Blaw-Knox gets OK from Tilcon

Tilcon's recently purchased Blaw-Knox 191 paver, fitted with a hydraulically extendible OmniScreed V, is proving a worthwhile investment, says the firm.

Basil Larter, Tilcon's contracting general manager for the north east, comments: 'Variable width screed pavers have now been used by us for about 12 years. We've bought these machines from a variety of manufacturers and used them on a range of surfacing contracts. However, we have never had total confidence in using fully extended variable machines on high-tolerance work required on motorway and trunk road contracts, and would normally use a fixed screed machine for work of this nature.

'However the new OmniScreed V seems to be the answer to the problem of having to switch pavers according to the type of work. It has proved itself for line and level in a variety of situations, including high tolerance work in widths in excess of 4m,' he says.

Tilcon has an annual surfacing contract for maintenance to road schemes for North Tyneside Borough Council. Under this contract, the BlawKnox OmniScreed V, used in conjunction with the BlawKnox BK-191 tractor unit, recently resurfaced roads in a residential area of Whitley Bay.

The contract required asphalt to be laid directly on top of concrete which had been down for about 40 years. To reduce the risk of the asphalt cracking, due to the rigid concrete beneath, Tilcon used a 5% liquid latex additive to the bitumen for the 40mm hot rolled asphalt wearing course. Stone content of the course was 30%.

Tilcon laid an average of 200t of asphalt a day with the OmniScreed V. The variable-width screed proved a boon when it came to paving around traffic islands.

The machine's basic screed width of 2.5m is hydraulically extendible, in standard form, to 4.75m. Weighing in at 2,650kg, the OmniScreed V can be fitted to a range of Blaw-Knox pavers.

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