies by a TCM 180i texture curing machine, which completes the paving train. Wirtgen is also presenting the TeleMold, which it describes as “an innovative system that makes construction sites more efficient through the ability to flexibly and rapidly change working widths when paving”. The John Deere-owned German roadmaking machinery behemoth is also displaying its SP 15i and SP 25i offset pavers.

Describing the newly launched WPS 102i Placer/Spreader, a statement from Wirgen said: “When road surfaces and paths are paved over pre-placed steel rebar, concrete can often only be supplied to the machine from the side. The placer/spreaders from Wirtgen are the perfect choice for this task. As the leading machine in a paving train, they travel over the pre-placed steel rebar ahead of the slipform paver and the texture curing machine. A truck feeds the concrete from the side, and the placer/spreader then evenly distributes it across the entire working width.”

Wirtgen added that the new WPS 102i is the latest addition to its range of two-track placer/spreaders. The concrete can be placed for working widths from 4-12m at thicknesses of up to 500mm. Thanks to the fully modular machine design with standard hydraulic quick-change couplings, the WPS 102i can be as quickly and easily reconfigured as its “little brother”, the WPS 62i, added the manufacturer, ensuring fast transport from job to job and maximum machine availability. The WPS 102i can be controlled by stringline scanning, stringless 3D applications or Autopilot 2.0 from Wirtgen.

The other Wirtgen machine to have its world premiere at the ongoing event in Las Vegas, USA, is the SP 94i - a fully modular, 10-metre class inset slipform paver that has a large variety of applications. It can be used in the construction of wide roads and highways, airport aprons, taxiways, and runways.

World of Concrete 2022 is the first event at which the 4-track paver can be seen fitted with TeleMold, which enables fast and flexible alteration of the working width by up to 1m on each side, resulting in an overall increase of 2m.

“Short reconfiguration times mean that paving contractors can look forward to high machine availability and utilisation rates. In addition to the quick-change elements of the mold, the TeleMold is also equipped with a quick-change system for the metering gate and vibrator mountings. This means that crews can pave and reconfigure the working width all on the same day. The system can be fitted to SP 64i, SP 94i, and SP 124i slipform pavers,” said Wirtgen’s statement.

The company is also showing the SP 15i at the event – with two brand new features. The specialist for paving high-quality poured-in-place profiles by the offset method now features a retractable extension for the operator’s platform. This affords operators a better overview of the paving results, the concrete feeding system, the transfer hopper and of the inside of the compaction chamber of the mold. Also new is the “Curb Depressor Mold”, fitted with a hydraulically adjustable inset integrated in the mold. This is used for the construction of lowered curb profiles, such as driveway access, which significantly reduces the need for manual reworking, said Wirtgen.