The story of Ingersoll-Rand’s new 8820 Titan paver really begins 20 years ago with two brothers, Ron and Terry Peltz. The brothers were pioneers working with roller compacted concrete. “This is a dryer mix of concrete material compared to slipform concrete,” explains Brodie Hutchins, paver product manager, large paving equipment, Ingersoll-Rand. “And they realized they could pave with this material in thicker and wider widths in different angles than they could with conventional concrete.” Over time, the work Peltz Brothers Paving was doing caught on and influenced several contractors around the country who also specialize in roller compacted concrete paving.
Today Ron is president of AG Peltz paving, based in Birmingham, Alabama. But his company still specializes in roller compacted concrete paving and was the first contractor in the U.S. to purchase a Titan 8820.
In many ways, the 8820 is departure from conventional North American paving machines. “It’s capable of paving not only mix asphalt, but base materials such as roller compacted concrete, cement treated base, soil cement and different types of aggregate fly ash,” Hutchins notes. “It can handle these diverse materials because the paver screed is fitted with patented dual tampers. Some contractors are using it with hot-mix asphalt one day, and switching over for base work on their next job.”
Hutchins says these tampers are set at different angles and have different stroke settings. “These tampers doze the material, compacting it down into lower lying areas on the mat,” he explains. “Since base paving is often on uneven surfaces, the first tamper sets the material, and the second tamper provides greater compaction force, then the screed plate smoothes the material over. This gives you a uniform compaction and even grade throughout the mat even though the underground is uneven.”
A lateral quick coupler system provides for fast secure screed extension connections. And because the 8820 is larger and more sophisticated than a conventional paver, Ingersoll-Rand developed its Electronic Paver Management system to coordinate and control all machine and paving functions.
“Despite its size, the 8820 is a precision paver,” Hutchins says, “thanks to the EPM. It ties in the hydraulic system, the leveling system and screed heating system so every aspect of running that machine is controlled by the computer.”
Some paving contractors may wince at those words, but Hutchins says the EPM system is highly intuitive and has a fast learning curve. “We’re seeing operators get up to speed in less than half an hour,” he notes. “Especially the younger generation of operators and those who have experience with computers and other technology-driven equipment.” The Titan 8820 is a European-style machine in another sense, Hutchins adds. It is designed to deliver consistently smooth roads at a consistent paving pace. “That means it’s not a throw-the-sticks-forward-and-go style paver,” he says. “This paver is designed for contractors who place an emphasis on rideability, good profilograph readings, longer guarantees on roads and smoothness bonuses instead of tonnage. If they’re willing to slow down to achieve those goals, then the Titan 8820 is perfect for their needs.”
